A 3 year old is stricken with a ruptured brain aneurysm and a stroke.  He survives the cerebral hemorrhage, but doctors have no idea if he can even walk.  His right side is permanently stroke-effected, causing streaming nerve damage across the entire right half of his body, resulting in permanent physical and neurological disabilities.  That was me in 1988 and my disability has never gone away, but that didn’t stop me from overcoming it.  It didn’t stop me from being scouted as a pitcher by four Major League Baseball teams or graduating college with Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors.  In fact, it drove me to run and complete five marathons.  I even qualified for Boston.  Not only did I run the Boston Marathon, I am the 2008 mobility-impaired champion.  I ran alongside Olympians Ryan Hall and Robert Cheruiyot in the 2010 marathon amidst defending my title.  In my life, I have striven to be normal and, in doing so, I have become extraordinary.  CNN, The Washington Post and countless local news stations have highlighted my story in the last year.

Point blank, I’m a miracle.  Having a miracle story is one thing, but relating that story to others in a way that impacts their lives is meaningful.  I’m already making a difference in so many lives and getting this book published will exponentially increase the difference I make for everyone.  At approximately 94,500 words, An Uncharted Life is more than just a memoir.  It’s  a character study that analyzes how mental motivators and barriers (memories, doubt), social behavior (verbal/non-verbal cues and gestures), internal and external motivation, family, fate and faith not only influence how we perceive everything that happens in life, but in essence dictates how we are perceived by others.  The theme is love and how being embraced or rejected impacts the life we live and create.  My life is merely the portal that I analyze these developments and realizations through, analyzing my life from third person perspectives in order to relate my experiences to universal experiences everyone can relate to.

I don’t believe I am better than anyone else; I am simply better than I ever imagined I would be.  And I would not be where I am without my family.  Because of them I am a marathoner, life coach, certified personal trainer, martial artist and, most importantly, survivor.  I’m not perfect, but they have made me more than anyone thought I would become.  With you, An Uncharted Life will make me a national speaker and source of inspiration for everyone.  Everything that has transformed my life, and can help others in their own lives, is here.  This is my uncharted life and I want this book to help others make it their own too because I know it will.  I’ve gotten where I am because of help from others.  They have lifted me up to these unprecedented levels and I need you to help me do the same fine-tuned effort with this book.  Why do we do the things we do?  Why do we react the way we do?  This book is the catalyst that will help everyone discover their own uncharted potential and begin living it instead of fearing it.

I pull the shower curtain to the right side when I finish showering at the gym.  It’s more convenient to pull it to the right side rather than the left, but I have to make sure I pull the curtain as far right as I can.

See, I know that I am missing a quadrant of vision in my right eye naturally from surgery, so I am very aware when I see things out of the “corner” of my right eye.  I know how close things really are having that limited sight line on my right side.  Therefore, when I see something out of my right eye or have it constantly in the corner of my view, it becomes a real distraction because I know how close it is.

Being so aware of my deficit is an innate aspect of my life, but it wasn’t until I repeatedly would move the curtain completely out of view of from my right side vision that I realized why it had to be out of view completely.  I don’t think I would have the same reaction if I had something out of the corner of my left eye, but then again I might since that means my vision would be limited out of both of my eyes.

It’s just an interesting observation I came across after recognizing patterns I have across my daily routine.  Not sure what will come of it, but recognizing anything relating to my disability that bothers me in some way is something I can harness and work at, with the intention of improving how my disability impacts me in a way that is not a physical strength issue, but still impacts me physically.

Rehabilitation happens in many ways.  Improving the littlest bit in as many ways possible is the best way to reach an overall, holistic recovery.  One day at a time, one day at a time.

You wake up in the morning to go to work, right?  You don't always want to do it, but you have a responsibility to upkeep.

That's the way that I view fitness for myself.  It's a career.  Strengthening my right side to match my left is the ultimate career goal.

Nothing much is more important than my fitness.  For me, succeeding means relieving a burden from my family.  With each rep and each additional plate I'm able to lift, I'm reversing the burden that my aneurysm and stroke placed on my family.  Making it into a career would mean that I'm making a living by overcoming what I lost.  I'd be able to give back to my family, and the way I'd be able to give back is through sharing how I overcame what burdened my family and myself.

Thinking this through has given me a new, and truer, perspective to continue promoting my book.  Everything is starting to come full circle.  I just need to find the time to get it all written down and perfected, but when that happens I have regained my confidence that people will find an interest in what I'm ultimately trying to do.

You can make yourself a success either way, but there is a real difference between cultivating a created concept and being the person who creates that concept.  Some people are great at following instructions and guidelines given to them, others are great at seeing the holes in concepts that have been created, people can excel at streamlining processes and eliminate redundant or unnecessary steps, but having these qualities does not necessarily mean that you have that true entrepreneurial mindset of creating a concept, building it to fruition and then positioning it to be successful.

To do that fully, you need a team of some size behind you.  You need people who are great at following concepts, making certain projects their own and working within the parameters that the innovator envisions. Some people are very happy with that type of structure, but others hate to be confined to the limitations of a set job.  They need to do their own thing and be their own success.

Having success can come in many forms.  You, yourself could be a success.  You can make a company successful, you can help reveal the success of a company or you can help other people succeed.  You don't have to be limited to only one of these.  In fact, you can easily hold multiple of these traits, but having the success of being your own person and making that successful both personally and as a career is a special trait.

Bring my own success, my own boss and creating my own ideas to pursue makes me happiest.  I'm blessed that I have people behind me who see the value in this and want to help me, Determination and others succeed.  Determination still has a long way to come, and a lot of it is on my shoulders.  I wouldn't have it any other way...but once I get through the initial round of hurdles to overcome, I know that I have a team of learners, followers and independent minds who not only want to support my endeavor, but stand by me and make it into the true success that Determination can become.

I keep my faith in people’s goodwill.  A large majority of people seem to have a pessimistic view towards the actions others will take.  Earlier this week, one of my friends at work took off his wedding ring as he washed his hands and forgot to put his ring back on.  He retraced his steps, but couldn’t find it.

Now, the initial thought that goes through your mind is that the ring is gone, kiss it goodbye and you’ll never see it again.  At one time I would have thought that, but I’ve had a couple unique situations happen to me that has changed my outlook on lost and found situations.

One time, I left my wallet on the bus because I forgot to put it back in my bag.  I borrowed money to get to work and went on my way.  20 minutes after I got home from work there was a knock at the door and the bus driver ON THAT BUS stood at my door with my wallet in hand.  He lives an hour from my house and drove to my house to give me my wallet.  A few months later, my wallet slips out of my pocket as I am running down the escalator to get to the metro train.  A guy runs me down to give me my wallet just before the door closes.

I told Phil I was going to pass my luck and faith in others’ goodwill onto him.  Today I see Phil and he has his ring on.  Someone on the fourth floor found his ring and held it in case someone reported that they had lost a ring.  Faith restored in another person and continues to be renewed for me.  Everyone sees someone doing the right and noble thing as the rare thing to do.  I prefer to see it as the more common thing happening; we just don’t recognize it because the moments that register and remain in our minds are the situations that shock us and go against what we would hope happens.  I still choose to keep the good in people at the forefront of my belief.  Hopefully everyone will start noticing the significant amount of good that happens each day, no matter how minute.  That could be all it takes to change a large amount of perspectives and viewpoints on society and people currently.