HemoLife Podcast
Welcome to the HemoLife Podcast, where we explore how to live an elite life while managing a bleeding disorder or other rare conditions. Dive into educational, entertaining content with stories of high achievers, expert advice on mental health, nutrition, and exercise, and the latest relevant news to elevate your mind, body, and soul.
HemoLife Podcast
Finding Purpose Through Helping Others: Kevin Leurquin's Journey
What happens when life's greatest challenges become the fuel for your greatest purpose? Kevin Leurquins story answers this question with raw honesty and profound wisdom.
Growing up with hemophilia A, Kevin faced severe ankle arthritis and contracted hepatitis C from contaminated blood products. His year-long treatment became what he describes as "rock bottom" – a suffering that paradoxically opened his eyes to who he truly wanted to become. Rather than surrendering to bitterness, Kevin made a conscious choice to transform his pain into purpose.
The conversation explores how Kevin discovered the transformative power of gratitude, making it the "nucleus" of his life. He shares practical approaches to building resilience, from visualizing success despite physical limitations to breaking challenges into manageable steps. His insights on maintaining momentum – that delicate balance of discipline, consistency, and self-forgiveness when we falter – offer valuable lessons for anyone navigating life's obstacles.
Perhaps most compelling is Kevin's work as a mentor in the bleeding disorder community. Through his local Hemophilia Treatment Center, he helps younger patients discover their potential while providing the understanding that can only come from shared experience. "How would that 14-year-old self look at me now?" Kevin asks, reminding us that our greatest healing often comes through helping others avoid the struggles we faced.
Kevin transforms how we view chronic conditions, suggesting that hemophilia isn't merely a disorder but a unique perspective that creates special qualities in those who live with it. As he puts it, "Greatness is inside you... you're put on this earth for a reason."
Whether you're facing health challenges or simply seeking inspiration to overcome life's obstacles, this conversation offers profound insights on resilience, purpose, and the true meaning of becoming your own superhero. Connect with Kevin on Instagram @KevinLeurquin and join the Hemolife community to continue the conversation about turning challenges into stepping stones.
Host: L.A. Aguayo
Co-Host: Drew Kochera
Thanks for tuning into the HemoLife Podcast. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a spark of hope or encouragement. Follow us on Instagram @HemoLife_Podcast and YouTube for updates, guest highlights, and behind-the-scenes content. New episodes drop regularly—your story matters, and this is just the beginning.
Welcome to the Hemolife podcast your gateway to transformation and empowerment. Hosted by Elia Aguayo, we're diving deep into the world of rare disorders, unlocking the full spectrum of your potential. Each episode, join us as we connect with pioneers, wellness experts and true survivors survivors they're here to share powerful stories and invaluable insights, from mental resilience to physical health, community news to life-altering strategies. At Hemolife, we provide the tools you need to excel and inspire. Prepare to elevate your life, learn, laugh and grow with us. Let's embark on this journey together.
Speaker 2:All right guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Hemo Life Podcast, the show where mindset meets resilience and stories inspire transformation. I'm your host, la, and I'm joined again today by my incredible co-host, drew. He brings a wealth of perspective and he's also someone that lives with severe hemophilia.
Speaker 3:A Thanks, la. So it's always powerful to be here, especially when you get to dive into real, raw stories and members of the bleeding disorder community who are doing more than just surviving their fright.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and today's guest is no exception. We're honored to welcome Kevin Lurkin, a passionate advocate, mentor and a man who is truly living out his purpose by helping others. Kevin has turned challenges into fuel, setbacks into stepping stones, and his journey is all about patience, persistence, gratitude and growth. He's a mental health advocate and a hemophilia mentor, and someone who believes in becoming your own superhero even when the odds are stacked against you.
Speaker 3:He's also involved in an innovative mentor program through his HTC that could be a model for communities nationwide. Kevin's work, especially through Bigger Than the Trail, shows how healing often begins with helping.
Speaker 2:So, Kevin, welcome to the Hemo Life podcast. If you don't mind, introduce yourselves and give our audience a little insight of your accomplishments thus far. A little bit more about your hemophilia journey.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. Yeah, thanks for having me LA. So I come from Green Bay, wisconsin, so I live with hemophilia hemophilia A, so mild to moderate, and kind of throughout my journey I kind of had you know, just kind of it was a learning journey, like taking my hemophilia and, instead of being you know better, turning it into better and kind of fueling my purpose through. You know some of the trials and tribulations that I've had, whether it be, you know, having severe, you know ankle arthritis or having hepatitis c and and just having, like you know, the, where I knew to have a physical. It always tests you for hep c or HIV and it's like it's always like going into that. You know that physical was like it was so negative. It's kind of just the chips kind of stacked up and then I kind of like, all right, I got to really focus on being grateful and turning that and pivoting that into purpose.
Speaker 4:And you know I've been able to do a lot in my life. You know really compliments to my mom and my father for teaching so many great values, so many, you know, great lessons. He taught me how to bowl well or golf, or I mean very multi-faceted sports. You know I started working out at 18. I got into even bodybuilding and always tried different things. You know from even you know see the obstacle course racing but I just kept on trying to push myself further and try to learn as much as possible.
