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Hello.
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Hello.
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Welcome to mindset two results.
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What do you do when you are building your
future while fighting for your life?
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James Davis built Paragon still and survived
three organ transplants.
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Today, we explore how to keep moving forward
when hope is your only option.
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Hi, Jim.
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Welcome to Mindset two results.
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How are you today?
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Nice to meet you.
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Nice to meet you too.
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I'm great, and I'm excited about, our
conversation today because I'm sure that, our
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listeners can learn so much from your story.
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And, before we start, I would like you to share
a little bit, yeah, from your story, and, then
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we will, take it from the...
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It.
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Well, my story really began when I was a
teenager.
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I grew up in Southern California, just to give
you some context.
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And I had, at the age of 17, had been diagnosed
with type one juvenile diabetes, which at that
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time was fairly uncommon.
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This was in the early seventies versus today,
it's grown probably five times.
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And so it's a lot more prevalent in today's
world than it was back then.
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I didn't know anyone that had it.
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No one in my family or friends knew much about
it.
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So I was told that at 17 that I'd be lucky to
live to the age of 50 and that I'd have things
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such as heart disease, kidney disease,
amputations, blindness, and a host of side
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effects that would affect the rest of my life.
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And for a 17 year old, that was quite a lot to
consume.
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And so, essentially, I had a choice to make,
which was was I going to let this this
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diagnosis of diabetes define me and the rest of
my life, or was I gonna use it as a motivator
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to kind of get my act together younger knowing
that I had a shorter lifespan?
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And I chose the latter.
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I built...
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I I started a business right out of high
school, which was in the automotive
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aftermarket.
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And it it carried me through college.
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And then after college, it it total...
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It went for about sixteen years.
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I had started it with a partner, and we started
originally in a garage, and it grew to be a
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pretty big company manufacturing mufflers and
exhaust products for cars.
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So...
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But anyway, I got married, had a family,
most...
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You know, for the most part, the diabetes was
not really much of a factor other than the fact
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that I knew that that those side effects that
had been predicted for me ultimately came as I
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was in my forties.
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And, actually, it happened pretty abruptly.
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I was up vacationing in Lake Arrowhead, which
is some mountains outside of Southern
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California.
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And I was at the top of a ropes course doing
paramilitary events, climbing a pole.
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And I was 20 feet in the air and my heart
stopped.
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And fortunately for me, I had a a close friend
of mine who was with me who knew CPR.
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They brought me down the...
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They brought me down and gave me CPR, and and
fortunately, he brought me back to life before
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the paramedics had even come up the hill.
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They brought me down to a hospital, and one of
my arteries was 95% blocked.
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So it was at that time that I knew the, the
things that had been predicted for me were
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starting to take shape.
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And I...
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By the time I was 50, I'd gone into heart heart
disease where my kidneys had failed.
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So I was struggling, at that time.
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Congestive heart failure was the name of it.
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And I was in kidney dialysis, and I went to the
doctors at Cedars Sinai Hospital, and they had
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said to me, well, you need a new heart.
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You need a new kidney, in best case, a new
pancreas, which would get rid of your diabetes.
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Problem is we've never done a surgery like that
before, and I don't think it's been done
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anywhere in the world.
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So I looked at him I looked him in the eye, I
said, well, then I'll be the first.
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So he's...
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He looked...
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He sat back in his chair, smiled, and said,
well, if if you're game, I'm game.
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So we set forth a path.
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And so in November 2005, I've got my
transplants, heart and kidney, and then we came
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back six months later and did the pancreas.
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So that became the first triple organ
transplant that Cedars Sinai had ever done.
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And I'm proud to say here I am now in my
seventies.
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So...
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And all the organs are working well.
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And so...
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And that, you know, is quite a...
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An amazing turnaround for me.
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And through it all, I had built a business.
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We started a steel company...
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Steel distribution company in 1988, which
basically services the West Coast with steel
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products of all types.
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And I started it with a partner.
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And and, fortunately, here we are thirty eight
years later and still doing still doing what we
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do.
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And, you know, so so my story is really one of
survival.
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And I would say that I had placed my hopes in
medical technology hoping that that would be a
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savior for me.
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And it turned out that transplant turned out to
be the the savior for...
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The the winning ticket for me to survive.
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And, so I've I've learned a lot through this
period of time.
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I was fortunate that I had a partner in
business because he was able to kind of take
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care of things while I was out, and, we got
along ex...
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Extremely well.
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Unfortunately, twelve years ago, he passed
away, and I had to deal with the loss of a
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partner and kind of a brother of sorts.
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And I had to decide whether or not I wanted to
continue to be in business or not.
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But I forged ahead, used his his passing as a
bit of a rally cry for us to to overcome the
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adversity.
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And, in many ways, we're a stronger company
today than we were back then.
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So it's...
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I mean, my life has been a bit of a roller
coaster in terms of having adversity,
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overcoming adversity, and actually coming out
better on the other side, which, you know, I do
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owe a lot of that to my perseverance, my
attitude, and my positivity.
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Yeah.
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Thank you, Jim, for sharing.
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A lot there.
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I gave you
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a lot.
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Yes.
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It is a lot.
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It is a lot, lessons in, your story.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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So this is all attributes to the very strong
spirit which you had.
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Yes.
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But even, like, seventeen years when you are
told all this very scary Right.
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Like, prognosis.
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That only can break people because they just
can think Right.
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I don't want to leave.
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Like, to leave to get all this, like, to see
how all these things come into me, like, to see
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how I will be blind or how my kidneys fail.
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Right.
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Like, not many people even would dare to leave.
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Right?
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Like, to to Right.
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To...
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And and even if they leave, and then they start
expecting these these things to come.
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Right?
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So Yeah.
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Really have to be very brave and very strong to
choose not to let the situation to define who
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you become and what you can do and Right. The
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The future.
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And so Yes.
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It is really a very big lesson in this.
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Yes.
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And then I
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Yeah.
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Well, I...
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But I but I was...
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You know, I would say that the circumstances
that that kind of created this, situation for
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me, kind of forced me to make a decision.
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And I and I really do believe that that the
choice of finding hope and positivity was one
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that...
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It was very natural for me.
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And I think for a lot of people, I don't know
that it would come as naturally for them.
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And and it it has a lot to do with the
orientation that you have towards the world and
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your perspective on on life itself.
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And so for me, it's it's been, you know, even
when the when the doctor said, you know, you
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need this, this, and this, and I basically
looked at him and said, okay.
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I'll be the first.
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I I look back on that moment and think, what
what was I thinking?
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I mean, my my wife thought I was an alien.
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Did you not hear what the doctor just said?
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And I said, I did.
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But I really believed that this was my destiny,
that, you know, I had gone through all this
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hardship for all these years for this moment
right here, right now, and I was gonna take
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advantage of it.
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You know?
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So I I looked at it as an opportunity to get
well again and not like, oh my gosh.
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I've gotta endure.
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I mean, the surgery took twenty one hours, and
then I had to come back and do the pancreas,
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which was even more.
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So, you know, yes, it was hard, but I looked at
it like I was being given a second chance of
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life.
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Yes.
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Actually, not many options.
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Right?
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You had Right.
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Right.
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To choose.
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So...
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But, anyway, it takes it takes a, like, big
heart.
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I mean, very strong heart and really bravery to
accept this.
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Yeah.
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Because, not many...
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I am sure that, some people who would...
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In your place, they would not take this.
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Right.
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Be the first, and then we think, oh, what if
some...
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Something goes wrong and they never did this?
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You know, like Right.
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This is, like, the the thoughts can go
anywhere.
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Right?
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Like...
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But Yes.
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Your desire, like, you you had this big desire,
and you you you not only had belief, but you
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also had faith.
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Because I think this is more than hope.
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It's just hope.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Let's hope.
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But my...
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It...
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But, just from your story, I just see that you
you really had very firm belief and and faith.
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Right?
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Like, faith that everything is going to be
right.
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Like, you you knew that everything will be
good.
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And this is very important, this attitude.
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Yeah.
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Like, when you expect something good to happen
from situation
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Right.
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Not expecting something bad.
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Because what we expect, this is what becomes a
result.
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Right?
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Like That's correct.
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They didn't So so so I'll tell you an
interesting story.
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When I was going through the process, I was
with a social worker to make sure that I was up
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for this massive surgery.
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And they asked me a battery of questions, and
most of them, I was just kind of rolling my
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eyes through the questions.
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But then then the social worker asked me, what
is your source of hope?
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And I thought that was a very interesting
question.
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I thought, what is my source of hope?
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Never really...
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It hadn't been posed to me like that before.
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So I thought about it, and I...
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Just what you just said, there were two two
elements that I believed that was composed my
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source of hope.
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One was good things had always happened to me
in the past.
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I had been blessed with many things and and,
you know, I was I was...
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I had great gratitude for it.
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So why should they stop now?
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Like, if it was meant...
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If it was meant to be, it will be.
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And that was more of kind of a fatalistic
approach to life.
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If I was intended to live, I would live.
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And if I was intended not to, I would die.
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And so my my source of hope became kind of this
fatalistic, optimistic view of myself.
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And and that was kind of my answer.
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Is that it's...
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It was like twofold, optimism and fatalism.
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So when I speak to people, I say to them, what
is your source of hope?
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It makes makes you think about what is it that
gives you the motivation to get up every day
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and do what you do.
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Because if you have no hope, you really have no
life.
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You know?
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You have no expectation of tomorrow.
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And so I think it's a good exercise of...
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And it's just kind of ironic that it came up in
the middle of an interview with a social
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00:14:32,379 --> 00:14:32,779
worker.
245
00:14:32,779 --> 00:14:35,100
I wouldn't I wouldn't have anticipated that.
246
00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:37,820
So it was a good it was a good exercise.
247
00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:38,940
Yeah.
248
00:14:38,940 --> 00:14:47,085
I think that the social worker noticed that you
are positive and you you see good outcome.
249
00:14:47,085 --> 00:14:47,404
Right?
250
00:14:47,404 --> 00:14:48,045
This is Mhmm.
251
00:14:48,045 --> 00:14:49,565
Directed Right.
252
00:14:49,565 --> 00:14:50,205
Thoughts.
253
00:14:50,205 --> 00:14:50,685
Right.
254
00:14:50,685 --> 00:14:54,205
That is why I think she didn't see many people
like that.
255
00:14:54,845 --> 00:14:55,165
Yeah.
256
00:14:55,165 --> 00:14:56,285
You're probably right.
257
00:14:56,285 --> 00:14:56,764
Yeah.
258
00:14:56,764 --> 00:14:57,325
That is why.
259
00:14:57,325 --> 00:14:58,125
You're probably right.
260
00:14:58,125 --> 00:14:58,764
Yeah.
261
00:14:58,764 --> 00:15:05,220
Because, usually, in such situation, I think
they more face people who they need to, like,
262
00:15:05,779 --> 00:15:06,019
like
263
00:15:06,179 --> 00:15:06,500
Yeah.
264
00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:07,620
Work work on.
265
00:15:07,620 --> 00:15:08,019
Yeah.
266
00:15:08,019 --> 00:15:10,659
Like, calm down and just quiet them.
267
00:15:10,659 --> 00:15:11,139
And...
268
00:15:11,539 --> 00:15:16,144
But she saw that you were so, like, confident
that all will be good.
269
00:15:16,225 --> 00:15:19,825
And that is why just she wanted you to share
your secret with
270
00:15:19,985 --> 00:15:20,544
Yeah.
271
00:15:20,705 --> 00:15:21,345
Yeah.
272
00:15:21,745 --> 00:15:22,225
Yeah.
273
00:15:22,225 --> 00:15:22,705
Okay.
274
00:15:22,705 --> 00:15:23,264
Great.
275
00:15:24,464 --> 00:15:32,000
So you said that in, like, very early age, you
started your business.
276
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:32,159
Yes.
277
00:15:32,159 --> 00:15:35,600
How old were you when you started your company
with your partner?
278
00:15:36,799 --> 00:15:38,159
Well, I started...
279
00:15:38,159 --> 00:15:40,480
I used to work for this man.
280
00:15:40,559 --> 00:15:42,480
He was 13 older than me.
281
00:15:43,274 --> 00:15:45,035
When I was a teenager.
282
00:15:45,035 --> 00:15:53,035
I worked at this automotive products store, and
he and I became friendly.
283
00:15:53,675 --> 00:15:57,970
And he had wanted to start it's an interesting
story, actually.
284
00:15:57,970 --> 00:16:00,610
He he wanted to start a...
285
00:16:03,250 --> 00:16:14,915
An aftermarket products that would make cars go
faster, look cooler, and they were primarily
286
00:16:14,915 --> 00:16:22,595
for these new import cars that were coming into
America at the time, which was, like, from
287
00:16:22,595 --> 00:16:32,250
Japan, primarily from Datsons, Toyotas, Hondas,
and and these, like, four cylinder cars.
288
00:16:32,570 --> 00:16:39,690
And so you had these people that had these
American muscle cars like Barracudas and
289
00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:42,434
Chargers and Camaros.
