Q1. Could you please start by introducing yourself to our readers?
A1-raised on a working farm that taught me a lot about responsibility, sense of urgency, and the importance of the cycle of life. U. S. Marine, serial entrepreneur, corporate problem solver, multi time death, and near death survivor, over 70 surgeries. 76 years old and mostly paralyzed and get around in a power wheelchair. Still very involved as an entrepreneur and a partner in a company that’s national and now international, author, and speak to groups when the situation arises about perseverance mindset, resilience and faith other things.
Q2. What inspired you to finally share your life story in this book?
A2-I had been asked to write a book for many years by many people because of all the horrific medical issues I have been through, dozens of surgeries, starting companies and just not letting anything keep me down. When I was 74, I was encouraged to move forward with it, as the person that help encourage me had heard me speak to some folks and they were very inspired and kept asking questions. I thought well maybe it’s time I buckle in and take this challenge on.
Q3. Your journey includes multiple near-death experiences, how did those moments reshape your perspective on life?
A3-They reshaped the direction of my life as well as my perspective. The reshaping was such that I couldn’t do what I thought I would do with my life and had to change it several times due to ongoing major medical issues, as well as multiples of surgeries. My perspective is simple, I have overcome so much, there’s nothing that I can’t conquer. It’s simply mind over matter.
Q4. What was the most difficult part of writing this book and revisiting painful memories?
A4-I dictated the book and let someone else and assemble it, though the most difficult part was thinking back about things I’ve been trying to forget for 55 years and longer. They were very traumatic and involved life and death more than once. Memories I didn’t need to remember.
Q5. What advice would you give to someone who feels stuck or overwhelmed by life’s challenges?
A5-Think about the times and things that you didn’t think you could overcome, that you ended up being a champion over, or at least made some change in it and what it was that brought you through that, and use that to move forward. We all have strengths within us, whether that’s your DNA, resilience, attitude, frustration, irritation, even pain, that you can draw off of and use as a strength to help you push through those adversities and detours in front of you. Don’t let anything stop you. You need the attitude and faith that you can do it, and you will.
It’s always too soon to quit.
Q6. Was there a specific turning point where you decided you would never give up, no matter what?
A6- I don’t believe I’ve ever had a point that I decided I would never give up no matter what. I was raised with that attitude and outlook, and it’s been in me my whole life and everything that I’ve gone through and everybody that’s tried to stop me or hold me back, just continues to strengthen my will and determination. It’s like drip, drip, drip, and finding the glass is full. I let the small things I have ever been through has strengthen me. Especially the times that I’ve had to fight for my life and fight back against the odds as you are told, you physically will never be able to move part of your body again, or this is going be too tough for you, considering your physical condition. I don’t listen to that, I move forward with a faith and a vision, or as some people call it a dream, and don’t let anything stop me.
Q7. What would you say is your strength as an author?
A7-I don’t recognize that I have any strength as an author. I simply dictated for my thoughts and memories, in simple terms, it makes sense, and did it in sections. It took over a year for me just to be able to think about a lot of terrible things. I tried to pull out those things I went through the positives that can help others find the strength within themselves to persevere through the adversities that they are going to face at different times in their life.
Q8. How do you leverage social media to connect with your audience as an author?
A8-I’ve left that up to the publisher at this point to be on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. I also have a webpage that probably needs to be updated some as things continue to grow rapidly.
Q9. What is the significance of the title ‘The Strength Within You’?
A9-I believe we all have strengths within us. Not just inside of us, but within us. Within us means all that we’ve gathered, including information from beyond ourselves, from experiences with other people or other projects, whether they were successful or failures, or maybe in-between. People need to look back and draw upon those to move forward. The strength in you may be as I mentioned before, in your DNA, maybe your family upbringing, faith, teachers, circumstances you went through whether they were physical or otherwise, or just being irritated or mad as hell, but you can accomplish things by reaching back into yourself and what you’ve experienced, to attain goals, dreams and the vision that you never thought was possible.
You can just never ever ever give up.
Q10. You talk a lot about mindset, how can someone begin developing a stronger mindset in their daily life?
A10-Mindset used to be called attitude. They just changed the name. But it’s positioning your thoughts that you can achieve something and move forward to get the desired results so in my opinion, and the facts seemed to show, that if you do a little bit at a time, step-by-step, you can achieve those desires. Don’t try to do more than you can handle or you’ll end up failing which is detrimental to your objective. So think of it like the dripping of water into a glass. I have an old saying that says inch by inch, it’s a cinch. Yard by yard it’s very hard. So just keep thinking about your vision, dreams or desires and work at them a little bit at a time with calculated risks so you don’t falter and if you go a little bit at a time and catch yourself going in the wrong direction, or not one you are happy about it, it’s easy to change right then and there.
It’s all in your head. It’s simply mind over matter!
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