Speaker 2:Yeah that's awesome. So you know, were you the first person in your family to be diagnosed with hemophilia?
Speaker 4:So my, yeah, my uncle Jerry, he was the first person with hemophilia. Oh, okay, and my, so my mother was the carrier, but in my immediate family I was the only person, yeah, and how old are you, Kevin, by the way? I'm 46.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I guess you grew up in that timeframe. Then, when hepatitis C and you know the, you know I guess it was HIV, right, Was there another one or was that kind of the last? I still have two. So hep C and HIV, Okay, so that. So I'm guessing you got contaminated blood at some point. How did that conversation go? Cause I I'm really curious on how your conversation went, compared to mine. I'm saying that because I know when they, the doctors, told me and my mother about contracting hepatitis C, they made us seem like it was no big deal whatsoever. And you know, I'm kind of, you know, and it wasn't until I got older where they were like, hey, your liver is doing terrible, and and then I kind of had to address it. But so what, what? What age were you when they told you about hepatitis C? What?
Speaker 4:age were you when they told you about hepatitis C? So I believe I was in my, my mid, my mid twenties, you know. I would say I was maybe, like you know, 18, 19, because it was really kind of like, yeah, like, okay, how much, how much should I drink? You know, it's a, you know, sacrifice my liver. So it was kind of a, you know, a conversation that, okay, we're going to, we're going to monitor your levels and once they get maybe high enough or to a certain area where we need to, you know, take some interferon or start the treatments, yeah, we're going to, we're going to take that, take that approach. And it was, yeah, it was a very they're okay. I mean it was, yeah, it was a very they're okay.
Speaker 2:I mean, it was a conversation that yeah it was like, yeah, it was kind of like no big deal. Okay, so it wasn't a big deal for a while and then at some point in your life it developed and you had to. Did you have to do treatment for it?
Speaker 4:yeah, yeah, it was like a like almost a year-long treatment of injections every week, so it was. I mean, it was a heavy dose of in the first six weeks where you you got sick a little, you lost some weight. So it was, yeah, you know, decrease the timeframe.
Speaker 2:So it went from like a year to three months as far as that process goes. But I know that was a miserable for me and like in my book that I wrote the first book that I wrote I use I talk about that timeframe as being like my rock bottom in my life and kind of like the pivoting point for me where I had to discover, you know, my reason for living, my purpose. Who did I want to be? Like it completely opened up my eyes to how I wanted to live my life. Did you, did you go through hepatitis C?
Speaker 3:I went through HIV and Hep C, okay, and I I was diagnosed between eight and 10. And I had. Actually I had a, a rookie doctor, that came into the office and said, so you have hemophilia. And I said, yeah, he said, and HIV and Hep C. And I kind of looked at him. I was like what yeah? And then my parents came in and there was a whole thing and being explained and you know what it was and how I got it and you know it was rough growing up with that secret.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because back then you know it was.
Speaker 2:It was associated with something else, maybe right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it was so looked down upon.
Speaker 2:Really yeah.
Speaker 3:Man, that's crazy yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I know, for me, with the hepatitis c stuff like that was something that as I became, you know, young adult, going into the dating world and stuff, like you start to fear that conversation that you would have to have with your sister or whatever, like you were, like man, is this gonna how do I say this? How do I word it? How you know, make it seem like I'm not, you know, going to give you something? And I did have to have that conversation when they would, even with hemophilia alone, girls would be like, so can you give this to me?
Speaker 4:Because this is, you know, it's always been, it's been crazy, but Absolutely, and it's yeah, because it was kind of like I rarely growing up, I felt like I'm not going to tell anybody I have hemophilia, yeah. But then when you have the conversation with your girlfriend or you know planning families and it's like, okay, how is this going to affect, you know, our offspring?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. I mean, the key is just to be good enough at you know in bed that they don't care. That's really the simple answer.
Speaker 3:I'm like really you know in bed that they don't care. That's really the simple answer. I'm like really well, I mean today that's totally different than it was back then. I mean we've, you know, the chance of you know, if you are undetectable and have a zero viral, then a chance of spreading. It's almost for ways for what you want for hiv, hiv, gotcha, yeah, okay, and so you know it's it's HIV was HIV was spreadable, I guess, like it's part of my ignorance to the audience and stuff.
Speaker 2:But so HIV, you could spread sex, yes, sexually blood, oh really, yeah, yeah, oh damn yeah, so that would have been even harder. That's a real hero, but yeah, I thought that'd be kind of a cool talking point, you know, just because, well, I guess you know it's not as relevant anymore because I guess not nobody's really going through the hapsy stuff these days, but maybe for the old timers listen to the show will be like yeah, people that were on like in the 70s and 80s, yeah, for sure, you know crazy times, yeah, I know, and then you flip.
