Have you ever wondered why some people are the way they are? Why do they do the things they do? Heck why do you do the things you do? What has made you into you?

As we make our way through this messy world, things happen.

Boy do they really happen.

Many of us have gone through things that we never thought in a million years we would go through. But, we go through them and we end up on the other side many times better than we were before.

But what happens in that aftermath of a better state? Many times we tend to define ourselves in a new light. We see a new version of ourselves. We think in a different way.

For instance where did I pick up being a catalyst? Why does helping people become the best versions of themselves really drive me. Why is it my passion point? Why, do I care?

Simply because I’ve been the worst version of my own self. I have traveled through the trenches of being a victim, being lazy, being the exact opposite of a happy, helpful, humble human.

You see many years ago, I had something happen to me just lie many of you have had happen.

This event shattered one of the most important pieces of me as a human being. My belief in myself.

Can you remember a time when you were cut to your core. When the person you thought you were was attacked, smothered out, to the point where you couldn’t even recognize yourself?

Far me, it was the freshman year in high school.

I went to school like it was any other normal day. But, this day would start a turn of events that would dramatically change my trajectory for years to come.

As I walked into class I could smell the smell of chalk on the chalkboard. I could see the potential of all the other students sitting around me. I could feel the excitement of learning something new.

You see, I have always loved learning! But my ability to learn was about to get stunted.

As I sat in my seat goofing around with the friends that I was sitting next to, I heard the words that to this day still silently ring through my head.

You will never amount to anything!

I looked up and my eyes locked with my math teacher. Our gaze stayed locked for what seemed like an eternity. I could tell something in me was breaking in the silence but I just wasn’t sure what it was.

For the rest of the day I was silent. As I rode the bus home, silence. As I sat at the table waiting for my parents to come home, silence. 

Everything on the outside of me was silent. But the inside of me was screaming at the top of its lungs. How dare he. But he is right. Why am I a failure? I will never amount to anything.

My parents tried to tell me that he was wrong. They tried to fix me the best they knew how, but, it was too late. My belief in myself had eroded to be almost non-existent.

Within 6-months I had proved my math teacher right. I became a high school drop out.

The once choice I would never be able to take back. The choice I could never fix.

Have you ever looked at your life and had no clue how you were going to fix something?

However, by the grace of God, I ended up on the other side.

I have become the person that you see today. 

A person focused on always learning.

A man who strives to be 1% better each day.

An imperfect human striving to find the broken and being the catalyst for thei...