July 4, 2023 • 46 mins
Motivational speaker, inspire® brand owner, and advocate Eric Patrick Thomas joined me on That Moment with Daymond John to share his jaw-dropping story of becoming a quadraplegic and how he navigates his newfound life with purpose.
Listeners expecting a woe-is-me pity party could not be more wrong, as Eric refuses to let his disability stop him from achieving what he describes as “life-changing” goals. He was candid about the realities of his situation (including what he went through in 800+ days straight of ordered bed rest) while also explaining how he pushed through to have a positive and focused mindset.
Although Eric’s position might be unique, any listener can adopt his straightforward approach to achieving success amidst setbacks out of your control and learn about the importance of putting community and impact first when building a brand.
Tune in to an all new episode of That Moment with Daymond John for the conversation that will have you ready to push back 10 times harder at whatever adversity comes your way.
Host: Daymond John
Producers: Beau Dozier & Shanelle Collins; Ted Kingsbery, Chauncey Bell, & Taryn Loftus
For more info on how to take your life and business to the next level, check out DaymondJohn.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay here, like you know, someone's a bit shy air
it's been shy and uh, actually was I heard this?
So it has been shy. I even tried to leg
Oh I got to help that person with it. I
realized it. Oh it's me if what if I.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Told you there was more to the story behind game
changing events?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Get ready for my new podcast, That Moment with Damon
John will jump into the personal stories of some of
the most influential people on the planet, from business mobiles
and celebrities to athletes and artists.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's get into it. What s up everybody?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So I am about to spend the very special moment
with my buddy, uh Eric Atric Thomas about that moment,
Welcome to that moment, and I'm gonna be bringing you,
as I always do, really really fascinating people.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
That I'm so learning from and people that you can
learn from. They may not be the people that everybody
knows in the world, but they are people will trust
me that you can learn from and you can then
go ahead and yourself. And you know, as I've been
getting back onto this new platform to me podcasts, I
realize is I want to loosen it up a little
(01:15):
bit I want to have more fun with it, and
I like it when you win. And this is something
you can take away. I want you to take away
from this. When you are out there in the public
eye like I am. You're doing a lot of television.
Well you got to do these single sound bites, right,
got all these lights and producers that I owe, got
to get this. We only have literally for the whole
interview that you're gonna speak at half an hour or early.
They used to read minutes of it. But the beautiful
(01:38):
thing is you all know, and that's why you listen
to podcasts. Sometimes you're just apply on the wall where
you're in the room. We're gonna just look these things up.
So no better way to loosen it up than with
somebody and talking about a topic that is very hard
we're all to speak to or imagine and it all
(02:00):
happens with us in one second, and it can alter
our lives, and we have seen it alter many, many,
many other people's lives. Then my buddy Eric patter Thomas whole. Eric,
tell us about that little incident that you did not
expect that may have been that moment. We will go
(02:21):
over several moments that happened to you a couple of
years ago. Tell us the story.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Feels like a couple of years ago. Thanks for the introduction,
and I'm happy to be here. Great to be on
here again to be with you. Yes, proof that actually
happened almost twenty six years ago. Uh, I was twenty
years old. Hip hop artists that my group Miscellaneous, were
(02:47):
celebrating a music project achievement. Okay, so we got from
the celebration party. I'm in the house like I normally
am for some and I just stood up in mid
conversation talking to the girl I was talking to, walked
outside down the steps, down the in the parking lot,
(03:10):
and I was just gonna go check the parking lot
to make sure everything was going well. You know, everybody was,
you know, nothing was happening. Everybody was staying away from
the neighbors. Maybe out there for five minutes. I came back.
I was by the first step, sitting there talking to
that girl I was talking to on the steps inside
the house, and then the DJ was next to her,
(03:32):
and then, uh yeah, all of a sudden, just within
a flash quicker than a than a strike a lightning,
and someone came around the DJ Van and pulled the
gun bent open fire. I got hit in the neck. Uh.
In the third and fourth vertebrate, I spun to the side.
(03:54):
So I spun to my left, you know, because they
shot me from the back side. Then the other one
grazed the back of this call. Instantly, I dropped to
the span and uh, basically I was lifeless. I didn't
heave any I couldn't breathe on my own. I couldn't
yell out for help. I couldn't move, and uh, but
I could hear things going on, you know, people screaming.
(04:18):
Remember this is nineteen ninety seven, so it's not really
cell phones or landlines and majors. And I could hear like,
you know, someone's been shot. Are it's been shy?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And uh?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Actually, when so I heard this, someone's been shot. I
even tried to leg oh, I got to help that person.
But then I realized, you know, it's me. I'm the one.
I'm the person too. I was just holding out for
life and and I was like, man, late, I'm twenty,
Like I've been trying to accomplish so many goals. This
doesn't end here. This can't be this can't be happening.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Like what did they were they coming there to shoot you?
Or it was uh, the we're all you know, whatever
it's going on.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
You know, we don't know most of the bullets were
in my direction, but there was never a real police investigation.
You know. The basically you know, the police said, you
do music like this, that's what comes with the territory,
so mixed crowd, you know, they wrote it off.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
To to to be clear, and I know that you
are in Flint, correct, Yeah, well you was that inflict
as well. At the time.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
It was at Lancing because I was going to school
for photography at Lancine Community College, so it's out our
outside of Lancing.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So that moment happened. You are just chilling, You are
just checking on people, You're going upstairs randomly. A whole
other issue that people, a lot of people can relate to.
You were you were hit several times and you are
now and you have been since that point. How you
describe your uh, you know, your status right now as
(06:04):
a functioning human being, what would you be What would
you describe as who you are right now?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, I would say I'm physically, yeah, paralyzed for the
neck down. That's how I would describe it person first language.
Eric is paralyzed for the neck down, and you'd say,
I'm unable to move my arms or legs, so I
use everything. I control my environment using my mouth, my breath,
my eyes, my shined you know That's how I control things.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So you can't continue. What is it called? Is it power?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
What is what would the dey uh leg or tetraplegic
sometimes wan tetraplegic.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
What is a tetraplegic same thing. It's just kind of
it's I thought it was just super advanced and tetris there,
Well I am, I'm really advanced in texts.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I'm like, I'm like the Tetris of your monopoly.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah. So so, by the way, everybody, let me tell
you Eric start. He he does. He does have an
assisted a vehicle that he rides around in very much
like a stoopid form of a wheelchair. I'm going to
I'm going to speed up where we are today with him.
He does. He uses a device that if you can
see him, it's in his mouth. When he blows into
(07:20):
it looks like a straw, and he operates his vehicle
to move around. And Eric, how long did it take
you to get ready to start your day.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
We're getting better because I've had the same person for
you know, so many years. But I start, you know,
anywhere between like six and then I'm pumped in the
chair by about eight forty five.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, I want people to be very clear. It takes
you an average of about and you're you're cutting down
the time you wake up at six o'clock in the
morning and by the time you are ready to start
your day. Uh, it is three hours.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
But seven. Yeah, Well that's not just to start the day,
that's just getting in the chair.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
You gotta get adjusted. The person's gotta like, you know,
adjust your body, make sure that you're in the chair properly.
Then you gotta eat breakfast, brush your teeth, take your vitamins.
So I start work. Work starts for me at nine
fifteen Monday through Friday. My work hours are nine fifteen
to five fifteen.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Got it? How long will it take you to to
now to get settling back to go to bed?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
About an hour or so. It's a it's a little different.
You get lifted out of the chair and a sling
and you get put over the bed and then you
get down into the bed and then the caregivers gotta
strip you down. Man. It's like stripping. It's like stripping
a car. So try and strip your clothes and take
your bag off and put a night bag on. And
you gotta do skin check because that's important man, because.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
If you skin check, so so you know, I'm setting
the stage so to let people know that you know,
first of all, this is not an easy situation. Or
anybody you.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Know and well, and I know that you you you
talk about your community because you are a public speaker
and a motivational speaker as well as you know.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You have an incredible brand which is called Inspire. I
think you got to pop up coming up soon or
some of them.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
July sixth or July six next.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, right, So anybody listening to you right now, please
go and check out what is it inspire dot com
or where can we get you?
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Where you can find yourself at Inspire shirt dot com
an Inspire shirt by shirt dot com. You call your
community the invisible because of course we don't think about
those who and so many Americans have been in these
challenging and are currently in challenging situations. But I want
to ask you something because of you know, there's so
(09:53):
many people.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
That we meet that they have all their all your
body functions, are working in they're living in the Deathan Hall.
They're eating you know, three sometimes five meals a day,
they have their children, they have acclos dedication, and they
can run right down the block right now if they
want to. And they think that their life is over
and it could be, you know, we also have mental
(10:15):
illness in this country, right But when was that moment
that you when did you hear or how did go
on show? You didn't need to hear it. Maybe you
thought you would just get better, But what did they
say to tell you that you were paralyzed from the
neck down? And after that, when did you decide? Obviously,
(10:36):
you decide you want to list and you're going to
move forward in life and you're going to be a
productive not only going to live in me, but you're
going to inspire other people. But when did you decide
to do that? Because Listen, I had the slowest growing
form of cancer that anybody can ever have in my neck.
And I saw that and I was like, Okay, it's over,
I'm done take my neck. Oh I'm going to I'm
(11:01):
going to drink myself into a hole because I've had
the best life ever and I don't want to rot away.