Speaker 4:Uh, you flip it like okay, look at our time. And then now you look at you know today's. Now people are getting, you know, gene therapy and are going to basically like rid themselves of hemophilia. But I think one thing that you know are us old folks with the, the joint bleeds and damage to the joints, like, okay, well, we need to. You know, can't forget us. I mean, we still need to have conversations about mobility.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. And so I have a question for you, cause, like we had, we just had the episodes with Chris yeah, and Chris was saying that he just had, like you know, a few bleeds throughout his life. I mean, sam, what year did you, did you experience a lot of bleeds growing up, or was it just a few key, key bleeds that just messed up your joints to make, to make you go into that, look into the exosin?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was just a few key bleeds into my my right ankle and it's. I just remember, like you know one accident see it, and you know one accident see it and you know, maybe not not infusing right after, and then just that was kind of like one of the things is like do I infuse, do I infuse or not? You know it's like I used to know they and it's, and so, yeah, my, my ankle is, uh, it's end stage arthritis. I'm going through a, you know, I mean it's very limited, very limited range of motion, but hey, just one bleed I'm not saying just one.
Speaker 2:It seems like just a few bleeds and that's enough to do that much damage inside your joint. That's crazy.
Speaker 4:Yeah, do you have target joints? Myself, it's just the ankle, just the ankle, just the ankle.
Speaker 2:Okay, yep, do you have multiple target joints? Is it both your ankles?
Speaker 3:Both ankles, right knee, right shoulder, right elbow.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, and mine's, my two ankles. That's crazy.
Speaker 3:Can you share a pivotal moment when a patience and persistence helps you overcome a significant challenge?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So I'd say, like, when I was in that you know, that timeframe, when I had that ankle issue, you know, I really had to kind of dig deep into, like you know, having that key mindset being being strong. And you know, like, before I even found this, I had to like really kind of shut off the, the noise of people asking. And when I was limping and you know, okay, I need to really just I had to visualize, like you know, that I was already running or I was already already there. I was already, uh, having that sense of, you know, uh, there was no pain, like that was that was my thing.
Speaker 4:I was like, oh, almost like, uh, I wouldn't say lying to myself, but it was like it was like I'm manifesting the, the, the vision I had for being able to move in, mobile, you know. So it was like really just a point where I really had to kind of just emphasize like, you know, this is going to get better. I mean, there's other things out there. This world is so large and I feel that somebody out there is doing this, being able to run or being able to just have an ankle, that's healthy. I mean, I did a lot of research. It was, like you know, I felt like I had this you know inventive spirit, where it's like this something, something's gonna, you know, pop up and something's gonna, like you know, happen, where I'm going to find something you know like.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:I had this philosophy and this mantra. That I live today is like find a way you know.
Speaker 2:What do you contribute? You know your, your mindset that you have today, you know, like, for for me, I didn't really feel like I had a lot of good, like mentorship or guidance from parents or anyone to like give. To give me this mindset that I have today, but that I, you know, I also see it in you Was it, was it your parents that gave you a good foundation for learning how to deal with these setbacks and to help you know to form these good perspectives through what you're going through.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean a combination of my mom and dad giving me some incredible lessons, you know kind of even seeing they were super disciplined but also the folks mentors that I had growing up, uh, where, like, where I worked. So there's some key. You know folks that that guided me. But also, you know, just getting out there and and trying, failing. You know getting into getting evolved into weightlifting, uh, when I was like 17 or 18 years old and just like you know each, each rep is is kind of that. You know the reinforcement of that goal of getting stronger and building that mindset. So that was key.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's a. You made me think of a quote. There's a guy that I follow and his name's James Clear, and I just love his mindset on everything. One of the quotes that he uses a lot is you don't rise to the level of your goals, but you fall to the level of your system. And I love that you know, because it's you know anyone can sit there and say I want to achieve this and you can have these huge aspirations, but you know, just because you wish it and you want it and you know it's not going to really come to fruition unless the systems that you put together, that you have, will lead you there. You know your systems could be your values, your habits, your mindset. It could be your environment, the people that you surround yourself around. So it sounds like you know you had some good systems in place and I think that when I look at the community, being from my perspective, working in a specialty pharmacy, I get to deal with a lot of different people from a lot of different places, a lot of different environments and upbringings, and I'm seeing that a lot of these individuals they don't have these key, fundamental things that that help them succeed.
Speaker 2:And you know, like when Kevin's speaking, I just he's saying all these right things, that that's the way we're supposed to handle these adversities and situations that we go through we have. We have to learn how to form the right perspectives and attitudes and mindsets and behaviors. You know, like, every single rep that he takes, you know. You know that's the other thing that James Clear says is every single action that you take essentially cast a vote on who you want to become. You know so it's, and that's true. You know, like, if you want to become you know a bodybuilder, then you know you need to. You need to go to the gym Every time you go to the gym. That's, that's, that's one vote for who you want to become. Then you know you eat right. Okay, well, that's a vote for who you want to become, that you'd like to be. I think that's awesome that's yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4:I love what you know, james clear, and you know with his, his book. I forget the name of the book, but he's got so many great stuff yeah yeah, I share a lot of his stuff.
