BRINK OF GREATNESS

Every young girl and boy have been asked the question; 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' For boys, it was an athlete, astronaut, doctor, scientist, policeman, or a fire fighter. For girls, a teacher, veterinarian, singer, actress, dancer, or artist would have been a typical answer. The answer kids give to that question is changing, and if Stephanie Hein, Julia Haried or Elizabeth Engele have anything to say about it, those typical stereotype answers will become a thing of the past. There has been great progress over the years, but consider that women make up half of the total college-educated workforce in the United States, however they are only 29 percent of the overall science and engineering workforce. “One of the main reasons why girls aren’t interested in the STEM fields is that there is a lack of role models," explains Stephanie Hein. "Young girls don’t see many women in STEM fields and because of that, they don’t see themselves pursuing those fields. If more women pursue careers in STEM, then that can serve as a significant source of inspiration for young girls.” Founded in a social entrepreneurship class at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Co-Founders, Julia Haried and Elizabeth Engele, were inspired by the question "What bothers you?"  They want to inspire girls to be active in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, so that young ladies can begin that process of understanding that they can do anything that they can dream up or print out in this case. MakerGirl was created to inspire young girls to pursue STEM fields through 3D printing sessions. Julia and Elizabeth hired Stephanie Hein as CEO of MakerGirl in the fall of 2018; Stephanie has her own unique story in how she became involved. But it was when Stephanie raised money through a Kickstarter program, and took the program on the road from coast to coast to inspire young girls to get involved⏤that changed everything! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Before her role as CEO, Stephanie Hein served as MakerGirl’s Engagement Director in 2016 and assisted raising over $30,000 through a Kickstarter campaign and organized #MakerGirlGoesMobile, a 10,000 mile cross-country road trip that brought 3D printing sessions to over 1,000 girls in rural and underserved communities across the country. They are preparing now for the next cross-country trip as they take to the road once again to raise awareness and help provide a path forward for the next generation of big-thinkers. For Further Insight: Website: https://makergirl.us/ Donate: https://makergirl.us/take-action

Afghanistan is one of the world's most heavily landmine contaminated countries, and the impact to the civilian population as well as our military soldiers is the leading cause of injuries and death. A report was issued from the United Nations in October 2018 calling on militants in Afghanistan to stop using improvised explosive devices, “The killing and maiming of Afghan civilians by improvised explosive devises, particularly suicide devices, has reached extreme levels in Afghanistan.” Rob Jones We are seeing the decline of IED use in other areas of the world, but not Afghanistan, where it continues to rise. It is the weapon of choice the Taliban and the local Islamic State affiliate use to rein terror on both the local population and military forces. The impact on military, police and even peacekeepers is incredibly disruptive. Americans military forces have trained personnel that understand these  explosive devices, and how to detect the IEDs that are meticulously buried in the Afghanistan landscape. Rob Jones was trained and specialized in finding these explosive devices and would typically work to secure the area prior to troops moving in.  In Rob Jones words, "I deployed to Habbaniyah, Iraq in 2008, and again to Delaram/Sangin, Afghanistan in 2010. During my deployment to Afghanistan while operating as a part of a push into Taliban territory, I was tasked with clearing an area with a high likelihood of containing an IED. It was in this capacity that I was wounded in action by a land mine. The injury resulted in a left knee dis-articulation and a right above knee amputation of my legs." It was now the moment of truth for Rob. Since failure was not an option, he quickly assessed the situation and determined the best cause of action for him was to focus on his family and friends⏤instead of his own problems and challenges. This would be one of the biggest keys to getting Rob over these upcoming hurdles he was sure to face as he set out to reclaim his life. And reclaim his life he did... The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward "I skipped all the doubting myself, being depressed, and feeling sorry for myself," says Rob, "I just went straight to trying to achieve all that I wanted to achieve which was having a meaningful life." Rob has achieved incredible feats, US Rowing Man of the Year, Rode bicycle 5200 miles across America raising money for wounded veteran charities. Ran 31 Marathons, in 31 Cities, in 31 Days. Raising tens of thousands of dollars for worthy causes, and as Rob says, "The Mission Continues"... For Further Insight: Website: http://www.robjonesjourney.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robjonesjourney/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobJonesJourney

It should have been a happy time, fresh off her retirement, Ria had set off across the country to visit her sister in Johannesburg, South Africa. As they pulled into a friends townhouse, some men had rushed the vehicle in an attempt to carjack⏤in the process they shot and killed Ria's sister.  Ria Pieters "For some unexplained reason they spared my life," explains Ria Pieters. "In one moment, I lost my sister, the next I lost my feeling of safety and then I had anxiety attacks. I was a mess.". Life changed dramatically for Ria Pieters, anxiety attacks, panic, insecurity⏤something had to change if she was to survive. It was the night that one of these attacks prevented her from unlocking the door to her own home, she froze, and had to get assistance to walk into her own home. That very next morning, she confessed to a friend that she was seriously considering leaving the country. Her friend had a different reaction... “I get so fed-up with every one that wants to leave the country instead of helping and making a difference. On our own doorstep is a township with a 60% unemployment. Do something about that and they will not resort to crime” That night Ria read 2 Cor 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” Listen in to this remarkable story and see what Ria Pieters has done with her life! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Today Ria Pieters is the Founder and Principal (as needed) of the Ithemba Family support centre. Ithemba means HOPE. The primary aim is to create a stimulating and loving environment for the children, where they can receive a balanced meal each day as well as medical care if and when needed.  Ria Pieters is an extraordinary woman. She is a leader, a kind soul with the natural gift and desire to help others. Through her determination and outlook to the future⏤she is making a significant contribution to future generations. She is impacting lives in a big way! For Further Insight: Website: https://www.ithembafsc.org/ Get Involved Here: https://www.ithembafsc.org/get-involved.html

Janelle had not a clue that when she contacted her friend at a local homeless shelter for her own daughter⏤who needed service hours for school⏤that it would turn into a life changing experience. It broke her heart when she discovered a family living in the shelter with two young girls just weeks before the holiday. She struggled with the idea that these two girls were living in a shelter with their parents at Christmas time. Janelle Towne understood the beauty of Christmas and as the mother of five children; she knew the impact the holiday season had on children. She decided to do something about it. A simple idea to raise awareness and provide a few gifts to the family. Janelle sent out about 50 emails inviting friends to her home two weeks before Christmas and asked everyone to bring gift cards, wrapping paper and tape for the family. The idea was to assist the children's parents and give them the opportunity to provide the kind of gifts that only a parent would know their son or daughter would want. The response was more than she could have ever expected. She called the fundraiser “Fill in the Gap” and it generated $4900 worth of gift cards. The cards were spread out to all the families utilizing the shelter in order to buy gifts for their families. But it didn't stop there, the gifts kept coming, the garage became a makeshift storage unit. A Facebook group was set up and momentum started to build. Janelle was ready to move on with her life when her friend Tina, the director back at the shelter had another request... Janelle met her for lunch and knew that this was going to become much more than she ever expected! When Janelle's husband Mike asked if he could have his garage back for the car⏤it was a moment that would change everything... The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward The Home 2 Home Project extends a helping hand to individuals and families in need as they transition into a new home. Many of our clients arrive in a new home with little to no belongings, and although they are employed, almost all live below the poverty line. The Home 2 Home Project collects gently used furniture and household goods from donations received from surrounding communities and repurposes them to create a warm, beautiful and welcoming environment for our clients. The ultimate goal is to create a living space where our clients not only have their basic needs met but feel proud to come home. For Further Insight: Website: https://www.theh2hproject.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home2homeproject/

A high achiever at school, Jessica’s life completely changed at the end of 2005, when she caught a virus that her body just couldn’t get over. She tried to push forward with a ‘stiff upper lip’ but fell into a rapid decline and by May the following year could not get into school anymore. From a darkened world, bound by four walls, Jessica tells the tale of her battle against the M.E Monster. The severest form of a neuro immune disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis went to war with her at just 15 years old. From beneath her dark glasses, Jessica glimpses a world far different from the one she remembers as a teenage school girl. This true story follows her path as she ends up living in hospital for years with tubes keeping her alive. This harrowing story follows the highs and lows of the disease and being hospitalized, captured through her voice activated technology diary called `Bug' that enables her to fulfill her dream of one day becoming an author. It provides a raw, real-time honesty to the story that would be impossible to capture in hindsight. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… BUY THE BOOK: A Girl Behind Dark Glasses The Next Leap Forward In a word, PERSEVERANCE. Jessica fought through the battles, one by one. She set her mind on what could be and then she worked toward those goals. In spite of everything she had experienced in her own life, Jessica wanted to help other people who were struggling. In 2010, while still in the hospital, Jessica founded a charity to help seriously unwell children and young adults by treating them to stars, gifts, balloons and ‘happy boxes’.  For Further Insight: Website: http://www.jaytay.co.uk/  Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarkGlassesBook Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldOfOneRoom/ Founder: http://shareastar.org/