And uh, and then I looked at myself and so,
what the hell are you doing feeling sorry for yourself?
I want to know with something ten thousand tons more gray,
when you found out and tell me how you found
out that you were paralyzed. When did you decide was
(11:22):
it then? Was it four years after that one you
decide I'm not going to let this stop me.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
It's a great question. You know. When I was finally
alert again, you know, I had four screws in my head,
like I'm intubated with my mouth, so there's a two
breathing for me, this machine life support that I'm surrounded
by you, my Bob, stepdad, dad, step Bob, there's some
other people and that that's where the doctor and they
tell you because you're trying to move and you're like,
(11:49):
but I'm not stable. You know. The first goal that
really was set was to live. It was kind of
at that moment, it's like, oh, there's more to this.
Like I said, when I got shot, it was like
I was right there at the top of the world
and it crashed in a second. Get a second, and
(12:24):
so that that very mormony was just like, I know
there's more, There's gotta be more than just this, and
God like it felt very unfinished, that I needed to
be staying on this earth. Then of course, you know,
now they'll be see but you know, I just tell God,
I just I knew that I had to survive and
(12:45):
I wanted to no matter whatever the situation was. You know,
I said that. I was like, it doesn't matter what
beck And is going on, I'm gonna I gotta roll
through this, you know. And like I said, at the beginning,
it was just to survive because it took a couple
of weeks to get really stabilized, right you know, So
that was.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Any was it anything? Was there anything at that moment
that you realized and you looked at it as a
target or a goal you wanted to hit, and you said,
I'm not only gonna survive, but I'm going to thrive.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
No, the first goal in the very beginning is to survive,
right if they Once I was stable, then you established
another goal. That was where we had to learn about rehab.
Yet it was to breathe. So just to do this,
just to breathe, just to breathe. That was the next goal.
That was the goal, even to go to rehab, to
(13:41):
get off the ventilator, because at that time, after a
couple of weeks, they said I would never breathe again.
So they took the tube, which is called intubation, and
they put it in your throat. They could make a
cut in your throat, called it tracheotomy. So now the
tube is in your throat, in the machine which is
life support, is breathing for you. That's what it is.
(14:05):
And so the goal, what's the breathe?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Oh okay, so first of all you got a goal
to breathe. Now when the hell throughout that whole time
to breed, you decided I'm going to start a company.
Why would you do that?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Well, I've always had a dream as a child though.
Oh my old clothing brand m You know, I used
to wear my shirt inside out that visualized my name
spelled backwards.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, I'm saying I R E.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Which is interesting because that's what's in the trademark of
Inspired is actually, you know, uh, my name backwards and
the P is a backwards C. So I dont blows
your mind. And I was like, wow, I've always had
that that dream, you know, hip pop, the culture of
hip hop everything, and I just wanted to have my
(14:54):
old clothing brands. So while I'm laying at the hospital,
I'm not like, oh, I got on there because I
got this and this to do. But I did have
some type of goal. I just said no what that
goal was. And also I didn't realize like I would
be mentoring people ever camp. I didn't even know it
was considered mentoring. But it wasn't until I came home
(15:18):
March twentieth ninety eight when SSI or SSDI and there
I'm like, well, and now I'm talking because I'm off
the ventile. Later, because I accomplished that goal, where's my
business mentor or like somebody is going to help me
be self sufficient? Then basically like this system at that's
(15:39):
I was just like, well, you don't you just kind
of just stay home and and I'm like no, no, no,
that's like that's not going to work with me. Like
I need to figure out how to create something because
now I want to get back to like I want
to have a family, or like I want to be
able to be self sufficient and grow and and things
like that. And it was like employment side, it wasn't
(16:02):
really happening with disabilities. It started getting deployed, so it
was like it also based on like my lifestyle. It
basically became like you know, a business owner. You know,
I started learning like what it was like to be
a business owner. Not to mention when I started hiring
my own caregivers. Because Medicare and Medicaid a disability network
(16:26):
set up self determination for me, I became a business
owner like almost overnight too, like about a month, I
was now a business owner, managing people for my care,
doing schedules, do it type sheets everything.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Well, that's that's interesting, right because everybody here who's listening,
whether they're parents themselves or whoever. Right, I never thought
of it like that. You have to actually consider you
are the business if you are hiring caregivers.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah, right now I'm running two businesses, Simon sate. I
have the business of my life because I even ready
for our care like I you know, you have to
constantly make sure that someone's coming in and somewhat, you know,
running a business, you know what it is, no, no, no, no,
but hold on.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
But but this is crucial because whether you are in
your situation, you're an everyday person. People don't think of
themselves as whether they're right, they're health, their personal finance,
how they're managing their home and or their business. They
think about, well, going to work on this business that
I'm investing, and I'm going to work on you know,
(17:34):
this business that I work at. But I think, isn't
isn't that a way to think about how that moment
when you realize that you're personally a business. Your time,
your time with your family, your help, what time you
need to get up and get into that chair. You
need to start at six, so you're hitting you know,
as you know you're hitting you know, your work in
(17:56):
nine fifteen, you have, know people coming in and out
of your house, or how are you utilizing whatever you
have in your home or your community. I think that's important.
I got a random question. I remember talking to a
friend of mine who happened to be incarcerated for a
long period of time, and he had a woman that
(18:18):
he married or not married. He was dating, you know
the new dating, you know, basically communicating for so long
and then he ended up I think marrying something like that,
and she got, you know, got to visit him in
jail and you know, he got certain privileges obviously that
you know, for his human needs as well as compassion.
(18:40):
And then he divorced her. I asked him why would
you divorce her? And he said, I'm doing life in prison,
a double life. And she kept calling me with her
damn problems. So who the hell calls somebody with double
(19:02):
life with their problems? Right? And he said, I couldn't
take their problem, you know, her problem, so I decided
to go on my own. He's in jail. Now do
people tell you their problem?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Ah the time? What? And so?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
What is a person? Do you ever look at them
and say, uh, I can't help you? Why because I
physically can't help you, you know, or I mentally can't
help your or what the hell is your problem? And
they're like, well, I just told you my damn.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Problem, yeah, you know with you.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Wait? Wait, also, do people try to borrow money from you?
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Yes? Yeah, because they see the social media, they see you.
I'm around, they see I'm thinking like like I'm thinking
like do you know how much I'm struggling.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I don't find it funny very.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Years to try it and have a person with the
disability work without penalty, Like do you realize.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
That, like I mean, I mean, how to what extent
do they tell you the problem? They'd be like, yo, yo,
do me paper? Can you help me lift this?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
I get what? Oh when I heard that, every think
I've heard they you know, like that's like the dice
to have this thing like people say this. You just
wouldn't believe like I have people like, uh, could you
slide over so I could sit down my legs? And
I said, just a random person. I'll probably this is
a random person.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I'll man, your chair. You're joking. They were they were
joking right.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
No, they're not joking. Would they be like, man, you
got the best seat?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Well, I don't you know that that's adding levity, you know,
because I know the top of the you're in on
the joke or somebody see you know you sent me
some really really bad dead jokes, but you telling me that.
Some be like, yo, man, do you slide over for
a second?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, like you slide over because you know my license
that I'm like, like, you look like it's like it's
I'm sitting like a luxury or something. No, this isn't
like this is another thing too. Anytime two people will
wheelchair like they're like, say, it's like the grocery aisle
or we're beating up somewhere. It does not ever go
(21:24):
like somebody is like, oh, shoot to be a race
and you give you guys a speedy ticket. I'm thinking
like rock like every every.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Time, so you can't listen. Sometimes I'm it's a really
really big room and and you know they're not as
mid African Americans and that. Now, there are two ways
to address it. It's either some for some reason, you know,
they kind of stay away from each other. They're like,
don't let's not act like we all know each other,
(21:59):
you know, And I'm like, no, let's act like we
know each other. We need more in the room. So
are you around and see somebody that we'll say like,
don't say don't say none to me, homie, don't don't
say none to me. You know, I mean we we
no nobody sees the yeah, uh no.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Sometimes we could do that. It just depends out of
the situation. But other times you might get the ones
that are like, hey, out the wheelchair guy, but you're
doing here, which whip tread out the I'm the one
that said this party, I'm the one that's you.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Know hey or do you know, like are your are are?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
So?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I mean, well, why don't you guys just start becoming
haters and just take up the take up the supermarket aisle.
Just two of you guys. And then somebody who comes
with a car. You know, they got a big book
card and but yeah, what's your problem?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Man?
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Aren't you going around? You see no room around here?
Oh with iron leg that sure is nice? Do you
able to do that?
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Its you have to feel the person out that you're
bumping into, cause it's a person that you don't know,
maybe right, but yeah, oh yeah, especially parking accessible parking
and stuff like that. Yeah, oh yeah man, and people
parking that that's like VIP right there, that's VIP without
you know, the person going to part the car for them.
Oh it just you just made me think of this
(23:12):
is a moment in time. This person came into the
shop and wanted to get some graphic work done. Gay,
he wanted to do some log care. All right, okay,
we were about to leave. He held the door for me,
came out. He was like, I held the door for you.
Do I get a discount? Do I get a disc
(23:33):
And even like then he said, you can't move anything.
