“You Were Born To Live An Uncommon And Extraordinary Life”
-Terry Tucker
Terry Tucker: Inspiring People to Lead Uncommon and Extraordinary Lives
Terry Tucker has been a marketing executive, a cop and a hostage negotiator. But in his current incarnation, he is about inspiration. His website www.motivationalcheck.com and his book Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon And Extraordinary Life offer a lifetime of reflection and wisdom.
“What is excellence, how do you achieve it, and most importantly, how do you sustain it?”
At 37 years old, Terry had the opportunity to change careers and pursue his dream. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Terry became a cop and then a hostage negotiator. In this role, he learned, among other things, the importance of listening.
But perhaps his greatest life lesson was yet to come. Terry was diagnosed with a rare melanoma, and was treated at MD Anderson. Initial success was short lived. The melanoma reappeared in 2017 and eventual led to the amputation of his left foot, and then his left leg at the knee.
Treatment has been a nightmare on many levels. Pain, ongoing flu like symptoms from one of the medications, and a cancer that keeps spreading. This has been, and continues to be, a very difficult road.
One thing I learned during all my pain and suffering is that you have two choices.
You can either succumb to the debilitating discomfort and misery,
or you can learn to embrace it and use it to make you a stronger and better human being.
I chose the latter.
This statement doesn’t come lightly:
Make no mistake, there were days I felt so poorly and was in so much agony,
that I prayed to die. I just wanted out.
Each day was a struggle to use my mind to override the apathy and distress my body was feeling.
Through this all, Terry found the strength and focus to write a remarkable book reflecting some timeless life lessons. We talk about his book and his life in this BumpInTheRoad.
Bump In The Road:
Terry Tucker
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Terry Tucker: Ten Principles To Live By
Principle #1:
Enjoy Your Life
“Find your passions or your purpose or your why.
But to live your purpose, your purpose will need to be bigger than your pain.”
Principle #2:
Most People Think With Their Fears And Insecurities Instead of Using Their Minds
“Learn to think critically. Control your mind, or it will control you.
Your mind knows your fears; it knows your insecurities, identifies your vulnerabilities and uses them against you.”
Principle #3:
You Were Born To Live An Uncommon And Extraordinary Life
“But to lead this type of life, you need to do the things that scare you,
and you don’t want to do.”
Principle #4:
Always Remain Curious and Ask Questions
“Never be the smartest person in the room and
surround yourself with people who will argue with you.”
Principle #5:
You Are The Person You Are Looking To Become
“Let your life be shaped by the decisions you made,
not by the ones you didn’t or that others made for you.”
Principle #6:
Put Your God And Your Family Before Everything Else
“Because, in the end, they will always be there for you.”
Principle #7:
Be Part Of Something Bigger Than Yourself
“Learn to be a good teammate and realize rock bottom
is a good place to start to build the foundation of your life.”
Principle #8:
Fail Often, Especially When You Are Young
“Take smart, calculated chances, and learn from your mistakes.
Take responsibility for your errors, and don’t be afraid to apologize.”
Principle #9:
Listen More Than You Talk
“Always try to understand what is motivating others.”
Principle #10:
Love Is The Most Important Word In Any Language
“Love yourself, love the people in your life, but most importantly,
love the people who don’t deserve your love,
they need it the most.”
Terry Tucker
“What if you just got 1% better every day?”
“Any cop that tells you they’re not afraid..is either a liar or an idiot.”
On being a hostage negotiator:”If you’re talking to me, you’re probably having the worst day of your life.”
“People don’t want to struggle; they want everything easy.”
“That struggle has made me a stronger a tougher more determined individual. ..The struggle is what gives me satisfaction.”
“Significance is what we do for other people. You can be successful and significant, but I think significance is more important than being successful.”
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