290
00:16:42,915 --> 00:16:49,795
And and so because of the gas crisis that was
going on in this country in the early
291
00:16:49,795 --> 00:16:56,620
seventies, people were trading in their muscle
cars, and they were buying these imports.
292
00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:02,299
The American car end market thought, oh, it's
just a fad.
293
00:17:02,379 --> 00:17:07,499
These cars, you know, they'll never succeed
here in The US.
294
00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:13,464
So they were, you know, kind of dismissing
them, but yet the American public were were
295
00:17:13,464 --> 00:17:17,864
buying these big cars, buying the import cars.
296
00:17:18,025 --> 00:17:22,105
And the first thing they wanted to do was make
them go faster, look better.
297
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:30,359
So we made products that did that, that that
applied to this new wave of imports that were
298
00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:37,125
coming into America, and we were making
products that that would make them, you know,
299
00:17:37,125 --> 00:17:37,924
more fun.
300
00:17:38,404 --> 00:17:42,085
So it happened to be kind of at the right place
at the right time.
301
00:17:42,085 --> 00:17:48,404
Unbeknownst, it's not like we planned the gas
crisis or we planned the the resurgence of
302
00:17:48,404 --> 00:17:53,149
import cars coming into America, but the timing
happened to be perfect for us.
303
00:17:53,789 --> 00:17:59,069
So we started this company and, you know, ran
it.
304
00:17:59,069 --> 00:18:00,589
We ran it together.
305
00:18:00,589 --> 00:18:00,990
It...
306
00:18:00,990 --> 00:18:10,694
It's it's still around today, but I sold my
interest because after working it for sixteen
307
00:18:10,694 --> 00:18:14,774
years, I kinda wanted to branch out and do my
own thing.
308
00:18:15,335 --> 00:18:22,799
So I had a steel salesperson that I bought a
lot of steel from because we manufacture these
309
00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:23,519
products.
310
00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:31,119
And he wanted to start his own steel
distribution company, and I was viewed it as an
311
00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,240
opportunity to take the next step.
312
00:18:34,705 --> 00:18:35,505
And so I...
313
00:18:35,505 --> 00:18:40,785
My my then partner bought me out, and we
started a steel company.
314
00:18:40,785 --> 00:18:46,384
And I had the the experience of having started
a business, run a business.
315
00:18:46,384 --> 00:18:52,769
I was involved in the administration,
purchasing, marketing, all the all the elements
316
00:18:52,769 --> 00:18:54,210
of running a business.
317
00:18:54,769 --> 00:18:57,409
And so we started the steel business together.
318
00:18:57,409 --> 00:18:58,609
And, again, he...
319
00:18:58,609 --> 00:19:00,289
My partner was in sales.
320
00:19:00,289 --> 00:19:08,735
I did everything else, and, we had a very
successful steel company that we built back
321
00:19:08,735 --> 00:19:14,414
starting in 1988 and still exists today.
322
00:19:14,575 --> 00:19:16,569
So I'm I'm proud of that.
323
00:19:16,569 --> 00:19:17,209
It's...
324
00:19:17,210 --> 00:19:24,249
The one thing I say is that you can depend on
is that nothing stays the same.
325
00:19:24,730 --> 00:19:32,404
That change is inevitable within every
business, within every market changes.
326
00:19:33,765 --> 00:19:34,884
People change.
327
00:19:35,924 --> 00:19:37,684
Customers come and go.
328
00:19:38,005 --> 00:19:39,764
Vendors come and go.
329
00:19:40,325 --> 00:19:49,220
So the the key to business to me is always be
flexible enough to be able to pivot so that
330
00:19:49,220 --> 00:19:50,259
when those change...
331
00:19:50,259 --> 00:19:55,460
When those changes occur, you're in a position
so that you can move with them.
332
00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:55,940
When I...
333
00:19:56,434 --> 00:20:04,194
When we started in business back in '88, our
biggest account manufactured payphones, which
334
00:20:04,194 --> 00:20:04,674
were...
335
00:20:04,674 --> 00:20:06,514
It was a Mexican company.
336
00:20:07,234 --> 00:20:13,470
They supplied payphones to the world, and we
were selling two truckloads a week down to
337
00:20:13,470 --> 00:20:14,269
Mexico.
338
00:20:15,149 --> 00:20:21,950
Well, you can imagine when the iPhone came out,
the payphones kind of became dinosaurs, so you
339
00:20:21,950 --> 00:20:24,669
hardly ever see a payphone today.
340
00:20:26,075 --> 00:20:35,115
I would imagine in in The UK, have, little
boxes where, you know, you walk into to use a
341
00:20:35,115 --> 00:20:35,595
payphone.
342
00:20:35,595 --> 00:20:38,474
You don't probably see too many of those in The
UK today.
343
00:20:38,970 --> 00:20:40,409
So so anyway...
344
00:20:40,409 --> 00:20:50,169
But I use that as an example because a product
can be around for a long period of time, and
345
00:20:50,169 --> 00:21:00,894
then all of a sudden, one day because of the
cell phone, it's it's like a van...
346
00:21:00,894 --> 00:21:02,095
A vanishing item.
347
00:21:02,095 --> 00:21:03,534
It's a collector's item.
348
00:21:03,934 --> 00:21:14,769
And similarly, of the the accounts that we sold
back in 1988, I'd say that, only 20% of them
349
00:21:14,769 --> 00:21:16,529
are still in business today.
350
00:21:16,849 --> 00:21:25,285
So it's forced us as a company to shift so that
when products are hot, we're selling to them.
351
00:21:25,285 --> 00:21:28,164
And when products are not, we're not selling to
them.
352
00:21:28,884 --> 00:21:29,684
You know, we've...
353
00:21:29,684 --> 00:21:35,529
We had to get into the solar and wind energy
markets.
354
00:21:35,929 --> 00:21:37,609
We've gotten into...
355
00:21:38,730 --> 00:21:42,489
Now the new things are electric...
356
00:21:43,210 --> 00:21:45,929
Electricity camps for the AI.
357
00:21:46,565 --> 00:21:51,124
So, you know, you just have to be ready and
willing to ship...
358
00:21:51,125 --> 00:21:52,404
Shift in...
359
00:21:52,565 --> 00:21:53,045
When...
360
00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:58,644
In in and out of markets as they become hot or
cold, and we've been able to do that.
361
00:21:58,644 --> 00:22:04,609
So, I mean, as I was telling you before we
started, it's a little bit using my health as
362
00:22:04,609 --> 00:22:05,649
an analogy.
363
00:22:06,849 --> 00:22:13,809
At a young age, I was told, you know, what my
life was going to consist of.
364
00:22:13,809 --> 00:22:14,369
And so...
365
00:22:14,595 --> 00:22:22,034
And I had no assurance of what the changes
would be within my life, but I needed to adapt
366
00:22:22,515 --> 00:22:28,450
and be prepared to, shift as the times changed.
367
00:22:28,450 --> 00:22:31,089
And similarly, I do the same thing with my
business.
368
00:22:31,089 --> 00:22:38,369
I mean, as as the changes occur, we have to be
prepared to make, the changes with the times.
369
00:22:39,095 --> 00:22:39,974
And some...
370
00:22:39,974 --> 00:22:40,775
For some time...
371
00:22:40,775 --> 00:22:43,974
For some people, it's hard to do that because
we all wanna know.
372
00:22:44,454 --> 00:22:49,174
We all want to have some clarity before we make
a decision.
373
00:22:49,255 --> 00:22:52,855
But, unfortunately, in business, you don't
always have the clarity.
374
00:22:52,855 --> 00:22:59,700
You have to sometimes make a decision based on
what you do know, realizing all the while
375
00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:00,099
you...
376
00:23:00,099 --> 00:23:01,459
You'll you'll never know...
377
00:23:01,859 --> 00:23:04,980
You'll never have total clarity because, you
know, your...
378
00:23:04,980 --> 00:23:07,779
Our crystal balls are a little cloudy as it
were.
379
00:23:08,804 --> 00:23:15,924
So that's kind of the message that I often tell
to business owners is that sometimes you have
380
00:23:15,924 --> 00:23:21,764
to go with your instinct and realize that
sometimes you're right and sometimes you're
381
00:23:21,764 --> 00:23:22,244
wrong.
382
00:23:22,244 --> 00:23:26,470
But you make a decision, and then if it's not
the right decision, you make a course
383
00:23:26,470 --> 00:23:27,190
correction.
384
00:23:28,230 --> 00:23:31,669
And then when you're dealing with your health,
you make the wrong decision.
385
00:23:31,669 --> 00:23:33,990
You could you could ruin your...
386
00:23:33,990 --> 00:23:35,429
You know, end your life.
387
00:23:35,509 --> 00:23:37,829
So it's important to understand the difference.
388
00:23:38,944 --> 00:23:39,345
Yeah.
389
00:23:39,345 --> 00:23:40,304
So true.
390
00:23:40,704 --> 00:23:45,664
Jim, your book is called When Hope Is Your Only
Option.
391
00:23:45,984 --> 00:23:46,464
Yes.
392
00:23:46,464 --> 00:23:51,585
In your darkest moment, what did hope look like
in practice?
393
00:23:51,984 --> 00:23:53,825
What did it help you to do next?
394
00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,039
Well, it's a good question.
395
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:06,880
I would say that, there were plenty of dark
moments, and, the natural thing would be to
396
00:24:07,774 --> 00:24:10,174
look at the worst case scenario.
397
00:24:10,974 --> 00:24:18,894
And I tried not to go to that place because it
didn't help me mentally.
398
00:24:20,815 --> 00:24:26,279
I tried to have a positive attitude as much as
I could.
399
00:24:26,519 --> 00:24:34,039
I mean, it reminds me of a story when I was at
the doctor's office, and this was after they
400
00:24:34,039 --> 00:24:37,364
had told me about the transplant option.
401
00:24:39,125 --> 00:24:47,125
And the doctor said, well, actually, I have a
transplant recipient in the office down the
402
00:24:47,125 --> 00:24:47,525
hall.
403
00:24:47,525 --> 00:24:48,884
Would you like to talk to him?
404
00:24:49,630 --> 00:24:53,389
And I said, only if it's going to help me.
405
00:24:53,470 --> 00:25:02,829
If it's going to if it's going to affect my
mental state negatively, I'd rather not meet
406
00:25:02,829 --> 00:25:03,230
with him.
407
00:25:03,734 --> 00:25:05,015
So the doctor said, no.
408
00:25:05,015 --> 00:25:05,174
No.
409
00:25:05,174 --> 00:25:12,694
I think you'll find he's he's pretty, he's a
pretty good case as far as transplants go.
410
00:25:13,255 --> 00:25:20,109
So we walked down the hall, and just before we
walked in, he said to me, don't let his
411
00:25:20,109 --> 00:25:22,269
amputations affect you.
412
00:25:22,990 --> 00:25:24,589
And I thought, oh my god.
413
00:25:24,589 --> 00:25:25,230
What...
414
00:25:25,309 --> 00:25:27,389
That would affect me if I was...
415
00:25:27,470 --> 00:25:33,975
So I go inside to the office and I'm talking to
this man, and I'm looking for the tran...
416
00:25:33,975 --> 00:25:37,894
I'm looking for the amputations because, you
know, he's got all of his hands on his feet.
417
00:25:38,295 --> 00:25:39,494
And and I'm wonder...
418
00:25:39,494 --> 00:25:42,855
Now I'm wondering, what what what is he talking
about?
419
00:25:42,855 --> 00:25:43,974
Because I don't...
420
00:25:44,215 --> 00:25:51,559
You know, I couldn't tell from the outside what
those amputations consisted of.
421
00:25:52,359 --> 00:26:03,734
However, I realized that, you know, keeping my
mind clear and positive was most important to
422
00:26:03,734 --> 00:26:08,775
me because I didn't want to get a negative
perspective.
423
00:26:09,015 --> 00:26:10,615
I didn't wanna know too much.
424
00:26:10,615 --> 00:26:19,450
You know, it's like today when people have
ailments, you know, they don't feel well, they
425
00:26:19,450 --> 00:26:24,329
look onto the computer right away to see what
they've got.
426
00:26:24,410 --> 00:26:26,410
And and in some instances, that's...
427
00:26:26,410 --> 00:26:33,154
The worst thing you could do is because it
shapes your mindset, and it might, you know, it
428
00:26:33,154 --> 00:26:36,515
might make you worse because you'll look at it
and go, oh my god.
429
00:26:36,515 --> 00:26:37,714
It's it's...
430
00:26:37,714 --> 00:26:42,115
Could be this and it could be that, and, you
know, I've got some of those symptoms.
431
00:26:42,859 --> 00:26:47,820
And and the reality is that's probably the
worst thing you can do is it it affects your
432
00:26:47,820 --> 00:26:53,259
your mindset, and, you know, that that can do
more harm than good.
433
00:26:53,259 --> 00:27:02,295
So, anyway, the point being of this story is
that I only wanted to see the guy if it helped
434
00:27:02,295 --> 00:27:05,335
my mindset, not if it hurt my mindset.
435
00:27:05,335 --> 00:27:15,200
And so that's the that's the way I approached a
lot of my preparation for doing this major
436
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:21,200
surgery, which, you know, I I couldn't have
known how it was going to come out.