And I said, no, I'm pair of less than a count.
He said, oh that sucks, like what is wrong with you?
And then of course he was his truck. You know,
he had this this pickup truck was completely painted in
the back window. So it all kind of made sense
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, well, let's let's go onto that though. I'm thank
you for being, you know, having the levity to to
let people to know that no matter where you're at
a lane, no matter out bad and you think you're doing,
somebody will thinks that they got a problem worse than yours. Right,
But let's go on. So your shop, you have a shop,
so you don't only do inspire right, because you do
(24:16):
awareness by design all right, or see awareness. It is
what's called easy awareness by design. So you not only
do it yourself, you know, for your your brand, but
you do it for other people. And you know, where
where do you think if right now? Because a lot
(24:38):
of people don't have goals, and your goals will of
course be lofty because of obviously you have bigger hurdles
than anybody has, but you don't have to be heard
of thing crazy. Where are your goals right now? How?
Do you stay focused on them? And how can people
love from you? Because I want to I want to
bring them one other point about this when you when
(25:00):
when COVID came around, I was checking on you, and
because I obviously you have already challenges of breathing due
to that's it right, you were bedridden. You were in
the bed with swords on your body. You didn't get
out of the bed right around COVID. I believe how
long were you?
Speaker 1 (25:17):
How long were.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
You in bed that you could not physically get out
of the bed with the alteration From March first to
twenty eighteen to December twentieth of two thousand nineteen was
eight hundred plus days. You were literally in the bed
in your home, eight hundred days separated.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Remember when I got up like a year and a
half later for three weeks, and then I relapsed and
I was out for nineteen more weeks. You know. The
only time that I was getting up was go to
Eurologist to get my tube change, which was every two weeks,
and they go to the boot care center so that
they could cut and you sizzle me like a like
a steak man. I'm telling you, man, they sizzled my
(25:56):
they sizzled my butt. Man like a steak would come
in and say, is Eric came here?
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Like mad?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Oh so much? Eight I was bite ow that fellow.
I literally was biting out of that building.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
So so when you when you did when the moments
out of the eight hundreds, so basically three years net
or you know, two two and a half years literally
physically in the bed and that the only time he
got up was to go and get some painful thing
done to you. I know that you've been moving around bits.
So oh by the way, I connected you with ten
(26:29):
X Gary Brent, and I believe and I believe Grant
Card doone right and uh he uh he donated a
lot of his time and a lot of uh medicine
and technology to you because I was telling him about
your bed sores and and and shot. He doesn't get
the credit that he deserves for this.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
Yeah, actually you know beating Gary, uh you know arcidential
meet up when he heard about when I was in
bed rest before because I was already healed, but he
was trying to figure out what caused it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
We worked on like I mean like we coordinated with
my doctor and stuff, and we did a full blood
like panel, a full panel of everything. Come to find out,
my testosterol was like dangerously low h. So we were
able to have that information and be able to work
with my doctor and actually get me on you know,
(27:23):
testosterone therapy and stuff, and actually I was able to
bring the numbers up, you know, from that. There's a
lot of things that I've learned through him with through deficiency,
you know, lots of you know, lack of boxy. There's
so much stuff that.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
You now, you never you have almost never called me.
And I remember, listen, I threw you off the Shark tank.
You had a good time, right you. Clare Gabs came
out and you know, we got some video that you
spinning around and doing some wheelies on the shark tank set.
We were all inspired by you, of course, and Cuban
and all of us. But you never, you never called
me for anything at all. Zero And the only thing
(27:57):
you had called me for, say, hey, I can't get
a hold of the I mean Gary reck of that
you're check him out on that I see you with
and I hit him up in grank cardolla and I
know that they they took care of you. So I
want to make sure the acknowledge that because a lot
of people don't know about the great work that Gary
has done and is doing. You work with your doctors
and be healthy.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Right he still does. I mean we still communicate. I
his text him a couple of days ago about this
air quality, the PM two point fives they were dealing
with right now. I mean, like Gary's very intelligent when
it comes to the understanding of your body with the
violation and stuff is he is able to explain that
(28:35):
process very well. Like the oil refinery you try, you know,
you bring oil up out the ground and it turns
into you know, feel there's a process. Well, our body
does that same stuff and a lot of times, you know,
like everything is the lack of oxygen is you know,
it's that That's how it is. And if you start
to find out that you don't have this problem, you
have a deficiency problem. And that's where like like I said,
(29:00):
I got some some medica, some pills and stuff like that.
So it's it's helped out tremendously. So I mean, it's
it's just a great person to have and and I
just I really really appreciate it. This team and stuff
is there. They've been nothing but amazing, and you know,
(29:20):
I want to make it so. So yeah, absolutely, I
didn't want to turn this.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Into a ten X uh you know, Tennex held Gary
Brecca grand Card on commercial. But you know what, you know,
it's easy to talk about a lot of people out
there in the world and people like to hear that.
But when we you know, give you know, acknowledgement to
somebody like that who took care of you out of
just a phone call for free, still on the phone
(29:45):
with you, help change you know, and and and in
your life in a positive way, has not told anybody
about it. I think it needs acknowledged. So now let's
go over. Let's go over to the point that I
wanted every way to take away from here is how
do you set long term goals now? And how do
you find the power to do so? Because you know,
(30:05):
I just touched on little things like you being bed
rest almost three years right straight from you know, besides
a couple of two or three weeks here paralyzed und
the waist down right, the Senate, You've talked in the
next down seating, You've talked to everybody from the Senate
on and a lot of these rolled and regulations not
changing in the country. You know you obviously you went
(30:29):
through COVID just like all of us. If that thing
got anywhere near you, you were done, one hundred percent
done right, And that was COVID hit right after you
were in the bed eight hundred and something days straight.
Now you've got to be locked up.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
In the house. I know, Ben, we just got the band.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
How to hell do you set goals? And how do
people right now who are listening to this, who are
obviously going to a very challenging times we all are
what do you do to stay called the sum of
these goals?
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Well, well, first we got to talk about how did
I learn how to actually set goals right? Because I
would have goals, but I didn't write them. Die didn't like,
I didn't create the target. And that's not until like
I started helping you with your book campaigns. I was
learning like all this campaign stuff how to do with
book campaigns. And then the different things that we were
(31:37):
learning with you with the academy is there's a lot
of things that I learned, Like what you were teaching
at which you were, you know, was was you know big,
you know, you were very strict on goals, you know,
write it out your six months goals.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Going in your back having I still am some very
strict on me. I probably need to listen to myself
a little bit more that Yeah, I do. I read
them every night. But and you know, people could follow
up one my goal setting techniques. But you know what, honestly,
I slip for a week sometimes or whatever, but I
get back on it. Mm hmm. Okay.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
But it's the main thing that what you just said
just now to your audience is that I do slip.
That you are not like so because people try to
a lot of times when people are out there teaching
that type of stuff, they take it word for word.
They don't realize that, yes, you can have a good
day or a better day, you know, and they yeah,
(32:31):
you're made a slipped the major goals. That's time you
might not have read up for the whole week. But
you know, because you're accountable for your own self that
you go back and you say, but I am, you know,
I make my six months goals, my health goals.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Well, I gotta tell you something else to use it
for us. I gotta sell something you brought to minor.
You know, when I don't feel my goals in time,
I get this anxiety in me about I don't feel
in this way or actually, let's say and actually a
lot of my goals expired July fourth, So maybe that's
why I've been so intense the last couple of days,
going why am I uncomfortable right now? And I think
(33:07):
that what those goals do, especially when you slip, it
almost makes you say, damn, you know what. I'm so
much more effected when I'm reading those goals. Let me
get back to it. It's almost like that warm bed
you have and chirps are traveling or whatever the case is,
(33:31):
and you get back to the one bait you God, damn,
I missed this bed, you know. And I think that
do you ever feel that way sometimes? Because I think
of that time.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
To go it's the bed. But but yeah, yeah, you know,
I feel like I feel like, oh man, I just
spend like an hour to doing nothing where I hear like, Eric,
you want to get out, Eric, you want this inspier store?
What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Like?
Speaker 1 (33:57):
You know, if you're serious about it. The other thing, too,
is when goals are life changing, you'll do whatever yo yo, well.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know, but anyway, don't don't castual on over that.
You just casually said that, because then I think that
you know, you're talking to me and I'm watching you. Yeah,
we're watching each other. You're taking the breaths, right, You're
like goals of life, Shay, goals are life changing, you said,
and you just says, don't take that. What you just say,
get with their life changing. You do whatever, You'll do
(34:26):
whatever you'll I mean, you'll think you'll sleep while you're
eating everything. You're going to be.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
You know, you want to get that that accomplished when
they came to the van. That's a life changing thing
to get that goal.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
But you get for you to get a van to
get that man, and you will do whatever.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
We had a support system, you know, thank you everyone
that helped out with Yeah, that was the goal that
we were able to establish those goals.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
So right now people have goals. They're driving in the car. Now,
they're on the subway, in the officer on the tread
no whatever, so they're walking whatever. They're home right and
damon on, I'm they're not here to listen to me
at the moment. They're here to listen to me, extract
whatever I can to learn from you. How do what
do people do right now who want to accomplish such
big things and they feel that they have and they
(35:16):
do have. Whatever their limitations are, what do you say
to them? What is your mind that? And if they
don't think like this, what do you think is going
to happen? So tell me what they should think and
things that you use to help you well.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
First, one of the things I always say, don't say can't.
