We live in a world where we’re conditioned that giving up is ok.
Conditioned to give into fear or not even begin going after our dreams because of others insecurity or past experiences of “failure” and giving up.
April 16th, 2010, I signed over my life to the hands of a neurosurgeon and his team as I said goodbye and “I love you” to my younger brother and parents.
I was 21 years old and was responsible to sign off of all the profound risks of said brain surgery as a young adult, and the risks consisted of paralysis, going blind, having a stroke, or death at the top of what stood out and caught my attention.
As I sat there signing my life away, I remember this being the first time I truly experienced what life or death stress was like and the thought of dying, never seeing the people I love again, and never riding my bike again consumed me with an immense feeling of fear.
Not fear in the sense of thats “scary” or anxiety/worry. More like fear of actually dying and accepting this fact as they inserted the IV into my arm & prepared me for what’s to come with no looking back.
This moment in time where I accepted I may die was a turning point in my life in that something switched inside of me that no longer gave into fear of dying & I presented myself with a choice.
A choice to put my focus, & therefore my energy, into a worse case scenario I didn’t want. Or, a choice in the vision I desired after I woke up from surgery.
This choice to focus on my desired future vision was a by-product of my being raised to work hard for the life I wanted & from BMX teaching me if you fall once, try twice if you want it bad enough.
This choice was a pivotal moment that would serve as my fuel to overcome what was to come in the next 9.5 years leading to my reality today.
It taught me that so often do we make decisions disguised as fear to take the “easy route” rather than the route most would give up on.
I’m not special. I just made a choice to not give up. A choice to learn and grow. A choice to prove to myself & others we’re capable of what we set our sights (internally and externally) on & the potential we all possess once we believe in ourselves.
Josh P. 💚🧠✌️