Overcomers Approach

Inspiring conversation with Author, Speaker and Mentor Kijuan Amey on overcoming adversity, embracing resilience, and empowering transformation through military discipline and personal passions.

• Nichol Ellis-McGregor • Season 5 • Episode 7

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Join me, Nichol Ellis-McGregor, as I connect with the extraordinary Kijuan Amey, a figure of inspiration and resilience. Kijuan's life was forever changed on May 5th, 2017, when a motorcycle accident turned his world upside down. Despite waking up 100% blind, several body injuries, and with a wired-shut jaw, Kijuan's indomitable spirit shines through as he shares how his military discipline and entrepreneurial ventures, like Kiwi Enterprise, have fueled his comeback. His story is a powerful reminder of how life's most challenging moments can lead to profound transformation.

We explore the essence of resilience as Kijuan's recounts his journey from the Air Force to enduring a medically induced coma, and the drastic physical changes that followed. He speaks candidly about the struggle to regain basic functions like walking and speaking, underscoring the powerful role of military values and athletic discipline in overcoming adversity. Kijuan's refusal to accept pity and his unwavering determination to live life with purpose is a testament to inner strength, offering valuable lessons on confronting life's challenges head-on.

Throughout our conversation, we also delve into the healing power of personal passions and the importance of mentorship. Kijuan's story emphasizes how activities like drumming and connecting with loved ones can be vital sources of strength. We discuss the impact of being a role model, particularly for veterans, and how reaching out to others can make a difference in their lives. This episode provides a motivational narrative that encourages listeners to focus on solutions, embrace their passions, and find purpose in their own journeys.

You can find more about him on his website https://ameymotivation.com/

You can also purchase his book, "Don't Focus on Why Me: From Motorcycle Accident to Miracle". On his website or Amazon.

Thank you for listening and sharing!

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Speaker 1:

Good day everyone. This is Nicole Ellis McGregor, the founders of the Overcomers Approach. This is a podcast where we meet with different people from different walks of life, different experiences and different journeys, but the overarching theme is that we can overcome almost any obstacle that is set before us and it can propel us to our next destiny and purpose. I'm so happy to have Kiwan Amy here. He's an author of a book called Don't Focus on why Me From Motorcycle Accident to Miracle. He's a motivational speaker. He's the AFW2 ambassador and mentor, retired boom operator at US Air Force Reserve, and he's been a podcast guest on other shows. Kiwan, I am so happy to have you here on my podcast today. I know that you have an amazing story and testimony of perseverance, mental toughness, resilience and you being a veteran, I'm sure you've applied some of those life skills to where you're at today. Please tell me, kiwan, how you got here today. What brought you to this journey? Give me a little bit of backstory on that.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. First off, thank you for having me on your podcast. I really do appreciate it. As far as how I got here, like you said, air Force is where I was. I was also in the reserves.

Speaker 2:

I did four years active and then I switched over as what we call pallet's chase, that's, before you commit or finish your commitment on active duty, so you pallet's chase and go to the reserves and they just add the rest of your time to the reserves. And so what I was doing was not only being a boom operator, which is my original job on active duty, but I was also going to school full time to study for a computer information systems degree, and I was also involved in my own business. I was an entrepreneur already, like I am now, but for a different business. This business would be called Kiwi Enterprise and I would have social media marketing, website design and management, as well as photography. And I was doing that for small businesses because, you know, a lot of small businesses tend to get left out. So I was wanting to focus and hone in on that niche of having small businesses to be reflected upon, such as myself, because I was a small business.

Speaker 2:

So, anywho, I did 10 years Air Force. After the retirement papers were finalized, six were actually served of me actually doing stuff in the military, but I had to wait for a little while until my papers were finished. So one day May 5th 2017, some might call it Cinco de Mayo I call it my new life's journey, and the reason I say that is because the business I just told you guys about, kiwi Enterprise, which is why I also mentioned it I was out doing stuff for it during the day and I had to go to work that night for the military dates, shall I say, for the website that I was working on, I was a webmaster for my church, so that's what I was updating the pictures of the church the outside, because we had added some new pieces to the church and so, anywho, I wanted to get a ride in that day, a motorcycle ride.