437
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:21,599
You know?
438
00:27:21,599 --> 00:27:28,784
I I I treated a triple organ transplant as if I
was going in for a root canal, and it was
439
00:27:28,784 --> 00:27:30,704
obviously a lot more than that.
440
00:27:31,184 --> 00:27:32,065
But if...
441
00:27:32,065 --> 00:27:39,024
You know, even to my kids and to my wife, I I
probably undersold it, because I wanted them to
442
00:27:39,024 --> 00:27:40,544
be okay.
443
00:27:40,865 --> 00:27:49,009
So whether or not that was denial or if it was
just I wanted to control the...
444
00:27:49,169 --> 00:27:52,609
Their attitudes, I don't quite know, but it but
it certainly worked.
445
00:27:54,625 --> 00:27:55,184
Yeah.
446
00:27:55,345 --> 00:27:55,744
Yeah.
447
00:27:55,744 --> 00:28:00,624
Such a great example, what you shared just now.
448
00:28:01,345 --> 00:28:07,024
And when someone feels overwhelmed by an
uncertain future...
449
00:28:07,184 --> 00:28:10,279
And I believe you had so many moments of that.
450
00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:10,600
Yes.
451
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,039
When you didn't know, like, what is going on.
452
00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:14,279
Yeah.
453
00:28:14,279 --> 00:28:15,960
What is is coming.
454
00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:24,634
So, how can they bring their attention back to
something that they can influence today?
455
00:28:25,755 --> 00:28:34,475
So I've always viewed it as as the ability to,
you know, to take a negative thought and not to
456
00:28:34,475 --> 00:28:36,394
dwell on the negative thought.
457
00:28:36,475 --> 00:28:44,440
So, you know, if I found myself going into a
darker place, I would try and immediately think
458
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,680
of something more positive.
459
00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:54,615
So it's it's unrealistic for me to say that I
didn't have those thoughts, but I tried not to
460
00:28:54,615 --> 00:29:03,974
let those thoughts, overwhelm me or kind of
take control of my, my psyche.
461
00:29:05,654 --> 00:29:08,339
And I I...
462
00:29:08,339 --> 00:29:16,019
I'd suppose I'm good at compartmentalizing the
good and the bad because I was able to still
463
00:29:16,019 --> 00:29:20,259
focus on the positive instead of dwelling in
the negative.
464
00:29:20,865 --> 00:29:26,304
I've often said that having gratitude is the
great equalizer.
465
00:29:26,304 --> 00:29:27,825
So if you think about...
466
00:29:28,224 --> 00:29:35,000
Instead of thinking about the negative thoughts
in your life, if you take a moment to think
467
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,159
about what's good in your life, you know, it
could be your family.
468
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,359
It could be your your job.
469
00:29:42,359 --> 00:29:44,200
It could be it could be whatever.
470
00:29:44,599 --> 00:29:47,079
Whatever brings you joy and happiness.
471
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,585
And just live in that moment.
472
00:29:50,585 --> 00:29:51,944
Live in that mindset.
473
00:29:52,024 --> 00:29:55,624
Think about all that you've got rather than all
that you don't have.
474
00:29:56,184 --> 00:29:58,825
And and I've always been pretty good with that.
475
00:29:58,825 --> 00:29:59,784
I've been good
476
00:29:59,784 --> 00:30:00,184
at
477
00:30:03,910 --> 00:30:06,309
putting myself into a positive place.
478
00:30:06,309 --> 00:30:13,349
I mean, when I when I speak, like, a common
question I get from somebody in the audience
479
00:30:13,349 --> 00:30:20,065
would be, so I have a husband who just always
is a doom and gloom kinda guy. He's
480
00:30:19,744 --> 00:30:22,464
He's just such a negative person.
481
00:30:22,785 --> 00:30:25,984
How do you advise me
482
00:30:25,985 --> 00:30:26,545
to
483
00:30:27,825 --> 00:30:32,065
try and turn him to look at the world in a more
positive context?
484
00:30:32,759 --> 00:30:33,880
Fair question.
485
00:30:34,039 --> 00:30:34,440
You know?
486
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,240
I'm sure there's lots of people that feel that
way about...
487
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:38,919
Especially about their mates.
488
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:46,039
And and my answer is the only way you can do
it, it's it's a process.
489
00:30:46,039 --> 00:30:46,279
It...
490
00:30:46,279 --> 00:30:47,160
You know, this is...
491
00:30:47,855 --> 00:30:57,134
He's probably the way he is because over a
lifetime of negative mindset, and it's very...
492
00:30:57,134 --> 00:31:02,734
It's hard to transform somebody overnight to
look at the world in a positive way.
493
00:31:03,169 --> 00:31:11,089
But if you take it slow and you take it daily,
you know, and and, you know, the the the
494
00:31:12,210 --> 00:31:14,049
challenge is to...
495
00:31:14,049 --> 00:31:18,924
Like, every moment before you go to bed, you
have a positive thought instead of a negative
496
00:31:18,924 --> 00:31:19,164
thought.
497
00:31:19,164 --> 00:31:21,724
When you wake up in the morning, you have a
positive thought.
498
00:31:21,965 --> 00:31:28,365
When you, you know, eat your breakfast, you
think about how good breakfast might be, you
499
00:31:28,365 --> 00:31:30,605
know, if you're eating something that you like.
500
00:31:31,039 --> 00:31:38,960
And then you go out and you look at the, you
know, the flowers on the the trees and you look
501
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:44,319
at the the wind blowing in your face and you
and you think about...
502
00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:51,454
Or you notice a child that's, you know, riding
their bicycle, and you you just take a moment
503
00:31:51,454 --> 00:31:58,174
to think about the good things that you see and
try not to focus on the negative things in your
504
00:31:58,174 --> 00:31:58,414
mind.
505
00:31:59,230 --> 00:32:06,509
And and over time, you know, you'll start to
look at the world through a different lens.
506
00:32:06,509 --> 00:32:07,470
And it's really a...
507
00:32:07,470 --> 00:32:15,265
It's as simple as that, but you've gotta put in
the effort to to observe the world around you
508
00:32:15,265 --> 00:32:19,825
and see the good in it and appreciate the good
in it.
509
00:32:20,144 --> 00:32:24,224
And and slowly, those negative thoughts will
start to peel away.
510
00:32:25,559 --> 00:32:26,999
I do it all the time.
511
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,679
I mean, even at this age, I I like to...
512
00:32:30,679 --> 00:32:34,279
I live on a lake, and I ride my bike around the
lake.
513
00:32:34,839 --> 00:32:47,474
And whenever I do, I always observe the beauty
and, you know, I make a real point of it and
514
00:32:47,474 --> 00:32:51,794
and the way I look at it because it it kind of
shapes how I look at the world.
515
00:32:51,875 --> 00:32:55,480
So you're never too you're never too old.
516
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:56,200
You're never too...
517
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,880
You know, it's it's just the way you look at
life.
518
00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:02,600
Me, it's so true.
519
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:03,799
This is a choice.
520
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:04,200
Yes.
521
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:05,079
You can Yes.
522
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,680
Choose what to think about.
523
00:33:06,974 --> 00:33:07,775
And Right.
524
00:33:07,775 --> 00:33:10,575
You can take this, choice from you.
525
00:33:10,575 --> 00:33:12,654
Like, everything can change outside.
526
00:33:12,654 --> 00:33:13,934
Every week...
527
00:33:13,934 --> 00:33:19,774
Not that outside is not something that we can
control in many cases.
528
00:33:19,775 --> 00:33:20,095
Yes.
529
00:33:20,095 --> 00:33:26,359
But ability to choose what is not about and
what meaning to give to every situation nobody
530
00:33:26,359 --> 00:33:27,239
can take.
531
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:28,200
Right.
532
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:29,000
This is...
533
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:35,640
Was very well, wrote about is, Victor Franklin
in the book Right.
534
00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,000
Researching for meaning.
535
00:33:37,305 --> 00:33:37,865
Yes.
536
00:33:37,865 --> 00:33:38,424
Right.
537
00:33:38,985 --> 00:33:40,585
From the concentration camps.
538
00:33:40,585 --> 00:33:40,825
Yes.
539
00:33:40,825 --> 00:33:41,305
Yeah.
540
00:33:41,305 --> 00:33:42,265
So this is...
541
00:33:42,265 --> 00:33:42,505
Yeah.
542
00:33:42,505 --> 00:33:43,464
This is really...
543
00:33:44,184 --> 00:33:50,105
You just mentioned that when we remember that
it is always our choice what to think about
544
00:33:50,190 --> 00:33:50,669
Right.
545
00:33:50,669 --> 00:33:52,029
In every situation.
546
00:33:52,029 --> 00:33:57,069
And depending on what we think and what we
choose to think and meaning Right.
547
00:33:57,069 --> 00:34:05,069
Give to situation, this will, this will, get
results.
548
00:34:05,204 --> 00:34:05,524
Right?
549
00:34:05,524 --> 00:34:07,124
Like, it will Yes.
550
00:34:07,444 --> 00:34:11,605
Cause that very different trajectory.
551
00:34:11,605 --> 00:34:11,925
Right?
552
00:34:11,925 --> 00:34:14,804
Like, if you choose something, you will go this
way.
553
00:34:14,804 --> 00:34:15,764
If you choose Right.
554
00:34:15,764 --> 00:34:19,525
You go that way, and the results will be
determined by your choice.
555
00:34:19,980 --> 00:34:23,340
It is always very important to remember.
556
00:34:23,340 --> 00:34:26,300
And as you said, it is a muscle, like a habit.
557
00:34:26,300 --> 00:34:26,619
Right?
558
00:34:26,619 --> 00:34:29,179
Like, it is, like, habit to...
559
00:34:29,739 --> 00:34:35,934
If it is not habit yet for somebody who
listening to us, just you can start doing it.
560
00:34:35,934 --> 00:34:36,175
Right?
561
00:34:36,175 --> 00:34:42,175
Like, just consciously choose something or
choose to think about somebody you love.
562
00:34:42,175 --> 00:34:45,295
Like, think about something good about them.
563
00:34:45,614 --> 00:34:49,469
Because some people even don't like to think
about themselves themselves good.
564
00:34:49,469 --> 00:34:54,110
Like, they don't like themselves because they
are so upset and very stressed, and they all
565
00:34:54,110 --> 00:34:56,190
even forget the...
566
00:34:56,190 --> 00:34:57,150
To love themselves.
567
00:34:57,150 --> 00:35:02,110
So for some people, it is even easier to think
good about somebody else than to think about
568
00:35:02,110 --> 00:35:02,429
themselves.
569
00:35:02,795 --> 00:35:03,994
But, anyway, you can...
570
00:35:03,994 --> 00:35:10,635
Like, you can start from something and then
develop this ability, yes, and, control the
571
00:35:10,635 --> 00:35:11,035
thoughts.
572
00:35:11,035 --> 00:35:15,195
It is very important to understand that it is
us who can control thoughts.
573
00:35:15,195 --> 00:35:16,715
It is not just mental activity.
574
00:35:17,250 --> 00:35:20,610
Because mental activity, it is just like
chaotic thinking.
575
00:35:21,170 --> 00:35:29,010
But when we decide to think consciously, this
is how we, like, put seeds of those thoughts
576
00:35:29,010 --> 00:35:29,889
which we want.
577
00:35:30,355 --> 00:35:31,394
And this is Right.
578
00:35:31,394 --> 00:35:37,474
As you said, those negative thoughts can fade
away when we start focusing on positive.
579
00:35:37,875 --> 00:35:38,595
Correct.
580
00:35:38,675 --> 00:35:38,994
Yeah.
581
00:35:38,994 --> 00:35:40,114
So so you have a choice.
582
00:35:40,114 --> 00:35:41,474
It's exactly well put.
583
00:35:41,474 --> 00:35:44,195
I I talk a lot about the word hope because...
584
00:35:44,900 --> 00:35:48,099
You know, in fact, it's it's in my book's
title.
585
00:35:48,660 --> 00:35:51,380
Because hope, I view as this is...
586
00:35:51,380 --> 00:35:53,140
It's an action verb.
587
00:35:53,140 --> 00:35:54,579
It's not just a thing.
588
00:35:55,059 --> 00:36:00,994
It's something you do, and that can affect the
outcome.
589
00:36:01,554 --> 00:36:04,275
Doesn't mean that it's gonna control the
outcome.
590
00:36:04,675 --> 00:36:11,315
But if you have a positive view, you actually
have the ability to influence the outcome.
591
00:36:12,019 --> 00:36:17,860
And and hoping is not like just sitting on the
couch and and wishing for something to happen,
592
00:36:18,260 --> 00:36:20,500
but it's something you actually can do.
593
00:36:21,139 --> 00:36:23,300
You can get yourself educated.
594
00:36:23,780 --> 00:36:24,659
You can pray.
595
00:36:25,474 --> 00:36:26,434
You can...
596
00:36:27,155 --> 00:36:28,914
You know, it's it's it's it's...
597
00:36:28,914 --> 00:36:30,835
Again, it's like an action verb.