Emily Kustka found joy differently than most nine year olds. She enjoyed going with Grandma Kathy to help feed the homeless. She loved the feeling she got in making people happy! As Emily explains it, "My favorite thing to do was serve lunch to the homeless in Downtown Raleigh with the Bread of Life Ministry." She quickly became frustrated in the way children were viewed and their lack of leadership roles for children volunteers; so in 2010, Emily created and organized her very first annual community food drive by posting notes throughout the neighborhood and asking folks for donations to feed the hungry. After finding out that people would give to a good cause when asked, Emily would continue that streak of successful food drives to the point where it became systematically in how she would approach each drive. She created a 5 step plan for each food drive⏤to insure maximum results. That 5 step plan is something she uses today to teach others the success metrics of a successful food drive. “Over the last eight years we’ve collected over 8,200 pounds of food, proving that you’re never too young to make a difference,” Emily explained about the food drives, providing more than 8,300 meals over the last eight years. There was a moment in all of this back in 2013 when she went with Grandma Kathy to Kentucky, a 'transformational moment', as Emily describes it that would change everything. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward The lessons we learn as children will guide us and stay with us for a lifetime. Those early lessons become part of our adult DNA. Emily Kustka is at that point of using all those childhood lessons for the greater good. Now at 18 years old, Emily Kustka ponders her next steps. As she prepares to go off to college, she has begun training others to keep the food drives working to help feed the hungry. But there is more⏤Emily has created a not-for-profit to help teach the next generation these same values. It's called Front Porch Leaders. "Kids are full of passion, optimism and energy, yet, they are often restricted by age limits from making a meaningful difference as volunteers. The goal of Front Porch Leaders is to create projects that provide kids of all ages the opportunity to make a large, measurable impact within their communities." For Further Insight: Website: https://www.frontporchleaders.org/

“Once day I saw an elderly man cutting grass and something just hit me. God was talking to me (saying)⏤‘Do something about it.’” It was that one split decision when Rodney Smith Jr. pulled his car to the side of the road to offer Mr. Brown a helping hand to finish cutting his lawn⏤that would change his life forever. Mr. Brown became the inspiration for Rodney to help more people. He set an initial goal to cut forty lawns for free. It was his way of giving back to folks who needed the help, but didn't have the money to pay for lawn services. The elderly, the disabled, single moms and veterans would be the recipient of Rodney's generosity. "When I first started, I just had my car and my lawn mower, that's all I had," explains Rodney Smith Jr., "I was cutting lawns between classes. I was a college student, and just graduated recently with a bachelor's in computer science. All this got me wanting to go back for my master's in social work because I believe I found my purpose in life, and that's helping people." The purpose that Rodney points out has now turned into a movement of giving back; caring for those in need; looking out for a fellow neighbor; and teaching the upcoming generation skills, generosity and an appreciation for thy fellow man. After two months of cutting lawns for free, Rodney had reached 100 lawns and decided it was time to put the movement into overdrive. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Hundreds of kids have joined the program throughout the country, but it doesn't stop there⏤kids from five other countries have accepted the challenge of cutting lawns for free. Raising Men Lawn Care Service became the union of an ordinary yard maintenance service and the commitment to establish an inspiring program to keep our youth (girls & boys) on a positive path while learning and understanding their value in society, as explained on their website. One of the methods Rodney has used to incentivize the kids to 'work harder' is through the T-Shirt System. When a young man or woman join the program, they start off with a white shirt.  Thereafter, for every ten lawns they cut, they get a new color shirt, so ten get them an orange shirt; twenty a green shirt; thirty a blue shirt; forty a red shirt; and finally FIFTY LAWNS earn them a black shirt. It's called the 50 Yard Challenge. I encourage you to take the 50 Minute Challenge. Take 50 minutes out of your day, step back and think about your own legacy. What is the lasting impression you wish to leave on the world? How can you make a difference in 50 lives? Think about it. For Further Insight: Website: http://weareraisingmen.com/ DONATE to the movement: http://weareraisingmen.com/donation/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamrodneysmith

Caroline was not the first person to find herself in a good job with all the security, money and niceties that a good corporate job provides. She was also not the first person feeling unfulfilled in that role; a burning sense that something was missing in her life. The difference is⏤Caroline Boudreaux acted on that feeling. She decided that 'money would not be the main ingredient that would make her world go round'. "I always thought if I made more and more money that I’d be happier, but it worked the opposite, the more money that I made, the more confused I became", expressed Caroline, "I had everything that money could buy, but I wasn’t happy". And with that, Caroline and her best friend Kris decided to quit their corporate jobs and take a trip around the world for one year.  It was a trip that would change her life forever. She walked into an orphanage in India that as she describes "felt like a concentration camp." "I was totally unprepared to meet 110 filthy, bald and hungry children. We called them Velcro babies because you’d sit down and have ten kids on you and then stand up and still have 10 kids on you. I saw this little baby girl. I could tell she wanted my attention. This little infant was only 18 months old. I picked her up. Like with all of them, they would push their bodies into you. I rocked her asleep and sang her a lullaby in honor of my mother and she fell asleep in my arms. When I went to put her in her room, I walked her into her room and noticed her bed was a piece of wood on the ground. The minute that I laid that starving baby on the wooden bed, I thought, somebody better help these children." It was at that moment that Caroline Boudreaux recognized her life would never be the same again ,"I knew it had to be me. I knew it was my responsibility". The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Miracle Foundation was founded by Caroline Boudreaux on Mother's Day in 2000. It's a non-profit organization that brings life-changing care to orphaned and vulnerable children from around the world. Caroline has a big goal⏤to eradicate orphanages by insuring every child has a loving family to call their own by 2040. As Caroline explains⏤"Today, there are 8 million children living in orphanages around the world and almost 500,000 children in the United States foster care system. None of them want to be there. Ask any child and they will tell you that their biggest dream is to be part of a loving family — it’s where they thrive. With global awareness, collaboration and your help, our goal of a safe, loving family for every child is fully achievable by 2040." Please DONATE here: https://www.miraclefoundation.org/donate/ For Further Insight: Website: https://www.miraclefoundation.org/

Addiction comes in all forms. Psychology Today, defines it as a condition in which a person engages in the use of a substance or in a behavior for which the rewarding effects provide a compelling incentive to repeatedly pursue the behavior despite detrimental consequences. Greg Nance found himself is such a place for seven long years. As he explains, there were weekends where he would engage with thirty to forty drinks. He became the life of the party⏤except it was no party! In Greg's words he explains the start of a life-chapter that changed everything. "My grandfather Charlie Nance (Marine at Iwo Jima and an incredible man who lived with us growing up and inspired me daily) had a debilitating stroke and soon passed away. One moment he’s the rock of the family the next he’s a shell of himself then gone. At 16 I didn’t know how to process the immense pain and confusion and hurt. The only escape was alcohol and I began a 7-year struggle." After a series of accidents and terrible mishaps, Greg realized that at 23 he needed to do something and he needed to do it fast. The something was to quit drinking and as he tells it later in the story⏤this would become his biggest accomplishment in life. Greg Nance transformed his life in remarkable style! He has jogged 49 countries and run some of the toughest footraces on the planet. Highlights include running the UK coast-to-coast, 124 miles thru the Malaysian highlands, and 100 miles across the Philippine jungle. In 2015 he was profiled in Adventure World Magazine for finishing the 250KM Gobi March with a sprained knee nonetheless. But his all-time favorite was running 155 miles with Dad thru Chile's Atacama Desert, the world's driest, and crossing the finish line together! Truly Amazing, but it doesn't end there... Greg has just become part of a special elite club if you will⏤think of it in these terms, more people have gone into outer-space than completed this feat: 7 Marathons in 7 Days on 7 Continents. Beginning with 26.2 miles in Antarctica, he then ran back-to-back marathons in Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Santiago, and Miami! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Considering Greg's success with running and marathons⏤he still places quitting drinking as the top accomplishment in his life⏤that is a clear affirmation of not only the dangers of drinking, but what that meant to his life. This should be a wake-call for all of us. The road to recovery is seldom straight: Relapse, or recurrence of substance use, is common—but definitely not the end of the road. For those who achieve remission of the disorder for five years, scientists report, the likelihood of relapse is no greater than that among the general population, reports Psychology Today. There are plenty of myths and misconceptions about addiction, but in reality, the processes that give rise to addictive behavior resist a simplistic explanation. There is not just one cause: Although genetic or other biological factors contribute to a person’s vulnerability to the condition, many social, psychological, and environmental factors have a powerful influence on substance use. Make a Donation for Education here: https://moneythink.org/give/ For Further Insight: Website: http://www.gregrunsfar.com/ Education for Students: https://moneythink.org/

"Growing up, I was always told that I would end up pregnant, that I would never be anything, that I would end up in jail, that I would be homeless", explains Cordelia Cranshaw. "I really felt like I didn't have much confidence. My mother — after her being incarcerated, in and out of my life, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. My dad being an alcoholic," she said. One of 18 children, Cranshaw lived her childhood years in foster care, and at 14 she tried to take her own life. Throughout those challenging years growing up, Claudia Cranshaw never lost her confidence. She was one of 6% of the children who aged out of the foster care system and still achieved a bachelor’s degree. Today, as a social worker, she helps children facing many of the same challenges that she did growing up - achieve and overcome those obstacles. "My message is for any life challenge - go out their and reach for your dreams, turn them into reality. Hard work, dedication, and consistency will get you there," says Cranshaw.  They say 3 Strikes and you're out! Claudia defied those odds, and after striking out 3 Times for the Crown, something magically happened - she won! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward “My first priority is to inspire others to persevere. No matter what life challenges you face, no matter how negative the circumstances are, we can always turn negatives into positives,” she said. “I will travel to the local schools, sharing my experiences and tools for success. I want to instill hope into those who feel hopeless and motivate those who want to turn their dreams into reality. I believe we are all only one resource away from reaching our dreams.” - Claudia Cranshaw Miss D.C. Claudia Cranshaw takes the next big leap of her life on Thursday, May 2nd on Miss USA on the FOX Network - let's cheer her on! Please DONATE here: https://www.ark-dc.org/donate For Further Insight: Website: https://www.ark-dc.org/