Speaker 2:

And so I rode my motorcycle to the, to the shoot, the photo shoot. But then I also was like, ah, it's too, it's too short of a ride. So from my apartment to the church was maybe 10, 10 minutes, one week something. Yeah, that's too short of a ride. And so I went to the lake and uh, jordan lake is where I used to go, because I was gonna sit on the little pier and, uh, just relax, like that's just. All I wanted was to relax, you know, have a peace of mind for a little bit before I went into my next little journey or venture that I had going.

Speaker 2:

And when I was leaving, what, what, what made me leave was the fact that a car went by, because not many cars go by, and a car went by and it distracted me. So I was like dude, I was like, oh, what was that? And so I was like, oh, let me see what time it is. I looked down at my watch and I was like, oh, yeah, I got to go, I got to get going and thankfully, I wear I used to wear watches all the time because of the military.

Speaker 2:

Just kind of kept me in time yes uh, I mean, yes, I could have looked at my phone, but hey, I wore wristwatch at that time, okay. So, anywho, I jump back up, get on the bike and I head out and I'm on the way home and I mean beautiful day, first and foremost, trees whizzing by. You know, I'm on a two, two lane road listening to some Bruno Mars in my helmet because I had a Bluetooth headset, so I'm probably playing some 24 karat magic. Yeah, that was back being, you know, 2017.

Speaker 2:

That was really really big album back then, you know yes, it was I was uh just on my way home, I mean I I was zoned out okay and uh, next thing I know a car pulls out in front of me, a honda court to be exact. Okay, and the only reason I know about this is from the police report, because I have no recollection of it.

Speaker 2:

Okay, that's how bad it was. Wow, I would have to be life flighted to the hospital, which was UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, north Carolina. Okay, grateful for them for doing what they could to put Mr Potato Head back together, and I do mean that because literally from head to from head, all the way down to my right foot, something had to be done.

Speaker 1:

Wow. And you said you really don't have no recollection of that after the impact.

Speaker 2:

Okay, I don't even remember the car pulling out of front.

Speaker 1:

Wow, I'm actually out of front. Wow, I'm actually grateful for it.

Speaker 2:

Okay, because they say that's a protection mechanism that your brain does, because you know how we have nightmares. Yes, we do, but if you have a real nightmare, that real nightmare could potentially kill you. Oh, my goodness, I didn't know, because you're reliving it.

Speaker 2:

Wow, and um, you know your blood pressure going through the roof, all these different things that could happen, right, Uh, but any who? Yeah, from head to down to literally my right foot. Um, I have two metal plates surgically implanted in my head. Ooh, uh, you, I have two metal plates surgically implanted in my head, you know, but the listeners do not know. I'm visually impaired. I can see nothing except for a little bit of light perception out of my right eye. It has to be very bright, by the way, so like sunlight or that really bright light they shine in your eye at the eye doctor, yeah, those types of lights.

Speaker 2:

It's got to be super bright, but anyway. Uh, then my jaw was broken so it was wired shut. When I woke up initially, um, I have a lot of chipped and cracked teeth on the right side of my face. Okay that I had to get surgically repaired. Um, and that was probably the cheapest part of my whole stay was the $20,000 dental bill $20,000 dental bill.

Speaker 1:

You heard that correctly.

Speaker 2:

$20,000 dental bill yes. And so now we move on from my face down to oh, I'm sorry, I can't go past that without saying and you hear how well I speak yes.

Speaker 2:

So, I'm very grateful. They did a great job, awesome. But anywho, and I moved down to my back because it was broken. So two rods, 12 screws in my back, from L4 to T2, for those who know what that means and I broke my femur in my right leg, which is the biggest, largest bone in your body. I broke that and that's surgically implanted as well, okay, um, and my left leg? Uh, I broke my tibia, so that's literally always from your ankle up to your knee. Yes, your shin bone, basically, yeah, and then I fractured my fibula on my right leg and then I have a screw in my right foot.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So that's from head to toe, so they truly put you back together in essence.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so you can say hello to a million dollar man, because literally including the dental bill.

