I Completely Reinvented My Life After Prison, These are My Top 12 Lessons

My life changed forever on October 1st, 2013.

I had just walked into my new job when I received this voicemail,

“Mr. Stanland, this is Special Agent McTiernan with the FBI. We are at your residence and have a warrant for your arrest. You will need to call us and come home immediately, or we will issue an APB with the federal marshals for your arrest.”

It was, without a doubt, one of the most terrifying days of my life so far.

For just under a year, I committed fraud against one of the largest tech companies in the world.

In that one moment, my life was no longer my own.

It belonged to the agents, the faceless people working behind the scenes, and the judge I had yet to meet.

I pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and was sentenced to two years of federal prison.

I watched helplessly as the life I knew grew smaller and fainter as I descended into the abyss of uncertainty.

I watched as the dark cloud of shame enveloped my life and cast everything in its shadow.

I watched the bottom fall out every single time I thought I had hit bottom.