This story starts at a doorstep back in 1991 in the country of Romania. Baby Hannah was left hours after birth, umbilical cord still attached to her tiny body. When Hannah was discovered, she was still bleeding, but alive⏤as the homeowners called the authorities with the news. Hannah Elisabeth Dougherty Alone, lost with an uncertain future... Hannah would say, "the despair and loneliness would surface throughout my middle school years when I began to understand my adoption and experience the trials and triumphs of growing up." The orphanages in Romania were overloaded with babies. What are the chances that an American couple would find their way to Romania in search for a daughter to love? The story of Hannah from that doorstep to a new life in America might only happen in fairytales⏤consider this a real life fairytale. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Hannah Elisabeth Dougherty founded GenUp Sports in 2018, with the goal of serving and giving hope to disadvantaged and at-risk youth in the Texas area, through educational scholarships and leadership programs. GenUp’s staff and volunteers know firsthand the benefits access to physical enrichment activities, mentorship, and peer support provide children and young adults. GenUp’s programs enhance lives by providing the resources and accessibility necessary for them to thrive through sports and a healthy lifestyle. They also provide the one on one attention children and teens need to build confidence, develop trust, and instill the leadership skills necessary to thrive as adults and serve their communities. Please DONATE here: https://genupsports.org/donate-1 For Further Insight: Website: https://genupsports.org/

Seconds can make the difference between life and death. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can change the outcome as well. Having trained personnel with the proper equipment for treatment close by is often the deciding factor. At just 17 years old, Mike Papale was in a life and death situation. At one point his brother John heard that he had died. It was that serious, and if it wasn't for Bob hearing the call next door, chances are Mike would not be here today. There was no AED on site, but fortunately for Mike--Bob, an EMT working nearby was able to get there in time to perform CPR for eight minutes.  Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy can and will attack at any age. You've seen the stories where a young athlete, seemingly in great health, goes down for an unexpected heart problem! Sudden Cardiac Arrest is an equal opportunity killer. It strikes victims of all ages, colors, ethnic backgrounds, sizes and shapes at any time of the day or night and without regard to their religion. There are rarely any symptoms or warnings, and for most, their first symptom is their last. The electric shock from an AED within five minutes is the best chance a victim has. If this shock isn’t given in ten minutes, they stand little chance of surviving. Mike Papale was in pursuit of his dream of being a basketball player, when he was knocked down in the prime of his life from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He found himself in a hospital bed with his mom by his side when he woke--without the realization of what had just happened.  "Earlier that morning I had been battling on the basketball court; now I was battling for my life", explains Mike, "For the next three days, I was unaware of everything. The hospital revived me, but there was still the question of whether I would have brain damage." There would be more setbacks along the way as Mike's dream was shattered... or was it? The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward It is easy to get trapped on a path where you didn't expect to find yourself. Life has a tendency to change things up on us; especially when we least expect it. The morale of this story; when live throws you a curveball... hit it! In the story of Brink Thinker Mike Papale, he hit the curveball and swung for the fence... "Once my recovery period was over, I once again felt as though I needed to do more to help others. I had been blessed with two different situations in my life where I was fortunate to survive. This is where the idea for the In A Heartbeat Foundation came. With the help of family and friends, I decided it was time for us to start our own nonprofit foundation with one goal in mind: to save lives." - Mike Papale For Further Insight: Website: http://www.michaelpapale.com/ The Foundation: http://inaheartbeat.org/

"When I stood on the starting line at the Boston Marathon two runners down from Alberto Salazar (then the world record holder) and Bill Rodgers (four-time winner at the Boston Marathon), I wondered, 'Dick, what in the heck are you doing on the same line with these guys?'" It was at that moment that an inner voice spoke to Dick Beardsley with a reassuring message. "Dick, you deserve to be here, you've done the work." If the name Dick Beardsley seems somewhat familiar to you, then you might be remembering the 1982 Boston Marathon. Beardsley was in a squeaker of a race with Alberto Salazar, fact is, it was the closest finish in history of the marathon, as both runners broke records. The most memorable moment of that race was when a motorcycle cut Beardsley off near the end of the marathon, a marathon which he lost inside of two seconds. You have to be thinking, how did Beardsley ever get over that race! Was he able to accept the results and move on with his life? And how is the man doing today? It was years later in 1989, when Dick was working at his dairy farm, that a tragic accident with a tractor would change his life forever. Although he managed to stop the equipment, the damage was done. "To this day, I still don't remember how I did it," Dick recalls. "I broke all the ribs on my right side, my right arm, mangled my left leg, and beat up my head pretty badly. I was crawling on my belly toward the house when I was found. I was laid up for five months." That would begin a dark and challenging chapter of Dick Beardsley's life. He was involved in three serious automobile accidents. Blind-sided by another driver, and Dick spent 15 days in the hospital with an injured back and neck. Another time, he was hit by a truck, which put him back in the hospital for two weeks. A month later, again in a fierce snowstorm, he was in an accident, and rolled his vehicle numerous times, damaging his already tender back and neck. He underwent three back operations and knee surgery. Each time, Dick was prescribed medication for the pain. At times, he was taking as many as 90 pills a day. "I knew I was addicted," Dick recalls. "But at the same time, I was in denial."  His addiction had spun out of control, big time. "My whole world revolved around pain medication." Dick Beardsley was arrested September 1996. Charged with forging prescriptions, he was sentenced to five years' probation and 460 hours of community service. This moment was a clarion-call that something had to change! A story of life's worse moments, including the suicide of his only son, Andy, and how one man survives it all. Now only does he survive it all, but his outlook and optimism will give you hope and appreciation that life's blessings are bigger than any one moment! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Wow! What an incredible story. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. My sense is that we've picked up a great new friend in Dick Beardsley. I want to use this time to fill you in on some of the cool things Dick is doing in the world today. Motivational/Inspirational Speaker • Suicide Survivor of Loss • Farm Accident Survivor •  Prescription Drug Addiction Survivor • Record Breaking Marathon Runner • Famous 1982 Boston Marathon Runner •  Minnesota Native •  Author  •  Fishing Guide • Innkeeper • Husband •  Father •  Subject of a feature film. Dick Beardsley is one of the world’s most extraordinary, well respected, and compelling motivational / inspirational keynote speakers. Dick's inspirational international best selling autobiography Staying the Course, A Runners Toughest Race and the subject of the best selling book Duel in the Sun:  The Story of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon. Dick is also the subject of a feature film being produced entitled Against the Wind. Dick has been the keynote speaker at Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations,

Seventeen years ago, Greg Buzek was working as a Product Development Manager making anti-theft devices. They were the type of devices designed to deactivate if merchandise left a store without being purchased. Greg made a very good living at this, but found himself completely unfulfilled inside. Something wasn't quite right in his life. It was at a casual lunch one day with the Pastor from his church, when the first seeds would be planted. Pastor Kelly Lyons worked with small groups and missions at the church, and he needed help. He asked Greg to work in missions, and although Greg was engaged in the talk, internally, he was full of fear: "I’m a business guy, I have nothing to offer." Before he got back to his desk that afternoon, he was fired from his job! "Okay Lord, you have my attention." But now what? It kept coming back to helping the people of Liberia. Yet, Greg knew nothing about Liberia. So Greg prayed about this big decision in his life, "Lord, All I know about Liberia is that Chet’s over there, and he’s had malaria three times, been shot at, had an AK47 pointed at his chest from an 8-year-old - If I need to go to Liberia, you’ll need to make it real clear to me". As Greg was driving home, he sees a man pushing his car up the road. Something tells him to stop and help the guy out. When Greg gets out of the car, he notices a bumper sticker that might as well have been a red-neon lit sign that said: “I Support Liberia” What are the chances? This man was from Liberia. As the two men were talking, the stranger explains to Greg that Liberia is in real bad shape and going into a Civil War. Greg explains that he has had it on his heart to go to Liberia, the stranger tells Greg he is nuts! Greg Buzek was still not excited about this crazy idea of going to Liberia, but the evidence was starting to stack up against him. Chuck Smith, the Senior Pastor, explained to Greg "Beware of signs and wonders. Make sure you have scriptures backing up whatever you believe God is calling you to do". Just days later, in his studies, the first scripture presented was Genesis: 12:1; Get thee out of thy country. The next five scriptures all has a similar message. Greg Buzek's life was about to change and would never be the same again... The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Broken families, illness, poverty; there are over 143 million orphans around the globe. A few startling facts from UNICEF tell a story...  A Child dies every 5.2 seconds, that is over 16,000 children every single day. In the New York Foster care system, 60% of the children who age out end up in a homeless situation. More children age out of care systems in one week than are adopted in an entire year. The stats could go on forever, but they all end in one conclusion: Far too many children are suffering unnecessarily; disease, famine, lack of resources, crime, trafficking. If we are to put a dent in this worldwide problem, it will take an army of many, but it starts with one! Greg Buzek recognized this need and through his faith and trust, he took the leap forward to make that difference. Retail Orphan Initiative was born to raise awareness and provide real-life solutions by combining the resources of many with the art of streamlining to that critical moment of need. They not only do this in over 24 countries, but they also focus efforts in the United States.  Retail Orphan Initiative has interacted in over 188 Projects, raising millions of dollars, rescued 1,200 girls, helped support 1,412 Adoptions, built 19 schools, worked on brining clean water to communities. It's an impressive list of accomplishments that change on a daily basis depending on the need. The Brink of Greatness salutes our Brink Thinker Greg Buzek and the incredible team that is working for the good of humanity! For Further Insight: Website: https://www.retailroi.org/ DONATE: https://www.retailroi.org/donate/