Always say how. When you say can't, you have assassinated
your own dream and your goals self. You have self
sabotaged yourself when you say how, how is an open
building block that happens when you stay when you're awake,
and that.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Is to build on that, to build on that. As
Napoleon en balance of other people said, even if you
say there's no way that I will let people hold
me back in your goal, you're reading it. Your subconscious
mind also picks up hold me back. So even if
(36:11):
you said, people say it can't be done, but I
will do it, I want people to pick that up
right because it's almost as though, you know, we describe
if you if you're driving a car and you're spinning
out of control a racer when they say, don't look
at the wall. You keep looking at the wall. To
(36:34):
turn away, You're going to go towards the wall, they say,
turned all the ways. So as you read or as
you listen to your goals, it is how can I
accomplish the words accomplish, do succeed? Surpass? Right?
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah? I mean yeah, that's the what people are trying
to figure out what to do with life. I always
tell them, tell me what, write out what your best
day life looks like? What's your best day look like?
Where would it be? What would you be working? What's
your career? What would you be eating? What would you
be draking? What invire a man? When it's think outside
the box. I don't care if you think that you're
some float on in the sky somewhere. We'd start making that.
(37:13):
Write that all out and it's a working document. And
then now let you know what your best day in
your whole life looks like. Make it happen. How can
you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Can we dig deeper into that? Because about if my
if my best day was, if my best day was,
you know, I tell her where this story. I love
the I love this restaurant. I just goes they made
the most amazing tickle wings. I go in. Then I
decided to invest in the restaurant. Before I know what,
I'm dealing with the people who don't want to show
up to work. I'm dealing with perishable good I'm dealing
with a bunch of crowd. I'm like, you know what,
(37:43):
be careful what you asked for. I just wanted the
damn chicken wings, and now I gotta do all this.
So when day, look at what your best day looks like.
You know, often even as kids, they want to say, hey,
I want to be a I want to be a
horse racer. And if a teacher says that we've learned
from my teacher, gro okay, well let me lay out
all the things you need to do during the week.
You gotta shoe the horse, and you gotta you know,
you know whatever, you know, clean up their crab, you
(38:05):
gotta exercise, you gotta do this, and then well, you know,
kids like, uh, I ain't gonna do that. Uh you know.
So so when you write out that best day, don't
ride out the accomplishment of how you just got that
cheese the end of the maze. Rite out the maize
going through that day. To make sure that that's the
day you want.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yeah, because well that's what brings up a good point
to accomplishing goal. A lot of people just like to
ride out and say they want something. It's kind of
like you know when someone when they talk about winning
the lottery, they'll be like, man, if I get that,
you know, I win that lottery, I'm gonna I'm gonna
do this. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this.
You're like, well, well numbers since you play, They're like, oh,
I don't play the lottery. Yeah, thinking about it, you
(38:45):
know what I mean. Like people like to talk about stuff.
They talk, but they don't the action doesn't happen. And
you know, when something is really going to change, you
were going to try. You're gonna do whatever you can't
to try and climb that mountain to the top so
that you can stream at the world and say I
did it, and then you're gonna go, oh, what's the
(39:07):
next goal? You know, like that's the thing. You know,
that's what it feels like when you get there. We
got that van that day was amazing. When we recorded it,
everything worked out so beautiful. We weren't there in person, man,
which it was so so life changing and being able
to have that moment with my family, both of my dad's,
(39:29):
both of my moms, You and George and it was
just like man like, it was so written and it
was inspire Friday.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yeah, it was all funny, you know, it was beautiful.
Speaker 5 (39:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
It is always amazing to talk to you. And I
think the one thing that I've taken away from you
is and it is like you got a trademark, dish
or whatever, but however you put it is when you
when you're focused on your goals, you'll do whatever and
you can say whatever, ba you know, in the whole way, right,
Because I think that that is everybody can really relate
(40:02):
to that and understand it because anything they've ever wanted
to do, they've done whatever. Now we hope that they're
they're going to apply themselves because the jails are filled
with people who did whatever to accomplish the goal, and
maybe the goal with the right goal, but they didn't
they didn't, you know, their path to accomplishing that goal
probably wasn't the best way and the most efficient way
because once they got the goal, or maybe they haven't
(40:24):
even got it, they ended up in the wrong place
for it because the whole purpose of to get to
that goal is to enjoy it. Right. There's bank robbers, yeah,
who will never enjoy the money. Right. So I think
that that is one of the most powerful things you've
ever said. I'm gonna leave this and allow you to
close it out, but to summarize and break down what
I've learned from you and I always do and you're
(40:45):
one of the most aspiring people. Number One. People are
going to ask you when you can't even move anything
on your body, side, your head and your neck. People
going to ask you but help, Yeah, why to help?
People ask a quadripolitic for money to move over so
(41:06):
they can sit down to help carry you shit. So
if they're gonna add you bout do anybody E will
complain about somebody asking them bazarren shit because there's some
sick puppies out here in the world. You know, there's
a lot of stories I could it's a sick puppy,
you know what. Honestly, that's your social media thing, like
(41:28):
once a week, let me tell you about somebody who
ask me out.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I think another thing is you know trials, I mean,
you know, trials and tribulations come out of nowhere, right boom,
you got shot. You're hanging out on steps, change your life.
Every would put you in the circumstances. You're here of
the twenties, six here even prior to COVID in bed
over eight hundred days straight, bed sores on your body,
and then COVID hits, and you are still getting up
(41:57):
because you are setting goals and you have a bigger uh,
you know, bigger vision in life. And with that kind
of tenacity and that kind of focus, everybody can learn
from that. And after that, I think the most important
thing is that we said, you set a goal, you
can accomplish whatever. So I'm gonna let you close it
out with some final thoughts and of course shout out
(42:17):
to Garrett Breaker and all the healthcare people, the people
that take care of you every single day, the people
that you have. Yeah, and and also something else I
learned from you. Make sure you operate your personal life
like a business. It is a bit. Don't take care
everybody else's business. Take care of your business too. And
(42:38):
what else you got closed aside? Ever, because you know,
I hope you for ever about these things.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
You just gotta say the like and people comes up
you can still ask me for it because one of
the things that we do is we're making this world
a better place. We're medsury people. So when your medsured, yeah,
help people help themselves. You know. That's the thing. I
do a lot of this stuff to advocate it. And
the things I do is for the person of the
future that's coming. I pay homage to the people that
(43:04):
did pave the way and place the path for me
to make my life more quality of life. So I'm
doing the exact same thing to the future, for the now,
for the future, and for the present. The other thing,
too is having a real good circle of supports. Your
support system is so crucial because that's that this helps
with your quality of life. That you cannot be more
(43:26):
thankful and grateful for your support system. You know. That's
why I always say, you know, the gratitude toxic itis.
I'm just having grateful for hours of the support systems.
That that's a big difference. You have supports, that that's
a big difference there and everything. You know, but you
want to live and you want to set your goals,
you want to set your paths, then go out and
(43:48):
make it happen. And if you're scared to even you know,
try something, just do it, because you don't want to
live life when it should it could have. You know,
you want to just say, look, I tried it, I
failed that, I learned from it. Failure is great because
it helps you grow. That's the best thing. Man. When
you fail in some things, you're like, well, I'm not
gonna do that again, or you pick up something else
(44:09):
and you do something else. You can't move forward without failure.
It's just not gonna happen. You'll never be able to take.
You gotta take scratches and bruises. You gotta be beat
down and get right back up the beat down and
get right back of resilience. Resilience is going to get
you to grow that you're gonna be hungry. When I
was laying in the bed for all those days, you
could not imagine when I was like, when I get
(44:31):
out of this bed and back in my chair, up
in the pee, unstoppable. I can't wait to accomplish everything.
Because when you're in bed, you're psychological in your mind.
Everything is like, you know, heavy on you. You can't concentrate.
It's a difficult matter, but you push through it and
here you are. And the one thing I could tell
you every day is I pray. I pray every day
(44:51):
in the morning. So if that's the thing you have
to have faith. Faith has got me to where I am.
It pushes me, it carries me. I would be nowhere
without it. And so and the people that shot me.
I gave forgiveness. So that's the other thing you want
to moment in time you forgive who or who shot you.
(45:12):
The priest came into my room, then I said, yes,
I couldn't speak audio, but my mouth that I was
what I said with conviction. That's the thing. That's why
my life is better and not bitter, because forgiveness, you know,
record and sale and let my life. Never ever did
I let that situation affect me.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
You know, I think that the most powerful thing about
the that moment you gave forgiveness. There's somebody who tried,
who could have taken your life, embarrassed other things, and
you got shot and and and I think that that
moment is what people will ever think about, as well
as so many jewels that you you said in here,
And I believe that that moment really is when somebody
is going to hear this this, uh, this dialogue between
(45:56):
you and I and say like I do because whenever
I have a hard day, I think what would Eric
Patrick Thomas do today? On what is he going through?
Why the hell? Dama you even thinking about complaining? And
I think that moment the list nobody listens to this.