Speaker 2:I've, I've, I've been listening. I don't I always say read, even though technically I'm listening to it, like on a podcast something or not a podcast, but like the audiobooks. Audiobooks, yep, yeah. But yeah, I definitely live a lot by some of his foundational ideas. It's really cool. So you've heard of him. That's pretty cool.
Speaker 4:Yeah, definitely in the, I'd say, one of my key when I first started into this transformation of self-discovery and just kind of like Wayne Dyer was one of my key influencers, but there's so many out there I listen to now, whether it's Ed Milet or Louis Owes or Humor Game.
Speaker 2:Lab. I love Ed Milet for sure. I would say Ed Milet is pretty much my go-to as far as I relate to his personality. A lot. I think on my journey of trying to reinvent myself, I didn't have the mentors in my life, so I had to start seeking out all these individuals that I wanted to be like, and I would just start studying one person at a time At one time Gary Vaynerchuk and Grant Cardone, ed Milet, simon Sinek he's really huge on leadership. Andy Frisella he's local in St Louis. He owns First Form. I loved his stuff. What I found is that I would look up to these individuals and I would study their behaviors and how they treated people, how they talked, how they presented themselves. But then I would love some things and the other parts I'd be like okay, I hate this about you, like you're too cocky or too this Like, but I just love being able to pick off of each, each person, and that's kind of how I learned what it looked like to be empowered and successful and healthy.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, you gotta, you gotta draw your own, your own information from it yeah, and kind of mold it into your own.
Speaker 4:And I think that's what the kind of community needs is is like you know people like yourself, and just leveling up and hey, this is what you know, this is what you can, you know can become yeah, yeah, and we'll talk about that a little bit later, I think towards the end of this show.
Speaker 2:We're going to talk about that. I'm I'm super excited to learn about what that is, because that's something that I've been dreaming of. I guess part of like my vision is having some kind of mentorship program, so we'll jump into that pretty soon. But one thing you mentioned is the importance of gratitude to you. How is embracing gratitude influenced your daily life and interactions?
Speaker 4:yeah, I mean it, it's, uh, you know, it was just such a huge game changer.
Speaker 4:Uh, you know, having being grateful for, you know, I'd say, like when I had, you know, some tough time, especially when I was dealing with, you know, my ankle issues, I I really kind of like made a decision to to be very grateful for, like you know, like being able to function, being able to talk and be able to kind of be grateful for the things that I, that I had, because, because things did suck and and really, you know, like just being able to, you know, even walk. So I took that gratitude and you know, okay, instead of having this bitterness, I, I really chose gratitude to really become the nucleus of of my life. Uh, you know, and it really kind of just changed my whole perspective on how I looked at things. I mean very appreciative for, you know, even being present in these small moments, even with my family, yeah, I think you know. So, yeah, gratitude is, and then having that gratitude every day, it's like something that really inspired me to be, you know, reaching, you know, into my other values too.
Speaker 2:That I that I learned throughout my life so like give our listeners an idea what that? What does it look like to practice gratitude as, or is that like, a daily behavior? Or is it more of being conscious throughout your day to like know what your self-talk is saying to you? So maybe, maybe, maybe your self-talk all of a sudden is saying man, I, you know, I hate my life, or something you catch your like, you catch yourself saying or man, this sucks, this sucks. And then you I know that for me that's that's one part of it is you catch that self-talk and then use, and then you, I mean, are these internal conversations or are they? Is it something that you write down you journal about? How do you express that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I do a little bit of journaling every day. I kind of look at what I you know, what I accomplished or what are some things that I was grateful for, but also the day-to-day stuff, like even if it's you know, things that happen in that are. You know, you get even you know it's kind of like that internal dialogue of you know where it's like okay, even you know it's kind of like that internal dialogue of you know where it's like okay, this, you know, if there's a situation that that I can't control or it's even a situation that you know, I just you know it's like yeah, you get stuck in traffic or this happens or that happens.
Speaker 4:Yeah, then it's like, okay, I gotta, it's a reframe, like taking that, you know that challenge and okay things, this is going to be okay, yeah, Even if it's a hemophilia. You know a challenge where my ankle swells up, it's okay, this is, you know I'm. I'm going to be going to be okay, I'm. You know, it's a different form of gratitude, but it's like I'm grateful for you know this, you know this treatment. Yeah absolutely Just small things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that, um, I really want people to understand how important it is, because sometimes when you just say it, it doesn't seem like it's that powerful. The thing you know it's like, oh okay, I'm thankful for this, thankful for that. But like, if you seriously do it with, like you know, a good heart and open mind and actually if you practice it, you know a lot of times it doesn't just work right away or maybe you don't see the significance right away. But if you just, like I would say, if you've never done it, to start off journaling and in the morning and just you know, write five or 10 things down that you're grateful for and say it out loud, and each single you know thing that you talk about to yourself when you're saying out loud, give yourself some time to let it sink in and really visualize what that looks like. You know, like I'm thankful for my kids saying out, I'm, I'm, I'm in the room alone, but I'm saying it out loud and I'm visualizing my kids' faces and what makes them happy.