Speaker 1:

I'm worth a million dollar man because literally, including the dental bill, I'm working dollars. Yes, and of course we assume we're priceless. But tell me, and I'm sure, like the recovery was a true process, like you know, to get over. I know when I just from speaking for myself I don't feel well, I've had surgery before it does something to at least me psychologically, like until I feel like I'm up to where I need to be, how did you, and tell me how you, being a veteran, maybe you incorporated this into your healing and recovery? How long did that process take and are you still going through it today, and what really helped you through that process?

Speaker 2:

I'll say I'm still in the recovery process and, like I said, this was May 5th 2017 when it happened. And the reason I say that is because I still go to the gym to keep my body up in shape and so that I'm able and capable of moving. Because, as they say, if you don't use it, you lose it. That's right. Hear me clearly. I was military, but I was also an athlete. I played semi-professional football at the same time I was in the military.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

So I was weighing maybe 185, 190, but it was muscle.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

And when I tell you I woke up in that hospital bed June the 6th, I tell you, I woke up in that hospital bed june the 6th from a medically induced coma.

Speaker 2:

Weighing about 140. Wow, because I wasn't using my muscles, that's right, you know, um, literally, I mean physically, to the point where I couldn't even sit up on my own. I had to pull myself up, wow, uh, moving my leg, what's that? You know, I had to learn to walk all over again. When I first woke up, I told you guys, you know, my jaw is broken, so it was wired shut. I couldn't even speak. Wow, not only could I not see, but I could not speak.

Speaker 1:

So what am I doing?

Speaker 2:

here. How do I communicate? I'm going to tell you exactly how they had me communicating. They gave me a notepad and a pencil. I was like hold on time out.

Speaker 2:

I know everybody in this room knows I can't see, so why are y'all giving me a notepad and a pencil? This is not real. This can't be real, right, but apparently I have been doing it throughout the medically induced coma. Somehow my subconscious was still functioning Right, so it was just enough like they medically induced me, just enough so that I could not feel pain, okay, or remember it, shall I say, right, and enough to function. When people came to visit, yes, um, literally, hear me clearly, I could not see everyone. I still can't, right, 100 blind, okay.

Speaker 2:

And one of my friends said dude, you got so pissed at us. He said you snatched. You snatched somebody phone out of their hand, went to text messages and then typed it out and you barely missed any words. Oh, my goodness. I said I'm gonna tell you right now. I don't remember none of that, but it's got to be all like, uh, like, memory, memory, muscle memory. You know what I mean. Yeah, I said it had to be all muscle memory because I could not see. When they told me that, I was like that's funny, that's really funny. My core values, my principles, things I learned in the military, not only military, but even as growing up, and being an athlete, being a football player.

Speaker 2:

Um, resilience was big in my life and I didn't even know it yet. I just didn't know what the term meant. Right, I was living it. I just didn't know what the term meant until I got to the military. You know they. They taught that, that, to us when we got to basic. So, anywho, I had been doing this since I was a little kid, yes, and I didn't even know it, but now that I know it's a part of me, well, this is easy, right, I know what I need to do. It's time to suck it up, right we got things to do.

Speaker 2:

We got to get back to and this is my call sign in the air force since I was air crew. I said we got to get back to ki, and this is my call sign in the Air Force since I was air crew. I said we got to get back to Kiwi, right, cause that's what everybody calls me, kiwi, okay. So, uh, I was like I don't like this, I don't like moping, I don't like pity parties. I literally had a guy that was you know, that's my friend. He came into the hospital one day and, uh, he, he knocks on the door, he's like, and he comes in. I said, hey, who's that he's like? Hey, man, it's Doug. I said who, he said it again and I said I was like you know, it would be nice if you just come into my room, as if this was you seeing me again and not a funeral, right.