So thank you man, Thank you for always inspiring me
and inspiring us. Thank you for all that you do, man,
and I look forward to more of our conversations, and
(46:18):
thank you always hitting me on the text with inspire Friday, brother,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Thank you for having me. Thank you all right, It's
that everyone.
Speaker 2 (46:26):
All have cheez. That Moment with Damon John is a
production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts
from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show
and don't forget to subscribe to and rate the show.
(46:47):
And of course you can all connect with me on
any of my social media platforms at the Shark. Damon
spelled like Raymond, but what a d
Okay here, like you know, someone's a bit shy air
it's been shy and uh, actually was I heard this?
So it has been shy. I even tried to leg
Oh I got to help that person with it. I
realized it. Oh it's me if what if I.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Told you there was more to the story behind game
changing events?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Get ready for my new podcast, That Moment with Damon
John will jump into the personal stories of some of
the most influential people on the planet, from business mobiles
and celebrities to athletes and artists.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Let's get into it. What s up everybody?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So I am about to spend the very special moment
with my buddy, uh Eric Atric Thomas about that moment,
Welcome to that moment, and I'm gonna be bringing you,
as I always do, really really fascinating people.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
That I'm so learning from and people that you can
learn from. They may not be the people that everybody
knows in the world, but they are people will trust
me that you can learn from and you can then
go ahead and yourself. And you know, as I've been
getting back onto this new platform to me podcasts, I
realize is I want to loosen it up a little
(01:15):
bit I want to have more fun with it, and
I like it when you win. And this is something
you can take away. I want you to take away
from this. When you are out there in the public
eye like I am. You're doing a lot of television.
Well you got to do these single sound bites, right,
got all these lights and producers that I owe, got
to get this. We only have literally for the whole
interview that you're gonna speak at half an hour or early.
They used to read minutes of it. But the beautiful
(01:38):
thing is you all know, and that's why you listen
to podcasts. Sometimes you're just apply on the wall where
you're in the room. We're gonna just look these things up.
So no better way to loosen it up than with
somebody and talking about a topic that is very hard
we're all to speak to or imagine and it all
(02:00):
happens with us in one second, and it can alter
our lives, and we have seen it alter many, many,
many other people's lives. Then my buddy Eric patter Thomas whole. Eric,
tell us about that little incident that you did not
expect that may have been that moment. We will go
(02:21):
over several moments that happened to you a couple of
years ago. Tell us the story.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Feels like a couple of years ago. Thanks for the introduction,
and I'm happy to be here. Great to be on
here again to be with you. Yes, proof that actually
happened almost twenty six years ago. Uh, I was twenty
years old. Hip hop artists that my group Miscellaneous, were
(02:47):
celebrating a music project achievement. Okay, so we got from
the celebration party. I'm in the house like I normally
am for some and I just stood up in mid
conversation talking to the girl I was talking to, walked
outside down the steps, down the in the parking lot,
(03:10):
and I was just gonna go check the parking lot
to make sure everything was going well. You know, everybody was,
you know, nothing was happening. Everybody was staying away from
the neighbors. Maybe out there for five minutes. I came back.
I was by the first step, sitting there talking to
that girl I was talking to on the steps inside
the house, and then the DJ was next to her,
(03:32):
and then, uh yeah, all of a sudden, just within
a flash quicker than a than a strike a lightning,
and someone came around the DJ Van and pulled the
gun bent open fire. I got hit in the neck. Uh.
In the third and fourth vertebrate, I spun to the side.
(03:54):
So I spun to my left, you know, because they
shot me from the back side. Then the other one
grazed the back of this call. Instantly, I dropped to
the span and uh, basically I was lifeless. I didn't
heave any I couldn't breathe on my own. I couldn't
yell out for help. I couldn't move, and uh, but
I could hear things going on, you know, people screaming.
(04:18):
Remember this is nineteen ninety seven, so it's not really
cell phones or landlines and majors. And I could hear like,
you know, someone's been shot. Are it's been shy?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And uh?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Actually, when so I heard this, someone's been shot. I
even tried to leg oh, I got to help that person.
But then I realized, you know, it's me. I'm the one.
I'm the person too. I was just holding out for
life and and I was like, man, late, I'm twenty,
Like I've been trying to accomplish so many goals. This
doesn't end here. This can't be this can't be happening.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Like what did they were they coming there to shoot you?
Or it was uh, the we're all you know, whatever
it's going on.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
You know, we don't know most of the bullets were
in my direction, but there was never a real police investigation.
You know. The basically you know, the police said, you
do music like this, that's what comes with the territory,
so mixed crowd, you know, they wrote it off.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
To to to be clear, and I know that you
are in Flint, correct, Yeah, well you was that inflict
as well. At the time.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
It was at Lancing because I was going to school
for photography at Lancine Community College, so it's out our
outside of Lancing.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So that moment happened. You are just chilling, You are
just checking on people, You're going upstairs randomly. A whole
other issue that people, a lot of people can relate to.
You were you were hit several times and you are
now and you have been since that point. How you
describe your uh, you know, your status right now as
(06:04):
a functioning human being, what would you be What would
you describe as who you are right now?
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, I would say I'm physically, yeah, paralyzed for the
neck down. That's how I would describe it person first language.
Eric is paralyzed for the neck down, and you'd say,
I'm unable to move my arms or legs, so I
use everything. I control my environment using my mouth, my breath,
my eyes, my shined you know That's how I control things.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
So you can't continue. What is it called? Is it power?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
What is what would the dey uh leg or tetraplegic
sometimes wan tetraplegic.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
What is a tetraplegic same thing. It's just kind of
it's I thought it was just super advanced and tetris there,
Well I am, I'm really advanced in texts.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I'm like, I'm like the Tetris of your monopoly.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah. So so, by the way, everybody, let me tell
you Eric start. He he does. He does have an
assisted a vehicle that he rides around in very much
like a stoopid form of a wheelchair. I'm going to
I'm going to speed up where we are today with him.
He does. He uses a device that if you can
see him, it's in his mouth. When he blows into
(07:20):
it looks like a straw, and he operates his vehicle
to move around. And Eric, how long did it take
you to get ready to start your day.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
We're getting better because I've had the same person for
you know, so many years. But I start, you know,
anywhere between like six and then I'm pumped in the
chair by about eight forty five.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, I want people to be very clear. It takes
you an average of about and you're you're cutting down
the time you wake up at six o'clock in the
morning and by the time you are ready to start
your day. Uh, it is three hours.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
But seven. Yeah, Well that's not just to start the day,
that's just getting in the chair.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
You gotta get adjusted. The person's gotta like, you know,
adjust your body, make sure that you're in the chair properly.
Then you gotta eat breakfast, brush your teeth, take your vitamins.
So I start work. Work starts for me at nine
fifteen Monday through Friday. My work hours are nine fifteen
to five fifteen.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Got it? How long will it take you to to
now to get settling back to go to bed?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
About an hour or so. It's a it's a little different.
You get lifted out of the chair and a sling
and you get put over the bed and then you
get down into the bed and then the caregivers gotta
strip you down. Man. It's like stripping. It's like stripping
a car. So try and strip your clothes and take
your bag off and put a night bag on. And
you gotta do skin check because that's important man, because.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
If you skin check, so so you know, I'm setting
the stage so to let people know that you know,
first of all, this is not an easy situation. Or
anybody you.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Know and well, and I know that you you you
talk about your community because you are a public speaker
and a motivational speaker as well as you know.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
You have an incredible brand which is called Inspire. I
think you got to pop up coming up soon or
some of them.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
July sixth or July six next.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, right, So anybody listening to you right now, please
go and check out what is it inspire dot com
or where can we get you?
Speaker 6 (09:32):
Where you can find yourself at Inspire shirt dot com
an Inspire shirt by shirt dot com. You call your
community the invisible because of course we don't think about
those who and so many Americans have been in these
challenging and are currently in challenging situations. But I want
to ask you something because of you know, there's so
(09:53):
many people.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
That we meet that they have all their all your
body functions, are working in they're living in the Deathan Hall.
They're eating you know, three sometimes five meals a day,
they have their children, they have acclos dedication, and they
can run right down the block right now if they
want to. And they think that their life is over
and it could be, you know, we also have mental
(10:15):
illness in this country, right But when was that moment
that you when did you hear or how did go
on show? You didn't need to hear it. Maybe you
thought you would just get better, But what did they
say to tell you that you were paralyzed from the
neck down? And after that, when did you decide? Obviously,
(10:36):
you decide you want to list and you're going to
move forward in life and you're going to be a
productive not only going to live in me, but you're
going to inspire other people. But when did you decide
to do that? Because Listen, I had the slowest growing
form of cancer that anybody can ever have in my neck.
And I saw that and I was like, Okay, it's over,
I'm done take my neck. Oh I'm going to I'm
(11:01):
going to drink myself into a hole because I've had
the best life ever and I don't want to rot away.
And uh, and then I looked at myself and so,
what the hell are you doing feeling sorry for yourself?
I want to know with something ten thousand tons more gray,
when you found out and tell me how you found
out that you were paralyzed. When did you decide was
(11:22):
it then? Was it four years after that one you
decide I'm not going to let this stop me.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
It's a great question. You know. When I was finally
alert again, you know, I had four screws in my head,
like I'm intubated with my mouth, so there's a two
breathing for me, this machine life support that I'm surrounded
by you, my Bob, stepdad, dad, step Bob, there's some
other people and that that's where the doctor and they
tell you because you're trying to move and you're like,
(11:49):
but I'm not stable. You know. The first goal that
really was set was to live. It was kind of
at that moment, it's like, oh, there's more to this.
