[Applause] if you could have one thing in this life
if you could have one thing in this life
if you could have one thing in this life anything in time money and distance for
anything in time money and distance for
anything in time money and distance for no barrier what would it be before you
no barrier what would it be before you
no barrier what would it be before you answer that question let me share a
answer that question let me share a
answer that question let me share a story in 2004 at the age of 17
story in 2004 at the age of 17
story in 2004 at the age of 17 my brother-in-law Wesley was diagnosed
my brother-in-law Wesley was diagnosed
my brother-in-law Wesley was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia
now he was a vibrant energetic likable
now he was a vibrant energetic likable lovable young man he loved his family he
lovable young man he loved his family he
lovable young man he loved his family he loved his friends he loved life Wesley
loved his friends he loved life Wesley
loved his friends he loved life Wesley had a unique way of expressing his love
had a unique way of expressing his love
had a unique way of expressing his love for life
for life
for life he loved his trucks he loved Auburn
he loved his trucks he loved Auburn
he loved his trucks he loved Auburn football and Dothan High marching band
football and Dothan High marching band
football and Dothan High marching band he loved music but when he was
he loved music but when he was
he loved music but when he was approached and posed with the question
approached and posed with the question
approached and posed with the question if you could have anything of any value
if you could have anything of any value
if you could have anything of any value what would it be he didn’t respond with
what would it be he didn’t respond with
what would it be he didn’t respond with wanting to meet a famous movie star or
wanting to meet a famous movie star or
wanting to meet a famous movie star or an athlete and he didn’t respond with a
an athlete and he didn’t respond with a
an athlete and he didn’t respond with a request for an extravagant amount of
request for an extravagant amount of
request for an extravagant amount of money or some extravagant gift his
money or some extravagant gift his
money or some extravagant gift his response shook me to my core his
response shook me to my core his
response shook me to my core his response was this
response was this
response was this I want to grow up old enough to be a
I want to grow up old enough to be a
I want to grow up old enough to be a husband and a father that was the
husband and a father that was the
husband and a father that was the response of Wesley dungeon just months
response of Wesley dungeon just months
response of Wesley dungeon just months before he passed away at the age of 18
before he passed away at the age of 18
before he passed away at the age of 18 from leukemia I learned a valuable
from leukemia I learned a valuable
from leukemia I learned a valuable lesson from a young man about
lesson from a young man about
lesson from a young man about relationships I learned that I had taken
relationships I learned that I had taken
relationships I learned that I had taken for granted as a young father and as a
for granted as a young father and as a
for granted as a young father and as a young husband I had taken for granted
young husband I had taken for granted
young husband I had taken for granted the most important thing in my life and
the most important thing in my life and
the most important thing in my life and that was relationships you see because
that was relationships you see because
that was relationships you see because at the end of our lives each of us we’re
at the end of our lives each of us we’re
at the end of our lives each of us we’re not going to ask for more things we’re
not going to ask for more things we’re
not going to ask for more things we’re not going to wish we had more stuff or
not going to wish we had more stuff or
not going to wish we had more stuff or more money or bigger bank accounts at
more money or bigger bank accounts at
more money or bigger bank accounts at the end of our life we’re going to wish
the end of our life we’re going to wish
the end of our life we’re going to wish we had better relationships because that
we had better relationships because that
we had better relationships because that is the fulfilling piece of life but life
is the fulfilling piece of life but life
is the fulfilling piece of life but life is sometimes messy and sometimes it’s
is sometimes messy and sometimes it’s
is sometimes messy and sometimes it’s complicated and sometimes it’s difficult
complicated and sometimes it’s difficult
complicated and sometimes it’s difficult and there’s conflict but through all of
and there’s conflict but through all of
and there’s conflict but through all of that with the proper relationships
that with the proper relationships
that with the proper relationships whether it’s deep meaningful
whether it’s deep meaningful
whether it’s deep meaningful relationships whether it’s through your
relationships whether it’s through your
relationships whether it’s through your loved ones or friends we can have people
loved ones or friends we can have people
loved ones or friends we can have people that are connected with us and community
that are connected with us and community
that are connected with us and community that walk with us through those times
that walk with us through those times
that walk with us through those times through those challenging times I
through those challenging times I
through those challenging times I remember a time about 10 years ago when
remember a time about 10 years ago when
remember a time about 10 years ago when my wife and I were both out of work we
my wife and I were both out of work we
my wife and I were both out of work we had two young kids and our third child
had two young kids and our third child
had two young kids and our third child was due within just a few short months
was due within just a few short months
was due within just a few short months and as you can imagine the the pressure
and as you can imagine the the pressure
and as you can imagine the the pressure of that was was overwhelming at times
of that was was overwhelming at times
of that was was overwhelming at times but it was because in part due to
but it was because in part due to
but it was because in part due to Wesley’s perspective that he gave me
Wesley’s perspective that he gave me
Wesley’s perspective that he gave me that beautiful gift and he never knew
that beautiful gift and he never knew
that beautiful gift and he never knew that
that
that but that gift that he gave me that I was
but that gift that he gave me that I was
but that gift that he gave me that I was able to look back and see that those
able to look back and see that those
able to look back and see that those challenging times were not going to last
challenging times were not going to last
challenging times were not going to last and that in the long run the thing that
and that in the long run the thing that
and that in the long run the thing that mattered them
mattered them
mattered them was relationships it wasn’t whether I
was relationships it wasn’t whether I
was relationships it wasn’t whether I had a great job or a big bank account or
had a great job or a big bank account or
had a great job or a big bank account or a super nice car or a big house yeah
a super nice car or a big house yeah
a super nice car or a big house yeah those things are nice but at the end of
those things are nice but at the end of
those things are nice but at the end of the day we need each other and yeah
the day we need each other and yeah