598
00:36:30,835 --> 00:36:38,035
So it's it's taking a step towards having the
ability to control the outcome.
599
00:36:38,275 --> 00:36:47,059
And, it doesn't always work, but it certainly
is a a way of positioning your mind so that you
600
00:36:47,059 --> 00:36:49,860
can affect your be...
601
00:36:49,860 --> 00:36:54,844
Your attitude, your behavior, and that can
change the outcome.
602
00:36:55,164 --> 00:36:57,244
So I've learned that directly.
603
00:36:59,244 --> 00:37:00,204
I'm actually...
604
00:37:01,405 --> 00:37:09,500
To give you another part of my story is that my
wife passed away two years ago of ovarian
605
00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:10,220
cancer.
606
00:37:10,300 --> 00:37:18,780
And so I went from being the center of care to
being a caregiver, and it took her about four
607
00:37:18,780 --> 00:37:24,034
and a half years from diagnosis to eventually
failing.
608
00:37:24,674 --> 00:37:31,474
And and she had the same attitude of hope as I
had always had, but in her case, it didn't
609
00:37:31,474 --> 00:37:32,114
work.
610
00:37:32,275 --> 00:37:32,835
It was...
611
00:37:32,835 --> 00:37:33,795
Hope was not enough.
612
00:37:34,700 --> 00:37:44,780
And so, I'm actually working on, updating my
book or perhaps writing a new book, which talks
613
00:37:44,780 --> 00:37:45,340
about...
614
00:37:46,460 --> 00:37:47,420
So if...
615
00:37:47,660 --> 00:37:51,545
You know, what what what happens when hope
doesn't work?
616
00:37:51,625 --> 00:37:52,265
Right?
617
00:37:53,464 --> 00:38:02,505
And I think that that's a very profound kind of
follow-up to my story because it doesn't always
618
00:38:02,505 --> 00:38:03,065
work.
619
00:38:03,065 --> 00:38:08,800
I mean, there's lots of times that you can have
the right attitude and be thinking the right
620
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,599
way, and and it's...
621
00:38:11,599 --> 00:38:14,720
You know, the outcome is ultimately not the
one...
622
00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,719
You know, it's not the happily ever after
outcome that I had.
623
00:38:19,585 --> 00:38:22,304
So, you know, what are my thoughts about that?
624
00:38:22,304 --> 00:38:23,345
Because that's...
625
00:38:24,945 --> 00:38:33,599
I think that there's a part of my answer is is
acceptance that that you have to realize that
626
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,159
you can have all the best of...
627
00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:42,559
The the best mindset and the best of
intentions, but it doesn't always work.
628
00:38:42,559 --> 00:38:46,319
And and cancer is one of those things that
there isn't necessarily...
629
00:38:46,319 --> 00:38:51,974
You can't, just with positive thoughts,
necessarily beat cancer.
630
00:38:53,015 --> 00:38:56,295
But that's that's just a thing.
631
00:38:56,295 --> 00:39:00,215
That's that's another point to consider.
632
00:39:01,359 --> 00:39:02,079
You know?
633
00:39:02,559 --> 00:39:03,440
Yes.
634
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:03,920
Yes.
635
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:04,480
Of course.
636
00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:09,119
It is not that we can, we can control every
processes.
637
00:39:09,119 --> 00:39:10,000
That's correct.
638
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:17,295
But I think that people with positive attitude,
they have better quality life even when
639
00:39:17,454 --> 00:39:17,775
Yes.
640
00:39:17,775 --> 00:39:18,335
They do.
641
00:39:18,335 --> 00:39:18,735
Yes.
642
00:39:18,735 --> 00:39:19,055
Like...
643
00:39:19,055 --> 00:39:19,375
Yeah.
644
00:39:19,375 --> 00:39:24,175
I, yeah, I I often say much better off being
hopeful rather than hopeless.
645
00:39:24,735 --> 00:39:28,015
So that's kind of the the way I look at things.
646
00:39:29,829 --> 00:39:30,230
Yeah.
647
00:39:30,230 --> 00:39:31,429
It's it's...
648
00:39:31,909 --> 00:39:33,190
And it's true of everything.
649
00:39:33,190 --> 00:39:34,710
It's true in your business.
650
00:39:35,190 --> 00:39:42,630
It's true in your personal life, with your
health, with your your marriage, you know, with
651
00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:45,155
your relationships, with your children.
652
00:39:45,315 --> 00:39:46,034
I mean, it's...
653
00:39:46,034 --> 00:39:54,755
It really is a kind of a universal way of of,
contending with all that challenges you in your
654
00:39:54,755 --> 00:39:54,994
life.
655
00:39:57,579 --> 00:39:58,300
Yes.
656
00:39:59,019 --> 00:39:59,579
Yes.
657
00:40:00,780 --> 00:40:03,579
Thank you so much, Jim, for sharing your story.
658
00:40:03,579 --> 00:40:09,819
It was so many, good lessons which you shared,
yeah, from faith, from attitude, decision
659
00:40:09,819 --> 00:40:11,594
making, Yes.
660
00:40:11,594 --> 00:40:14,795
And making choices every day, gratitude.
661
00:40:15,275 --> 00:40:15,594
Yeah.
662
00:40:15,594 --> 00:40:20,155
Focusing your mind on positive results,
expecting good to happen.
663
00:40:20,394 --> 00:40:20,795
Yes.
664
00:40:20,795 --> 00:40:28,090
There's so many golden nuggets which you
shared, and this episode is very uplifting and
665
00:40:28,090 --> 00:40:31,369
inspiring for people who might be now
challenging...
666
00:40:31,530 --> 00:40:35,369
Like, have challenging situations so they can
learn a lot.
667
00:40:35,369 --> 00:40:35,610
Right?
668
00:40:35,610 --> 00:40:39,210
Like, it is really great inspiration for such
people.
669
00:40:40,155 --> 00:40:41,115
That's great.
670
00:40:41,355 --> 00:40:47,675
And we can always say that your next chapter
begins with the choices you make today.
671
00:40:48,074 --> 00:40:48,315
Yes.
672
00:40:48,315 --> 00:40:48,954
That's right.
673
00:40:49,114 --> 00:40:51,035
We make those choices.
674
00:40:51,035 --> 00:40:55,680
And I really appreciate you for sharing about
your choices.
675
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:56,160
Yes.
676
00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,880
Because every time you...
677
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:03,200
The decision you make, what you choose, it will
determine the outcome.
678
00:41:04,559 --> 00:41:05,039
Yes.
679
00:41:05,039 --> 00:41:09,985
So we will put the links for the book.
680
00:41:09,985 --> 00:41:10,385
Yeah.
681
00:41:10,385 --> 00:41:17,985
So people who are listening to us follow James
Davis and explore his book, when hope is your
682
00:41:17,985 --> 00:41:19,105
only option.
683
00:41:19,505 --> 00:41:25,190
Subscribe to mindset to results podcast and
share this conversation with someone who needs
684
00:41:25,190 --> 00:41:27,590
help to take the next step.
685
00:41:27,909 --> 00:41:28,230
Yeah.
686
00:41:28,230 --> 00:41:29,590
Because this is important.
687
00:41:29,590 --> 00:41:35,030
This is why we meet amazing people like Jim to
share their story, to share their life
688
00:41:35,030 --> 00:41:39,345
experience, to inspire people in the world who
need this information.
689
00:41:39,825 --> 00:41:45,744
And, thank you so much, Jim, for your time and
for your patience to share your life story and
690
00:41:45,744 --> 00:41:47,744
experience with our audience.
691
00:41:48,224 --> 00:41:49,184
Thank you, Elena.
692
00:41:50,911 --> 00:41:51,630
Very nice.
00:00:02,639 --> 00:00:03,199
Hello.
2
00:00:03,199 --> 00:00:03,679
Hello.
3
00:00:03,679 --> 00:00:06,240
Welcome to mindset two results.
4
00:00:06,719 --> 00:00:12,639
What do you do when you are building your
future while fighting for your life?
5
00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:19,994
James Davis built Paragon still and survived
three organ transplants.
6
00:00:20,234 --> 00:00:26,554
Today, we explore how to keep moving forward
when hope is your only option.
7
00:00:27,035 --> 00:00:27,835
Hi, Jim.
8
00:00:27,835 --> 00:00:29,594
Welcome to Mindset two results.
9
00:00:30,154 --> 00:00:31,114
How are you today?
10
00:00:31,250 --> 00:00:32,530
Nice to meet you.
11
00:00:33,009 --> 00:00:34,289
Nice to meet you too.
12
00:00:34,289 --> 00:00:41,570
I'm great, and I'm excited about, our
conversation today because I'm sure that, our
13
00:00:41,570 --> 00:00:44,450
listeners can learn so much from your story.
14
00:00:45,255 --> 00:00:53,494
And, before we start, I would like you to share
a little bit, yeah, from your story, and, then
15
00:00:53,494 --> 00:00:56,295
we will, take it from the...
16
00:00:56,375 --> 00:00:56,854
It.
17
00:00:58,070 --> 00:01:01,189
Well, my story really began when I was a
teenager.
18
00:01:02,149 --> 00:01:06,150
I grew up in Southern California, just to give
you some context.
19
00:01:06,790 --> 00:01:16,564
And I had, at the age of 17, had been diagnosed
with type one juvenile diabetes, which at that
20
00:01:16,564 --> 00:01:18,484
time was fairly uncommon.
21
00:01:18,484 --> 00:01:24,405
This was in the early seventies versus today,
it's grown probably five times.
22
00:01:25,450 --> 00:01:30,650
And so it's a lot more prevalent in today's
world than it was back then.
23
00:01:31,609 --> 00:01:34,010
I didn't know anyone that had it.
24
00:01:34,890 --> 00:01:38,969
No one in my family or friends knew much about
it.
25
00:01:39,895 --> 00:01:47,575
So I was told that at 17 that I'd be lucky to
live to the age of 50 and that I'd have things
26
00:01:47,575 --> 00:01:56,650
such as heart disease, kidney disease,
amputations, blindness, and a host of side
27
00:01:56,650 --> 00:01:59,689
effects that would affect the rest of my life.
28
00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:04,569
And for a 17 year old, that was quite a lot to
consume.
29
00:02:05,370 --> 00:02:13,764
And so, essentially, I had a choice to make,
which was was I going to let this this
30
00:02:13,764 --> 00:02:21,764
diagnosis of diabetes define me and the rest of
my life, or was I gonna use it as a motivator
31
00:02:21,764 --> 00:02:27,140
to kind of get my act together younger knowing
that I had a shorter lifespan?
32
00:02:27,540 --> 00:02:29,140
And I chose the latter.
33
00:02:30,340 --> 00:02:32,020
I built...
34
00:02:32,020 --> 00:02:38,294
I I started a business right out of high
school, which was in the automotive
35
00:02:38,294 --> 00:02:39,415
aftermarket.
36
00:02:40,134 --> 00:02:45,094
And it it carried me through college.
37
00:02:45,655 --> 00:02:47,655
And then after college, it it total...
38
00:02:47,655 --> 00:02:49,574
It went for about sixteen years.
39
00:02:49,574 --> 00:02:55,389
I had started it with a partner, and we started
originally in a garage, and it grew to be a
40
00:02:55,389 --> 00:03:02,349
pretty big company manufacturing mufflers and
exhaust products for cars.
41
00:03:03,150 --> 00:03:03,389
So...
42
00:03:05,534 --> 00:03:12,334
But anyway, I got married, had a family,
most...
43
00:03:12,334 --> 00:03:16,974
You know, for the most part, the diabetes was
not really much of a factor other than the fact
44
00:03:16,974 --> 00:03:26,900
that I knew that that those side effects that
had been predicted for me ultimately came as I
45
00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:28,180
was in my forties.
46
00:03:29,139 --> 00:03:31,540
And, actually, it happened pretty abruptly.
47
00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:39,564
I was up vacationing in Lake Arrowhead, which
is some mountains outside of Southern
48
00:03:39,564 --> 00:03:40,205
California.
49
00:03:40,205 --> 00:03:47,405
And I was at the top of a ropes course doing
paramilitary events, climbing a pole.
50
00:03:47,724 --> 00:03:50,284
And I was 20 feet in the air and my heart
stopped.
51
00:03:51,409 --> 00:03:58,050
And fortunately for me, I had a a close friend
of mine who was with me who knew CPR.
52
00:03:58,050 --> 00:03:59,490
They brought me down the...
53
00:03:59,810 --> 00:04:06,050
They brought me down and gave me CPR, and and
fortunately, he brought me back to life before
54
00:04:06,050 --> 00:04:08,974
the paramedics had even come up the hill.
55
00:04:09,854 --> 00:04:14,735
They brought me down to a hospital, and one of
my arteries was 95% blocked.
56
00:04:15,375 --> 00:04:22,639
So it was at that time that I knew the, the
things that had been predicted for me were
57
00:04:22,639 --> 00:04:25,120
starting to take shape.
58
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:26,160
And I...
59
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:38,795
By the time I was 50, I'd gone into heart heart
disease where my kidneys had failed.
60
00:04:39,194 --> 00:04:43,194
So I was struggling, at that time.
