BY MIKE REGAN, TRANZACT TECHNOLOGIES CO-FOUNDER
As I have shared in some previous Words of Encouragement, I was blessed with parents who valued having a positive attitude. Whether it was my mom telling me, “When you get lemons, make lemonade!” or the fact that my dad knew W. Clement Stone, Mr. PMA (a.k.a. Positive Mental Attitude), I was encouraged to read motivational classics and think positive.
When I worked for Southwestern selling books during my summers in college, I also continued to feed myself with positive books and material from people such as Zig Ziegler, Og Mandino, and Charlie Jones. I have read some great books and heard some fantastic messages.
This came in handy after I bought my friend and partner out of TranzAct in 1989. Truth be told, I was a bit overwhelmed. But then I heard a preacher, Allen Ogg, give a wonderful message about “You Gotta Have the Want To!” where he chronicled his life and the challenges he overcame after being born with cerebral palsy. The grit and determination exemplified in his message bolstered my spirits.
Occasionally, there are times when we all need to hear or read a story that highlights a “Gotta Have the Want To” spirit—times like today!
Recently someone sent me a story about Jared Wells of Utica, New York. Jared was born with cystic fibrosis and after spending five years also battling lung cancer, had just about given up on life. He was depressed, stopped taking his medicines and decided to accept his fate.
But then, at 21, he found a new inner strength and decided to visit a body building gym, the Body Alive gym. At the time, Jared was emaciated with 0% body fat and weighed just 113 pounds. But he was determined to make progress.
Over the following months, he slowly gained muscle and confidence and even decided to compete in some bodybuilding competitions! At his first competition, he placed fourth and fifth in his classes. He was unstoppable! And In 2018, when photos and videos of his workouts went viral, thousands were inspired.
Jared continues to face challenges, such as keeping on weight, and some days are harder than others. That’s why I loved when he said, “It’s on those days that I look back at my past and the struggles I’ve been through. I have to remind myself that where I started was much worse than the bad day I might be dealing with.”
So he continues to work and get better. While COVID has curtailed his bodybuilding activities, he is currently pursuing certifications in nutrition and personal training because, “I know that if I can accomplish these things and build my own better mindset and better health, whatever I want to do tomorrow, I can get right after it.”
I’ve received enough emails and calls from folks to know that the pandemic has made the past twelve months very challenging for almost everyone. In listening to messages like Allan Ogg’s, or reading stories about the Jareds of the world, I thought of a quote from the noted Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl: “When we are no longer able to change the situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Personally, as I thought about Jared’s decision to change himself—a decision that literally extended his life, it helped affirm this passage from the book of Psalms: “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that very well.”
As we head in to the weekend, perhaps we can take some time and ask: “If we, like Jared, have more strength and power than we could have imagined, what are the decisions we can make that will help us and others get through these crazy COVID times?”