Jake Clark enlisted in the Army at 17 years old; he served five years and then went onto become a Los Angeles Police Officer and FBI Agent. He reenlisted after Sept 11th, and then spent another four years in the military, deployed with the California National Guard for two tours in Kosovo. First we need to understand the severity of the problem. Jake calls it a 'suicide epidemic'. It is a certifiable crisis, no doubt. The most recent VA study shows that 20 warriors are lost each day. Since 1979, that equates to 263,000 veteran suicides - more than WWI, Korea and Vietnam combined. 800,000 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress at this very moment. Like too many of our warriors, Jake struggled with civilian life, he had serious alcoholic problems, lost his job and was struggling with recovery. Life was spiraling out of control. It wasn't just one thing, Jake's problems seemed insurmountable - which put him on a suicidal path to becoming another national statistic.  Jake began practicing transcendental meditation after taking a course partially subsidized by Oprah Winfrey. "Oprah played a big part in saving my life," explains Jake. "I knew that the suicide problem was not going to just go away and I took away permission from myself to be okay with the status quo; the other being calling myself on my own bullshit, meaning to stop seeking material solutions for spiritual problems; to accept what I’d known for some time now: that in order to find what I was really looking for in life... that I had to help enough other people get theirs first." Jake Clark is about as raw and authentic as you can get. There are some profound elements discussed on the program that you will want to think through and consider for your own life. This broadcast you're about to hear can and will change your life friends! The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward "The synthesis of these critical moments of discovery - known as anagnorisis - changed everything," says Jake. The reversal of fortune and change in my circumstances amounted to an insightful quantum change; a profound “aha” moment that left me stunned; a moment over which I will never get." Jake put on the first Save A Warrior cohort in September 2012. They've just completed the 65th Cohort at Save A Warrior, having hosted more than 700 active duty, returning Veterans & First Responders. Save A Warrior​™ is a meaningful conversation about the nature of human experience. A nationally-recognized program, that offers novel, judgment-free solutions to returning Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, and First Responders with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). “Everybody who comes [into the program] is suicidal,” Clark said. “You ask them, ‘What’s going on?’ They say, ‘I’m taking pills, I can’t sleep, my wife is threatening to leave me.’ The Project’s motto is “Play like your life depends on it.” Please DONATE here: https://saveawarrior.org/donate/#donate-1 For Further Insight: Website: www.saveawarrior.org

Homelessness is a worldwide problem, a national disaster, and a drain on local communities. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. There are many origins of this famous quote - Chinese, Native American, Italian, Indian, or Biblical, Lao-Tzu, Maimonides, or Mao Zedong. Where ever it originated may be unclear... but what is clear, is the power behind those words. Homelessness continues to be a topic of great interest across the nation. There are many excellent groups, organizations and people trying to combat the growing epidemic. The more you feed the problem however, the more it remains the status-quo. You are about to meet an organization out of Forth Worth, Texas, that has discovered the art of teaching people to fish. Chief Executive Officer, Toby Owen, explains how Project Clean Slate has become the starting place for the journey home for many homeless people. This could very well be a case study for the nation as countless communities struggle with homelessness. The Presbyterian Night Shelter and Project Clean Slate welcomes anyone without a home. And then they help them find one. They do much more than provide free access to safe shelter and a warm meal however, they provide hope and a future through case management, employment help, counseling, housing assistance and other programs. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward The Presbyterian Night Shelter was started by a group of Presbyterian ministers as an overnight shelter for the county’s homeless population, providing spiritual guidance for those who seek it through a full-time chaplain and the Hope Chapel for Bible study and worship. And while their emergency shelter services are still available to anyone who needs them, they’re equally focused on helping guests find their own permanent housing. Please DONATE here: https://giving.journeyhome.org/give/180277/#!/donation/checkout For Further Insight: Presbyterian Night Shelter: https://www.journeyhome.org/ Program Clean Slate: https://cleanslatedfw.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JourneyHome Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PresbyterianNightShelter/

"Finally, I met a guy who wanted to get to know me as a friend. He wasn't hitting on me, he didn't need money, he was completely self-sufficient. He saw something in me. I'd never had anyone mirror back a positive image of me, ever. I’d always looked at other people, regardless of their position in life, and I assumed they looked down on me. That they could see that I was garbage," explains Lisa Kirk. What happens when you have no self-esteem and it seems the cards of life are stacked against you? It can be a long plummet downward. Lisa Kirk grew up in an outwardly perfect family - truth is, it was anything but that. Alcohol, drugs, failed relationships, abuse, both physically and mentally. Lisa found herself in the downward spiral in a life that was completely out-of-control. It all came to a tipping point when her live-in-partner did the unthinkable... "One night, after I fell asleep, he was super high on cocaine, he found my hiding place and stole all my money. He continued to get more violent and he ended up getting into a fight with a neighbor after a drinking binge. We were eventually evicted. This screwed up my credit and my rental history. The first night we went to stay with some people he knew, and when I saw that it was basically a drug house, I lost it. We were at the top of the stairs and he punched me square in the face; I fell backward down the stairs. I couldn't see, I literally thought I was going to die. I left that night, I had what I was wearing and a couple of bags of clothes in my car. I parked behind a building in the industrial area. I had to keep starting my car throughout the night because it was so cold.  So here I am, injured from being pushed down the stairs, but all I thought about was how I left him without money and that I had failed him. I had zero self-worth." The story of how Lisa Kirk turned her life around continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward We are inspired on the Brink of Greatness to help get the word out, and to make a difference in the world on the plight of homeless-beings! Lisa has one of the most unusual and fascinating ways of connecting to these lost souls. Society is too focused on people's past or background, and that is the true problem behind homelessness. It is the obstacle that keeps people from rejoining life. Everyone can change if given the opportunity. These people aren't monsters or losers, They're important. Find our more about Lisa at  http://Quora.com . Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamlisakirk 

Kathy & Roger Flynn were so excited at the birth of their first child, their beautiful daughter Ansley Sara Flynn. "Shortly after this joyous occasion we were suddenly approached by our pediatrician stating, “I hear a heart murmur, but feel like it is innocent however, as a precautionary measure we have arranged a pediatric cardiologist for an evaluation”. Within a few hours the cardiologist came into our room and said, “I have no other way to say this, but your daughter has severe congenital heart disease and may not make it through the night”. Within just a few hours our lives were turned upside down. The baby I had just held in my arms and nursed was now in the ICU fighting for her life. As we walked into the ICU to see her for the first time since the horrific news - tears were streaming down my face and all I could think of was protecting her. All of my mommy duties had just been taken away no sooner than I got them. I was confused, concerned and in shock. The only thing I had left to give her was my love, a gentle touch and my tearful prayers. At that point I began to be grateful that I had carried her for 9 months, held her for 2 days and I that would have her for eternity… then my spirit kicked in... I was going to fight with all my might to save her. My baby’s life meant something, and it wasn’t going to end this way. I became a prayer warrior and claimed healing for my baby. I knew she needed me to be strong and became her advocate. This sweet baby was in a fight for her life and I was going to be beside her fighting along with her to save her." Ansley Sara Flynn The news was devastating. After a short visit with their daughter Ansley in the ICN, the doctors came in and delivered the news. They had three choices. They could elect no medical intervention and take Ansley home to die; they could take a chance with experimental surgery; or follow the path of a potential heart transplant. The story and journey of Ansley and her parents, Kathy and Roger Flynn continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Over 40,000 babies are born in the U.S. with heart defects every year. One in 100 people are born with Congenital Heart Defects. The Flynn's wanted to do something about this and make a difference in the world, and so they did.  Kathy & Roger Flynn Build a Legacy at Camp Braveheart in the name of daughter Ansley!  "Roger would handle fundraising, My job managing director/Camp director, Ansley’s nurse would coordinate the medical team and a special child life coordinator would assist with the agenda/theme of camp. The four of us would work hard to pull off the impossible camp for heart kids with special needs. The name of our first camp was “Heart Camp”. Heart Camp was set for the first weekend in October 1995 where 25 kids and 25 volunteers would connect and have the time of their lives while growing in confidence and love for one another. Our first camp was a huge success! The second year 1996 was even bigger with 50 kids and 40 volunteers. It brought certain challenges for us personally because Ansley had her 3rd open heart surgery which was a big surgery and she had been in the hospital for a month. But we were determined and by the grace of God we pulled it off. It was at the 2nd camp we realize camp needed its own special name. This awesome place deserved an awesome name so we come up with 3 names and the kids voted on Camp Braveheart! 