61
00:04:43,194 --> 00:04:45,514
Congestive heart failure was the name of it.
62
00:04:46,189 --> 00:04:54,350
And I was in kidney dialysis, and I went to the
doctors at Cedars Sinai Hospital, and they had
63
00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:56,910
said to me, well, you need a new heart.
64
00:04:57,470 --> 00:05:02,965
You need a new kidney, in best case, a new
pancreas, which would get rid of your diabetes.
65
00:05:03,444 --> 00:05:08,645
Problem is we've never done a surgery like that
before, and I don't think it's been done
66
00:05:08,645 --> 00:05:09,925
anywhere in the world.
67
00:05:10,404 --> 00:05:14,085
So I looked at him I looked him in the eye, I
said, well, then I'll be the first.
68
00:05:14,165 --> 00:05:15,759
So he's...
69
00:05:15,759 --> 00:05:16,319
He looked...
70
00:05:16,319 --> 00:05:21,839
He sat back in his chair, smiled, and said,
well, if if you're game, I'm game.
71
00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,959
So we set forth a path.
72
00:05:25,759 --> 00:05:35,824
And so in November 2005, I've got my
transplants, heart and kidney, and then we came
73
00:05:35,824 --> 00:05:38,465
back six months later and did the pancreas.
74
00:05:39,185 --> 00:05:44,305
So that became the first triple organ
transplant that Cedars Sinai had ever done.
75
00:05:45,310 --> 00:05:49,310
And I'm proud to say here I am now in my
seventies.
76
00:05:50,029 --> 00:05:50,750
So...
77
00:05:51,629 --> 00:05:54,110
And all the organs are working well.
78
00:05:54,910 --> 00:05:55,709
And so...
79
00:05:55,709 --> 00:05:58,995
And that, you know, is quite a...
80
00:05:58,995 --> 00:06:01,395
An amazing turnaround for me.
81
00:06:01,634 --> 00:06:04,115
And through it all, I had built a business.
82
00:06:04,595 --> 00:06:07,475
We started a steel company...
83
00:06:07,475 --> 00:06:17,979
Steel distribution company in 1988, which
basically services the West Coast with steel
84
00:06:17,979 --> 00:06:19,500
products of all types.
85
00:06:20,219 --> 00:06:22,459
And I started it with a partner.
86
00:06:23,740 --> 00:06:32,665
And and, fortunately, here we are thirty eight
years later and still doing still doing what we
87
00:06:32,665 --> 00:06:33,145
do.
88
00:06:33,145 --> 00:06:37,944
And, you know, so so my story is really one of
survival.
89
00:06:38,810 --> 00:06:48,810
And I would say that I had placed my hopes in
medical technology hoping that that would be a
90
00:06:48,970 --> 00:06:50,250
savior for me.
91
00:06:51,210 --> 00:06:55,045
And it turned out that transplant turned out to
be the the savior for...
92
00:06:55,045 --> 00:06:57,605
The the winning ticket for me to survive.
93
00:06:58,165 --> 00:07:02,965
And, so I've I've learned a lot through this
period of time.
94
00:07:04,485 --> 00:07:10,050
I was fortunate that I had a partner in
business because he was able to kind of take
95
00:07:10,050 --> 00:07:15,970
care of things while I was out, and, we got
along ex...
96
00:07:15,970 --> 00:07:17,169
Extremely well.
97
00:07:17,569 --> 00:07:24,014
Unfortunately, twelve years ago, he passed
away, and I had to deal with the loss of a
98
00:07:24,014 --> 00:07:27,774
partner and kind of a brother of sorts.
99
00:07:28,334 --> 00:07:33,214
And I had to decide whether or not I wanted to
continue to be in business or not.
100
00:07:34,039 --> 00:07:44,519
But I forged ahead, used his his passing as a
bit of a rally cry for us to to overcome the
101
00:07:44,519 --> 00:07:45,240
adversity.
102
00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,319
And, in many ways, we're a stronger company
today than we were back then.
103
00:07:49,319 --> 00:07:50,995
So it's...
104
00:07:52,035 --> 00:07:59,154
I mean, my life has been a bit of a roller
coaster in terms of having adversity,
105
00:07:59,154 --> 00:08:06,540
overcoming adversity, and actually coming out
better on the other side, which, you know, I do
106
00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:13,500
owe a lot of that to my perseverance, my
attitude, and my positivity.
107
00:08:14,939 --> 00:08:15,339
Yeah.
108
00:08:15,339 --> 00:08:16,860
Thank you, Jim, for sharing.
109
00:08:16,939 --> 00:08:17,580
A lot there.
110
00:08:17,580 --> 00:08:18,060
I gave you
111
00:08:18,060 --> 00:08:18,379
a lot.
112
00:08:19,274 --> 00:08:19,754
Yes.
113
00:08:19,754 --> 00:08:20,714
It is a lot.
114
00:08:20,714 --> 00:08:24,475
It is a lot, lessons in, your story.
115
00:08:24,955 --> 00:08:25,355
Yeah.
116
00:08:25,355 --> 00:08:25,595
Yeah.
117
00:08:25,595 --> 00:08:30,314
So this is all attributes to the very strong
spirit which you had.
118
00:08:31,110 --> 00:08:31,669
Yes.
119
00:08:31,669 --> 00:08:37,990
But even, like, seventeen years when you are
told all this very scary Right.
120
00:08:38,070 --> 00:08:39,509
Like, prognosis.
121
00:08:39,509 --> 00:08:45,355
That only can break people because they just
can think Right.
122
00:08:45,434 --> 00:08:46,634
I don't want to leave.
123
00:08:46,634 --> 00:08:52,794
Like, to leave to get all this, like, to see
how all these things come into me, like, to see
124
00:08:52,794 --> 00:08:55,834
how I will be blind or how my kidneys fail.
125
00:08:55,834 --> 00:08:56,394
Right.
126
00:08:56,394 --> 00:08:59,355
Like, not many people even would dare to leave.
127
00:08:59,355 --> 00:08:59,754
Right?
128
00:08:59,754 --> 00:09:00,990
Like, to to Right.
129
00:09:00,990 --> 00:09:01,389
To...
130
00:09:01,389 --> 00:09:06,029
And and even if they leave, and then they start
expecting these these things to come.
131
00:09:06,509 --> 00:09:06,750
Right?
132
00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:07,470
So Yeah.
133
00:09:07,230 --> 00:09:15,235
Really have to be very brave and very strong to
choose not to let the situation to define who
134
00:09:15,235 --> 00:09:17,314
you become and what you can do and Right. The
135
00:09:17,235 --> 00:09:17,794
The future.
136
00:09:18,274 --> 00:09:18,995
And so Yes.
137
00:09:19,154 --> 00:09:21,634
It is really a very big lesson in this.
138
00:09:22,034 --> 00:09:22,754
Yes.
139
00:09:23,554 --> 00:09:24,194
And then I
140
00:09:24,274 --> 00:09:24,355
Yeah.
141
00:09:24,355 --> 00:09:24,914
Well, I...
142
00:09:24,914 --> 00:09:26,115
But I but I was...
143
00:09:26,115 --> 00:09:33,759
You know, I would say that the circumstances
that that kind of created this, situation for
144
00:09:33,759 --> 00:09:39,759
me, kind of forced me to make a decision.
145
00:09:39,759 --> 00:09:48,465
And I and I really do believe that that the
choice of finding hope and positivity was one
146
00:09:48,465 --> 00:09:49,105
that...
147
00:09:50,225 --> 00:09:52,065
It was very natural for me.
148
00:09:52,065 --> 00:09:57,264
And I think for a lot of people, I don't know
that it would come as naturally for them.
149
00:09:58,289 --> 00:10:05,250
And and it it has a lot to do with the
orientation that you have towards the world and
150
00:10:05,250 --> 00:10:08,049
your perspective on on life itself.
151
00:10:08,529 --> 00:10:15,254
And so for me, it's it's been, you know, even
when the when the doctor said, you know, you
152
00:10:15,254 --> 00:10:18,294
need this, this, and this, and I basically
looked at him and said, okay.
153
00:10:18,294 --> 00:10:19,334
I'll be the first.
154
00:10:20,534 --> 00:10:23,814
I I look back on that moment and think, what
what was I thinking?
155
00:10:23,814 --> 00:10:25,975
I mean, my my wife thought I was an alien.
156
00:10:26,669 --> 00:10:28,909
Did you not hear what the doctor just said?
157
00:10:28,909 --> 00:10:30,029
And I said, I did.
158
00:10:30,589 --> 00:10:35,789
But I really believed that this was my destiny,
that, you know, I had gone through all this
159
00:10:35,789 --> 00:10:43,054
hardship for all these years for this moment
right here, right now, and I was gonna take
160
00:10:43,054 --> 00:10:44,095
advantage of it.
161
00:10:44,095 --> 00:10:44,495
You know?
162
00:10:44,495 --> 00:10:50,654
So I I looked at it as an opportunity to get
well again and not like, oh my gosh.
163
00:10:50,654 --> 00:10:51,615
I've gotta endure.
164
00:10:52,509 --> 00:10:57,470
I mean, the surgery took twenty one hours, and
then I had to come back and do the pancreas,
165
00:10:57,470 --> 00:10:59,070
which was even more.
166
00:10:59,549 --> 00:11:06,669
So, you know, yes, it was hard, but I looked at
it like I was being given a second chance of
167
00:11:06,669 --> 00:11:06,990
life.
168
00:11:09,024 --> 00:11:10,065
Yes.
169
00:11:10,065 --> 00:11:11,504
Actually, not many options.
170
00:11:11,504 --> 00:11:11,825
Right?
171
00:11:11,825 --> 00:11:13,185
You had Right.
172
00:11:13,185 --> 00:11:13,665
Right.
173
00:11:14,305 --> 00:11:15,105
To choose.
174
00:11:15,105 --> 00:11:15,345
So...
175
00:11:15,345 --> 00:11:19,825
But, anyway, it takes it takes a, like, big
heart.
176
00:11:19,825 --> 00:11:25,200
I mean, very strong heart and really bravery to
accept this.
177
00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:26,160
Yeah.
178
00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:27,680
Because, not many...
179
00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:31,120
I am sure that, some people who would...
180
00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,200
In your place, they would not take this.
181
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:33,440
Right.
182
00:11:33,985 --> 00:11:36,465
Be the first, and then we think, oh, what if
some...
183
00:11:36,465 --> 00:11:38,785
Something goes wrong and they never did this?
184
00:11:38,785 --> 00:11:39,665
You know, like Right.
185
00:11:39,665 --> 00:11:43,264
This is, like, the the thoughts can go
anywhere.
186
00:11:43,264 --> 00:11:43,504
Right?
187
00:11:43,504 --> 00:11:43,825
Like...
188
00:11:43,825 --> 00:11:44,625
But Yes.
189
00:11:44,705 --> 00:11:51,120
Your desire, like, you you had this big desire,
and you you you not only had belief, but you
190
00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,399
also had faith.
191
00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,120
Because I think this is more than hope.
192
00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:56,080
It's just hope.
193
00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:56,240
Yeah.
194
00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:56,480
Okay.
195
00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:57,120
Let's hope.
196
00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:57,840
But my...
197
00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:57,920
It...
198
00:11:58,315 --> 00:12:04,555
But, just from your story, I just see that you
you really had very firm belief and and faith.
199
00:12:04,795 --> 00:12:05,115
Right?
200
00:12:05,115 --> 00:12:07,835
Like, faith that everything is going to be
right.
201
00:12:07,835 --> 00:12:10,394
Like, you you knew that everything will be
good.
202
00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,919
And this is very important, this attitude.
203
00:12:13,919 --> 00:12:14,159
Yeah.
204
00:12:14,159 --> 00:12:17,840
Like, when you expect something good to happen
from situation
205
00:12:18,159 --> 00:12:18,559
Right.
206
00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,559
Not expecting something bad.
207
00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,634
Because what we expect, this is what becomes a
result.
208
00:12:24,634 --> 00:12:25,034
Right?
209
00:12:25,034 --> 00:12:25,914
Like That's correct.
210
00:12:25,914 --> 00:12:28,634
They didn't So so so I'll tell you an
interesting story.
211
00:12:28,634 --> 00:12:35,195
When I was going through the process, I was
with a social worker to make sure that I was up
212
00:12:35,195 --> 00:12:39,220
for this massive surgery.
213
00:12:39,779 --> 00:12:44,019
And they asked me a battery of questions, and
most of them, I was just kind of rolling my
214
00:12:44,019 --> 00:12:45,299
eyes through the questions.
215
00:12:45,299 --> 00:12:49,220
But then then the social worker asked me, what
is your source of hope?
216
00:12:49,995 --> 00:12:52,394
And I thought that was a very interesting
question.
217
00:12:52,394 --> 00:12:54,075
I thought, what is my source of hope?
218
00:12:54,075 --> 00:12:55,034
Never really...
219
00:12:55,835 --> 00:12:58,875
It hadn't been posed to me like that before.
220
00:12:58,875 --> 00:13:00,475
So I thought about it, and I...
221
00:13:00,714 --> 00:13:07,440
Just what you just said, there were two two
elements that I believed that was composed my
222
00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:08,480
source of hope.
