The Power of Attitude and Action
The first sentence of Ordinary Hero is, “I’m not a retired Navy SEAL.”
In fact, the genesis of the book began while I was having serious bouts of imposter syndrome. I compared myself to authors who have written award-winning, best-selling self-improvement memoirs. I know comparison is the quickest way to misery, however I couldn’t stop myself.
These other authors had credentials. They had real survival stories that were gripping, inspiring, and impressive.
To even attempt to write a book on character building seemed a bit out of my league. I mean I’m a retired school teacher living in suburbia. I enjoy crockpot cooking, sitting on my porch sipping coffee, and taking naps on the couch. To jump into the literary pool with people who had mastered the self-improvement backstroke in the deep end while I dogged-paddled near the aquacise class in the shallows, seems laughable.
It took me over a year to write Ordinary Hero. There were moments, under the suburban moon, where I was obsessed with my inadequacies. Where I questioned my story, my mettle, my attitude, my personal philosophy. I felt that people with more dramatic, more do-or-die stories were the ones who were worthy of telling their stories.
However, it was in this doubt and soft-bellyness that I was inspired by the very credential that I feared deep in my dad bod.
David Goggins is a retired Navy Seal.
An African American ultra-marathon runner, survivor of racism, bullying, and domestic-parental abuse. Goggins was born with a heart defect and a learning disability. Almost 300 pounds in his early twenties, he decided to become a disciple of discipline, lost over 100 pounds, became a Navy Seal, an Army Ranger, a smoke jumper in Alaska. In his forties, he ran the Moab 260 mile race in Utah, ran across Florida in 70 hours and completed a 460 mile bike race. He spent years running on a pair bowlegs and arthritic knees that contained torn ligaments, torn cartilage and cysts. His military and civilian accomplishments are endless. He has earned the right to brag, be confident, and be relentless in his destruction of obstacles.
Goggins doesn’t talk. He growls. His words, like him, are tough and hard. He litters his language with questionable motherly escapades. He sounds like the DMX songs I play in my SUV with the windows up and when I’m driving alone.
He calls himself a willing warrior, a savage harder than woodpecker lips. He willingly chooses to do the inconvenient things. He exercises at 4 am and enjoys running in extreme weather. And his books are not warm and fuzzy and decorated with motivational quotes fit for a suburban classroom.
The irony is when I began writing Ordinary Hero, Goggins’ brand of rusty razorblade motivation intimidated me, made me feel inferior. The obstacles he overcame and the accomplishments he achieved made me feel small and weak. Yet his leathery motivation was what I needed to cross the literary finish line.
One sunny morning, after dropping my daughter off at school, I listened to a passage from Goggins’ book Never Finished. He curtly explained how your performance in life comes down to two things:
Attitude and Action
Having a negative, narrow minded attitude and avoiding taking action inspires fear. When we live in fear we lose faith in ourselves. We accept complacency, mediocracy too easily. And our poor attitudes and aimless actions prevent us from knowing what we are capable of.
Before food shopping, I sat in the Shop-Rite parking lot and thought about action and attitude. I thought about how easily we lose faith in ourselves, in our ability to endure hard times. How we nurse our suffering with excuses and donuts. How, most times, we are our own worst enemy. How, whether we like it or not, our actions and attitudes define us.
Maybe someday I will write a crockpot cookbook or a series of witty essays on the evolution of the couch. But right now I have a story to tell. A story of accepting a hard diagnosis and working my mind and body to combat the progression of a cruel disease.
A story that might earn a nod and respectful growl from David Goggins.
Be well,
Jay
Before you go, I need your help.
To celebrate my 10 year diagnosis-versary (September 4), International Ataxia Awareness Day (September 25), the release of my new book Ordinary Hero (November 1), and The National Ataxia Foundation’s upcoming “Hike for Mike” event, I’m participating in an exclusive NAF fundraising campaign.
My goal is to increase Ataxia awareness and raise $5,000 to accelerate finding a cure for Ataxia.
Click here to learn more and make a donation. As a bonus, if you make a donation you will receive two chapters from my upcoming book, Ordinary Hero: The Power of Building Character One Step at a Time.
Greetings to everyone who found me on the University of Pennsylvania’s Ataxia Clinic’s website! Thanks for stopping by. I have ataxia and though I’m not a doctor, I hope my words comfort, encourage, empower, and serve as good company on your journey.
Pre-Order Now: Arriving Gracefully on 11/1/23!
October Book Promos for You:
Are looking for inspiration? Are you searching for a better version of yourself?
This month I joined literary forces with some best-selling authors in two awesome book promotions. Click the link below:
Buy Here!
Recent letters you may enjoy:
Celebrating My Worst Day; Year 10
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Jay Armstrong is a speaker and an award-winning author. Despite being diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, that impairs his movement, balance, eyesight, and speech–Jay presses on. The leader of the Philadelphia Ataxia Support Group, he hopes to help you find joy, peace, and meaning in life.
For Jay, a good day consists of 5 things:
1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Exercising
4. Hearing his three children laugh
5. Hugging his wife
(Bonus points for a dinner with his parents or a drink with his friends)
Jay hasn’t had a bad day in quite a long time.
You can also visit Jay at jayarmstrongwrites.com