Life can change in the blink of a moment, and when you least expect it. Sometimes it is an ordinary everyday event that goes bad. Fact is, many of these encounters happen within a few miles of your home even. It was May of 2017, when Aspen made a typical stop at a Subway sandwich shop, just miles from her home in Tucson, Arizona. She was abducted at knifepoint from a man with a criminal past; she was brutally and sexually assaulted throughout the course of many hours.  It was the phone call that would change everything, when Craig Sawyer and his wife received the call that would turn their life upside down! Craig Sawyer and his family knew immediately that they had to do something to answer back, and they did. This is an incredible story of courage and faith, and how one man, his family, and a community of citizens can make the ultimate difference... The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ― Edmund Burke Child Trafficking is the fastest growing enterprise in the world, as Craig points out on the broadcast, it is even more lucrative and active than the narcotics industry. 27 million children worldwide are victims of Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery. It is a$150 billion dollar industry. The Untied States has the highest child rape consumption in the world, some of this growth can be credited to the point of accessibility. Through mobile phones and apps, technology creates a vulnerability factor that can be difficult to defend. Veterans for Child Rescue was founded specifically to help bring an end to child trafficking. For Further Insight: Website: https://vets4childrescue.org/ PLEASE DONATE HERE: https://vets4childrescue.org/pages/donate

“I used to walk to work every day in Crystal City,” Snyder says of the area in Northern Virginia near the Pentagon. Each day, she encountered veterans like Clarke, whose situation astounded her. “I couldn’t believe it. He was homeless, right here in my area.” That is where the story begins. Lieutenant Colonel Deborah Snyder served for 22 years, US Army, UH-1 Huey Test Pilot, UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot. Her passion to serve was at the center of her military career; so much that, in retirement she found herself with that same desire back here at home. This time it would be to serve and honor our military vets that were most forgotten. There are approximately 68K Veterans living in transitional shelters, in tent cities and on the streets. “I don’t think we should have homeless vets,” says Snyder, "It’s a fixable problem.” Lloyd Clarke, a Vietnam-era vet found himself homeless at 66 years old, Snyder and Operation Renewed Hope Foundation assisted in finding him a new home. “She’s very serious about helping the veterans,” states Clarke. Operation Renewed Hope Foundation (ORHF) is a Veteran-let nonprofit organization providing quality housing and supportive services to homeless Veterans. ORHF partners with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The organization arranges for permanent housing for homeless Veterans, they provide vehicles, and assist with health care and other services.  “At night when I lay down, I see a ceiling over my head,” Snyder says. “I think of these vets who see the inside of a car or a tent. It’s really nice to see someone go from living in a shelter or in a vehicle and see them happy.” The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward The 5 words that motivate Deborah Snyder; from the mouth of a veteran... “She has changed my life”.  Mother Teresa summed it up well – “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” For Further Insight: Website:  https://operationrenewedhopefoundation.org/ Donate Here:  https://operationrenewedhopefoundation.org/how-you-can-help/make-a-donation/

“I was going to redefine what was possible, I was no longer going to be defined as the burn kid,” Shay Eskew explained. The story begins on October 4, 1982 when Shay was just eight years old, and his friend Jeff, was 7. Shay's mom had asked him to go across the street to warn their neighbor that they had an aggressive yellow jackets nest in the yard. The previous day, it had swarmed his entire bicycle. He walked across the street and knocked on the door. Their dad wasn’t home, but the fifteen-year-old daughter was. Shay proceeded to tell her about the aggressive yellow jackets nest. As they walked down the driveway to look at the hole in the ground, you could see the yellow jackets flying in and out of the nest. The young lady then asked if Shay and his friend could help get rid of them? To which Shay responded yes. As they were watching the yellow jackets 10 to 15 feet away, she grabbed a match and threw it down in the hole and nothing happened. She then instantaneously grabbed a cup of gasoline, and threw it at the hole. It splashed on the right side of Shay's body and his friend, Jeff, on the left side. She struck the match. In an instance, they were engulfed in flames. In Shay Eskew's words: "Originally, I was burned on 35% of my body, but I had a lot of infections set in. My ear became badly infected, so they had to amputate my right ear. They had to take skin grafts from my legs to use for my shoulder and back. When they harvested skin from my thighs, the dug to deep so it was like 3RD Degree burns. So, they had to take skin off the back of my legs to fix the front of my legs. It has been a series of setbacks and challenges, but they told me that I would never be able to play competitive sports again. My right arm was severely melted to my side. It took me three years to lift my arm over my head. It took three years to hold my head up straight. During that time, I wore a custom orthotic brace for my face, neck and my side. A pressure fitted garment suit that went from my ankle to neck to my wrists. I wore all the braces and suit for three years. I had to learn to write left handed to complete the 3rd and 4th grade. I played baseball once I got out of the hospital. The only way to throw to first base was to throw side-arm. My dad was the coach, so he put me at second base, so I had the shortest distance to throw to first base. I was always thinking, what would it take to be normal again."  The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward The story of Shay Eskew is one for the ages friends. As you listen to his journey, you'll be both intrigued and inspired. You will find yourself standing and cheering him on as he takes all of us to task on what it takes to thrive no matter the circumstances! We are all faced with adversity on some level in our daily lives. It is part of being human and a societal condition of mankind. Society will not always be your friend, and at times will be your enemy. You must learn to rise above. Most of us will face hardship both personally and professionally. What seems to shape a person is not so much the type of crisis but rather how it is handled. How is it that some people seem to weather the storms better than others? How do some stay optimistic and productive after a setback? Whatever your reference point, know that it is within your power to not only neutralize the consequences, but craft the outcome to your advantage. Here are my 7 tips on how to embrace adversity and make it an advantage in your life: Society will not always be your friend, and at times will be your enemy. Learn to rise above. Being at the wrong place at the wrong time can destroy everything you’ve worked for. Your discernment is vital. Stay centered no matter the distractions around you. Much of your daily intake will not aide you in accomplishing your goals. The advancement of communications in society today will both distract you and aide you.

How do you unsee what you've seen? Impossible really. The lasting impact of war on our veterans has a traumatic affect on every aspect of their lives; for the duration of their lives. Consider that our veterans are waiting months and even years for basic health care. The VA Appeals process takes minimum 2-5 years; in the mean time many of these veterans die while waiting. Veterans are living paycheck to paycheck. Many are disabled, have PTSD, and suicidal tendencies. The suicide rate among our veterans is an absolute crisis! Homelessness amongst veterans is at a record pace. "They have slipped through the cracks. Our government has done a very poor job of taking care of them," explains Gretchen Smith, Founder of the Code of Vets. That would explain why PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is destroying lives at record numbers. When Danny E. Smiley, US Army Airborne Infantry Sgt., returned home from war, he revealed something profound when he said, “Part of my humanity stayed in the jungle”. Sgt. Smiley's story is one for the ages. It is a story of sacrifice, courage, grace and humility. Gretchen Smith Growing up, Gretchen Smith and her two brothers were able to see firsthand the destruction that war had on their dad. They would each confirm their dad's sentiments on losing part of himself in the jungle of war! "Vietnam veterans were asked to keep their experiences quiet. I believe it damaged my dad on a very deep level," expressed Gretchen.  Empowered with this knowledge and the current plight of far too many veterans, Gretchen Smith said enough is enough! It is time for action, and with that she founded the Code of Vets. The Code of Vets supports and values brave veterans! They are bringing awareness and seeking practical solutions to the day to day struggles and issues of our veteran community, with a mission to be a powerful voice speaking for the rights of veterans with honor, dignity and respect. The story of Sgt. Danny E. Smiley takes a big u-turn when a shoe, and then another shoe arrive in his life. Smiley accomplished incredible feats in his short 57 years. Yet, the trauma of war took its toll on the man. From the brink of devastation and war, to the brink of success for veterans, Gretchen Smith is a Brink Thinker who is on the frontlines of the veteran community. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward As a people, we often get lost in the myriad of details and distractions of the day-to-day grind. We find ourselves challenged with stress and events that may never happen - yet we internalize the problem and get lost in the weeds. The attention and execution of those details make all the difference. As Gretchen Smith says, "We focus on one Veteran at a time".  That is the singular difference on why some achieve what others believe is unachievable. It is to focus on the details. One detail at a time. Excellence is the culmination of details executed. We salute Sgt. Danny E. Smiley, and Code of Vets Founder, Brink Thinker, Gretchen Smith. MORE ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS HERE For Further Details: Website: http://www.codeofvets.com/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/codeofvets DONATE: https://www.paypal.me/codeofvets SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST BELOW

She is full of energy, sharp, organized; she manages the teams, writes the grants, plans the cleanup, does the research. He is a bit quiet, unless he has something to say... has a steady hand, tactical in nature. He runs and maintains the equipment, he is the Vessel Captain. Meet Chloe and James. Together they make one incredible team. A highly spirited couple on a mission of a lifetime. They each recognize the plight of our oceans in their current state, and they're not happy with what they see. Their concern for the future health of our oceans and our planet are clear once you spend a few minutes with them. In 2014 they co-founded Ocean Legacy Foundation. In four years, they've collected 120k pounds of plastic and marine waste - they recycle almost everything they collect - an estimated 90% of debris is reused. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Chloe and James are not only energized, but they've energized teams of people from around the globe who are also passion about the earth that we live in. This is not a political thing, it's not a democrat, or a republican thing. It's not a rich or a poor thing. It is a human thing. It Starts With a Plastic Bag It only takes one person To destroy a habitat A Life Full of garbage Are you that person who litters? Not thinking of where it would go... For Further Insight: Website: https://oceanlegacy.ca/ Follow on twitter: https://twitter.com/OceanLegacy_ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oceanlegacy

