I am here to tell my story, not for myself, but for the one person that needs it. My goal is to help others overcome, lead themselves, and find joy in their world. I begin with empathy by exposing my story.I lost my father to suicide. His childhood of trauma left him suffering from deep depression and potentially bipolar disorder. Driven to addictions like alcoholism and substance abuse, he chose to end his life on August 12th, 1996 when I was only 6 years old. I still remember the moment he lied to me about coming home that night. That morning will forever be my last memory of my Father.After his death, I found myself being physically abused by the next man without my Mother's knowledge. He taught me about pain and hatred. I was introverted during my childhood because I just didn't know how to express everything that was within. I was bullied in High School because of that. Because I couldn't express myself, I obsessed about suicide for 19 years after my father.The only thing that stopped me during that time was the rules I made after my father chose his path. I would become him. I got creative. I joined the army in 2008 with the hope that it would kill me. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 which gave me a new perspective on death. I came home with PTSD and memories I will never forget but I didn't die, others did. Having come home, I was immediately faced with a career-changing injury in a torn ACL. I was sent to Fort Knox to recover, alone, isolated for 7 months after a difficult year in Afghanistan. My mind was in a labyrinth of thought for 23 hours a day. I came home in an incredibly dangerous state of mind, lost within my own Hell. Unsure why to even stay alive.I found the brink in March of 2015. I put a gun to my head and it was the closest moment I had ever felt to what my father went through. For the first time, I just understood. My life changed because of that moment but it wasn't created in a vacuum. I built myself to find that moment and I know how.My goal is to change the narrative about suicide and mental health. I offer a message that is realistic and meaningful. My recent book, "Defy the Darkness" is a step towards making that message available to everyone who needs it. If you believe you or your business needs to hear that message, I would love to connect.