“We are born with everything we need to be successful in life already inside us. We just need to pull it out and use it to our benefit.”

In this episode, Nick speaks with Terry Tucker, who candidly shares his rare melanoma diagnosis and the acceptance of mortality, imparting a profound message about embracing life, facing fears, and recognizing that everything needed for success is already within. He reflects on the divine guidance he believes led him to write his book, emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people and the significance of pursuing passions despite fear. Terry draws parallels between his SWAT team training, battling cancer, and the stages of grief, revealing how each life experience contributed to his resilience. This episode serves as a testament to the strength forged through life’s challenges and the wisdom gained by prioritizing what truly matters.

What to listen for:

Terry’s lessons from early experiences speaking on podcasts

The introversion that came from being a cop

Why you should never write a book to make money

His belief that God puts people on our path to guide us

“People were suggesting that I write a book, and I was really against it. Like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to write a book.’ There’s that old joke that says when we talk to God, it’s called prayer; when God talks to us, it’s called schizophrenia. So God has never told me to write a book, but I have a fairly strong faith life. And I think what God did is he puts people in our path that make the suggestion. And the more people that make the suggestion, I think I’m smart enough to say, okay, maybe this is something that I should do.”

Asking for honest feedback on the first drafts of his book

If it were easy to write a book, everyone would do it

Terry’s experience training to be on a SWAT team

How all of his life experiences helped him with battling cancer

Prioritizing the people and things that matter most

“If there’s something in your heart that you believe you’re supposed to do, but it scares you, go ahead and do it. Because at the end of your life, the things you’re going to regret are not gonna be the things you did. They’re gonna be those things you didn’t do, and by then, it’s gonna be too late to go back and do them. Take your pick; it’s up to you. It’s your show.”

Terry’s experience getting diagnosed with a rare form of melanoma

Navigating the stages of grief that showed up

The powerful lessons he learned from being on sports teams

“One of the big things I learned from being part of team sports, and I think it can be whatever team you’re on, whether it’s your colleagues at work or your family, whatever it is, is the importance of being part of something that’s bigger than yourself. You realize on a team that if you don’t do your job, not only do you let yourself down, but you let your teammates down, your coaches down, your fans down, etc. And if you think about it, the biggest team game that we all play is this game of life.”

Learning to take life and its struggles day by day

Why death doesn’t scare Terry and how he focuses on living

We’re born with everything we need inside of us; we just need to use it

About Terry Tucker:

Terry Tucker is a motivational speaker, author, and international podcast guest on the topics of motivation, mindset, and self-development. He has a business administration degree from The Citadel (where he played NCAA Division I college basketball) and a master’s degree from Boston University. In his professional career, Terry has been a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, a high school basketball coach, a business owner, a motivational speaker, and for the past ten years, a cancer warrior (which has resulted in the amputation of his foot in 2018 and his leg in 2020). He is the author of the book “Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life.”

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