“If you want true joy, you’ve got to stop looking at yourself,” says Luke Mickelson. Mickelson knew something was missing in his life. It was time to get off the sofa and figure it out. Back in 2012, it came to the attention of Mickelson through his Church, that some kids in the community were sleeping on the floor. He felt compelled to help the family out. Instead of buying a bed for the kids, he decided to take on the project of making the bed. So Mickelson and his own family, and church volunteers built the bed from lumber he picked up at the local store, and donated the bunk bed to the family. “This little girl had a nest of clothes, it looked like a little bird’s nest. And that’s what she slept on, that’s what her bed was,” Mickelson said. “When we delivered the bed, she hugged it and just couldn’t let go.” “That first project, we built 11 bunk beds in my garage,” he said. “The next year, we did 15. Then it doubled every year. In 2017, we built 612 bunk beds.” That feeling of changing a life, of giving back – changed everything. That is in fact what was missing. The story of ‘Sleep in Heavenly Peace’ will inspire you, and move you to action in your own life. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward He was asked in a CNN interview how he was making ends meet; since he had quit his job and was not taking salary from the not-for-profit. “I quit my job of 18 years because I wanted to do this full-time, or at least as much as I possibly could, because I knew the need was big. It just came to a point where I could see that my passion really is helping these kids. It was gratifying to see my kids and my family be involved with it and help them learn the value of service, but also seeing everybody else feel and see that joy from helping kids get off the floor. It’s contagious,” said Mickelson. “I was very fortunate to have another company offer me a job. Granted, I took a huge pay cut, but it helps me get by and helps me do what I need to do with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. They’re very understanding of what my passion is.” “I found that the need I have isn’t financial,” he said. “The need I have is seeing the joy on kidas’ faces, knowing that I can make a difference.” Brink Notes: Website: https://www.shpbeds.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShpBeds

At the time, it seemed a pretty lofty goal; to climb out of the hospital bed and crawl eight feet to the bathroom. A simple task by most standards, but not when you have life-ending cancer. Compare that moment to being just eight feet from the summit of Mount Everest. In contrast, the eight feet to the bathroom was probably more difficult when your body is not up to the task. It's all relative now, isn't it? At just thirteen years old, Sean Swarner was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma and given weeks to live. At sixteen years old, Sean was diagnosed again with cancer, this time it was Askin's sarcoma, one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and was given fourteen days to live. Sean Swarner Battling Cancer "Located in the lining of my right lung, just under the ribs. It was bad enough that the same day they aspirated it to perform a biopsy, and they decided they had to crack my chest open and take out the tumor," said Sean. "When I awoke I was told I had a 6 percent chance of survival and was given 14 days to live." "The crazy part is the two cancers are unrelated,' says Sean. "As far as I know I am the only person to ever be diagnosed with both cancers." The even crazier part is that Sean Swarner does not follow protocol or rules of life or death for that matter! Sean redefined Impossible by becoming the only person in history to climb the highest mountain on every continent, trek to the South & North Poles, and complete the Hawaii Ironman - all with one lung. “Every morning I wake up I tell myself this is the best day ever.  I believe it. I mean, looking back at my life, how could I not?” Sean Swarner is a living lunatic, I mean legend. An incredibly uplifting talk you'll enjoy the first time and every time you listen... The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… Sean Swarner at the North Pole The Next Leap Forward “THE HUMAN CONDITION CAN SUSTAIN ITSELF FOR ROUGHLY THREE DAYS WITHOUT WATER, BUT NO HUMAN ALIVE CAN LIVE FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS WITHOUT HOPE.” Every year, Sean gives a cancer survivor hope – as a guide and positive companion to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. “Taking people up Kilimanjaro, I see a transformation, it gives them the tools to say, ‘Hey if I can conquer that mountain, I can do anything.” Swarner shines a light for other cancer survivors through his foundation, the Cancer Climber Association. I first wrote about Sean Swarner a few years back when I first started blogging about some of the coolest people on the planet. That first story on the Brink of Greatness is entitled, Sean Swarner Goes From Cancer to Seven Summits. The Book: Keep Climbing: How I Beat Cancer and Reached the Top of the World For Further Insight: Website: http://seanswarner.com/ Foundation: http://cancerclimber.org/home.php Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanSwarner

There are far too many cities and towns struggling with homelessness, with no easy answers on how to fix the problem. It is a growing crisis largely being ignored by local municipalities and government as a whole. As an example, in the state of Georgia, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that well over 10,000 people find themselves in a homeless situation. Jacque Hawk Jacque Hawk, and his son Erin, decided it was time to do something about the growing homeless situation in their own community of Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia, where hundreds of people are living on the streets without any kind of assistance or emergency shelter. "Many of them are suffering from mental or physical illnesses, and they are hungry, scared, hurting and alone," said Hawk. It was the fall of 2016, when Erin suggested to his father that they help the homeless in the community. By walking the streets and visiting these people they could not only see their pain, but feel their pain. They decided to do something about it. They started a social media campaign to put the word out that they needed supplies for these folks. Jacque says, "We started collecting clothes and winter blankets and toiletries, whatever the homeless needed and handing them out.” However as soon as they were seeing success, it all came to a screeching halt as city officials were taking the same items that they were busy delivering to folks - and they were throwing their life-necessities in the trash. Jacque was outraged! But not without the means to strike back. And so he did. You see, Jacque Hawk is an attorney in the community. He knows a thing or two about litigation. So using his experience he threatened to sue the City and Sheriff's department, and anyone else who messed with his plan to help the homeless. Jacque asked each one of the homeless to help him so he can in turn help them. “I gave the homeless notepads and pens and said, you write their car numbers, their badges, you write their names, and you give it all to me,” “And I put it all over Facebook, on my website; and then I get a call from Chief Patrick Clayton of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office - can we talk about this?” What happens next will surprise you. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Together they have formed the Augusta Homeless Initiative, which is a task force that consists of several individuals from Augusta’s Housing and Community Development Department, The Salvation Army, United Way, Family Promise of Augusta and several other local organizations. The goal is to create a long term Transition Center to assist many of these folks to get on their feet and to secure a job, “A transition center is somewhere that the homeless can get basic fundamental health care,” Hawk said. “It is somewhere they can take a shower. Somewhere they can go to get out of the weather and somewhere they can lay their heads at night.” Just think of the impact this man and his son have made and continue to make in the lives of these people. Jacque Hawk is a Brink Thinker with an incredible heart and the passion and commitment to put action in the place of empty words and promises. For Further Insight: Website: https://www.thehawkfirm.com/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHawkFirm

"What if this woman who was beaten by her boyfriend and put in ICU for 3 days was your mother? Well guess what? She is my mother,her name is Cathy. I watched my mother get beat on and belittled my whole childhood. Every man I saw her with after she and my father divorced when I was 3, abused her. It finally stopped when she committed suicide because her husband made her feel like she wasn't worth enough to live in this world." Just three weeks before her high school graduation, Shayna Qualls had lost her mother for good this time. At just 17 years old, it had a numbing affect on her. "I spent my early adulthood just trying to find myself and trying to manage life without the love of my mother, says Shayna. It was when domestic violence struck her family again eight years after the death of her mom - her sister Kayla was violently murdered by her former boyfriend’s father - it was then she realized it was time to take action.  "I was basically numb from losing my mother and when my sister died it brought up all the emotions I should have been feeling with the grieving process of my mom, so I basically went through my mother’s grieving process at the same time as I did with my sister, so that is what ignited such a fire inside me." Her story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Shayna Qualls “I knew then it was time to do something,” Shayna said. “It was time to take a stand and fight back. I wasn’t going to allow domestic violence to take from my life any longer." "In 2014 ... it started as an online ministry. I shared my mother’s story and it went viral ... I had over 3 million views which brought about 20k followers from all over the world to the Facebook page. We’ve provided 100s of clients supportive listening, words of encouragement, prayed with them and given them a place to share their stories to inspire others to break free. In February of this year we received 501c3 status, so we are launching our first Campaign to help victims/survivors in Tennessee in December." Shayna Qualls is a Brink Thinker on a mission to help as many people as she can escape from the dangers of domestic violence. For Further Insight: Website: https://wingsofcourage.org/ Email Address: Shayna.qualls@wingsofcourage.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/wingsofcourageministries  The Mission: DONATE to the Wings of Courage

