IF YOU’RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING!

LESSON: I turned 60 today and cannot believe it. So many times, I honestly thought there was no chance I would make it this far. Please use every cliché possible to keep yourself going through the incredible challenges this life will give us all. The rewards are off the charts!

The below stories are excerpts from WHEN NOT IF: A CEO’s Guide to Overcoming Adversity, Forbes Books, Amazon #1 Bestseller.

Today is my 60^th birthday on the day of the 60^th Super Bowl – is there still any question about who is controlling the universe?! 😉

As most of you know, I decided to be the only crazy U.S. citizen to refuse to settle 3 times with the federal government and demand to go to trial knowing the 98.5% conviction rate. I and our stakeholders lost the $billion investment firm, 7 other companies, and every asset built over 25 years down to $0.0. I couldn’t imagine life beyond that point.

After being on the front page of the regional newspapers regularly, I summoned every ounce of remaining courage to walk my son out on the football field for Senior Night – I could literally hear the gasp from the packed stands of parents when we turned around. But it taught me the first key resilience tactic is remembering that everyone else is counting on you, regardless of your humiliation, guilt, and shame. It’s not about you.

When sentenced to 14 years in Fort Dix Federal Prison, with 4,000 gang members and now one hedge fund manager, the violence was daily and the battle against depression and self-pity was never-ending. But quickly I recovered to first survive but then a commitment to thrive – failure was not an option.

Every morning, I committed to a 1% improvement in three areas: Physical, Intellectual, and Spiritual. Physical for safety, of course, but also for endorphins and serotonin to remain emotionally strong. Intellectual to teach myself federal criminal law but also to read 26 classical literature greats over and over, which I had never been smart enough to enjoy. And spiritual because we must believe there is something greater than us out there, or we will never have the strength to believe, eventually, that we will be okay – and we might make it to 60.

Many of you know my stories of battling the government corruption, prison riots, stabbings, and deaths through this experience, but those can be even less of a challenge than depression, shame, guilt, exhaustion, and hopelessness. The struggles of the mind and the heart are 10x more costly than the physical battles.

But you can make it! Today at 60, I talk to God and thank him daily for the incredible miracle of my life – incredible wife, coolest 32-yr. old son, beautiful 4-yr. old daughter, incredible work and associates I couldn’t imagine while sleeping on a metal bunk, and the coolest circles of incredible friends most dream to have. I literally thank the Universe daily for not letting me give up when the days were not only darkest but seemingly forever – over 4,000 days.

Today, I urge you to do whatever it takes to beat the bad people, overcome horrific circumstances, and believe deep down in your soul that you will make it out the other side. Remember, it won’t be a sprint but likely a marathon – but you can make it if you eat that elephant one bite at a time – or drive a 4,000 mile journey by focusing on the headlights illuminating 100-ft. in front of you.

Have a great week!