Speaker 2:You know I'm thankful for my house and I'm just like thinking man, and then I have a perspective, like, maybe think back, man, where, where did I used to live. What did I used to have? You know, like, let all, let it soak in, give yourselves 10, you know, five, 10 minutes to practice that, and then you'll start to realize the power that it does have and especially, and it's going to be a go-to tool that I personally use. This morning I was having a really bad morning. I just have a lot of things going on in my personal life that's, you know, becoming very hard, and that was a tool. It's. You know, it's something I had in my back pocket as I was driving to the gym. I turned down the music and I'm like you know what you got to do, buddy. You know there's your tools right there. So I started speaking out loud and then I follow up with prayer or something usually, and it's crazy how much it works.
Speaker 3:Well, you know to build off of that. I think when people get to the point of hitting rock bottom, you know there are so many resources out there that can help and you know just to reach out to someone. You know someone, a sounding board, you know someone to give you advice or or anything I it's it's important to to to find help.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's good to have that person. I mean, have you, how have you, or what's your experience with, like asking for help? I know, for me personally it's been really it's always been a struggle to ask for help. Is there someone that you go to when you're needing some mentorship or help?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's. Yeah, as a, that's always been an area where I I struggle with is asking for help. Just because you know, you can kind of feel like you're, you're, you're less, or I'm going to, I'm going to get it, but it's like I do have some, whether it's my brother or I have some cousins that I asked for kind of a sounding board or a friend of mine. So it's definitely something that is you gotta, you gotta speak up because people you know you're people going through tough times all over the place.
Speaker 2:Especially like someone like yourself, who I look at you as, like you know when we talked about in the beginning, you're, you're a leader in the community, you know, and so a lot of times when you, whenever you assume that leadership position, it does make it even harder sometimes to to ask for help, but speaking of you know, feeling your purpose through helping others.
Speaker 4:How is helping others fueled your own sense of purpose? Yeah, helping others, I mean it's. It's really something where I, I always ask my, my question, like you know how I, would you know that 14-year-old self, you know, like my 14-year-old self, how would that you know person look like, like, if I had a 14-year-old self? Would I, you know, how could I benefit that person to really have that sense you know, and guidance of you know it's like you have a family figure but something that comes from the same place and walk the same path you had. You know it's like, yeah, this is, you know, having that purpose and understanding this is, this is going to be.
Speaker 4:I mean, this is going to be okay, and I think that having that sense of purpose is is incredible to like, not only just to fuel my own passion, but it's like this is something that, like I, how I, I will live each day. Is that that purpose? You know, it's kind of so many different areas of of like when you look at at purpose, but it's like it's looking at you know, how can I, what is my, what is my actual service? What am I put on this earth for?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I feel like you know it sounds like you've asked yourself all those like really deep questions. You know that that serves you and helps you find that purpose. You know, if you never really sit down and ask yourself these powerful questions and you're never going to have any direction and know where to go Right. But it's crazy because when Kevin's talking, it's like I feel like I'm listening to myself. You know, like I literally that's how I would have answered. It is that like for myself. I, I asked myself you know what would I tell the that 14, 15 year old self that was struggling, that didn't know where to go, that felt alone and depressed. It was no direction and it's like so that's the person I'm self-developing into right now, so that you know who's that guy that could have been a leader to that little boy.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. And my father passed away, you know, three years ago and I have so many great lessons from my mom and my dad and it's like you know one of the things that my dad had taught me everything that he knew, so it was like he was always one that you know had such, you know, authentic, you know service leadership, like he always was the first person to help somebody if they needed a new roof or needed a tool bottle or need something. So it was like I need to. You know he's, you know he's, he's watching over me and it's like I gotta, I gotta show up, like he showed up for everyone else.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, with with all of that being said, what advice would you give to someone looking to find purpose through service?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'd say, you know, I would understand, like, what your strengths are and what your value is. And how can you really take what you've learned and it's got to be coming from a place, a good place, that's authentic. What you've learned, and it's gotta be coming from a place, a good place, you know that's that's authentic. You know, I think it's something that you know, you, you kind of just like that you you give and don't expect anything in return, just more of like, a, a way to just have that sense of like, finding what it's gotta be in in really good alignment. So I think it's something that you know that really is is just, you know, like I said, it's got to come from a good place, it's got to be in good alignment, and I think it's something that you know we really have to, because when you look at it, it's like also you're, you're benefiting them, but you're you're more or less also benefiting yourself with just your sense of fulfillment. So it's, I mean, give me that.
Speaker 2:I think that's a key that I think that you're kind of speaking on, the key that it helped, that, what helps people find their purpose? Cause I know that for so many years, when I was growing up, I asked myself that it's like I feel like a lot of us might go through that stage where we're searching like, where do we find our purpose? Where do we find our purpose? And we start where we're usually thinking of you know, bettering ourselves and what can we do for us. But I think that you truly find that purpose when you switch that mindset and you start asking what you can do for others and what skillsets that you have based off of your experience and things that you've gone through, things that, like you said, the key words that you said were being in alignment and genuine. I think when you can be in alignment, you're genuine and you switch to what can I do for other people, then that answer starts coming up what your purpose is.