The birth of a child is one of life's greatest experiences; the emotional and lasting impact has consequences that will last a lifetime and beyond. When that birth becomes compromised with a life-threatening birth defect, your world is immediately forced into a tailspin of unimaginable emotions. This is a story of two lives on two different paths that would come together with a shared goal and vision of helping countless families not just survive, but thrive in some of the most challenging circumstances. They met under the most unusual circumstances while attending a National Congenital Heart Defects fundraising event in the fall of 2015, a meeting that would change their world forever. The first path, Leslee and Jason Schneider, their daughter Lexi was born with a rare heart condition; Hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Without surgery soon after birth, the condition would be fatal. They were given three options: abort the baby, let it develop within its natural life span or take surgical measures to address the defect. They chose to fight for the survival of their daughter. It would be a journey of hope, persistence and faith that would test them like never before. The other path, Brittany and Brady Griffith had just minutes as they rushed into the operating room to hold their newborn son Liam. He was born with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA), Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV), Ventricular septal defect (VSD) and Pulmonary Stenosis. 21 hours old after enduring open heart surgery, Liam's life was cut short. Brittany explains the driving principle of Romans 5:3-5 changed everything for her. "We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Their story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Life has a way of connecting like-minded people with a common goal. As you will discover, the work that Leslee and Brittany and their families are doing is remarkable. They have turned their tragedy into their life’s purpose. The Lexiam Heart Foundation was founded in February 2018, to encourage and help other families affected by Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs). Their goal is to comfort and provide support to children and their families that have been impacted by CHDs. DONATE TO LEXIAM HERE TO MAKE AN IMPACT For Further Insight: Website: http://lexiamheartfoundation.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexiamheart

"I cannot be called brave and courageous until I do the hardest thing, which is to acknowledge publicly that I am a survivor of sexual human trafficking." And with that, Norma Bastidas changed everything. Growing up in the community of Sinaloa, Mexico; violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking are a way of life, as the cartels run the streets. On any given day, young girls and boys are picked up by the cartels and violated - in a way that no child should ever experience.  Norma was sexually abused so many times throughout her childhood - that she lost count. She was kidnapped from a sidewalk in Mexico City, forced into the backseat of a car at the age of 18, and found herself hostage in a prostitution ring. Saved only by the grace of a man, or as Norma references him, 'her angel', she was able to escape the bondages of this human trafficking ring, only to find herself caught up in another prostitution sex trafficking ring, this time in Japan. Norma was forced back into the sex industry and worked as a high-paid escort without access to her passport. Her captors put massive debts on her life, forcing her to work to payoff these debts. “One night I was attacked and almost murdered, and when I reported the crime to the police, it was never investigated. I was told that the attack was ‘due to my lifestyle,’ and nobody was ever held accountable. For the longest time I lived a life of self-loathing." Norma never gave up. She did get her passport back. She also pursued a degree in Japanese literature. Moved to Canada with a man she had married. Had two children. “The path to healing was confusing and messy. For a long time, I was told it was my fault that those things happened, even by people close to me, so it’s difficult to heal when all you feel is silenced and shamed. It wasn’t until I was 32, divorced, and became a single parent in Canada that things started to change," explains Norma. There were now two predominate questions on Norma's mind. ‘Am I happy with how my life is going?’ or ‘Is there anything I need to do to improve my current situation?’ Her story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast… The Next Leap Forward Norma Bastidas Her goal was to swim, bike and run more than 3,700 miles in 65 days across Mexico and the United States. Norma didn't want to just break the record, she wanted to shatter the record, so instead of 26 miles of swimming, she wanted to swim 122 miles. “I was so determined to break the cycle of abuse that I took a journey of self-awareness and to self-love. Training and racing are the places that I turn to when I want to tap into that place where I am not distracted by the world, just nature and me trying to figure out a solution to a challenge," says Norma. In May,2014, single mom, survivor and ultra-athleteNorma Bastidas broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Triathlon after swimming, biking and running 3,762 miles (6,054 km) from Cancún, MX to Washington, D.C. This challenge surpassed anything ever accomplished in human history. Norma’s not only a Guinness World Record holder. On July 11, 2009, she became the fastest and fiercest female in history by running 7 of the planet’s most unforgiving environments on all 7 continents in 7 months. Norma trekked through the thick jungles of Brazil and the driest deserts in the world, all in support of the blind and visually impaired. Norma Bastidas is a Brink Thinker. Her life mantra: “You are not your circumstances. Your current situation is where you are, not who you are. It might be a long journey, but if you keep persisting, you will get to the place you deserve to be."

When things go bad, it is often difficult to know you've reached the lowest point of the plummet. Sometimes you have to brace yourself for what comes next... Lisa Williams Lisa Williams was at the lowest point of her life - so she thought. She was in the hospital surrounded by family as they disconnected the defibrillator from her dad. The silence in the room quickly filled with sobs of tears. It was at that moment Lisa heard a voice yell out “Stop Crying he will hear you Lisa." Shocked at first that her stepmom would call her out at this very personal moment. And why her; when the entire room was emotional? She immediately went from sorrow to deep despair. Guilt consumed her. She felt the hospital was incompetent during the twelve days her dad spent in the hospital. As a daughter and clinical administrator, Lisa wanted to help her dad but was told to do nothing. This was against everything she believed. Dad’s death and the guilt of not acting, sent Lisa into a deep depression. Isolation. PTSD. Even a divorce. Everything was changing and not for the better. Depression affects more than 16 million men and women (almost 6.7 percent of the adult population) and 3.1 million adolescents. Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest, anger, frustration, or other negative emotions like irritability can last for weeks or years and interfere with every aspect of life. She found an apartment and moved out, taking only her clothes; no furniture, sleeping on the floor, eating very little. Going to work and helping others is what kept Lisa busy. After work, the anxiety and grieving were unbearable. Isolated. Despair. Guilt. Sorrow. Depression had consumed her. It was early August when Lisa received a message from her sister with the news that she had received a special box containing something from her dad. A week later, Lisa opened the box that would change everything. The story continues on the Brink of Greatness Podcast... The Next Leap Forward A traumatic event, a troubled childhood, an unexpected setback, your health; the list can be quite extensive. Turning adversity in your life into a winning formula… is the mark of a winner! Never lose OPTIMISM in the heat of the moment. The pivotal point of what you're going through will require an unbridled concentration and flow of positive energy. The percentage of a positive outcome diminishes greatly with every negative thought. The power and importance of a positive mindset should never be doubted. You will never cross the finish line if PERSEVERANCE is not front and center in your actions. Even under great adversity, the survivor pushes forward. A battle worth winning is a battle worth fighting for. Expect distractions and dissension along the journey, but don’t let these obstacles discourage your final outcome. The ENDURANCE factor can never be overstated. Ones ability to withstand setbacks and recover from fatigue or trauma will provide an incredible advantage over the trauma or crisis. Go into it knowing that you’ll give 110%. To endure is to outlast and outsmart the enemy of negative thinking and turn it into positive energy. Optimism, Perseverance, and Endurance are the keys to not just surviving, but thriving! Lisa’s purpose in life is to help others. "If I can help someone, I have reason to live." Her motto: I could be you and you could be me. Throughout the ordeal she would keep notes and write poems. She is working on publishing her first book of poems. Each chapter is based on the next step to overcoming the struggle... Let The Moment Pass Let the moment pass, and allow the moment to pass by you, to pass through you, to pass the moment to you. by Lisa Williams

“We’ve been fighting this battle to get ahead of this infection to stop the spread, we hate to tell you, the outcome is not good,” explained the doctors. Jim McCay The news was anything but good. This was not the December holiday surprise Jim McCay was expecting. How could a small misstep one evening, at the end of a beautiful day out boating with friends turn into this...? “If we don’t eliminate the infection, you will not be alive in 3 months,” “My brain just turned off, and my wife said, I went totally white…” explained Jim. To eliminate the infection, the doc was now talking about removing part of Jim's leg. The exact words used were "to get the best outcome possible" we will need to remove from the knee down. And still there would be no guarantees that this would stop the spread of this vicious infection. The surgery to amputate Jim's leg from the knee down was now set for the first week of January. As it turned out, the hospital was mobilized for a big accident the exact day of the scheduled surgery. The surgeon would not be available. This was anything but smooth sailing. There would be more surgeries and more drama ahead, but the one thing that was smooth sailing - was Jim's commitment to his family to get through these rough seas. More than five months since that dreadful day, and finally, Jim was on his way home. A home that Jim would need to adjust to all over again. The Next Leap Forward For Jim, it would not be the next leap forward, but the next step forward that mattered most. August would be a big month for his goal of taking that first step. Jim would need to learn to walk all over again, this time it would be with the assistance of a prosthetic leg. There would be the physical therapy, and then an occupational therapist, so he could learn to drive a car with his new leg. The challenges would be many. Ironically, when the accident took place in early October 2017, Jim was in the planning stages of launching a talk radio news program as a show producer and on-air talent. The show launched at the end of October as planned and Jim was right there to launch it. He was there the first week, the second week, the tenth week, the twentieth week, and every week thereafter. Fact is, Jim never missed a beat. So while he was in hospitals, surgeries, therapy centers, God knows what - he had set a goal to be part of this project and was determined to see it through. It is all about having the right mindset. The right attitude to be able to laugh back at life. Jim McCay is a Brink Thinker and a man who loves life. His perseverance was and is remarkable. He never wavered. We know firsthand here at America Out Loud, because Jim was instrumental in the launch and success of VIEWPOINT THIS SUNDAY. My 4 Steps to Overcoming Adversity 1 - Stop living in yesterday’s world. You can’t change what has happened already, you can only learn from it. Focus on today and tomorrow, not yesterday. 2 - Surround yourself with positive, forward-thinking people. It is key to carefully select the people you associate with. Great relationships are not accidental, they happen when you give more than you take. 3 - There is a solution to every problem. Focus more on the solution and keep the problem the size of a mole hill. Everyone has their share of sad stories, it’s just some people choose to focus on the solution and not so much the problem. 4 - Don’t put the tough decisions off because you don’t want to face the music. They will just linger on your mind and continue to distract you from the real priorities. Face your problems with speed and integrity. 'One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.'Albert Schweitzer

