New Stories are Just Around the Corner

Kevin has made a life of change. Some has been scary, some easy and all has led him to where he is today - ready to share some of his story to inspire you (or at least document it for his kids - either is fine).

Asking Kevin “where are you from” will result in a good conversation best had sitting down with a map and a notebook. Stops in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Oklahoma (yes again) and Texas offered opportunities to learn to live in the discomfort of being new and meet people who challenged Kevin to grow, change and shape himself.

Landing in Texas in 7th grade led Kevin to Texas Christian University where he earned a degree in speech communication and discovered his love of writing, listening and the art and science of speaking. More importantly it was at TCU that Kevin met his wife Kim and after graduation they put down roots in Fort Worth where they have remained. As the idea of “home” more opportunity for change found air.

Kevin’s career has offered the opportunity to serve in marketing, sales, manufacturing and technology roles and the professional that he is today is a result of the change Kevin and his family say “yes…and” to regularly. What started as a dream to become a pediatrician and then a vocational minister has revealed a desire and knack to connect with people, tell impactful stories and show them how to use technology to better their businesses and their lives.

But that’s just part of the story . . .

While Kevin broadened his career opportunities his waist broadened too. A routine visit to the doctor in 2010 led to 1 and then later 2 medications to manage blood pressure. After brief stints with exercise and trying a variety of dietary changes the stresses of every day life settled back in and Kevin continued to live the definition of insanity. It was always just easier (and more comfortable) to eat what I wanted to eat. By the end of 2017 I was 231 lbs.

During this time a friend had pointed me to a podcast between Rich Roll and his guest Lance Armstrong. As a longtime Armstrong fan I was interested in how anyone would handle Armstrong’s story and I listened in the car. That single podcast led to other episodes as I dipped my toe into Rich’s story. Listening led to curiosity and over the Christmas break my wife and I decided to make a change. I’d flirted with change before though and was nervous that this would end in failure as well. I needed a thought to carry me through the tough days and this is what I came up with:

At the end of my life I want to be able to look my kids in the eye and tell them I did all that I could to be around for as long as I can.

That simple thought led to the decision to switch to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and we’ve never looked back.

Early Changes

The first thing I noticed was that meals no longer ended with that heavy feeling. I was full and yet didn’t feel like my belt was in need of an adjustment. Next came the numbers on the scale. Within a week I’d lost 4 lbs and could count on about a pound every few days for the first 3 weeks. After 4 weeks I was down 15 lbs! The weight continued to fall and I’ve settled at about 190 lbs for now. Still heavier than I want to be but slowly working the weight down while exercising. More importantly were the changes inside.

After 6 months I was feeling lightheaded and took my blood pressure. It was low. I called my doctor and he asked me to measure it again. The 2nd (and 3rd) measurement confirmed the best news of all: my body had lowered my blood pressure itself and the need for meds had lessened. I was feeling better than ever and my body was reflecting the results. It was time to add something new. It was time for a challenge.

Doing Hard Things

My friend and leader at work speaks often of doing hard things. Setting a goal to do something harder than we think possible and celebrating the work toward the goal. I decided in the Spring of 2018 that I would run a marathon in February 2019 and leading up to that Kim and I would run a 37K trail race a few months before. It was time to show myself that I could channel my newfound discipline toward something to challenge my body and my mind and yes, we would achieve this goal eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. On November 1, 2018 Kim and I finished the Isle du Bois Trail Race together (exhausted but together) and on February 23, 2019 I completed my first marathon. Kim, my kids, my mother and my best friend were all there at the finish to see me cross the line and celebrate.

What’s Next

Running has unlocked a creativity in me and after much thought (too much) I’ve decided that my next hard thing would be to share my thoughts both written and spoken publicly. It’s scary to put yourself out there for others to see and judge but I am learning that the fear of rejection is what hinders each of us. That fear kept me from changing my lifestyle sooner and held me in an anxious paralysis of inactivity and inaction for too long. While I hope those that read these thoughts will find value and meaning it’s not about you. It’s about me doing a hard thing and taking the fear for a ride.

If you’ve read this far maybe you’re wondering what life could be like by making a change and doing a hard thing. I offer to you that simply investing this moment is a change and that is worth celebrating. Cheers!