WEBVTT
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connecting the dots, connecting his guests to the world, creating more connections.
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Welcome to the connection.
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Meet your host.
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Author, coach.
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Air coach, air Force veteran Jay Morales.
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I'm so grateful to have my next guest on the Connection.
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So, as you know, the Connection is.
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I just want to get down to how are they connected, who are they connected to and how do they connect with other people?
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It's kind of like this I was just talking with Nate offline.
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I know him, but I don't know him.
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Oh dang, now I know him.
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So, nate, in order for us to make a connection, let's start real easy.
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How and when did you get to Nebraska and how did you get here?
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Yeah, all right.
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Well, my name is Nate Peitz and I was living in a small town of Hardington, Nebraska, Went to a college in southwest Minnesota State where I started my college career of wheelchair sports.
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I also played.
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What's crazy is I played wheelchair basketball here in Omaha when I was in high school.
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I played wheelchair basketball at UNO.
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I didn't have a college team.
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I obviously played high school, but every Saturday we went for practices, so I never lived in Omaha until 2017.
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September 2017 is when I came to Omaha and started my job at Lexus of Omaha as one of the finance managers over there.
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Funny that I've never run into you there.
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I've I've been into the showroom, but I've never purchased the Lexus.
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That's probably why.
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Yeah, you don't.
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You don't get in my office until you actually buy the vehicle.
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I can safely say I don't have a Lexus.
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No, that's funny.
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So, hardington, you mentioned you know wheelchair sports.
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I want to go right and unpeel the layer.
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It says you were born with a disability called spina bifida.
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Can we educate the public about this?
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And I want to talk about when people approach you, how you want to be seen and treated right Like.
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I'm learning this as we go.
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I've learned a little bit in the past, but, nate, you're a person just like I am.
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Yes, that's, that's how I like to be seen and talked to as well.
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I like people to forget about the wheelchair.
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So what spina bifida is is when you're born with your bottom portion of the back over your spinal cord open at birth, portion of the back over your spinal cord open at birth, and so it damages some of the spinal cords of of the um, um of the spinal cord, and then it's it's hard to um close it up.
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It takes about three, two or two or three surgeries to close up by the.
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By the time they're ready to be exposed, the damage is caused Um, when I was born, they didn't know that I had spina bifida until I was born and my mom actually had to have me early because of complications and they think that possibly saved me from it being more severe than it is.
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But I do have the most severe form, but not that kind of.
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There are just different severities to this specific type.
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Absolutely, and you know, again, like you said, I'd rather people forget about the wheelchair, you know.
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And so here's where I start uncovering the layers or making the connection nate.
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I've known of you, I've known of your wife, brianna, like I've I've seen you before.
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I know you're involved in the community and it's just when you, when you network and you go out, you get to know people, or sometimes you look the other way or you don't know what to say.
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You know, I think when I learned, like I said, I've known you, I've seen you, but I think the last time I got to really witness something pretty magical was when we were doing the 50 mile March.
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Uh, uh, qualifier together right.
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Yes, that was.
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That was the more difficult than I thought it would be.
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But you know, I was.
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I was raised, uh, to accept challenges and I was also raised to, uh, never give up mentality just for how my parents were.
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And I had a physical therapist that you know.
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You figure.
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You figure stuff out.
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Even if there's stairs, you figure out how to get up them I, I agree you figure out how to get them yes.
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When did you so?
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When you were growing up as a kid like young, figuring this out and.
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And you're going through life just as we all do, right, whether what age it is.
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When do you remember yourself talking to yourself in that positive way you are right now.
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How young were you when you started saying I just got to figure this out?
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it was probably when I got introduced to my physical therapist.
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Um you in or in high school when my parents at a very young age told me to figure it out Do not have I can't in your vocabulary.
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No matter what you're going to face some challenges.
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If you fall, you get back up and that's how you do with life and that's how you do it.
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And then I was the only one in my in my family.
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Of five siblings I have, I was one in the wheelchair and they didn't treat me any differently.
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They didn't baby me any differently, they just treated me the same as the rest of my siblings and that gave me the mentality to always be positive and, no matter what challenges that I do have, just keep going.
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Yeah, you know, know, and I think we all have limitations, right and in our own, in our own minds, some of us put self-limiting beliefs that don't even belong there.
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But I think the ones of us who do rise know that, hey, we may have a limited scope in this area, but we're going to do it regardless, like I want people to tell me nate, you can't.
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What do you hear, nate?
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Or what do you?
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What goes through your mind?
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Oh, nate, I, I don't know man, I don't know nate, what do you what?
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What goes?
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See, I see your face smiling yeah, so do you see red or what?
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what happened?
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no, I don't see your red I.
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I just kind of chuckle in my mind, like you know, just just like we.
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We went, I'm part, you know obviously part of the 50 mile march.
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What happened?
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No, I don't see it red I I just kind of chuckle in my mind, like you know, just just like we.