A life of trauma and tragedy transformed into a warrior against sexual abuse and violence; a beacon for truth, hope and knowledge. Dr. Gregory Williams is a most unusual man. Most anyone would run and hide from the sheer embarrassment of a tortured childhood - from the hands of a father completely out-of-control. He remembers seeing the front cover of the famous Sears catalog at just four years old as a pivotal moment in time. This was the first remembrance of being sexually abused by his dad. The abuse was a daily occurrence. There were even times his father would bring friends in to take-part in the rape. As he explains in our 'brink talk,' his dad wasn't the only family member to violate young Gregory. It went on for twelve more years, until at the age of seventeen, he finally found the courage to tell his dad to STOP. Dr. Gregory Williams He would keep this to himself for the next 35 years, never whispering a word to a single soul. While at a presentation in 2015, he unexpectedly told the audience “You know, I was abused as a kid.” No sooner did the words leave his mouth; when the self-doubt began. “Nobody’s going to like me, nobody’s going to care about me, everybody’s going to shun me, nobody’s going to talk to me anymore, my family is going to alienate me," thought Williams, "I’ll be totally alone.” The complete opposite happened as people started lining-up to talk to him about their own experiences and hidden-truths. The Next Leap Forward Approximately 20 percent of girls (1 in 5) and 8 percent of boys (1 in 12.5) will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. 95 percent of sexually abused children will be abused by someone they know and trust. Dr. Gregory Williams is now on a mission of a lifetime. A message of healing and restoration after abuse. Dr. Williams shares life-changing lessons learned from his years of abuse along with insight to survivors who are dealing with their own inner pain and doubts. He teaches survivors the keys to overcoming past abuses, traumatic events, and major setbacks. His story will inspire you and help you discover the secret to conquering your own personal darkness and begin turning your negative into a positive! MORE BRINK STORIES For Further Insight: Website: https://shatteredbythedarkness.com/ Dr. Gregory Williams has written a book that chronicles his lifelong journey of child abuse and its aftermath. Dr. Gregory unveils the horrors of what happened to him throughout his entire childhood. His book recounts the sexual exploitation he endured at the hands of his own father. Book: Shattered By The Darkness: Putting the Pieces Back Together After Child Abuse

He was on a mission in one of the most hostile areas on the planet, in Southern Afghanistan; a place also known as "The Devils Playground". He knew something wasn't quite right. He blamed himself for the death of the enemy. He questioned his decisions of leadership that placed him in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Timothy Payne was about to go through a 'life transformation' that was both dramatic and purposeful at the same time. In a flash, an instant; a moment in time he will never forget, a hidden improvised explosive device (IED) flashed beneath him - changing his life forever. As he describes it, "I was walking, looking at the ground and it went off, it was the biggest like red, white and debris flying at me like thousands of miles per hour... my left leg blew up like a firecracker, and my right leg was gone right below the shin, and I'm laying there looking at my arm blown wide-open... trying to figure out, like how bad am I?" He wouldn't know the answer to that question for a couple of weeks, until the moment he awoke from a coma. Timothy Payne had lost both his legs and severely injured his left hand. 120 surgeries and 100 blood transfusions. He spent 1½ years recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center. “I made a deal with God to spare me instead of killing me for killing the bad guys,” Payne said. “Why don’t you just take my legs instead of taking my life? And the next day, I got blown up, died and came back. Now, I’m just trying to stay motivated and be an inspiration to other soldiers.” The Next Leap Forward The battle was not over. In fact, it was just beginning. He wanted to die. He even tried to self-induce a heart attack with Adderall. “I was suffering from depression. I was suicidal. I had all these different issues and kept it all to myself,” Payne said. "My road to recovery began the first day I started swimming I was getting in shape. My cardiovascular activity skyrocketed Healing with Inspiration (Swimming, Wheel Chair Marathons, Discus) 1st year of recovery started in pool Only me and the water. You get lost in your thoughts. 5 Laps, 10, 15, 20 and now 100 laps It is just me and the pool Now it is me, God and the pool I must do this to be the best example to my soldiers My team can’t see me fail I had to work the body first then the mind and spirit It has been the most amazing journey that I couldn’t have imagined" For Further Insight: Website: http://www.chosenleadership.com/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChosenLDRSHIP Book: CHOSEN

Andy had just finished volunteering with a group of guys to build a home for the show, ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. He had been working with groups like Habitat for Humanity and Extreme Makeover when he asked himself the question: "Why aren't we doing this for our own military families?" He and his buddies decided to try and build one house to see how it would go. The outpouring of support from the community was an unbelievable moment for them. The feeling you get from doing something big, the pride in seeing it come together, but mostly the enthusiasm from everyone involved in the project made Andy Ladner realize, that this was just the start... "When we finished that first house, and delivered the keys, we were watching helicopters fly away and two of us were sitting on the back of a truck," when Andy realized "There has to be more than this, we've been doing disaster relief for years, along with food and toys, we need to make this into a legal organization, because it's more than just one home." Andy Ladner is one of those guys who sees a problem and he wants to fix it. He has volunteers from every US Military Branch, Military Spouses, Military BRATS, ROTC, Patriotic Citizens, Foreign Allied Military, and a Parachute and Rappel Team involved in the multitude of activities they're involved in. To give you a glimpse at some of the incredible areas they're making a difference: Operation Coming Home provides custom Hero Homes for troops that have been injured in combat operations. Toys For Lil’ Troops provides toys to the children of deployed or low income troops. Rescue Ruck provides food for US Military & First Responder Veteran families in need. Rescue Me Across America provides aid to US Military & First Responder Veteran families. The Next Leap Forward The sacrifice and commitment of the men and women who serve and who give so much of themselves and their families should be honored. Homelessness and suicide among our Veterans is the shame of the nation. Resources are always needed, donations are vital, and the support and enthusiasm from all Americans is key. Listen to the full story on podcast of how Andy Ladner and Company are making a huge difference in the lives of so many... For Further Insight: Website: http://myusvc.com/ Email: aladner@myusvc.com 

In many ways, John's life was all mapped out; at least in his mind it was. An excellent student; good grades, athlete, good attitude, even perfect attendance in school. The kids in school were always trying to get John high by offering him drugs. He managed to stay clear of drugs despite the peer pressure that permeated the air at junior high school. Yet, the drugs were all around him. In fact, this part of Ohio has a bit of a reputation for addiction, drug dealing and the kinds of crime that typically come with a devil's playground. "I was that guy who said, I would never touch drugs, I'm going to play in the NBA," says John. He was a big sports fanatic, playing baseball, basketball, football, he even ran track. All of that changed one day when a group of guys; the summer before his sophomore year met at a friends house. There were about fifteen kids from around the neighborhood just hanging out, passing around weed while talking about sports and the summer break. As the joint was being passed from hand-to-hand, one of the neighborhood guys who John did not know very well, passed the joint to him not knowing that he didn't smoke. John shook his head no that he didn't want any, at the same time his buddy said "Give it to me, he don't smoke." That was the turning point; what John did next would change his life forever! As he explains it "My ego was like, give it here," he goes on to explain "I gotta be tough like everyone else." John explained further that he felt they were looking down on him. He took the joint, in what would become the first hit of many. It started with weed, and then it went into pain pills, narcotics, OxyContin; it became a $300 to $500 a day addiction. John Evans was out of control. As he says, "I would “steal, lie, rob, anything to get high.” At 14 years old, John Evans found himself in a place he never thought he'd be - he was a drug addict. "Some people have an addictive personality; I'm just one of those people," explains John. Things got worse. John was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident. No license. No insurance. A series of blunders with missing court appearances and related drug problems and John was sentenced to eight years in prison. After serving more than six of those years in prison; and eighteen months at an adult workshop; it was time to take his life back. The Next Leap Forward It was about after a year in prison when John received a letter in the mail addressed to Santa Claus from his 9 year old daughter. The letter was intercepted from her mother and sent onward to John. The letter said "All I want for Christmas is my dad." "That was my moment of truth; clarity," explained John, "that's the moment I stepped back and said, what are you doing?" John Evans is now helping as many people as he possibly can through the power of social media. He has formed a group called RAW ADDICTION. Every Saturday night at 9pm EST the group meets via Facebook, a live video feed for one hour. John refers to this as his version of Saturday Night Live. They have counselors who are available to help. They will help get people into detox recovery centers. Some people will ask questions; others will send direct message after the segment has concluded. The goal is to build awareness to the drug epidemic. They provide the how and why, in what's behind drug addiction. People call in from all around the globe. There are big goals to open up centers and to assist those folks who need it the most. He is working on making it a 501c3. Raw Addiction groups are planting seeds to educate and bring awareness to the dangers of drugs. Listen to the full story on podcast of John Evans and his journey from middle school as a good student with aspirations of being a professional sports player to a drug addict; the accident; becoming a prisoner; the letter, and the changes he has made in his life to now becoming the Founder of a group of professionals who want to chan...