10.28.2025

Years ago, I owned a light construction company. It was a great business and I loved running it. Very challenging and rewarding all at the same time. Sometimes the work could be tough and like any operation, we would come across more than a few employees that would grumble and complain. There was one point where we hired this younger guy who was so full of energy. He worked extremely hard and ALWAYS carried an over the top positive attitude. Months went by and his character never wavered even slightly.

Finally one day, I asked our foreman what is his story? How is able to maintain such an incredible positive attitude all the time and continue giving it a 100% everyday at work?

His answer impacted me and left an imprint forever. Our foreman began to explain his story. As a small boy, he was diagnosed with a super rare disease, that according to doctors at the time, that was incurable and terminal. He was a part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and received some support.

Then, at some point during his illness, he went on a camping trip with his family and was bit by a rattlesnake. He was rushed to a hospital and survived. Weeks later, his family began to notice his condition was improving. In less then a year, he was healed from this disease (this story was told to me in 2011, so my memory of what disease he had or the nature of it is gone). The venom from the snakebite reacted with his body and cured him.

I never got the full story medically how this happened or what the doctors said or did after this discovery. But after hearing this, later I pulled him aside and brought up this incredible story. He said that seeing his family go through his condition and the fear he felt as a boy knowing he was going to die, gave him a grand appreciation for life. He felt like everyday was an extra gift of a day given to him and that he was so grateful for it. He said he was not afraid of death (since he already went through the process of accepting it at a young age) and he felt so happy to be alive, so whatever happens, it’s just extra time here to be positive.

There will be times in my head where I will go back to this story for inspiration.