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We went, I'm part of, you know obviously a part of the 50 mile march.
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And when we got the updated route and and Adam called me and he goes oh, I'm so sorry, nate, that I didn't call you before I put the video out that the that the route changed, I'm like you don't have to.
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No matter what, I'm going to accept that challenge, I'm going to do it.
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And you know what?
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I just kind of laugh in my mind and say I'm going to do it Concrete, sand, mud, gravel, I'm going to figure it out.
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You know, nate, let's stay right there, because there are people already who are oh no, I can't believe it.
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There's going to be sand and rocks in our feet.
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What do you say, or what's your advice, like what's your kind advice and then what's your direct advice, what's your advice to?
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somebody who says, oh Well, we're doing this for our veterans, right, yeah, and they endured more pain.
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They endured more challenges than we were enduring on a trail.
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They were in the heat They've been born more challenges than we were enduring on a on a trail.
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They were in the heat.
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They were in the desert, they're in everywhere else, with dust, gravel, dirt, and these were going to be in better conditions than they are.
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And if they had to endure it, why don't we raise money, like we are doing, and and then endure or try to experience as close as we can to what they faced?
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I mean, nate, that, just right there, makes me want to work harder.
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And this is I'm telling you, serious, just your words there.
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I wish I could just play that over and over again, which I'm going to because this podcast.
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But it's true, you are saying this is not about us.
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No.
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And it is going to be difficult.
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When did you know that?
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When did you know in your heart and maybe you didn't know when did you find yourself saying not only can I take care of me, I want to give to others.
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When did that start?
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Or do you have any early memories?
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Or when did you be?
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Do you have any?
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early memories or when did you be For the support that I had growing up with my parents, friends, family, physical therapists.
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It helped me when I was to have that kind of attitude.
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When I see other people's injuries, such car accidents and many others, I had compassion about helping those that were going through that pain, depression or thought their life was over and all they want to do is help.
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From then on, when I was growing up and experiencing more and more of those people that had those type of injuries that made them wheelchair bound, and that caught my heart, caught my soul and you know, from there on I wanted to help others.
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My wife and I started a podcast of just helping people with disabilities and trying to get it out there of resources for those that are wheelchair-bound and anything like that.
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There was a lot of work that still needs to be done but again, my main focus, that I've always had this mindset, is taking the dis out of disability and living life that way.
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I love to take the dis out of disability, brother.
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I think we need shirts and mugs that say that man, I mean, I've heard a lot of things but I haven't heard that.
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Right, take the dis out of disability, because it is a dis.
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It is a dis to someone like yourself who says, oh, it's okay, or hey, let's just work around him.
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That that right there is almost in itself, defeatist language.
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Just as if I were to tell my son hey, you, you can't do that because of this.
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You know what I mean.
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It is just like anytime people say that I can't do it.
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I'm like, yes, you can.
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Yes, you can do it.
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You just got to put your mind to it and it may hurt, may be painful, may do this, but no matter what, you're going to get through it.
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And part of it is when I had.
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My whole family is competitive.
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I grew up in a very competitive family.
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They were all playing competitive sports.
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You know three older sisters, one younger sister, one younger brother.
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Everybody would compete about how fast you can even eat food.
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How fast can people eat their dinner Playing basketball together?
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I'm in a wheelchair.
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My whole family wanted to beat each other and wanted to win.
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My dad is the one that disciplined as well, and you know what you got to talk it to if you lost in a good way.
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But you know what he knew you could do better.
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I've heard the word competitive out of your mouth maybe three to five times already since this few minutes.
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Let's talk about your family.
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Real quick, you said seven of you siblings.
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Is that correct?
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No, there's six of us together.
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Six together.
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Okay, so then with the six of you.
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Where were you in that lineup?
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In the middle.
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In the middle, okay.
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Three older sisters, one younger sister, one younger brother.
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Okay, who now I'm not asking for favorites, right, but who challenged you the most?
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Who made you think outside of the?
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You know, I have one older sister that's really competitive all the time, okay.
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Tell me about her.
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But my brother also, I mean because we're the two boys, yeah.
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So I mean, no matter what it was, sports, other competition, we had always.
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Anytime there was an activity, there was always a bet on who could do better.
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I mean, you know, there's something to be said for that right.
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I mean there's the rivalry, but there's healthy challenge also, and I think sometimes this world is losing that right.
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We are almost looking for everyone to not leave people behind or push someone to be average, and I mean this in every sense of the word, because we're trying to include everyone in everything, and I think sometimes it's okay to stand out, it's okay to work harder than others, it's okay for me to lose sometimes, right?
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Yes, or a lot, or a lot.
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Yes, I'm good with that when you fail.
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That's how you get better.
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Everyone hears that Nate, but what's Nate's version of okay, you fail, you get better?
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What's your version of that when everyone says, know, uh, mistakes are life lessons?
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Okay, that's great, I've read that.
