March 9th. It’s been one year. Today. I remember the dirty pavement. On my hands and knees, stunned, a group of women near me gasped. I ignored the flutter sensation up my arm, and paid …
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Once Upon a Fall: How I Became ‘Nearly Headless’
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81 Days Since My Life Was Saved
Emergency spinal surgery was 81 days ago (11.57 weeks) Home from acute rehab 66 days ago (9.43 weeks) Through this journey, my badass friends have helped me relearn to swallow, chew, talk, walk, sit, brush …
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Driving Blind in Catastrophe and Still Being Able to See
In 2003, at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, the newest up-and-coming NASCAR drivers (the rookies) were scrambling for the attention of the racing giants. Joe Gibbs’ racing team was looking for talent. Curtis “Bubba” …
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Disaster Doesn’t Have to Mean Defeat
The equation to refuse defeat is simple: HOPE. ERNEST SHACKLETON I first heard about Sir Ernest Shackleton when I read Nancy Koehn’s book Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times. In …
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Choose How You Will Be Remembered in a Shark Attack
In July 2000, the sky over the coastal city of East London, South Africa was bright and cloudless; the air roared with the sounds of seagulls and laughter—a beautiful day for a surfing competition. Fifteen-year-old …
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Are You Ready to Roar with Me?
I am a one-percenter. No, not that one percent. This one: one percent of children who were trafficked for sex survive to adulthood. Even fewer of us thrive through the briars of the trauma to …
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Finding Your Worth: The Story of a Tucker Car
When I speak, I share analogies to help people understand deeper truths. This is the one I use to help people understand trauma and the survivor: The Tucker Car In 1948, Preston Tucker developed fifty …
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Success & Fear: When Exhaustion Whispers
There is an ancient story that tonight, I feel in my bones. The moment after a great victory can be a time of intense need. It’s like rawness intersects with both truth and our vulnerability …
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Twenty Years to Find My Voice
Twenty years ago today, my friend and I were coming back down I-17, from northern AZ, and I had an allergic reaction as I drove; he slept. I knew I needed to pull off, but …
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For Me, Not Because of Him
Today is ten years since the man—who did everything to ruin my life—died. He was a senior pastor. We trusted him. I trusted him…until I feared him. He took my life. My soul. He left …
BilliJoy 