223
00:13:08,799 --> 00:13:14,399
One was good things had always happened to me
in the past.
224
00:13:14,879 --> 00:13:22,184
I had been blessed with many things and and,
you know, I was I was...
225
00:13:22,184 --> 00:13:24,824
I had great gratitude for it.
226
00:13:25,064 --> 00:13:27,144
So why should they stop now?
227
00:13:27,464 --> 00:13:28,985
Like, if it was meant...
228
00:13:28,985 --> 00:13:30,985
If it was meant to be, it will be.
229
00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,440
And that was more of kind of a fatalistic
approach to life.
230
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,639
If I was intended to live, I would live.
231
00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:42,600
And if I was intended not to, I would die.
232
00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:52,605
And so my my source of hope became kind of this
fatalistic, optimistic view of myself.
233
00:13:53,245 --> 00:13:55,804
And and that was kind of my answer.
234
00:13:55,804 --> 00:13:56,684
Is that it's...
235
00:13:56,684 --> 00:14:00,125
It was like twofold, optimism and fatalism.
236
00:14:00,605 --> 00:14:07,829
So when I speak to people, I say to them, what
is your source of hope?
237
00:14:07,829 --> 00:14:14,629
It makes makes you think about what is it that
gives you the motivation to get up every day
238
00:14:14,629 --> 00:14:15,669
and do what you do.
239
00:14:16,524 --> 00:14:19,404
Because if you have no hope, you really have no
life.
240
00:14:19,485 --> 00:14:19,884
You know?
241
00:14:19,884 --> 00:14:23,245
You have no expectation of tomorrow.
242
00:14:23,804 --> 00:14:27,004
And so I think it's a good exercise of...
243
00:14:27,004 --> 00:14:32,379
And it's just kind of ironic that it came up in
the middle of an interview with a social
244
00:14:32,379 --> 00:14:32,779
worker.
245
00:14:32,779 --> 00:14:35,100
I wouldn't I wouldn't have anticipated that.
246
00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:37,820
So it was a good it was a good exercise.
247
00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:38,940
Yeah.
248
00:14:38,940 --> 00:14:47,085
I think that the social worker noticed that you
are positive and you you see good outcome.
249
00:14:47,085 --> 00:14:47,404
Right?
250
00:14:47,404 --> 00:14:48,045
This is Mhmm.
251
00:14:48,045 --> 00:14:49,565
Directed Right.
252
00:14:49,565 --> 00:14:50,205
Thoughts.
253
00:14:50,205 --> 00:14:50,685
Right.
254
00:14:50,685 --> 00:14:54,205
That is why I think she didn't see many people
like that.
255
00:14:54,845 --> 00:14:55,165
Yeah.
256
00:14:55,165 --> 00:14:56,285
You're probably right.
257
00:14:56,285 --> 00:14:56,764
Yeah.
258
00:14:56,764 --> 00:14:57,325
That is why.
259
00:14:57,325 --> 00:14:58,125
You're probably right.
260
00:14:58,125 --> 00:14:58,764
Yeah.
261
00:14:58,764 --> 00:15:05,220
Because, usually, in such situation, I think
they more face people who they need to, like,
262
00:15:05,779 --> 00:15:06,019
like
263
00:15:06,179 --> 00:15:06,500
Yeah.
264
00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:07,620
Work work on.
265
00:15:07,620 --> 00:15:08,019
Yeah.
266
00:15:08,019 --> 00:15:10,659
Like, calm down and just quiet them.
267
00:15:10,659 --> 00:15:11,139
And...
268
00:15:11,539 --> 00:15:16,144
But she saw that you were so, like, confident
that all will be good.
269
00:15:16,225 --> 00:15:19,825
And that is why just she wanted you to share
your secret with
270
00:15:19,985 --> 00:15:20,544
Yeah.
271
00:15:20,705 --> 00:15:21,345
Yeah.
272
00:15:21,745 --> 00:15:22,225
Yeah.
273
00:15:22,225 --> 00:15:22,705
Okay.
274
00:15:22,705 --> 00:15:23,264
Great.
275
00:15:24,464 --> 00:15:32,000
So you said that in, like, very early age, you
started your business.
276
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:32,159
Yes.
277
00:15:32,159 --> 00:15:35,600
How old were you when you started your company
with your partner?
278
00:15:36,799 --> 00:15:38,159
Well, I started...
279
00:15:38,159 --> 00:15:40,480
I used to work for this man.
280
00:15:40,559 --> 00:15:42,480
He was 13 older than me.
281
00:15:43,274 --> 00:15:45,035
When I was a teenager.
282
00:15:45,035 --> 00:15:53,035
I worked at this automotive products store, and
he and I became friendly.
283
00:15:53,675 --> 00:15:57,970
And he had wanted to start it's an interesting
story, actually.
284
00:15:57,970 --> 00:16:00,610
He he wanted to start a...
285
00:16:03,250 --> 00:16:14,915
An aftermarket products that would make cars go
faster, look cooler, and they were primarily
286
00:16:14,915 --> 00:16:22,595
for these new import cars that were coming into
America at the time, which was, like, from
287
00:16:22,595 --> 00:16:32,250
Japan, primarily from Datsons, Toyotas, Hondas,
and and these, like, four cylinder cars.
288
00:16:32,570 --> 00:16:39,690
And so you had these people that had these
American muscle cars like Barracudas and
289
00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:42,434
Chargers and Camaros.
290
00:16:42,915 --> 00:16:49,795
And and so because of the gas crisis that was
going on in this country in the early
291
00:16:49,795 --> 00:16:56,620
seventies, people were trading in their muscle
cars, and they were buying these imports.
292
00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:02,299
The American car end market thought, oh, it's
just a fad.
293
00:17:02,379 --> 00:17:07,499
These cars, you know, they'll never succeed
here in The US.
294
00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:13,464
So they were, you know, kind of dismissing
them, but yet the American public were were
295
00:17:13,464 --> 00:17:17,864
buying these big cars, buying the import cars.
296
00:17:18,025 --> 00:17:22,105
And the first thing they wanted to do was make
them go faster, look better.
297
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:30,359
So we made products that did that, that that
applied to this new wave of imports that were
298
00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:37,125
coming into America, and we were making
products that that would make them, you know,
299
00:17:37,125 --> 00:17:37,924
more fun.
300
00:17:38,404 --> 00:17:42,085
So it happened to be kind of at the right place
at the right time.
301
00:17:42,085 --> 00:17:48,404
Unbeknownst, it's not like we planned the gas
crisis or we planned the the resurgence of
302
00:17:48,404 --> 00:17:53,149
import cars coming into America, but the timing
happened to be perfect for us.
303
00:17:53,789 --> 00:17:59,069
So we started this company and, you know, ran
it.
304
00:17:59,069 --> 00:18:00,589
We ran it together.
305
00:18:00,589 --> 00:18:00,990
It...
306
00:18:00,990 --> 00:18:10,694
It's it's still around today, but I sold my
interest because after working it for sixteen
307
00:18:10,694 --> 00:18:14,774
years, I kinda wanted to branch out and do my
own thing.
308
00:18:15,335 --> 00:18:22,799
So I had a steel salesperson that I bought a
lot of steel from because we manufacture these
309
00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:23,519
products.
310
00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:31,119
And he wanted to start his own steel
distribution company, and I was viewed it as an
311
00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,240
opportunity to take the next step.
312
00:18:34,705 --> 00:18:35,505
And so I...
313
00:18:35,505 --> 00:18:40,785
My my then partner bought me out, and we
started a steel company.
314
00:18:40,785 --> 00:18:46,384
And I had the the experience of having started
a business, run a business.
315
00:18:46,384 --> 00:18:52,769
I was involved in the administration,
purchasing, marketing, all the all the elements
316
00:18:52,769 --> 00:18:54,210
of running a business.
317
00:18:54,769 --> 00:18:57,409
And so we started the steel business together.
318
00:18:57,409 --> 00:18:58,609
And, again, he...
319
00:18:58,609 --> 00:19:00,289
My partner was in sales.
320
00:19:00,289 --> 00:19:08,735
I did everything else, and, we had a very
successful steel company that we built back
321
00:19:08,735 --> 00:19:14,414
starting in 1988 and still exists today.
322
00:19:14,575 --> 00:19:16,569
So I'm I'm proud of that.
323
00:19:16,569 --> 00:19:17,209
It's...
324
00:19:17,210 --> 00:19:24,249
The one thing I say is that you can depend on
is that nothing stays the same.
325
00:19:24,730 --> 00:19:32,404
That change is inevitable within every
business, within every market changes.
326
00:19:33,765 --> 00:19:34,884
People change.
327
00:19:35,924 --> 00:19:37,684
Customers come and go.
328
00:19:38,005 --> 00:19:39,764
Vendors come and go.
329
00:19:40,325 --> 00:19:49,220
So the the key to business to me is always be
flexible enough to be able to pivot so that
330
00:19:49,220 --> 00:19:50,259
when those change...
331
00:19:50,259 --> 00:19:55,460
When those changes occur, you're in a position
so that you can move with them.
332
00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:55,940
When I...
333
00:19:56,434 --> 00:20:04,194
When we started in business back in '88, our
biggest account manufactured payphones, which
334
00:20:04,194 --> 00:20:04,674
were...
335
00:20:04,674 --> 00:20:06,514
It was a Mexican company.
336
00:20:07,234 --> 00:20:13,470
They supplied payphones to the world, and we
were selling two truckloads a week down to
337
00:20:13,470 --> 00:20:14,269
Mexico.
338
00:20:15,149 --> 00:20:21,950
Well, you can imagine when the iPhone came out,
the payphones kind of became dinosaurs, so you
339
00:20:21,950 --> 00:20:24,669
hardly ever see a payphone today.
340
00:20:26,075 --> 00:20:35,115
I would imagine in in The UK, have, little
boxes where, you know, you walk into to use a
341
00:20:35,115 --> 00:20:35,595
payphone.
342
00:20:35,595 --> 00:20:38,474
You don't probably see too many of those in The
UK today.
343
00:20:38,970 --> 00:20:40,409
So so anyway...
344
00:20:40,409 --> 00:20:50,169
But I use that as an example because a product
can be around for a long period of time, and
345
00:20:50,169 --> 00:21:00,894
then all of a sudden, one day because of the
cell phone, it's it's like a van...
346
00:21:00,894 --> 00:21:02,095
A vanishing item.
347
00:21:02,095 --> 00:21:03,534
It's a collector's item.
348
00:21:03,934 --> 00:21:14,769
And similarly, of the the accounts that we sold
back in 1988, I'd say that, only 20% of them
349
00:21:14,769 --> 00:21:16,529
are still in business today.
350
00:21:16,849 --> 00:21:25,285
So it's forced us as a company to shift so that
when products are hot, we're selling to them.
351
00:21:25,285 --> 00:21:28,164
And when products are not, we're not selling to
them.
352
00:21:28,884 --> 00:21:29,684
You know, we've...
353
00:21:29,684 --> 00:21:35,529
We had to get into the solar and wind energy
markets.
354
00:21:35,929 --> 00:21:37,609
We've gotten into...
355
00:21:38,730 --> 00:21:42,489
Now the new things are electric...
356
00:21:43,210 --> 00:21:45,929
Electricity camps for the AI.
357
00:21:46,565 --> 00:21:51,124
So, you know, you just have to be ready and
willing to ship...
358
00:21:51,125 --> 00:21:52,404
Shift in...
359
00:21:52,565 --> 00:21:53,045
When...
360
00:21:53,045 --> 00:21:58,644
In in and out of markets as they become hot or
cold, and we've been able to do that.
361
00:21:58,644 --> 00:22:04,609
So, I mean, as I was telling you before we
started, it's a little bit using my health as
362
00:22:04,609 --> 00:22:05,649
an analogy.
363
00:22:06,849 --> 00:22:13,809
At a young age, I was told, you know, what my
life was going to consist of.
364
00:22:13,809 --> 00:22:14,369
And so...
365
00:22:14,595 --> 00:22:22,034
And I had no assurance of what the changes
would be within my life, but I needed to adapt
366
00:22:22,515 --> 00:22:28,450
and be prepared to, shift as the times changed.
367
00:22:28,450 --> 00:22:31,089
And similarly, I do the same thing with my
business.
368
00:22:31,089 --> 00:22:38,369
I mean, as as the changes occur, we have to be
prepared to make, the changes with the times.
369
00:22:39,095 --> 00:22:39,974
And some...
370
00:22:39,974 --> 00:22:40,775
For some time...
371
00:22:40,775 --> 00:22:43,974
For some people, it's hard to do that because
we all wanna know.
372
00:22:44,454 --> 00:22:49,174
We all want to have some clarity before we make
a decision.
373
00:22:49,255 --> 00:22:52,855
But, unfortunately, in business, you don't
always have the clarity.
374
00:22:52,855 --> 00:22:59,700
You have to sometimes make a decision based on
what you do know, realizing all the while
375
00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:00,099
you...
376
00:23:00,099 --> 00:23:01,459
You'll you'll never know...