Speaker 1:

I'm not dead, brother, that's right.

Speaker 2:

I'm still here, that's right wow, that was when I could talk, so I my my mouth is not wired shut. Then I could actually voice my opinion then, right hey, hey we don't do pity parties around here, so if you're gonna keep that, you can go back out. That's right. This is my hospital room, right? I?

Speaker 1:

I'm paying for this. That is so empowering, you know, that is so empowering, like you said, when people or when someone wanted to come along and kind of have this, you know, kind of woes me, you know things are bad. Like you was like hold up, pull back for a minute, this is my room, I'm not dead, and we got to get on about the business, we got to get back to Kiwi and I love that. And I love the fact that you said resilience, like you was living it, but you didn't even know what the term was, you know, but you was living resilience and you were, you were, you know, strengthen through those adversities. You were, you know, overcoming and being empowered and moving forward in life and really didn't even know what that definition was, but just, it was a part of your core being and value and living and that is so powerful, because I think people get these bumps in life.

Speaker 1:

You know, whether it's a job loss or relationship or family life lives for all of us at some point. You know, whether it's a job loss or relationship or family life, lives for all of us at some point. You know, and I think it sometimes it can knock the wind out of us. Yeah, and it's like, you know, do I have what it takes to even move forward? You know what is left of me.

Speaker 1:

You know and I think you being a shining example here, the miracle to say what happened to you and you are still like, persevering, you're still taking care of business, you're still going to the gym Like you're still. You know those qualities that you learned as an athlete, those qualities that you learned, you know, being a veteran and I'm sure just who you are intrinsically as a person comes through and I think that's so empowering and so so much for people to just take away and know that there there is another side to the adversity and I know like during those times, like you, you got back to business. But during those times where you might've hit a low, what, what, what brought you back up again. You know, or did you ever hit a low? I brought you back up again, or did you ever hit a low? I should ask, or what did that look like? Or what did that feel?

Speaker 2:

like we all hit a low. Yes, it just depends on how low yes.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, now your low could be oh man, I don't know if I'm going to be able to get up and clean up the day. I really don't feel like it. If it be one of those days, you just feel like laying around being lazy and I did something all day, all week, and you want to create an excuse, yes. Or it could be to the point of where I got. It could be to the point where your girlfriend at the time ghosted you, right. It could be to the point where friends stop coming by to see you. It could be to the point where you're getting frustrated because you don't know how to use a phone yet. Yep. It could be to the point where you're always stuck in a house and you can't just get up and drive.

Speaker 2:

Wow, see, people, and me included, take these things for granted until something happens to you. Yes, yes. And then the other part of that is when somebody asks you for help. Who is in that situation? And then you're like oh, here we go again. They're always asking for it. Oh, always calling my phone, jesus. When they call somebody else, what if you're the only person that's answering? Have you ever thought about it that way?

Speaker 1:

That is powerful. Have you ever thought?

Speaker 2:

that you're the only one who's responding and you could probably be their last hope. And I speak on this because of, like I told you, I'm a mentor, but I'm also an ambassador for the Air Force Wounded Warriors program and we have a ridiculously high suicide rate in the military alone.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Because nobody's there for me.

Speaker 1:

Yes, wow, and I'm so happy. Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for your service. Oh, absolutely. I want to say thank you for calling veterans out in the suicide rate. I work as a community resource navigator for public safety for the city that I live in, so I'm part of the dispatch diversion team.

Speaker 1:

We do have vets that call in who are suicidal, we redirect them to veteran services if they want it and their support systems, but there is a crisis out there, not only for veterans, because it's for other people who are going through as well, but just to call it out, because people who served for us, you know we owe them a lot. Thank you again and it is a real thing. And the fact yeah, the fact that you said you might be that only person that is answering the phone.

Speaker 2:

yes, yes, and it's so interesting because, uh, with my mentors or mentees that I that I mentor they, the. There's one guy that I just recently um got as a mentee. There's one guy that I just recently got as a mentee and he's going blind. I think it's hereditary. I'm not sure he's going blind for something that I believe is a part of him, right, and he's like yeah, man, I'm getting ready to get married and we want to have kids. I just want to be able to see my kids grow up. I'm like see, you're focusing your mind on the negatives. Let's figure out how to turn these things into positives.