Like I said, when I got shot, it was like
I was right there at the top of the world
and it crashed in a second. Get a second, and
(12:24):
so that that very mormony was just like, I know
there's more, There's gotta be more than just this, and
God like it felt very unfinished, that I needed to
be staying on this earth. Then of course, you know,
now they'll be see but you know, I just tell God,
I just I knew that I had to survive and
(12:45):
I wanted to no matter whatever the situation was. You know,
I said that. I was like, it doesn't matter what
beck And is going on, I'm gonna I gotta roll
through this, you know. And like I said, at the beginning,
it was just to survive because it took a couple
of weeks to get really stabilized, right you know, So
that was.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Any was it anything? Was there anything at that moment
that you realized and you looked at it as a
target or a goal you wanted to hit, and you said,
I'm not only gonna survive, but I'm going to thrive.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
No, the first goal in the very beginning is to survive,
right if they Once I was stable, then you established
another goal. That was where we had to learn about rehab.
Yet it was to breathe. So just to do this,
just to breathe, just to breathe. That was the next goal.
That was the goal, even to go to rehab, to
(13:41):
get off the ventilator, because at that time, after a
couple of weeks, they said I would never breathe again.
So they took the tube, which is called intubation, and
they put it in your throat. They could make a
cut in your throat, called it tracheotomy. So now the
tube is in your throat, in the machine which is
life support, is breathing for you. That's what it is.
(14:05):
And so the goal, what's the breathe?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Oh okay, so first of all you got a goal
to breathe. Now when the hell throughout that whole time
to breed, you decided I'm going to start a company.
Why would you do that?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Well, I've always had a dream as a child though.
Oh my old clothing brand m You know, I used
to wear my shirt inside out that visualized my name
spelled backwards.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You know, I'm saying I R E.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Which is interesting because that's what's in the trademark of
Inspired is actually, you know, uh, my name backwards and
the P is a backwards C. So I dont blows
your mind. And I was like, wow, I've always had
that that dream, you know, hip pop, the culture of
hip hop everything, and I just wanted to have my
(14:54):
old clothing brands. So while I'm laying at the hospital,
I'm not like, oh, I got on there because I
got this and this to do. But I did have
some type of goal. I just said no what that
goal was. And also I didn't realize like I would
be mentoring people ever camp. I didn't even know it
was considered mentoring. But it wasn't until I came home
(15:18):
March twentieth ninety eight when SSI or SSDI and there
I'm like, well, and now I'm talking because I'm off
the ventile. Later, because I accomplished that goal, where's my
business mentor or like somebody is going to help me
be self sufficient? Then basically like this system at that's
(15:39):
I was just like, well, you don't you just kind
of just stay home and and I'm like no, no, no,
that's like that's not going to work with me. Like
I need to figure out how to create something because
now I want to get back to like I want
to have a family, or like I want to be
able to be self sufficient and grow and and things
like that. And it was like employment side, it wasn't
(16:02):
really happening with disabilities. It started getting deployed, so it
was like it also based on like my lifestyle. It
basically became like you know, a business owner. You know,
I started learning like what it was like to be
a business owner. Not to mention when I started hiring
my own caregivers. Because Medicare and Medicaid a disability network
(16:26):
set up self determination for me, I became a business
owner like almost overnight too, like about a month, I
was now a business owner, managing people for my care,
doing schedules, do it type sheets everything.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Well, that's that's interesting, right because everybody here who's listening,
whether they're parents themselves or whoever. Right, I never thought
of it like that. You have to actually consider you
are the business if you are hiring caregivers.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
Yeah, right now I'm running two businesses, Simon sate. I
have the business of my life because I even ready
for our care like I you know, you have to
constantly make sure that someone's coming in and somewhat, you know,
running a business, you know what it is, no, no, no, no,
but hold on.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
But but this is crucial because whether you are in
your situation, you're an everyday person. People don't think of
themselves as whether they're right, they're health, their personal finance,
how they're managing their home and or their business. They
think about, well, going to work on this business that
I'm investing, and I'm going to work on you know,
(17:34):
this business that I work at. But I think, isn't
isn't that a way to think about how that moment
when you realize that you're personally a business. Your time,
your time with your family, your help, what time you
need to get up and get into that chair. You
need to start at six, so you're hitting you know,
as you know you're hitting you know, your work in
(17:56):
nine fifteen, you have, know people coming in and out
of your house, or how are you utilizing whatever you
have in your home or your community. I think that's important.
I got a random question. I remember talking to a
friend of mine who happened to be incarcerated for a
long period of time, and he had a woman that
(18:18):
he married or not married. He was dating, you know
the new dating, you know, basically communicating for so long
and then he ended up I think marrying something like that,
and she got, you know, got to visit him in
jail and you know, he got certain privileges obviously that
you know, for his human needs as well as compassion.
(18:40):
And then he divorced her. I asked him why would
you divorce her? And he said, I'm doing life in prison,
a double life. And she kept calling me with her
damn problems. So who the hell calls somebody with double
(19:02):
life with their problems? Right? And he said, I couldn't
take their problem, you know, her problem, so I decided
to go on my own. He's in jail. Now do
people tell you their problem?
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Ah the time? What? And so?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
What is a person? Do you ever look at them
and say, uh, I can't help you? Why because I
physically can't help you, you know, or I mentally can't
help your or what the hell is your problem? And
they're like, well, I just told you my damn.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Problem, yeah, you know with you.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Wait? Wait, also, do people try to borrow money from you?
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Yes? Yeah, because they see the social media, they see you.
I'm around, they see I'm thinking like like I'm thinking
like do you know how much I'm struggling.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I don't find it funny very.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Years to try it and have a person with the
disability work without penalty, Like do you realize.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
That, like I mean, I mean, how to what extent
do they tell you the problem? They'd be like, yo, yo,
do me paper? Can you help me lift this?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
I get what? Oh when I heard that, every think
I've heard they you know, like that's like the dice
to have this thing like people say this. You just
wouldn't believe like I have people like, uh, could you
slide over so I could sit down my legs? And
I said, just a random person. I'll probably this is
a random person.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I'll man, your chair. You're joking. They were they were
joking right.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
No, they're not joking. Would they be like, man, you
got the best seat?
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Well, I don't you know that that's adding levity, you know,
because I know the top of the you're in on
the joke or somebody see you know you sent me
some really really bad dead jokes, but you telling me that.
Some be like, yo, man, do you slide over for
a second?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Yeah, like you slide over because you know my license
that I'm like, like, you look like it's like it's
I'm sitting like a luxury or something. No, this isn't
like this is another thing too. Anytime two people will
wheelchair like they're like, say, it's like the grocery aisle
or we're beating up somewhere. It does not ever go
(21:24):
like somebody is like, oh, shoot to be a race
and you give you guys a speedy ticket. I'm thinking
like rock like every every.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Time, so you can't listen. Sometimes I'm it's a really
really big room and and you know they're not as
mid African Americans and that. Now, there are two ways
to address it. It's either some for some reason, you know,
they kind of stay away from each other. They're like,
don't let's not act like we all know each other,
(21:59):
you know, And I'm like, no, let's act like we
know each other. We need more in the room. So
are you around and see somebody that we'll say like,
don't say don't say none to me, homie, don't don't
say none to me. You know, I mean we we
no nobody sees the yeah, uh no.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Sometimes we could do that. It just depends out of
the situation. But other times you might get the ones
that are like, hey, out the wheelchair guy, but you're
doing here, which whip tread out the I'm the one
that said this party, I'm the one that's you.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Know hey or do you know, like are your are are?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
So?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I mean, well, why don't you guys just start becoming
haters and just take up the take up the supermarket aisle.
Just two of you guys. And then somebody who comes
with a car. You know, they got a big book
card and but yeah, what's your problem?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Man?
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Aren't you going around? You see no room around here?
Oh with iron leg that sure is nice? Do you
able to do that?
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Its you have to feel the person out that you're
bumping into, cause it's a person that you don't know,
maybe right, but yeah, oh yeah, especially parking accessible parking
and stuff like that. Yeah, oh yeah man, and people
parking that that's like VIP right there, that's VIP without
you know, the person going to part the car for them.
Oh it just you just made me think of this
(23:12):
is a moment in time. This person came into the
shop and wanted to get some graphic work done. Gay,
he wanted to do some log care. All right, okay,
we were about to leave. He held the door for me,
came out. He was like, I held the door for you.
Do I get a discount? Do I get a disc
(23:33):
And even like then he said, you can't move anything.
And I said, no, I'm pair of less than a count.
He said, oh that sucks, like what is wrong with you?
And then of course he was his truck. You know,
he had this this pickup truck was completely painted in
the back window. So it all kind of made sense
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, well, let's let's go onto that though. I'm thank
you for being, you know, having the levity to to
let people to know that no matter where you're at
a lane, no matter out bad and you think you're doing,
somebody will thinks that they got a problem worse than yours. Right,
But let's go on. So your shop, you have a shop,
so you don't only do inspire right, because you do
(24:16):
awareness by design all right, or see awareness. It is
what's called easy awareness by design. So you not only
do it yourself, you know, for your your brand, but
you do it for other people. And you know, where
where do you think if right now? Because a lot
(24:38):
of people don't have goals, and your goals will of
course be lofty because of obviously you have bigger hurdles
than anybody has, but you don't have to be heard
of thing crazy. Where are your goals right now? How?