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What does that mean to nate, like, what are some of the things you do to to cope, or to learn, or to?
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since you know every time that I you know you don't see just going around, going around the lake or or going um doing anything like wheeling.
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I try to beat my time Going to exercise coach.
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I try to beat my lifting or my resistance training.
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I try to beat my other record.
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It's always beating my other records.
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I don't have to compete against anybody, it's competing against myself and it's trying to get my personal best personal records and, yes, I'm disappointed when I failed doing that, but it helps me get a better mindset and do better next time and accept it.
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It's all about accepting your failures first before you can get better.
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That's true, and you said something very key.
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I'm not competing against anybody else, you know usually, but to compete against a person you were yesterday, first of all you've got to know where you were yesterday.
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If it was 37 minutes around the lake, or I'm just making this up, if you hit 36.8, that's a freaking win, right.
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How do you apply that outside of that?
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How do you apply that to your professional life?
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Are there any good examples of where you know where you're competitive, where it helps you?
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Because the reason I'm asking this, nate, is there someone listening?
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His name's Bob, or it's some girl named Shelly saying well, how do I make myself better?
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So it's all about serving your purpose.
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It's about serving your purpose with life, doing what you want to do, being happy what you want to do and consider yourself successful.
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And when you feel you're successful, that's all about.
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You know, continue to be happy in your role and satisfying others.
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And, like at my job, you know you have a lone goal.
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You have those goals.
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Obviously, when you achieve those goals, you're happy.
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But can you do more?
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Yes, you can do more.
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You always want to do more, but in order to help others, you've got to be happy with yourself.
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And, like I said, you have your own definition of success and you and you got to write that definition down and then reach that success.
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It's, it's about what your definition is.
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Again, you said something.
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You got to want more.
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You know what's.
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What's crazy is um.
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I think about this all the time and I think the people I choose to podcast with right.
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No one comes up to me and says, can I podcast with you?
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And you know I mean some people I'd have to say no to right.
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Yeah, you can't podcast with everybody.
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But the people I choose to podcast are with people like yourself, as you tell me.
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Hey, it's all about satisfying others or it's about viewing yourself as successful?
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95% of the world does not talk like that, nate.
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I'll be honest with you.
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Look at the people you talked to today or yesterday.
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They're not telling you their ambitions, goals and dreams.
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They're just trying to cope.
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They're just trying to get by, and I think people struggle with this as well.
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They try to satisfy everybody.
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Yes, they try to satisfy everybody in their circle.
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They try to satisfy the people around them.
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You can't satisfy everybody.
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Again, you can help other people, give them advice and help people around them, but you can't.
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You have to realize that you cannot satisfy everybody.
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It's true, and I think, while we want to do good for others and we want others to feel good, there's an addiction to that right and sometimes it's a bad addiction.
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And you, I just I said this in one of my core goals is having time for me means I have to say no to some people.
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It's true, right, like Nate, like today, we couldn't have, we might not even schedule this podcast.
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Maybe you had something going, I had something going and it worked out because we made our time a priority.
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You know, and if it doesn't work out, it's not.
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You can't take it personal, it's business, it's something else, something came up, it's it's purely not taking anything personal and not get down and not getting down about it.
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No, that's, that's incredible.
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I mean, it gives me more insight about who you are and, again, I want people to connect with what the words that you are saying from your perspective.
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I want to talk about your college life of sports, and then we're going to transition into your military connections.
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Okay, so let's let's talk about sports for a bit.
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I want to drill down, including to your awards or achievements in sports.
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Name some of those, or some of them, that are meaningful to you.
00:17:56.442 --> 00:18:03.941
So I ended up getting um winning a wheelchair basketball championship in a D three Um.
00:18:03.941 --> 00:18:08.009
I ended up being first team all American and second team All-American.
00:18:08.009 --> 00:18:16.614
When I was in college I also won wheelchair soccer tournament in New York.
00:18:16.614 --> 00:18:20.851
Sled hockey, played in the finals but didn't quite get there.
00:18:20.851 --> 00:18:24.185
But again, you know you did your best and you got to know you did your best.
00:18:24.185 --> 00:18:30.462
And there's also wheelchair softball where I got third place Wheelchair softball.
00:18:30.462 --> 00:18:33.586
I never got that championship but you just keep on working at it.
00:18:33.586 --> 00:18:38.631
There's just a bunch of sports that I've also tried, but not competitively.
00:18:38.631 --> 00:18:42.945
But you know I always try anything, try anything, all the wheelchair sports I can.
00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.229
I ended up getting a small concussion in sled hockey.
00:18:45.229 --> 00:18:52.567
You know it gets when you see anything on TV, especially wheelchair rugby.
00:18:52.567 --> 00:18:55.060
You know I'm sure people have seen that that's.
00:18:55.060 --> 00:18:57.048
That's actually paraplegics only.
00:18:57.048 --> 00:19:00.388
There is wheelchair wheelchair football as well.