Speaker 1:

I get it. You're going to lose your sight.

Speaker 2:

But now let's figure out. Okay, what am I going to do before I lose my sight? To help me when I do this? Yep, yes, okay, what am I going to do before I lose my sight? Tell me you, help me when I do. Yeah, yes. And so I started telling him about I don't have any children and I made it plain to him I don't have any truth. But I have nephews and I don't. I can't see him anymore, so I can't watch him grow up, right. Two, I've never seen you know, um, and said you know what I do? I ask them, I interact with them. I said, dude, we be on the floor wrestling like ain't nobody here. You know what I mean. I get out there and we are having a good time. Yes, and that's what you got to do. Hey, man, what do you got on your shirt? Oh, it's a shark. Oh man, that's got on your shirt? Oh, it's a shark. Oh man, that's cool. What color is it?

Speaker 2:

right oh, wow, what kind of shoes you got on. Stephan curry's man, you got some money, yeah, and that's how I interact with them. Yeah, and that's what we had, like. I was just on the phone with my nephew the other day and he's at home calling me and I said, man, you don't never call me. He said that's because your number's all the way at the bottom of my contact list. I said you know what I ain't gonna you for that, I can't even you for that, right, but he was playing spider-man. I said hey, man, are you like shooting webs or something like, because I could hear it in the background, right, okay? I said are you shooting webs or something he's like? Oh, yeah, I'm swinging through the city and now he's explaining the game to me. Right, see, all we have to do is interact, figure out how we can make this thing work for everybody.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, you know and um, that was one of the biggest things for me is self-advocating, and then just interactions. Yes, I know how to you know, carry out a conversation that's not a problem so that's the easy part.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, now he's just bringing, instead of asking closed-ended questions, open-ended questions. Yes, to get them interacting with you. Yes, and so that's what I do. And he, he was, so he was like man, I didn't even think of it that way. Yes, I said, but that's what we're here for. We're here to talk and communicate and what we can do for you. Man, I'm not just here all about AFW too, I'm here about you too man, exactly, that is so you know.

Speaker 1:

You brought some practical things, which is you know we can engage, interact, communicate, talk, ask open-ended questions, not closed questions, to engage, to get that communication going. I kids, adults, people because I think people are more isolated than than normal, than what I grew up with. I feel that there was way more engagement with people when I was younger, in person or just talking. You know, technology is a pro and a con.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But what? What people are looking for is that connection, and so the fact that you told him you know, focus on the positive. What can you do before you lose your sight, when you do lose it? These are some of the things that I've done, and I'm still engaged in life fully. Those were very, very, and it's so great that you're there, because I can't even imagine if you weren't there. It would be giving him the insight and the perspective, and you have this lived experience too. Exactly so you're walking the walk and talking the talk.

Speaker 2:

I'm living it and that's what I was telling him. Dude, I'm living it. I'm like one of your best resources. You're right, you know. So I'm like, hey, if you look, if anything, you're just like not sure. Just give me a holler man. I mean everybody else that you deal with are excited, that's right. Everybody else you deal with are not losing their sight.

Speaker 1:

That's right.

Speaker 2:

So how would they help you?

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Yes. And another thing is I have a have an event coming up in May. It's my annual event. Yeah, you know, it's right around my motorcycle accident. It's called the Will to Overcome. Will stands for win in life's lessons. How do we win in life's lessons If we're always thinking negatively?

Speaker 2:

You can't win in life's lessons. That's right. That's the first thing. So let's change our mindset, yes, and shift into the positive, the positive side. Let's turn it around. Turn on positivity, yes, turn it around. So if we're thinking positively now and now we're thinking optimistically now, there's things that can happen. If you're forever thinking about the problem, the problem, the problem, you'll never get to the solution. No, not at all. Hey, I done found some solutions. I'm going to tell you right now, because I was so distraught when I could not go back to playing semi-professional football, you know, because people were reaching out to me on Facebook hey man, what team are you playing for next year? We really want you to come play for us, stuff like that. I was so hurt. It made me so depressed. I was like I've never been able to play that game again. Then I was like what can I do? I have competed in seven different sports since then?

