Matt reconnects with Nathan Wray, a high school acquaintance he hasn’t seen in 29 years. Once admired as the "cool kid," Nathan opens up about the hidden struggles he faced behind the facade, revealing a journey of self-discovery, grace, and finding inner worth. They discuss vulnerability, how surface success can mask deep pain, and the lessons we can all learn about giving others—and ourselves—grace.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Reunited After 29 Years
• 00:00:26 - The "Cool Kid" Truth
• 00:01:22 - High School Glory vs. Inner Struggles
• 00:04:05 - Preventing the Next Generation’s Pain
• 00:05:20 - Cubs Hats, Passions, and Parenthood
• 00:07:33 - A Hat That Changed Everything
• 00:12:47 - The Battle for Sobriety Begins
• 00:26:50 - Words That Trigger and Transform
• 00:27:18 - The Journal Entry That Changed His Life
• 00:28:56 - Lessons From Pen to Paper
• 00:31:58 - Back Pain Leads to Purpose
• 00:33:29 - From Recovery to Advocacy
• 00:35:08 - How Speaking Became His Lifeline
• 00:38:45 - Balancing Baseball, Family, and Growth
• 00:41:52 - Four Core Principles for Daily Success
• 00:43:04 - How to Connect With Nathan
• 00:44:54 - Books That Open the Heart
• 00:48:43 - What an Eternal Optimist Stands For

Links and Resources:

• Nathan Wray
• Nathan on LinkedIn
• Nathan on Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Eternal Optimist? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!