377
00:23:01,859 --> 00:23:04,980
You'll never have total clarity because, you
know, your...
378
00:23:04,980 --> 00:23:07,779
Our crystal balls are a little cloudy as it
were.
379
00:23:08,804 --> 00:23:15,924
So that's kind of the message that I often tell
to business owners is that sometimes you have
380
00:23:15,924 --> 00:23:21,764
to go with your instinct and realize that
sometimes you're right and sometimes you're
381
00:23:21,764 --> 00:23:22,244
wrong.
382
00:23:22,244 --> 00:23:26,470
But you make a decision, and then if it's not
the right decision, you make a course
383
00:23:26,470 --> 00:23:27,190
correction.
384
00:23:28,230 --> 00:23:31,669
And then when you're dealing with your health,
you make the wrong decision.
385
00:23:31,669 --> 00:23:33,990
You could you could ruin your...
386
00:23:33,990 --> 00:23:35,429
You know, end your life.
387
00:23:35,509 --> 00:23:37,829
So it's important to understand the difference.
388
00:23:38,944 --> 00:23:39,345
Yeah.
389
00:23:39,345 --> 00:23:40,304
So true.
390
00:23:40,704 --> 00:23:45,664
Jim, your book is called When Hope Is Your Only
Option.
391
00:23:45,984 --> 00:23:46,464
Yes.
392
00:23:46,464 --> 00:23:51,585
In your darkest moment, what did hope look like
in practice?
393
00:23:51,984 --> 00:23:53,825
What did it help you to do next?
394
00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,039
Well, it's a good question.
395
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:06,880
I would say that, there were plenty of dark
moments, and, the natural thing would be to
396
00:24:07,774 --> 00:24:10,174
look at the worst case scenario.
397
00:24:10,974 --> 00:24:18,894
And I tried not to go to that place because it
didn't help me mentally.
398
00:24:20,815 --> 00:24:26,279
I tried to have a positive attitude as much as
I could.
399
00:24:26,519 --> 00:24:34,039
I mean, it reminds me of a story when I was at
the doctor's office, and this was after they
400
00:24:34,039 --> 00:24:37,364
had told me about the transplant option.
401
00:24:39,125 --> 00:24:47,125
And the doctor said, well, actually, I have a
transplant recipient in the office down the
402
00:24:47,125 --> 00:24:47,525
hall.
403
00:24:47,525 --> 00:24:48,884
Would you like to talk to him?
404
00:24:49,630 --> 00:24:53,389
And I said, only if it's going to help me.
405
00:24:53,470 --> 00:25:02,829
If it's going to if it's going to affect my
mental state negatively, I'd rather not meet
406
00:25:02,829 --> 00:25:03,230
with him.
407
00:25:03,734 --> 00:25:05,015
So the doctor said, no.
408
00:25:05,015 --> 00:25:05,174
No.
409
00:25:05,174 --> 00:25:12,694
I think you'll find he's he's pretty, he's a
pretty good case as far as transplants go.
410
00:25:13,255 --> 00:25:20,109
So we walked down the hall, and just before we
walked in, he said to me, don't let his
411
00:25:20,109 --> 00:25:22,269
amputations affect you.
412
00:25:22,990 --> 00:25:24,589
And I thought, oh my god.
413
00:25:24,589 --> 00:25:25,230
What...
414
00:25:25,309 --> 00:25:27,389
That would affect me if I was...
415
00:25:27,470 --> 00:25:33,975
So I go inside to the office and I'm talking to
this man, and I'm looking for the tran...
416
00:25:33,975 --> 00:25:37,894
I'm looking for the amputations because, you
know, he's got all of his hands on his feet.
417
00:25:38,295 --> 00:25:39,494
And and I'm wonder...
418
00:25:39,494 --> 00:25:42,855
Now I'm wondering, what what what is he talking
about?
419
00:25:42,855 --> 00:25:43,974
Because I don't...
420
00:25:44,215 --> 00:25:51,559
You know, I couldn't tell from the outside what
those amputations consisted of.
421
00:25:52,359 --> 00:26:03,734
However, I realized that, you know, keeping my
mind clear and positive was most important to
422
00:26:03,734 --> 00:26:08,775
me because I didn't want to get a negative
perspective.
423
00:26:09,015 --> 00:26:10,615
I didn't wanna know too much.
424
00:26:10,615 --> 00:26:19,450
You know, it's like today when people have
ailments, you know, they don't feel well, they
425
00:26:19,450 --> 00:26:24,329
look onto the computer right away to see what
they've got.
426
00:26:24,410 --> 00:26:26,410
And and in some instances, that's...
427
00:26:26,410 --> 00:26:33,154
The worst thing you could do is because it
shapes your mindset, and it might, you know, it
428
00:26:33,154 --> 00:26:36,515
might make you worse because you'll look at it
and go, oh my god.
429
00:26:36,515 --> 00:26:37,714
It's it's...
430
00:26:37,714 --> 00:26:42,115
Could be this and it could be that, and, you
know, I've got some of those symptoms.
431
00:26:42,859 --> 00:26:47,820
And and the reality is that's probably the
worst thing you can do is it it affects your
432
00:26:47,820 --> 00:26:53,259
your mindset, and, you know, that that can do
more harm than good.
433
00:26:53,259 --> 00:27:02,295
So, anyway, the point being of this story is
that I only wanted to see the guy if it helped
434
00:27:02,295 --> 00:27:05,335
my mindset, not if it hurt my mindset.
435
00:27:05,335 --> 00:27:15,200
And so that's the that's the way I approached a
lot of my preparation for doing this major
436
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:21,200
surgery, which, you know, I I couldn't have
known how it was going to come out.
437
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:21,599
You know?
438
00:27:21,599 --> 00:27:28,784
I I I treated a triple organ transplant as if I
was going in for a root canal, and it was
439
00:27:28,784 --> 00:27:30,704
obviously a lot more than that.
440
00:27:31,184 --> 00:27:32,065
But if...
441
00:27:32,065 --> 00:27:39,024
You know, even to my kids and to my wife, I I
probably undersold it, because I wanted them to
442
00:27:39,024 --> 00:27:40,544
be okay.
443
00:27:40,865 --> 00:27:49,009
So whether or not that was denial or if it was
just I wanted to control the...
444
00:27:49,169 --> 00:27:52,609
Their attitudes, I don't quite know, but it but
it certainly worked.
445
00:27:54,625 --> 00:27:55,184
Yeah.
446
00:27:55,345 --> 00:27:55,744
Yeah.
447
00:27:55,744 --> 00:28:00,624
Such a great example, what you shared just now.
448
00:28:01,345 --> 00:28:07,024
And when someone feels overwhelmed by an
uncertain future...
449
00:28:07,184 --> 00:28:10,279
And I believe you had so many moments of that.
450
00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:10,600
Yes.
451
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:14,039
When you didn't know, like, what is going on.
452
00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:14,279
Yeah.
453
00:28:14,279 --> 00:28:15,960
What is is coming.
454
00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:24,634
So, how can they bring their attention back to
something that they can influence today?
455
00:28:25,755 --> 00:28:34,475
So I've always viewed it as as the ability to,
you know, to take a negative thought and not to
456
00:28:34,475 --> 00:28:36,394
dwell on the negative thought.
457
00:28:36,475 --> 00:28:44,440
So, you know, if I found myself going into a
darker place, I would try and immediately think
458
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,680
of something more positive.
459
00:28:48,759 --> 00:28:54,615
So it's it's unrealistic for me to say that I
didn't have those thoughts, but I tried not to
460
00:28:54,615 --> 00:29:03,974
let those thoughts, overwhelm me or kind of
take control of my, my psyche.
461
00:29:05,654 --> 00:29:08,339
And I I...
462
00:29:08,339 --> 00:29:16,019
I'd suppose I'm good at compartmentalizing the
good and the bad because I was able to still
463
00:29:16,019 --> 00:29:20,259
focus on the positive instead of dwelling in
the negative.
464
00:29:20,865 --> 00:29:26,304
I've often said that having gratitude is the
great equalizer.
465
00:29:26,304 --> 00:29:27,825
So if you think about...
466
00:29:28,224 --> 00:29:35,000
Instead of thinking about the negative thoughts
in your life, if you take a moment to think
467
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,159
about what's good in your life, you know, it
could be your family.
468
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,359
It could be your your job.
469
00:29:42,359 --> 00:29:44,200
It could be it could be whatever.
470
00:29:44,599 --> 00:29:47,079
Whatever brings you joy and happiness.
471
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,585
And just live in that moment.
472
00:29:50,585 --> 00:29:51,944
Live in that mindset.
473
00:29:52,024 --> 00:29:55,624
Think about all that you've got rather than all
that you don't have.
474
00:29:56,184 --> 00:29:58,825
And and I've always been pretty good with that.
475
00:29:58,825 --> 00:29:59,784
I've been good
476
00:29:59,784 --> 00:30:00,184
at
477
00:30:03,910 --> 00:30:06,309
putting myself into a positive place.
478
00:30:06,309 --> 00:30:13,349
I mean, when I when I speak, like, a common
question I get from somebody in the audience
479
00:30:13,349 --> 00:30:20,065
would be, so I have a husband who just always
is a doom and gloom kinda guy. He's
480
00:30:19,744 --> 00:30:22,464
He's just such a negative person.
481
00:30:22,785 --> 00:30:25,984
How do you advise me
482
00:30:25,985 --> 00:30:26,545
to
483
00:30:27,825 --> 00:30:32,065
try and turn him to look at the world in a more
positive context?
484
00:30:32,759 --> 00:30:33,880
Fair question.
485
00:30:34,039 --> 00:30:34,440
You know?
486
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:37,240
I'm sure there's lots of people that feel that
way about...
487
00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:38,919
Especially about their mates.
488
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:46,039
And and my answer is the only way you can do
it, it's it's a process.
489
00:30:46,039 --> 00:30:46,279
It...
490
00:30:46,279 --> 00:30:47,160
You know, this is...
491
00:30:47,855 --> 00:30:57,134
He's probably the way he is because over a
lifetime of negative mindset, and it's very...
492
00:30:57,134 --> 00:31:02,734
It's hard to transform somebody overnight to
look at the world in a positive way.
493
00:31:03,169 --> 00:31:11,089
But if you take it slow and you take it daily,
you know, and and, you know, the the the
494
00:31:12,210 --> 00:31:14,049
challenge is to...
495
00:31:14,049 --> 00:31:18,924
Like, every moment before you go to bed, you
have a positive thought instead of a negative
496
00:31:18,924 --> 00:31:19,164
thought.
497
00:31:19,164 --> 00:31:21,724
When you wake up in the morning, you have a
positive thought.
498
00:31:21,965 --> 00:31:28,365
When you, you know, eat your breakfast, you
think about how good breakfast might be, you
499
00:31:28,365 --> 00:31:30,605
know, if you're eating something that you like.
500
00:31:31,039 --> 00:31:38,960
And then you go out and you look at the, you
know, the flowers on the the trees and you look
501
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:44,319
at the the wind blowing in your face and you
and you think about...
502
00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:51,454
Or you notice a child that's, you know, riding
their bicycle, and you you just take a moment
503
00:31:51,454 --> 00:31:58,174
to think about the good things that you see and
try not to focus on the negative things in your
504
00:31:58,174 --> 00:31:58,414
mind.
505
00:31:59,230 --> 00:32:06,509
And and over time, you know, you'll start to
look at the world through a different lens.
506
00:32:06,509 --> 00:32:07,470
And it's really a...
507
00:32:07,470 --> 00:32:15,265
It's as simple as that, but you've gotta put in
the effort to to observe the world around you
508
00:32:15,265 --> 00:32:19,825
and see the good in it and appreciate the good
in it.
509
00:32:20,144 --> 00:32:24,224
And and slowly, those negative thoughts will
start to peel away.
510
00:32:25,559 --> 00:32:26,999
I do it all the time.
511
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,679
I mean, even at this age, I I like to...
512
00:32:30,679 --> 00:32:34,279
I live on a lake, and I ride my bike around the
lake.
513
00:32:34,839 --> 00:32:47,474
And whenever I do, I always observe the beauty
and, you know, I make a real point of it and
514
00:32:47,474 --> 00:32:51,794
and the way I look at it because it it kind of
shapes how I look at the world.
515
00:32:51,875 --> 00:32:55,480
So you're never too you're never too old.
516
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:56,200
You're never too...
517
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,880
You know, it's it's just the way you look at
life.
518
00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:02,600
Me, it's so true.
519
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:03,799
This is a choice.
520
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:04,200
Yes.
521
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:05,079
You can Yes.
522
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,680
Choose what to think about.
523
00:33:06,974 --> 00:33:07,775
And Right.
524
00:33:07,775 --> 00:33:10,575
You can take this, choice from you.
525
00:33:10,575 --> 00:33:12,654
Like, everything can change outside.
526
00:33:12,654 --> 00:33:13,934
Every week...
527
00:33:13,934 --> 00:33:19,774
Not that outside is not something that we can
control in many cases.
528
00:33:19,775 --> 00:33:20,095
Yes.