Speaker 3:I think what the cool thing is is.
Speaker 2:Every single one of us has a different story to tell. That's what's awesome. Single person, that's what's awesome, and that's why you have to be unique to yourself. Yeah, so many people want to look at someone else's life and say I want to copy that. You know, and, just like I said when I was searching for other people's successes, I wanted to copy certain mannerisms and actions, because success leaves clues, so I wanted to find what those clues were, but then you have to make it something that's natural and genuine to you, and that's what's so cool. Like you said, we all have a different upbringing, different schooling, different parents, different everything that shapes you, and that is powerful and unique, and that's why this platform is awesome that we can share our stories. Your voice is powerful. Yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 4:I think that's that's what I want everyone to know is like how powerful their story is and that's one thing is like uh, you know, cool thing is with purpose is like, you know it's when you kind of learn a new skill, like yeah, you're you're learning it and then you're perfecting it, but then, like, once you like, step three is like teach it to somebody else. You know obviously you're you're gonna get even more better. Like, if you're looking at obviously the growth mindset, it's like, yeah, teaching it somebody else through your purpose, it's like, yeah, just, I mean it's like you're just skill building on top of skill and you cultivate your growth mindset.
Speaker 2:Is that something that you're always thinking about every single day or on a weekly basis? How does that look like for you?
Speaker 4:Yeah, like I always look at you know how can I, you know, how can I get you know 1% better, how can I get you know that that edge whether it's through like listening, learning, meditation, you know, meditation, looking at ways to just increase no matter what area of my life, whether it's my personal life or fitness, or even at work it's like how can I grow in the competitive edge? I mean, that's all part of me and part of yourself and it's like I want to win and it's like I want to. I want to win and it's like, oh, I need, I need to find, find that way to get better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what I found like in my life is that I kind of had to break it up into certain phases, you know, over. You know you have to play the long game first of all. So don't ever think that you know you have to play the long game. And then you kind of I've always broken it down. You know, like maybe one period, one quarter of the year I'm focusing on, you know, my mental health and you know, maybe there's a couple of keys there. Then maybe this next phase I'm working on my physical health, Then the next phase I'm working on my relationships, and then maybe spiritual phase, financial phase. You have to start breaking it down and like really honing in. But the key is, while you're working on those things, that you're building these core values and habits within that area, and then eventually they all start to come together.
Speaker 2:Because I think a lot of times what we see on social media right now and what's getting really big, is so many people honing in on the financial aspect and letting success be defined by how much money you make. You know like that's your values, but then what happens is, yeah, maybe, maybe we're getting, we're seeing how much young people making millions of dollars but then are falling apart. On the other aspects, you know, relationships, your mental health, all these other things are getting destroyed. So you truly have to work on everything as a package and play that long game, have that long-term vision, so that eventually it'll all come together.
Speaker 2:And I'm a type of person who thinks that you can't have it all. Just because you make a lot of money doesn't mean you can't have an amazing relationship, an amazing family. I think that as humans, we are built to constantly grow and evolve to be able to manage all that properly. But there's going to be some phases where you know you don't have that balance. Like, I don't believe that you're always going to be balanced. You know, sometimes you're going crazy in one area and the other area is going down, but eventually you know I think that's the goal is that we can put it all together and live a fulfilling life.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely, and it's yeah, being being flexible in those areas and always learning, you know, from what you know that journey.
Speaker 3:So staying disciplined is challenging. What strategies do you use to maintain discipline towards your goals?
Speaker 4:So I really look at, you know, with discipline, I look at, you know, my key sense of like like I use, utilize, like you know, kind of break it into miniature mini steps.
Speaker 4:Like, like I use, utilize, like you know, kind of break it into miniature mini steps.
Speaker 4:And you know how I, you know, look at like, if I'm going to tackle something that's that's large, I look at ways to to really kind of break it up into into chunks and and really try to look at, you know, the, the big picture, like the kind of visualizing that end goal and how it's how it's gonna, how it's gonna feel when you get to that moment top, I think it's uh, and really just having that sense of like.
Speaker 4:You know, you know you're, I always look at what when I had like challenges with my ankle and it's like I look at ways that okay, how I got through that, and then I look at like this is yeah, this, I'm just gonna go do it. And I'm very, like you know, methodical on like, you know, getting to, you know, the gym at a certain, you know getting to, you know the gym at a certain time, or, but if I fall short and miss a workout, you know, I don't, I don't hold it against me, I just, you know, I just let's just still just go next time, just go harder next time.
Speaker 2:Yeah and make up for it. I love that. A lot of people just miss a couple of days and then they drop off the horse, complete. But it's okay. Like you said that, self-talk needs to be like you know what, who cares? Like it's cool, I'll get back, you know, it's okay that I failed. Being okay with failure is, I think, one of the most crucial things that you have to develop in your life, for sure.