the day we need each other and yeah there’s people that are going to come
there’s people that are going to come
there’s people that are going to come against you there’s there’s people that
against you there’s there’s people that
against you there’s there’s people that are going to say hateful things and
are going to say hateful things and
are going to say hateful things and there’s people they’re going to that are
there’s people they’re going to that are
there’s people they’re going to that are going to trash your dreams and they’re
going to trash your dreams and they’re
going to trash your dreams and they’re going to trash your goals and they’re
going to trash your goals and they’re
going to trash your goals and they’re going to try to say things that that
going to try to say things that that
going to try to say things that that bring you down but if you have deep
bring you down but if you have deep
bring you down but if you have deep meaningful relationships this life has
meaningful relationships this life has
meaningful relationships this life has meaning
meaning
meaning I remember at another time when when
I remember at another time when when
I remember at another time when when someone I looked up to as a role model
someone I looked up to as a role model
someone I looked up to as a role model someone I considered a friend said how
someone I considered a friend said how
someone I considered a friend said how worthless I was and told me to my face
worthless I was and told me to my face
worthless I was and told me to my face how worthless I was and that I should go
how worthless I was and that I should go
how worthless I was and that I should go and and take my own life and now at the
and and take my own life and now at the
and and take my own life and now at the time I was at a very low point in my own
time I was at a very low point in my own
time I was at a very low point in my own life I was battling depression and you
life I was battling depression and you
life I was battling depression and you may think that that takes a lot of
may think that that takes a lot of
may think that that takes a lot of courage to stand before you and say but
courage to stand before you and say but
courage to stand before you and say but you need to know that there are people
you need to know that there are people
you need to know that there are people out there that just because we have
out there that just because we have
out there that just because we have relationships with them we’re going to
relationships with them we’re going to
relationships with them we’re going to have challenges we’re going to have
have challenges we’re going to have
have challenges we’re going to have conflict but at the end of the day if
conflict but at the end of the day if
conflict but at the end of the day if we’re willing to work through it and if
we’re willing to work through it and if
we’re willing to work through it and if we’re willing to face it and address it
we’re willing to face it and address it
we’re willing to face it and address it we can have a better world and we can
we can have a better world and we can
we can have a better world and we can have a better life I didn’t let those
have a better life I didn’t let those
have a better life I didn’t let those things stop me and I didn’t let those
things stop me and I didn’t let those
things stop me and I didn’t let those things slow me down and I didn’t let
things slow me down and I didn’t let
things slow me down and I didn’t let them keep me where I was and that at
them keep me where I was and that at
them keep me where I was and that at that point in my life it didn’t keep me
that point in my life it didn’t keep me
that point in my life it didn’t keep me where I was I didn’t let it keep me down
where I was I didn’t let it keep me down
where I was I didn’t let it keep me down I used it as a motivating factor to move
I used it as a motivating factor to move
I used it as a motivating factor to move past where I was in my life I used it as
past where I was in my life I used it as
past where I was in my life I used it as momentum to write my first three books
momentum to write my first three books
momentum to write my first three books to start my business and to stand before
to start my business and to stand before
to start my business and to stand before you where I am today I used it as
you where I am today I used it as
you where I am today I used it as momentum and motivation to graduate from
momentum and motivation to graduate from
momentum and motivation to graduate from college at 34 years old as a
college at 34 years old as a
college at 34 years old as a first-generation college graduate you
first-generation college graduate you
first-generation college graduate you see it may not sound like a lot but I
see it may not sound like a lot but I
see it may not sound like a lot but I realized that at the end of my life
realized that at the end of my life
realized that at the end of my life I’m gonna value relationships more than
I’m gonna value relationships more than
I’m gonna value relationships more than a value stuff because that’s why we were
a value stuff because that’s why we were
a value stuff because that’s why we were created that’s why we’re here we need
created that’s why we’re here we need
created that’s why we’re here we need each other we need community
each other we need community
each other we need community relationships are important to life
relationships are important to life
relationships are important to life because without relationships without
because without relationships without
because without relationships without deep meaningful connections a life lived
deep meaningful connections a life lived
deep meaningful connections a life lived in isolation as a life lived in failure
in isolation as a life lived in failure
in isolation as a life lived in failure to its fullest you’re not gonna live to
to its fullest you’re not gonna live to
to its fullest you’re not gonna live to to your fullest potential so my
to your fullest potential so my
to your fullest potential so my challenge to you is if today you look at
challenge to you is if today you look at
challenge to you is if today you look at life through a different perspective and
life through a different perspective and
life through a different perspective and you see life through a different lens
you see life through a different lens
you see life through a different lens and you say that relationships are more
and you say that relationships are more
and you say that relationships are more important than you thought before that
important than you thought before that
important than you thought before that connecting with others has meaning and
connecting with others has meaning and
connecting with others has meaning and value and that nothing anyone can say is
value and that nothing anyone can say is
value and that nothing anyone can say is going to stop you from pursuing what
going to stop you from pursuing what
going to stop you from pursuing what you’re after in life and that you
you’re after in life and that you
you’re after in life and that you understand that connected we can do
understand that connected we can do
understand that connected we can do anything together that we can overcome
anything together that we can overcome
anything together that we can overcome hate we can overcome evil and we can do
hate we can overcome evil and we can do
hate we can overcome evil and we can do great things as a community then I’ve
great things as a community then I’ve
great things as a community then I’ve done my job thank you
done my job thank you
done my job thank you [Applause]
”
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