Do you stay focused on them? And how can people
love from you? Because I want to I want to
bring them one other point about this when you when
(25:00):
when COVID came around, I was checking on you, and
because I obviously you have already challenges of breathing due
to that's it right, you were bedridden. You were in
the bed with swords on your body. You didn't get
out of the bed right around COVID. I believe how
long were you?
Speaker 1 (25:17):
How long were.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
You in bed that you could not physically get out
of the bed with the alteration From March first to
twenty eighteen to December twentieth of two thousand nineteen was
eight hundred plus days. You were literally in the bed
in your home, eight hundred days separated.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
Remember when I got up like a year and a
half later for three weeks, and then I relapsed and
I was out for nineteen more weeks. You know. The
only time that I was getting up was go to
Eurologist to get my tube change, which was every two weeks,
and they go to the boot care center so that
they could cut and you sizzle me like a like
a steak man. I'm telling you, man, they sizzled my
(25:56):
they sizzled my butt. Man like a steak would come
in and say, is Eric came here?
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Like mad?
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Oh so much? Eight I was bite ow that fellow.
I literally was biting out of that building.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
So so when you when you did when the moments
out of the eight hundreds, so basically three years net
or you know, two two and a half years literally
physically in the bed and that the only time he
got up was to go and get some painful thing
done to you. I know that you've been moving around bits.
So oh by the way, I connected you with ten
(26:29):
X Gary Brent, and I believe and I believe Grant
Card doone right and uh he uh he donated a
lot of his time and a lot of uh medicine
and technology to you because I was telling him about
your bed sores and and and shot. He doesn't get
the credit that he deserves for this.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
Yeah, actually you know beating Gary, uh you know arcidential
meet up when he heard about when I was in
bed rest before because I was already healed, but he
was trying to figure out what caused it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
We worked on like I mean like we coordinated with
my doctor and stuff, and we did a full blood
like panel, a full panel of everything. Come to find out,
my testosterol was like dangerously low h. So we were
able to have that information and be able to work
with my doctor and actually get me on you know,
(27:23):
testosterone therapy and stuff, and actually I was able to
bring the numbers up, you know, from that. There's a
lot of things that I've learned through him with through deficiency,
you know, lots of you know, lack of boxy. There's
so much stuff that.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
You now, you never you have almost never called me.
And I remember, listen, I threw you off the Shark tank.
You had a good time, right you. Clare Gabs came
out and you know, we got some video that you
spinning around and doing some wheelies on the shark tank set.
We were all inspired by you, of course, and Cuban
and all of us. But you never, you never called
me for anything at all. Zero And the only thing
(27:57):
you had called me for, say, hey, I can't get
a hold of the I mean Gary reck of that
you're check him out on that I see you with
and I hit him up in grank cardolla and I
know that they they took care of you. So I
want to make sure the acknowledge that because a lot
of people don't know about the great work that Gary
has done and is doing. You work with your doctors
and be healthy.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Right he still does. I mean we still communicate. I
his text him a couple of days ago about this
air quality, the PM two point fives they were dealing
with right now. I mean, like Gary's very intelligent when
it comes to the understanding of your body with the
violation and stuff is he is able to explain that
(28:35):
process very well. Like the oil refinery you try, you know,
you bring oil up out the ground and it turns
into you know, feel there's a process. Well, our body
does that same stuff and a lot of times, you know,
like everything is the lack of oxygen is you know,
it's that That's how it is. And if you start
to find out that you don't have this problem, you
have a deficiency problem. And that's where like like I said,
(29:00):
I got some some medica, some pills and stuff like that.
So it's it's helped out tremendously. So I mean, it's
it's just a great person to have and and I
just I really really appreciate it. This team and stuff
is there. They've been nothing but amazing, and you know,
(29:20):
I want to make it so. So yeah, absolutely, I
didn't want to turn this.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Into a ten X uh you know, Tennex held Gary
Brecca grand Card on commercial. But you know what, you know,
it's easy to talk about a lot of people out
there in the world and people like to hear that.
But when we you know, give you know, acknowledgement to
somebody like that who took care of you out of
just a phone call for free, still on the phone
(29:45):
with you, help change you know, and and and in
your life in a positive way, has not told anybody
about it. I think it needs acknowledged. So now let's
go over. Let's go over to the point that I
wanted every way to take away from here is how
do you set long term goals now? And how do
you find the power to do so? Because you know,
(30:05):
I just touched on little things like you being bed
rest almost three years right straight from you know, besides
a couple of two or three weeks here paralyzed und
the waist down right, the Senate, You've talked in the
next down seating, You've talked to everybody from the Senate
on and a lot of these rolled and regulations not
changing in the country. You know you obviously you went
(30:29):
through COVID just like all of us. If that thing
got anywhere near you, you were done, one hundred percent
done right, And that was COVID hit right after you
were in the bed eight hundred and something days straight.
Now you've got to be locked up.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
In the house. I know, Ben, we just got the band.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
How to hell do you set goals? And how do
people right now who are listening to this, who are
obviously going to a very challenging times we all are
what do you do to stay called the sum of
these goals?
Speaker 1 (31:17):
Well, well, first we got to talk about how did
I learn how to actually set goals right? Because I
would have goals, but I didn't write them. Die didn't like,
I didn't create the target. And that's not until like
I started helping you with your book campaigns. I was
learning like all this campaign stuff how to do with
book campaigns. And then the different things that we were
(31:37):
learning with you with the academy is there's a lot
of things that I learned, Like what you were teaching
at which you were, you know, was was you know big,
you know, you were very strict on goals, you know,
write it out your six months goals.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Going in your back having I still am some very
strict on me. I probably need to listen to myself
a little bit more that Yeah, I do. I read
them every night. But and you know, people could follow
up one my goal setting techniques. But you know what, honestly,
I slip for a week sometimes or whatever, but I
get back on it. Mm hmm. Okay.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
But it's the main thing that what you just said
just now to your audience is that I do slip.
That you are not like so because people try to
a lot of times when people are out there teaching
that type of stuff, they take it word for word.
They don't realize that, yes, you can have a good
day or a better day, you know, and they yeah,
(32:31):
you're made a slipped the major goals. That's time you
might not have read up for the whole week. But
you know, because you're accountable for your own self that
you go back and you say, but I am, you know,
I make my six months goals, my health goals.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Well, I gotta tell you something else to use it
for us. I gotta sell something you brought to minor.
You know, when I don't feel my goals in time,
I get this anxiety in me about I don't feel
in this way or actually, let's say and actually a
lot of my goals expired July fourth, So maybe that's
why I've been so intense the last couple of days,
going why am I uncomfortable right now? And I think
(33:07):
that what those goals do, especially when you slip, it
almost makes you say, damn, you know what. I'm so
much more effected when I'm reading those goals. Let me
get back to it. It's almost like that warm bed
you have and chirps are traveling or whatever the case is,
(33:31):
and you get back to the one bait you God, damn,
I missed this bed, you know. And I think that
do you ever feel that way sometimes? Because I think
of that time.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
To go it's the bed. But but yeah, yeah, you know,
I feel like I feel like, oh man, I just
spend like an hour to doing nothing where I hear like, Eric,
you want to get out, Eric, you want this inspier store?
What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Like?
Speaker 1 (33:57):
You know, if you're serious about it. The other thing, too,
is when goals are life changing, you'll do whatever yo yo, well.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
You know, but anyway, don't don't castual on over that.
You just casually said that, because then I think that
you know, you're talking to me and I'm watching you. Yeah,
we're watching each other. You're taking the breaths, right, You're
like goals of life, Shay, goals are life changing, you said,
and you just says, don't take that. What you just say,
get with their life changing. You do whatever, You'll do
(34:26):
whatever you'll I mean, you'll think you'll sleep while you're
eating everything. You're going to be.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
You know, you want to get that that accomplished when
they came to the van. That's a life changing thing
to get that goal.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
But you get for you to get a van to
get that man, and you will do whatever.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
We had a support system, you know, thank you everyone
that helped out with Yeah, that was the goal that
we were able to establish those goals.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
So right now people have goals. They're driving in the car. Now,
they're on the subway, in the officer on the tread
no whatever, so they're walking whatever. They're home right and
damon on, I'm they're not here to listen to me
at the moment. They're here to listen to me, extract
whatever I can to learn from you. How do what
do people do right now who want to accomplish such
big things and they feel that they have and they
(35:16):
do have. Whatever their limitations are, what do you say
to them? What is your mind that? And if they
don't think like this, what do you think is going
to happen? So tell me what they should think and
things that you use to help you well.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
First, one of the things I always say, don't say can't.
