Millions of people fight some form of anxiety every day. I have battled with my fear of driving on the highway for years. I had gone to therapists, hypnotists and healers trying to win this internal, mental battle that I had with myself. Then I found DARE (dareresponse.com)! It was a literal life saver and has given me back control. It made me realize that I was my own worst enemy and that by facing my fears head on, I could be free of anxiety. Was it hard? Heck yes it was hard. Was it scary as hell? YES IT WAS! 

I joined one of the Bootcamps and was able to communicate with others going through anxieties of their own. We encouraged each other and celebrated our victories which really helped me through.

One of my first assignments was to get on the highway and drive to just one exit. I circled around and around, passing the road to get onto the highway. I was shaking, I was crying, I was tense and then I did it. I repeated all of the steps DARE had taught me and I cried more and I hated every minute of it. I saw the exit coming up fast and I told myself, one more exit, you can do it. I went to one more, pulled over and jumped for joy. It was awful but I did it, I drove two miles on the highway. Crazy crap huh? Something so mundane can bring so much fear. 

This continued on for several more weeks and each day I drove farther and farther. Some days were harder than others, but I continued to push myself with the encouragement of my new found friends. This group of people has changed my life. They are so caring and thoughtful. Even when they are at their worst, having panic attacks, they still shake their pom poms when someone else has an incredible day. They are some of the strongest people I know. 

It has been months now and I am still driving on the highway. I feel as though I have opened a new door and I am free. I have my moments and I get nervous at times but I push forward and literally say out loud “I CAN do this”. Thank you Barry Mcdonagh for DARE. 

It has been a long time since I posted. I have to admit that I got caught up in my own battle with believing “I CAN”. The ironic thing is, I have never stopped pushing through my challenges. I guess that I just needed to step back and focus on my own fight for awhile so I could be my strongest when encouraging others to believe in I CAN. 

I was a runner, running was my life, it defined me or at least this is what I thought. I have discovered that I was so wrong. I fought a good fight when my body gave me the middle finger, telling me that it didn’t want to run anymore. I went to so many doctors, was poked, injected, twisted, stretched and on and on. I was devastated, depressed and lost. 

I cannot lie, it took a while to accept that I wouldn’t run again and it took even longer to realize that running did not define me. I thought that I gave up by accepting that my body couldn’t handle running anymore. I thought that I was a failure because I didn’t search one more doctor after seeing at least 15 throughout the years. Then I finally realized that I am so much more than a fast runner and I know that I CAN do so many other things that I set my mind to. Life is good!

It has been a long time since I posted. I have to admit that I got caught up in my own battle with believing “I CAN”. The ironic thing is, I have never stopped pushing through my challenges. I guess that I just needed to step back and focus on my own fight for awhile so I could be my strongest when encouraging others to believe in I CAN. 

I was a runner, running was my life, it defined me or at least this is what I thought. I have discovered that I was so wrong. I fought a good fight when my body gave me the middle finger, telling me that it didn’t want to run anymore. I went to so many doctors, was poked, injected, twisted, stretched and on and on. I was devastated, depressed and lost. 

I cannot lie, it took a while to accept that I wouldn’t run again and it took even longer to realize that running did not define me. I thought that I gave up by accepting that my body couldn’t handle running anymore. I thought that I was a failure because I didn’t search one more doctor after seeing at least 15 throughout the years. Then I finally realized that I am so much more than a fast runner and I know that I CAN do so many other things that I set my mind to. Life is good!

KNOTS AND ARROWS: Bracelets Making A Big Difference

Thank you Becca for being an I CAN HERO! 

On September 8, 2014, Becca was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Dad, (that’s me) is also a young adult cancer survivor. For those of you who know Becca, you know how brave and beautiful her soul is. From day one of her Leukemia Diagnosis, down to her very last few days of treatment (November 13, 2016), Becca has been on a mission. Her mission has always been to promote awareness and raise funds for Childhood Cancer Research. Becca is currently in remission and is determined to make a difference. Childhood Cancer is a cause that will forever be near and dear to our hearts. 

One thing we quickly learned on Becca’s cancer journey is that fundraising for a cause is HARD! Anyone who has ever run a fundraiser knows just how exhausing, frustrating and emotionally draining it can be. Over the last two years we have poured a lot of time and effort into raising funds for research, sometimes yielding very little reward. Any time Becca would try to raise funds for Childhood Cancer Research, she would end up disappointed. Her tender little heart just couldn’t understand why money wasn’t pouring in for her cause. As her Dad, I would often remind her that every dollar raised would make a difference.

Becca has always been a go big or go home kind of girl. With that said, she came up with the idea to start a company that gives back. The customer would “get” and the company would do the “giving”. Becca’s idea coupled with a lot of hard work and determination, turned into a company called Knots and Arrows. Becca’s mom came up with the company name and the idea of selling bracelets. Becca and I have accomplished the rest and will be running Knots and Arrows together.