Never let a stumble in the road be the end of the journey. Let’s face it—we’ve all been there, the times that we want to give up and just let go. We’ve all been told the old saying that winners never quit and quitters never win, well it is true. If we continue to push forward, pursue our goals and dreams and find a little bit of faith we can get past the point of frustration, and wanting to give up.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend and help put on the 2015 National Block & Bridle Convention hosted by OSU and it was an awesome weekend, not only did I meet new friends, network with industry leaders, but I had the opportunity to hear a man speak who really put things into prospective. I’ve attended a lot of leadership conferences and meetings and have heard a variety of people speak, but this one was unique—Gus shared his life story and captivated the room of 450 people making them laugh yet so silent at times because of his heart-touching message.
Gus is a man who has turned personal tragedy into triumph. Gus was raised on a farm in Nebraska and at the age of 9 years old lost his right arm and shoulder in a tragic farm accident. Although this didn’t stop him from being a standout basketball player in high school and college. His coaches told him that he would never make the team or be out on the court but he proved them wrong because he was determined to be successful. After recovering from the accident and hopping around the farm on one foot shooting hoops Gus would spend countless hours practicing. He would stay up during the night thinking and scheming up ideas of how he could make the team. Needless to say he surprised everyone when he was able to spin the ball on his finger, shoot hoops and play just as any athlete would. Unfortunately he faced many injuries in college playing basketball blowing out his knee several times but that didn’t stop him from playing the game. He was a man of determination and one who was never going to give up because his family raised him right. His dad said there were two simple keys to life:
- Never Give Up
- Have the courage to face the next challenge
His dad also told him that it was like a garbage truck in that he could either be dumped on and smell like the garbage and not do anything or he could take what was dumped on him and turn it into something good.
Gus graduated college with high honors, started his career being an entrepreneur and sold numerous businesses. Just when things were going well again Gus faced another obstacle in his life, suffering from a stroke and having to learn how to talk again. Today he shares his story with others while being a husband and father to three children. Gus is no larger than life hero but just a big hearted man that connects with people and recognizes that everyone has struggles and challenges in their lives.
During his speech he invited 3 people to come up and he had one person try to tie a tie with only one arm, someone tie their shoe and another zip up a jacket only using one arm and it was interesting to see them struggle with everyday tasks that we take for granted. Two of them did manage to get their shoes tied and jacket zipped but didn’t realize how hard it was. Gus then demonstrated and acted like it was nothing.
Gus is a man that is over 6 foot, has one arm, one foot that is a size 15 and the other a size 9, one leg that is longer than the other however he doesn’t let that affect him. He continues on with everyday life and turns each setback into a comeback. So next time you think you have it hard just remember it could always be worse. So never take anything for granted and never give up–
We may not see the struggles that everyone faces because people put on masks but deep down inside there is something. So I challenge you to not only set personal goals for yourself and never give up but if you see someone that is facing setbacks or wanting to give up—support & motivate them, guide them and give them hope.
Happy Monday and have a great week!
Want to learn more about Gus check out: http://fullyarmed.com/meet-gus/
Classy & Sassy:The Ag Girl Way 