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. Everybody you know has setbacks with whatever they're doing. How do you do that without losing momentum?
Speaker 4:yeah, I look at as uh, you know, just staying, staying patient in in. Really. I look at as like you know, even like if you're not making like progress, you can still kind of build up the momentum in your, in your mind and having that sense of you know like building the process and redefining that. I think it's uh and it's definitely like I don't look at it as a setback. I I look at it as like maybe like a setup, especially when it comes to, like you know, say, a business like okay, this is just a relearning of how I, how I can do it better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I have a question. Hey, I have a feeling that.
Speaker 2:I kind of know what your answer would be like. But I feel when you start like honing in on momentum, it's like a, it's almost something I'm kind of trying to figure out how to word it it's almost like you feel it. It's like a feeling like you know. You know when you have that positive momentum, but you also know, like, when you've lost it. And it's crazy when you have when you like stack. I think it's like when you stack all these wins.
Speaker 2:I think I think momentum comes from discipline and you're doing like these same actions. You're being disciplined, you're doing the things that you don't want to do, no matter what, every single day. And all of a sudden, like I look at it almost like as a visual, like a battery, a battery like no, your momentum, just like you know it's full, and all of a sudden things just start rolling. Things are going great. But then maybe you decide like for me, like I think of, like my bodybuilding days and like competing, and I'm just like I'm three months in, I'm doing amazing, and all of a sudden I'm like you know what? I want to have fun. I'm going to get drunk, I'm going to have some drinks, I'm going to have some fun.
Speaker 2:You let it go and then all of a sudden that momentum bar is like OK, cool, you can do that, but here we go, I, here we go, I'm going to deplete that battery now, and the next day you wake up and it's just different. You just feel like I just lost that, all that momentum that I had, you know, through one bad decision. You know, and I think it's all those decisions I think that I think sometimes we underestimate I know I'm kind of going everywhere, but I think that sometimes we underestimate how powerful one decision is that we make every single day. You know, I think we get so used to just making decisions without thinking.
Speaker 3:I think the trick is that you don't let that define you. You know you don't let that one mistake define all of the progress that you've made up until that point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. You definitely can't let it define you. Yeah, and I just, but I know that I just, I don't know for me personally. I just feel it though whenever. No, I did it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, do you feel like? Is that? What do you relate to that at all? Yeah, absolutely. Or maybe you can explain it better than I did yeah, I think, I, absolutely I think it's somewhere.
Speaker 4:You know you, because you you want to stack those, those wins, and you know you have that sense of, like, uh, of resilience and yeah, you want to kind of continue.
Speaker 2:You know, keep and fight that, fight it's like a superpower once you like, stack it all together and you're just like on. You're just like on top of the world, you know. And then you got to like protect it.
Speaker 4:The ball lost one bad choice and it's like you're knocked right off but I don't like looking at like you know, you can definitely go like on the flip side, like you got the momentum and it's like maybe it could be like over over training, when you think that that momentum is like you're going too fast, yeah that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It's so hard, though. There's so much to learn in this life. Why does it gotta be so damn hard, you know like, why can't life be a little bit easier?
Speaker 4:like, come on now I know, yeah, like come on chat gpt. You know, like, give me the road, give me the roadmap.
Speaker 2:Dude. Elon Musk just needs to come out with that little chip. We put it in our little heads Everybody's good, dude, and everybody's good. As soon as that comes out, I'm jacking two of those sliders in my brain.
Speaker 4:Heck yeah.
Speaker 3:My dream is to have titanium limbs.
Speaker 2:Dude all the way with you, man, I would. If they came out like what's that? Like mortal combat, one guy with like steel, like jacks? Oh yeah, I'll take that, man, I want to look at that.
Speaker 4:You're gonna be friends with the tsa though swab.
Speaker 2:Well, now tsa will have flying cars, right. Oh gosh, that's awesome, but hey, so I want to jump into this next. I kind of like finish up with this, but I was super intrigued when you started talking about the hemophilia mentorship program that is going on. Tell me a little bit, a little bit about that. What's going on there, and is this something that we could expand? And maybe, you know, other HTCs can do something similar?
Speaker 4:Absolutely Our local HTC for the last few years. They have one day in the summer where we have a mentorship program. We have a mentor and a mentee and we ropes courses and climbing walls and you know it was a lot of fun to just to get kids, you know, exposed to their some of the limits, but it was something that just it's such an awesome experience to learn from, you know, the kids and the kids can learn from us, and it's such a, you know, I wish we could expand it where it was, you know, uh, ongoing, an ongoing thing that's what I think should happen.
Speaker 2:That's what I think should happen because I mean, I've I've seen things like, uh, gut monkey doing their like oh yep, their mentorship program through what you know, their programs. I never attended that, but I've heard that's awesome. But I think we need some kind of like big brother, big sister type thing where you get assigned someone you know that that that you would be fitting with, and you mentor them for a process. You know, maybe once every three months you get to go out with that person and then maybe they're you know, they have access to text you talk to, you, ask you questions.