Always say how. When you say can't, you have assassinated
your own dream and your goals self. You have self
sabotaged yourself when you say how, how is an open
building block that happens when you stay when you're awake,
and that.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Is to build on that, to build on that. As
Napoleon en balance of other people said, even if you
say there's no way that I will let people hold
me back in your goal, you're reading it. Your subconscious
mind also picks up hold me back. So even if
(36:11):
you said, people say it can't be done, but I
will do it, I want people to pick that up
right because it's almost as though, you know, we describe
if you if you're driving a car and you're spinning
out of control a racer when they say, don't look
at the wall. You keep looking at the wall. To
(36:34):
turn away, You're going to go towards the wall, they say,
turned all the ways. So as you read or as
you listen to your goals, it is how can I
accomplish the words accomplish, do succeed? Surpass? Right?
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Yeah? I mean yeah, that's the what people are trying
to figure out what to do with life. I always
tell them, tell me what, write out what your best
day life looks like? What's your best day look like?
Where would it be? What would you be working? What's
your career? What would you be eating? What would you
be draking? What invire a man? When it's think outside
the box. I don't care if you think that you're
some float on in the sky somewhere. We'd start making that.
(37:13):
Write that all out and it's a working document. And
then now let you know what your best day in
your whole life looks like. Make it happen. How can
you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Can we dig deeper into that? Because about if my
if my best day was, if my best day was,
you know, I tell her where this story. I love
the I love this restaurant. I just goes they made
the most amazing tickle wings. I go in. Then I
decided to invest in the restaurant. Before I know what,
I'm dealing with the people who don't want to show
up to work. I'm dealing with perishable good I'm dealing
with a bunch of crowd. I'm like, you know what,
(37:43):
be careful what you asked for. I just wanted the
damn chicken wings, and now I gotta do all this.
So when day, look at what your best day looks like.
You know, often even as kids, they want to say, hey,
I want to be a I want to be a
horse racer. And if a teacher says that we've learned
from my teacher, gro okay, well let me lay out
all the things you need to do during the week.
You gotta shoe the horse, and you gotta you know,
you know whatever, you know, clean up their crab, you
(38:05):
gotta exercise, you gotta do this, and then well, you know,
kids like, uh, I ain't gonna do that. Uh you know.
So so when you write out that best day, don't
ride out the accomplishment of how you just got that
cheese the end of the maze. Rite out the maize
going through that day. To make sure that that's the
day you want.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Yeah, because well that's what brings up a good point
to accomplishing goal. A lot of people just like to
ride out and say they want something. It's kind of
like you know when someone when they talk about winning
the lottery, they'll be like, man, if I get that,
you know, I win that lottery, I'm gonna I'm gonna
do this. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this.
You're like, well, well numbers since you play, They're like, oh,
I don't play the lottery. Yeah, thinking about it, you
(38:45):
know what I mean. Like people like to talk about stuff.
They talk, but they don't the action doesn't happen. And
you know, when something is really going to change, you
were going to try. You're gonna do whatever you can't
to try and climb that mountain to the top so
that you can stream at the world and say I
did it, and then you're gonna go, oh, what's the
(39:07):
next goal? You know, like that's the thing. You know,
that's what it feels like when you get there. We
got that van that day was amazing. When we recorded it,
everything worked out so beautiful. We weren't there in person, man,
which it was so so life changing and being able
to have that moment with my family, both of my dad's,
(39:29):
both of my moms, You and George and it was
just like man like, it was so written and it
was inspire Friday.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Yeah, it was all funny, you know, it was beautiful.
Speaker 5 (39:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
It is always amazing to talk to you. And I
think the one thing that I've taken away from you
is and it is like you got a trademark, dish
or whatever, but however you put it is when you
when you're focused on your goals, you'll do whatever and
you can say whatever, ba you know, in the whole way, right,
Because I think that that is everybody can really relate
(40:02):
to that and understand it because anything they've ever wanted
to do, they've done whatever. Now we hope that they're
they're going to apply themselves because the jails are filled
with people who did whatever to accomplish the goal, and
maybe the goal with the right goal, but they didn't
they didn't, you know, their path to accomplishing that goal
probably wasn't the best way and the most efficient way
because once they got the goal, or maybe they haven't
(40:24):
even got it, they ended up in the wrong place
for it because the whole purpose of to get to
that goal is to enjoy it. Right. There's bank robbers, yeah,
who will never enjoy the money. Right. So I think
that that is one of the most powerful things you've
ever said. I'm gonna leave this and allow you to
close it out, but to summarize and break down what
I've learned from you and I always do and you're
(40:45):
one of the most aspiring people. Number One. People are
going to ask you when you can't even move anything
on your body, side, your head and your neck. People
going to ask you but help, Yeah, why to help?
People ask a quadripolitic for money to move over so
(41:06):
they can sit down to help carry you shit. So
if they're gonna add you bout do anybody E will
complain about somebody asking them bazarren shit because there's some
sick puppies out here in the world. You know, there's
a lot of stories I could it's a sick puppy,
you know what. Honestly, that's your social media thing, like
(41:28):
once a week, let me tell you about somebody who
ask me out.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
You know.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I think another thing is you know trials, I mean,
you know, trials and tribulations come out of nowhere, right boom,
you got shot. You're hanging out on steps, change your life.
Every would put you in the circumstances. You're here of
the twenties, six here even prior to COVID in bed
over eight hundred days straight, bed sores on your body,
and then COVID hits, and you are still getting up
(41:57):
because you are setting goals and you have a bigger uh,
you know, bigger vision in life. And with that kind
of tenacity and that kind of focus, everybody can learn
from that. And after that, I think the most important
thing is that we said, you set a goal, you
can accomplish whatever. So I'm gonna let you close it
out with some final thoughts and of course shout out
(42:17):
to Garrett Breaker and all the healthcare people, the people
that take care of you every single day, the people
that you have. Yeah, and and also something else I
learned from you. Make sure you operate your personal life
like a business. It is a bit. Don't take care
everybody else's business. Take care of your business too. And
(42:38):
what else you got closed aside? Ever, because you know,
I hope you for ever about these things.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
You just gotta say the like and people comes up
you can still ask me for it because one of
the things that we do is we're making this world
a better place. We're medsury people. So when your medsured, yeah,
help people help themselves. You know. That's the thing. I
do a lot of this stuff to advocate it. And
the things I do is for the person of the
future that's coming. I pay homage to the people that
(43:04):
did pave the way and place the path for me
to make my life more quality of life. So I'm
doing the exact same thing to the future, for the now,
for the future, and for the present. The other thing,
too is having a real good circle of supports. Your
support system is so crucial because that's that this helps
with your quality of life. That you cannot be more
(43:26):
thankful and grateful for your support system. You know. That's
why I always say, you know, the gratitude toxic itis.
I'm just having grateful for hours of the support systems.
That that's a big difference. You have supports, that that's
a big difference there and everything. You know, but you
want to live and you want to set your goals,
you want to set your paths, then go out and
(43:48):
make it happen. And if you're scared to even you know,
try something, just do it, because you don't want to
live life when it should it could have. You know,
you want to just say, look, I tried it, I
failed that, I learned from it. Failure is great because
it helps you grow. That's the best thing. Man. When
you fail in some things, you're like, well, I'm not
gonna do that again, or you pick up something else
(44:09):
and you do something else. You can't move forward without failure.
It's just not gonna happen. You'll never be able to take.
You gotta take scratches and bruises. You gotta be beat
down and get right back up the beat down and
get right back of resilience. Resilience is going to get
you to grow that you're gonna be hungry. When I
was laying in the bed for all those days, you
could not imagine when I was like, when I get
(44:31):
out of this bed and back in my chair, up
in the pee, unstoppable. I can't wait to accomplish everything.
Because when you're in bed, you're psychological in your mind.
Everything is like, you know, heavy on you. You can't concentrate.
It's a difficult matter, but you push through it and
here you are. And the one thing I could tell
you every day is I pray. I pray every day
(44:51):
in the morning. So if that's the thing you have
to have faith. Faith has got me to where I am.
It pushes me, it carries me. I would be nowhere
without it. And so and the people that shot me.
I gave forgiveness. So that's the other thing you want
to moment in time you forgive who or who shot you.
(45:12):
The priest came into my room, then I said, yes,
I couldn't speak audio, but my mouth that I was
what I said with conviction. That's the thing. That's why
my life is better and not bitter, because forgiveness, you know,
record and sale and let my life. Never ever did
I let that situation affect me.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
You know, I think that the most powerful thing about
the that moment you gave forgiveness. There's somebody who tried,
who could have taken your life, embarrassed other things, and
you got shot and and and I think that that
moment is what people will ever think about, as well
as so many jewels that you you said in here,
And I believe that that moment really is when somebody
is going to hear this this, uh, this dialogue between
(45:56):
you and I and say like I do because whenever
I have a hard day, I think what would Eric
Patrick Thomas do today? On what is he going through?
Why the hell? Dama you even thinking about complaining? And
I think that moment the list nobody listens to this.
So thank you man, Thank you for always inspiring me
and inspiring us. Thank you for all that you do, man,
and I look forward to more of our conversations, and
(46:18):
thank you always hitting me on the text with inspire Friday, brother,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
Thank you for having me. Thank you all right, It's
that everyone.
Speaker 2 (46:26):
All have cheez. That Moment with Damon John is a
production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts
from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite show
and don't forget to subscribe to and rate the show.
(46:47):
And of course you can all connect with me on
any of my social media platforms at the Shark. Damon
spelled like Raymond, but what a d
Host
Daymond John
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