Speaker 1:

that's amazing.

Speaker 2:

Yes to the point where it took me to disney world and I was there for two weeks, for a week free for free f r e e.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we love that word free, yeah, yeah and I was eating for free.

Speaker 2:

I was on the rides for free. Listen, you can't tell me nothing, that's right. I competed in in seven. Well, that year I competed in five, five events and I got five medals.

Speaker 1:

We're not just talking about 10 people competing.

Speaker 2:

It was over 200 people competing in this competition. I won five medals, five One for each event I competed in.

Speaker 1:

Oh my goodness, wow. Listeners, I hope you're listening, because Tijuan has set the standard of what can be done here.

Speaker 2:

Hey, the wheel. We've got to have that wheel to overcome.

Speaker 1:

Yes, the wheel to overcome, yes, and to shift our mindset.

Speaker 1:

Like you said, that's where it starts to the positive, because if we stay in the negative mindset, we can't even get no solutions going. We can't even figure out what can work, what are the possibilities, where can we go? Um, I know we're close, we're closing in at the end of our podcast interview and I wanted to ask a couple more questions for those that, um, I hit it hit a tough place in her life, whether that's physical, mental, emotional or it could be a combination. What do you, how do you what? What methods do you bring into your daily practice that you feel helps you overcome and continue to pursue your goals?

Speaker 2:

do you have it like a daily ritual that you do, or I would not say daily ritual, I would would call it, you know, make sure you have something that is you. Yes, ok, so so, first things that a lot of people do is they lose themselves.

Speaker 1:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Whatever, whatever the obstacle may be, they lose themselves. Yeah, and so that's what we don't want to do. And what I mean by that is I was a drummer before my accident and I'm still a drummer till today. I started playing drums at age of seven. Imagine if I couldn't play those anymore. You know what I mean. I would be so hurt. I got a great story about that. First off, I was in the hospital, still at UNC, laid up in the hospital bed. My friend, who's also a drummer, comes into my hospital room and he hands me a drum pad and two sticks. You would have thought I already went to Disney World. You would have thought I already went to Disney World. I mean, that was the best gift I had got the entire time I was in that hospital.

Speaker 1:

I love it for a couple of reasons. My husband's a drummer. He started playing in church when he was like 3. He started playing at home On the table. He was driving his mom kind of crazy with drumming and everything so she got him a drum set.

Speaker 1:

Then he started playing it in church and now he's into music production and does a lot of things in the field of entertainment and music. And I do have to say, when you said, do something, that's you, because that is definitely him and you know when he, he gets in a studio every day and he drums or he'll do something in the production or he does things on keyboards and I really feel like it is totally him. It brings, he continues and he's always going to be that. And so I love the fact that you said you know that's you and that's something that you've been doing since you've been seven, because I do believe that whatever you is and whatever you do, that's a healing component and it brings uh through.

Speaker 1:

And you might have heard heard this in the field of like therapy, um, and I work with uh licensed providers. I'm not a licensed provider, but what I do know with a lot of families is that uh, having a modality that is healing to you and that's you, whether it's a sport, whether it's music, whether it's creativity to tap into that, you know, and to do and walk through that, because it brings so much greatness to your life if you just go in that lane and just flow, and so I love the fact that you said that. And so for our listeners, whatever that you is, it may not be music, it may not be drumming, it may be something that's unique and procured to them, but that's okay, because that's who you are and God makes us how we're purposed and destined to be, and so I just love the fact that you said that Don't get away from you, don't lose you in the process. Do not.

