About Hang In There
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Greetings!

 

 

My name is Vic Lawrence and I’m the founder of:

“Hang In There  Self Improvement.”

I’m originally from the Washington, DC Area

I think the best way to tell you about me would be to tell you how I got the idea for this website. I was sitting on the Metro train on way back from work in Washington DC. The commute was about 30 minutes by train and another 30 by foot. When I’m on the train, I usually listen to my IPod or read the paper, but on this particular day I did neither.

I watched the people who were sitting around me. I don’t know if it was some sort of weird coincidence, but there was not a single person around me smiling. I felt like I could sense everyone’s burdens and could tell that people were unhappy.

I am usually pretty good at this, because growing up I had some problems of my own. As I child I was diagnosed with ADHD. In a nutshell, I had problems with attention and focus. I have had my fair share of problems at school and at work, which led to unhappiness and depression (long story).

After the train ride and the walk home, I felt compelled to help. I wanted to do something that would put more smiles on people’s faces. Since I am in the IT field, I was no stranger to the Internet.

Facebook at the time was bigger than ever and I knew it could be a way to reach out to people like those who were on the train with me.  I started the “Hang In There” Facebook page in September 2010.

It started off small. At first, I was posting anything I could that had to do with positivity. I also posted many encouraging quotes and still do to this day. It grew and it grew big.

Once I had about 2000 followers I felt like I needed to do more to help. I set out to create a webpage full of self-improvement and encouragement information. The “Hang In There” website was born.

 

Here I am in Baqubah, Iraq in 2004. This was a little after the war started in Iraq. They called it Morter City because of all the frequent mortar attacks. I think I was daydreaming about being on the beach somewhere in this picture.

To make a long story short, I spent four years on active duty in the US Army. I spent 2 years overseas, including one year in the Middle East and another in Germany. I completed the other 2 years stateside. I’ve been to nine countries and I’ve lost count on the states I’ve been to in the US.

I have always been interested in personal development and self-improvement. At one time, I thought there was something wrong with me because I was always thinking about how to better myself. Now I want to give back to you.

I want to help specifically the people who have felt anxious and depressed most of their life. I have spent countless hours reading and studying on topics like controlling emotions, coping skills, decision making, positive thinking, and self awareness. Anything I’ve learned goes straight on this website.

I could write down a list of all my accomplishments but I don’t want to bore you. Instead, here are 10 random facts about me.

 

  1. I laugh randomly at things I think about in my head.
  1. I’m currently finishing up my undergrad degree in Info Systems (courtesy of the 9/11 GI Bill)
  1. I’m not a big fan of rude people
  1. I’m happily married to my wife Melanie and have been since 2006
  1. I obviously love computers and the internet
  1. I put hot sauce on everything (even if it’s already hot)
  1. I probably spend about 1/2 of my day think about the meaning of life and my life
  1. I genuinely want to help people (but I also realize that I have to earn that right)
  1. I’ve successfully convoyed from Kuwait to Iraq with my fellow troops (121 signal battalion)
  1. When I was 9 years old, I wanted to be an actor.

 


About This Site

First, let me start of by saying: This is NOT a personal blog. I know it might sound a bit cliché, but this is not about me, it’s about YOU.  Every week (usually on Tuesday), I will have a guest poster (from a writer or blogger) contribute to the site. The topics can be anything from dealing with negative people to learning how to change a limiting belief.

I also want to create a community where personal growth seekers like you can, not only read articles on personal growth, but contribute as well. Everybody has learned something in life that has made him or her a better person. If you like what you see on Hang In There and would like to contribute, please see the “Contribute” tab for more details. Just 500 short words or more about your experience or tips on personal growth can literally save someone’s life. Plus, it will build a community that everyone can be a part of.

I’m also a huge fan of quotes, as they pack a powerful punch in such a short message. Please join our Facebook community and post a quote on the wall to show your support  (I would really appreciate it).

Don’t forget to sign up to receive updates from my newsletter at the top of the page. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about the site and me!

As always, hang in there; it gets much better! To get started click here.

 

I wish you much success and all the best.

 

 

 

  • http://www.hang-in-there.com/ Vic Lawrence

    Hi Peggy,

    Thanks for reading my Story. To answer your first question, I didn’t ever get over it.

    ADHD it not really curable. You just have to learn different ways of coping with it. During my child hood I didn’t really Know what ADHD was, I just knew that I learned different.

    When I got older I knew I was smart but I would always preform poorly on tests. Now as an adult I just focus mainly on time management techniques, creating a to-do list and taking frequent breaks to make the best of my shortcomings.

    To answer your second question, there was a time when I was really upset that I learned differently. Part of the reason was because I couldn’t keep up with my classmates in school.

    Once I found some clarity and used some of the techniques I mentions above, things got easier for me. I also found myself becoming less frustrated in school which allowed me to focus more my schoolwork.

    I hope this helps.

    All the best,

    Vic

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