Speaker 2:I think that we need someone that you know, especially little kids or people you know, young adults, whatever. They need someone they can reach out to and and someone that can relate to them and have these conversations, because the longer you you hold these conversations in and you start getting self-doubt, um limiting beliefs that start to develop. You know those are powerful once you get older, and so I think you need someone that's been through the ringer already and can help you through those times. Absolutely, kevin might be my big brother now. Man, I'm going to hire him as my mentor.
Speaker 4:Likewise.
Speaker 2:I'm going to be picking you up and, hey, what's your workout plan? Take you to a trampoline park where we can both have bleeds.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but when I went to Nepal, we had a chance to of these, some of these recipients from Save One Life and, like some of these homes, we visited and had a chance to talk to some of these, you know, these kids. I mean it was a small timeframe but it was like it was, so it was so great to, like you know, hear them, hear them talk and just kind of learn. Learn about their story, yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:I think I really think that you know so kind of like. My vision has always been that I would create some kind of non-for-profit eventually, and I don't know if it would be a part of a HEMO, the HEMO life branding, or how it would work. You know who I could partner with, but I feel like there's a lot of unmet needs out there still, and I think the mentoring program, I think that would be a staple part of of the not-for-profit that I would like to be a part of. But I would also like to be a part of something that that helped fund, you know, give resources to the people who have a dream and they want to make that dream come true. And maybe you know cause.
Speaker 2:I'm like like we talked about earlier, looking back at your younger self, I didn't have I I, I grew up as a dreamer. I just had huge dreams, huge aspirations, but I had nobody there to help me battle the internal battles that I had, the physical battles, and someone who could even fund it for me. You know who's someone who could even fund it for me? You know who? Someone who believed in me to give me these opportunities. I seem like I was always searching for that growing up, and I would like to find people out there that have really big dreams and and maybe they need some resources to get that funded, or maybe, maybe it's just, maybe it's not even all about money, but maybe of it's money, but maybe it's the mentor part of it that's going to help them to do something big.
Speaker 4:Absolutely Maybe. It's just one connection away from making it all come together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would love that. I just want to see us do some big things. I feel like we're already breaking barriers and stuff. We're seeing so our ceilings just get higher and higher and higher. Oh, how's your community? We're seeing so our ceilings just get higher and higher and higher. It's amazing to see.
Speaker 4:And yeah, it's such a you know, I'm just so honored to be part of this and I feel like, you know, having hemophilia, you know it's not a disorder, I mean, it's a lifestyle and it's I think it's like helps you. Obviously, the big thing is to say you're, you're resilient, but you have such a a different perspective on on life and if, if you, if you, if you hone into it, I mean it can go. I mean it can go the other way.
Speaker 2:It can. That's the, that's the scary part and that's that's why we need people like us, cause it can easily go the other way. You know so many parents will come to me saying, hey, I'm. They've never heard of it. There's so many new parents getting. You know their children are getting diagnosed Right. You're super scared. So, yeah, we need, we need to show them that, like, like Kevin was just saying, like it, when a parent tells me about it, I'm like man, you got a special kid on your hands. I'll tell you that because I don't know what it is, man, but we do. We develop some kind of awesome, like personality and values and it, it. It's just because of the cars that we have. You know, like I wouldn't be the person I am today without, without what I've gone through. So, yeah, it sucks to one degree and I probably still wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But, man, it makes you go somewhere that normal people don't have to go, right, and that path can create a beautiful, beautiful person who can do some amazing things.
Speaker 3:Oh absolutely so, kevin. What would you like to leave our listeners with?
Speaker 2:today. What's a final good message that you would love to leave?
Speaker 4:Oh, final message. That's such a great question. I'd say the biggest thing is uh, you know, you know never I know it's very cliche, but it's like you know you have to really believe in yourself and never, you know, never give up. I think it's one of those things where you know, because you have a you know hemophilia or a b disorder, it's like you know you, you're, you're a special person and and you are, you know, greatness is inside you. No matter you know, no matter how you look at it, uh, you're put on this earth for for a reason and you know, no matter what, what, what you have inside you, it's like, yeah, you can, you can do some incredible things. You just gotta believe in yourself. I love that man.
Speaker 2:I love that. So to all of our listeners, remember, no matter what you're facing, you have the power to be your own superhero. You guys can connect with Kevin on Instagram. His Instagram handle is Kevin Lurkin, so it's K-E-V-I-N-L-E-U-R-Q-U-I-N, and if his story moved, you share this episode with a friend this episode with a friend, leave a review and let's keep on spreading the light.
Speaker 3:Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Hemolife Podcast. Until next time, stay strong, stay grateful and stay growing.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning in to the Hemolife Podcast. Today's episode hopefully inspired you and provided valuable insights to enhance your journey. Join us again to hear more incredible stories and expert advice from our community. Make sure to subscribe and stay connected with a group of extraordinary achievers and pioneers. On behalf of LA Aguayo and the entire Hemo Life team keep pushing forward, strive for excellence and remember you are the architect of your own destiny. Until next time, stay strong, stay inspired and continue on your path to an elite life.