529
00:33:20,095 --> 00:33:26,359
But ability to choose what is not about and
what meaning to give to every situation nobody
530
00:33:26,359 --> 00:33:27,239
can take.
531
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:28,200
Right.
532
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:29,000
This is...
533
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:35,640
Was very well, wrote about is, Victor Franklin
in the book Right.
534
00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,000
Researching for meaning.
535
00:33:37,305 --> 00:33:37,865
Yes.
536
00:33:37,865 --> 00:33:38,424
Right.
537
00:33:38,985 --> 00:33:40,585
From the concentration camps.
538
00:33:40,585 --> 00:33:40,825
Yes.
539
00:33:40,825 --> 00:33:41,305
Yeah.
540
00:33:41,305 --> 00:33:42,265
So this is...
541
00:33:42,265 --> 00:33:42,505
Yeah.
542
00:33:42,505 --> 00:33:43,464
This is really...
543
00:33:44,184 --> 00:33:50,105
You just mentioned that when we remember that
it is always our choice what to think about
544
00:33:50,190 --> 00:33:50,669
Right.
545
00:33:50,669 --> 00:33:52,029
In every situation.
546
00:33:52,029 --> 00:33:57,069
And depending on what we think and what we
choose to think and meaning Right.
547
00:33:57,069 --> 00:34:05,069
Give to situation, this will, this will, get
results.
548
00:34:05,204 --> 00:34:05,524
Right?
549
00:34:05,524 --> 00:34:07,124
Like, it will Yes.
550
00:34:07,444 --> 00:34:11,605
Cause that very different trajectory.
551
00:34:11,605 --> 00:34:11,925
Right?
552
00:34:11,925 --> 00:34:14,804
Like, if you choose something, you will go this
way.
553
00:34:14,804 --> 00:34:15,764
If you choose Right.
554
00:34:15,764 --> 00:34:19,525
You go that way, and the results will be
determined by your choice.
555
00:34:19,980 --> 00:34:23,340
It is always very important to remember.
556
00:34:23,340 --> 00:34:26,300
And as you said, it is a muscle, like a habit.
557
00:34:26,300 --> 00:34:26,619
Right?
558
00:34:26,619 --> 00:34:29,179
Like, it is, like, habit to...
559
00:34:29,739 --> 00:34:35,934
If it is not habit yet for somebody who
listening to us, just you can start doing it.
560
00:34:35,934 --> 00:34:36,175
Right?
561
00:34:36,175 --> 00:34:42,175
Like, just consciously choose something or
choose to think about somebody you love.
562
00:34:42,175 --> 00:34:45,295
Like, think about something good about them.
563
00:34:45,614 --> 00:34:49,469
Because some people even don't like to think
about themselves themselves good.
564
00:34:49,469 --> 00:34:54,110
Like, they don't like themselves because they
are so upset and very stressed, and they all
565
00:34:54,110 --> 00:34:56,190
even forget the...
566
00:34:56,190 --> 00:34:57,150
To love themselves.
567
00:34:57,150 --> 00:35:02,110
So for some people, it is even easier to think
good about somebody else than to think about
568
00:35:02,110 --> 00:35:02,429
themselves.
569
00:35:02,795 --> 00:35:03,994
But, anyway, you can...
570
00:35:03,994 --> 00:35:10,635
Like, you can start from something and then
develop this ability, yes, and, control the
571
00:35:10,635 --> 00:35:11,035
thoughts.
572
00:35:11,035 --> 00:35:15,195
It is very important to understand that it is
us who can control thoughts.
573
00:35:15,195 --> 00:35:16,715
It is not just mental activity.
574
00:35:17,250 --> 00:35:20,610
Because mental activity, it is just like
chaotic thinking.
575
00:35:21,170 --> 00:35:29,010
But when we decide to think consciously, this
is how we, like, put seeds of those thoughts
576
00:35:29,010 --> 00:35:29,889
which we want.
577
00:35:30,355 --> 00:35:31,394
And this is Right.
578
00:35:31,394 --> 00:35:37,474
As you said, those negative thoughts can fade
away when we start focusing on positive.
579
00:35:37,875 --> 00:35:38,595
Correct.
580
00:35:38,675 --> 00:35:38,994
Yeah.
581
00:35:38,994 --> 00:35:40,114
So so you have a choice.
582
00:35:40,114 --> 00:35:41,474
It's exactly well put.
583
00:35:41,474 --> 00:35:44,195
I I talk a lot about the word hope because...
584
00:35:44,900 --> 00:35:48,099
You know, in fact, it's it's in my book's
title.
585
00:35:48,660 --> 00:35:51,380
Because hope, I view as this is...
586
00:35:51,380 --> 00:35:53,140
It's an action verb.
587
00:35:53,140 --> 00:35:54,579
It's not just a thing.
588
00:35:55,059 --> 00:36:00,994
It's something you do, and that can affect the
outcome.
589
00:36:01,554 --> 00:36:04,275
Doesn't mean that it's gonna control the
outcome.
590
00:36:04,675 --> 00:36:11,315
But if you have a positive view, you actually
have the ability to influence the outcome.
591
00:36:12,019 --> 00:36:17,860
And and hoping is not like just sitting on the
couch and and wishing for something to happen,
592
00:36:18,260 --> 00:36:20,500
but it's something you actually can do.
593
00:36:21,139 --> 00:36:23,300
You can get yourself educated.
594
00:36:23,780 --> 00:36:24,659
You can pray.
595
00:36:25,474 --> 00:36:26,434
You can...
596
00:36:27,155 --> 00:36:28,914
You know, it's it's it's it's...
597
00:36:28,914 --> 00:36:30,835
Again, it's like an action verb.
598
00:36:30,835 --> 00:36:38,035
So it's it's taking a step towards having the
ability to control the outcome.
599
00:36:38,275 --> 00:36:47,059
And, it doesn't always work, but it certainly
is a a way of positioning your mind so that you
600
00:36:47,059 --> 00:36:49,860
can affect your be...
601
00:36:49,860 --> 00:36:54,844
Your attitude, your behavior, and that can
change the outcome.
602
00:36:55,164 --> 00:36:57,244
So I've learned that directly.
603
00:36:59,244 --> 00:37:00,204
I'm actually...
604
00:37:01,405 --> 00:37:09,500
To give you another part of my story is that my
wife passed away two years ago of ovarian
605
00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:10,220
cancer.
606
00:37:10,300 --> 00:37:18,780
And so I went from being the center of care to
being a caregiver, and it took her about four
607
00:37:18,780 --> 00:37:24,034
and a half years from diagnosis to eventually
failing.
608
00:37:24,674 --> 00:37:31,474
And and she had the same attitude of hope as I
had always had, but in her case, it didn't
609
00:37:31,474 --> 00:37:32,114
work.
610
00:37:32,275 --> 00:37:32,835
It was...
611
00:37:32,835 --> 00:37:33,795
Hope was not enough.
612
00:37:34,700 --> 00:37:44,780
And so, I'm actually working on, updating my
book or perhaps writing a new book, which talks
613
00:37:44,780 --> 00:37:45,340
about...
614
00:37:46,460 --> 00:37:47,420
So if...
615
00:37:47,660 --> 00:37:51,545
You know, what what what happens when hope
doesn't work?
616
00:37:51,625 --> 00:37:52,265
Right?
617
00:37:53,464 --> 00:38:02,505
And I think that that's a very profound kind of
follow-up to my story because it doesn't always
618
00:38:02,505 --> 00:38:03,065
work.
619
00:38:03,065 --> 00:38:08,800
I mean, there's lots of times that you can have
the right attitude and be thinking the right
620
00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,599
way, and and it's...
621
00:38:11,599 --> 00:38:14,720
You know, the outcome is ultimately not the
one...
622
00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,719
You know, it's not the happily ever after
outcome that I had.
623
00:38:19,585 --> 00:38:22,304
So, you know, what are my thoughts about that?
624
00:38:22,304 --> 00:38:23,345
Because that's...
625
00:38:24,945 --> 00:38:33,599
I think that there's a part of my answer is is
acceptance that that you have to realize that
626
00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,159
you can have all the best of...
627
00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:42,559
The the best mindset and the best of
intentions, but it doesn't always work.
628
00:38:42,559 --> 00:38:46,319
And and cancer is one of those things that
there isn't necessarily...
629
00:38:46,319 --> 00:38:51,974
You can't, just with positive thoughts,
necessarily beat cancer.
630
00:38:53,015 --> 00:38:56,295
But that's that's just a thing.
631
00:38:56,295 --> 00:39:00,215
That's that's another point to consider.
632
00:39:01,359 --> 00:39:02,079
You know?
633
00:39:02,559 --> 00:39:03,440
Yes.
634
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:03,920
Yes.
635
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:04,480
Of course.
636
00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:09,119
It is not that we can, we can control every
processes.
637
00:39:09,119 --> 00:39:10,000
That's correct.
638
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:17,295
But I think that people with positive attitude,
they have better quality life even when
639
00:39:17,454 --> 00:39:17,775
Yes.
640
00:39:17,775 --> 00:39:18,335
They do.
641
00:39:18,335 --> 00:39:18,735
Yes.
642
00:39:18,735 --> 00:39:19,055
Like...
643
00:39:19,055 --> 00:39:19,375
Yeah.
644
00:39:19,375 --> 00:39:24,175
I, yeah, I I often say much better off being
hopeful rather than hopeless.
645
00:39:24,735 --> 00:39:28,015
So that's kind of the the way I look at things.
646
00:39:29,829 --> 00:39:30,230
Yeah.
647
00:39:30,230 --> 00:39:31,429
It's it's...
648
00:39:31,909 --> 00:39:33,190
And it's true of everything.
649
00:39:33,190 --> 00:39:34,710
It's true in your business.
650
00:39:35,190 --> 00:39:42,630
It's true in your personal life, with your
health, with your your marriage, you know, with
651
00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:45,155
your relationships, with your children.
652
00:39:45,315 --> 00:39:46,034
I mean, it's...
653
00:39:46,034 --> 00:39:54,755
It really is a kind of a universal way of of,
contending with all that challenges you in your
654
00:39:54,755 --> 00:39:54,994
life.
655
00:39:57,579 --> 00:39:58,300
Yes.
656
00:39:59,019 --> 00:39:59,579
Yes.
657
00:40:00,780 --> 00:40:03,579
Thank you so much, Jim, for sharing your story.
658
00:40:03,579 --> 00:40:09,819
It was so many, good lessons which you shared,
yeah, from faith, from attitude, decision
659
00:40:09,819 --> 00:40:11,594
making, Yes.
660
00:40:11,594 --> 00:40:14,795
And making choices every day, gratitude.
661
00:40:15,275 --> 00:40:15,594
Yeah.
662
00:40:15,594 --> 00:40:20,155
Focusing your mind on positive results,
expecting good to happen.
663
00:40:20,394 --> 00:40:20,795
Yes.
664
00:40:20,795 --> 00:40:28,090
There's so many golden nuggets which you
shared, and this episode is very uplifting and
665
00:40:28,090 --> 00:40:31,369
inspiring for people who might be now
challenging...
666
00:40:31,530 --> 00:40:35,369
Like, have challenging situations so they can
learn a lot.
667
00:40:35,369 --> 00:40:35,610
Right?
668
00:40:35,610 --> 00:40:39,210
Like, it is really great inspiration for such
people.
669
00:40:40,155 --> 00:40:41,115
That's great.
670
00:40:41,355 --> 00:40:47,675
And we can always say that your next chapter
begins with the choices you make today.
671
00:40:48,074 --> 00:40:48,315
Yes.
672
00:40:48,315 --> 00:40:48,954
That's right.
673
00:40:49,114 --> 00:40:51,035
We make those choices.
674
00:40:51,035 --> 00:40:55,680
And I really appreciate you for sharing about
your choices.
675
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:56,160
Yes.
676
00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,880
Because every time you...
677
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:03,200
The decision you make, what you choose, it will
determine the outcome.
678
00:41:04,559 --> 00:41:05,039
Yes.
679
00:41:05,039 --> 00:41:09,985
So we will put the links for the book.
680
00:41:09,985 --> 00:41:10,385
Yeah.
681
00:41:10,385 --> 00:41:17,985
So people who are listening to us follow James
Davis and explore his book, when hope is your
682
00:41:17,985 --> 00:41:19,105
only option.
683
00:41:19,505 --> 00:41:25,190
Subscribe to mindset to results podcast and
share this conversation with someone who needs
684
00:41:25,190 --> 00:41:27,590
help to take the next step.
685
00:41:27,909 --> 00:41:28,230
Yeah.
686
00:41:28,230 --> 00:41:29,590
Because this is important.
687
00:41:29,590 --> 00:41:35,030
This is why we meet amazing people like Jim to
share their story, to share their life
688
00:41:35,030 --> 00:41:39,345
experience, to inspire people in the world who
need this information.
689
00:41:39,825 --> 00:41:45,744
And, thank you so much, Jim, for your time and
for your patience to share your life story and
690
00:41:45,744 --> 00:41:47,744
experience with our audience.
691
00:41:48,224 --> 00:41:49,184
Thank you, Elena.
692
00:41:50,911 --> 00:41:51,630
Very nice.