Speaker 2:

And another thing, like I told you guys earlier you as well as the listeners is that I couldn't play that sport of football anymore because I can't catch, I can't see what people are running to. You know all these different things that come along with playing the game yeah but you know one thing that keeps me grounded with it going to the gym, I had to lift weights in order to play that game. That's right. So that's my connection, yeah to football is going to that gym.

Speaker 2:

Listen, when I'm in that gym I'm a different version. Oh wow, I'm telling you right now people be like man, you all right, I'm like what are you talking about.

Speaker 2:

I said, oh, I said that's just my in the zone face, that's right and so and so I don't want. You could ask anybody that I went to high school with. They will tell you the 165 pound pound Kiwan Amy that was pushing up 275 pounds on the bench press was a beast. It was not playing games, okay, right, anybody would tell you. So, uh, I I was definitely one to stay in the gym, of course, military, I had to keep working out and running and stuff, so that was, that was like a giver. I was like, oh, I had to keep working out and running and stuff, so that was like a giver. I was like, oh, this is great, I get paid to do this. Yeah, this is awesome. Everybody else had a problem with it. I was having fun, awesome. And so the last thing I will say about you know, or give the listeners that I use yes, this quote that stuck with me. Some people might remember this TV show, very, very famous. It's called the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I remember the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and it's not even an Uncle Phil quote, it's somebody else's quote, but it was the. It was in the beginning seasons of that show where Will was playing basketball for the Academy Bel-Air Academy, the show where Will was playing basketball for the academy Bel Air Academy. After the game because he had let the guy go by him and score Will, let him go by, he didn't even play defense. Anyway, he was saying to the guy man, I just wanted you to impress the scout that was in the crowd.

Speaker 2:

He was like so you're just going to let me go past you to impress some scout. He's like man my mind is not focused on, or he's like I'm not focused on this ball. I want to get in school for my mom.

Speaker 2:

He said man somebody pay me, in the analysis, to play the ball. That's fine. But he said this is what really brought it home, this quote right here. But he said this is what really brought it home, this quote right here. He said because he was really trying to say that his son, because the young man had a son in high school yes, and he was trying to give him a way out, because he was on the rough side, yes, and he was like he said you've been watching too many made for TV movies. He said my situation does not define who I am. That's right. I define who I am, that's right.

Speaker 1:

And when I heard that I said hey, I like that and I'm going to receive that and agree with you, like my situation does not define who I am. I define who I am. I define it, I define it and that gives we have that power within us and that resiliency in us to stand on that, because that's who we are, that's what we're created to be and we have the power to do that within ourselves. So, no circumstance, no situation, no mistake, no accident, you know, whatever loss or hit we took in life, that doesn't define us. We define who we are Exactly. Kiwan. I love that and I receive that man. You gave so many wonderful nuggets. You are definitely a miracle in your book. Don't focus on the why me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Motorcycle accident to miracle, If people wanted to purchase your book. Do you have a Web site or where can they go to to purchase your book or where can they contact you?

Speaker 2:

I do have a Web site and that link is on there. So the book is called don't focus on why me from motorcycle accident to miracle. Other than the website, you can go straight to Amazon or Kindle or Apple books. For those who like to listen to their books, because I did put it in audio, you can go there and search it. Or, like I said, my my website, which is amymotivationcom. Again, that is A-M-E-Y motivationcom. It has the link up there to purchase the book as well.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Thank you, and if they wanted to reach out to you as a keynote speaker, they can reach out to your website as well.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, absolutely. It should have a book me or book now link up there.

Speaker 1:

Okay. Thank you, kiwan. This was an amazing conversation. Thank you for being that lived example. Thank you for being that example for people to say if he can make it through, I can do it too. Thank you for being out there for our veterans to live, to live and walk, to talk and walk it, you know and to be able to mentor and be able to connect. Thank you for reminding us that we may be that one phone call, that we may be that one person that answers, and so to step outside of ourselves and it may. You know, life gets busy for everybody, but let's stretch ourselves out of our comfort zone, let's communicate and let's engage, because that's what's going to keep us moving forward. Thank you, kiwan. I so appreciate you being here today with me. Absolutely, thank you, thank you.