TERRY TUCKER
BIOGRAPHY
I have reinvented myself frequently over my professional career. After I graduated from college at The Citadel (where I played NCAA Division I basketball), I was employed in the Marketing Department at the corporate headquarters of Wendy’s International in Dublin, Ohio. From there, I worked in hospital administration for Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. After getting married and moving to California, I became the Customer Service Manager for an academic publishing company in Santa Barbara. When our daughter was born and we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, I became a police officer with the Cincinnati Police Department, where I was a SWAT Hostage Negotiator. In 2004, I obtained my Masters degree from Boston University. Following a family relocation to Texas, I started a school security consulting business and coached high school girls basketball. Each time I took on a new job, I had to develop new skills and faced different challenges. There was always a significant learning curve with every new position.
But my greatest challenge began in 2012 when I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, which presented on the bottom of my foot. By the time the cancer was detected, it had metastasized to a lymph node in my groin. Because my disease is extremely rare I was treated at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. I had two surgeries to remove the tumors, and after I healed, I was put on a weekly injection of the drug, Interferon, to help keep the disease from returning.
I took those weekly injections for almost five years before the Interferon became so toxic to my body that I ended up in the Intensive Care Unit with a body temperature of 108 degrees. Fortunately, expert medical care saved my life.
The Interferon gave me severe flu-like symptoms for two to three days after each injection. I lost fifty pounds during my therapy, was constantly nauseous, fatigued, and chilled, my ability to taste food significantly diminished, and my body constantly ached. This misery went on for over 1,660 days!
One thing I learned during all my pain and discomfort is that you have two choices. You can succumb to the debilitating distress and misery, or you can learn to embrace it and use it to make you a stronger and more resilient human being. I chose the latter.
Make no mistake, there were times I felt so poorly and was in so much agony that I prayed to die. Each day was a struggle to use my mind to override my body's apathy and distress.
I realize pain and discomfort can beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it. But I also came to appreciate that I could use my hurting and anguish to harden my mind and make me more resolute.
I was no better at dealing with pain and discomfort than the next person. But every day, I found a way to survive, with the knowledge that I would need to do it again the following morning.
I wrote my book, Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life to help people find and live their uncommon and extraordinary purpose. The ten principles outlined in the book will provide the bedrock necessary to form the foundation of unshakable beliefs and dedicated behaviors to reinforce your attitude, no matter how much pain you must endure or how many obstacles you must overcome. Sustainable Excellence is available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLGVTVS), Barnes & Noble.com, (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sustainable-excellence-terry-tucker/1137534840), or anywhere you can get a book online.
Unfortunately, my cancer experience hasn't ended with me conquering my disease. The melanoma that had plagued me for over five years returned in 2017, and my only treatment option was the amputation of my left foot in 2018. The cancer reemerged again in 2019, requiring multiple operations. In February 2020, an undiagnosed tumor fractured my tibia. My only remedy, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, was an above the knee amputation of my left leg. I also learned I have tumors in both of my lungs.
But I refused to be a victim of this malignancy. I vowed to continue my fight. I knew the only way cancer could win is if I gave up or gave in to the disease, or it killed me.
In addition to my faith, I use my 4 Truths to guide the decisions I make in my life. These 4 Truths are:
1. Control your mind, or it will control you.
2. Embrace the pain and discomfort we all experience in life and use it to make you a stronger and more determined individual.
3. What you leave behind is what you weave in the hearts of other people.
4. As long as you don't quit - you can never be defeated.
I chose the title, Motivational Check, for a simple reason. When I was a recruit in the Cincinnati Police Academy, it was a phrase any of our classmates could shout if they needed encouragement, motivation, or support. The class's response was to answer with a loud “84,” signifying our Recruit Class number and letting the person needing the reassurance know that we were all there for him or her.
I am passionate about conveying what I learned by combining my ten-year cancer journey with my diverse business, athletic coaching, and law enforcement background to encourage and support everyone who reads my posts that you are not alone, no matter what you are struggling against.
If you are besieged with anything in your life, know there are people available, able, and willing to help you. I understand what it is like to fight for your life. I hope the quotes, stories, videos, recommendations, and podcast recordings on these pages will inspire and motivate you to fight on against whatever is hindering you. However, if you are overwhelmed by what is going on in your life, please have the courage to contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at: 800-273-8255 (USA Only). For a list of International Suicide Hotlines, please click here.
However, I came to understand the responsibility for altering your life is entirely up to YOU. Whining, complaining, or blaming others for your plight will not enhance your experience. Motivation alone will not cause you to progress. YOU have to want to make the change and commit to the discipline of implementing health habits every minute of every day. There are no days off when attempting to make significant and lasting improvements in your life. Make the commitment to take personal responsibility for your success and happiness.
Just as fire strengthens metal and lifting weights until exhaustion grows muscle, use the pain and distress you are experiencing to harden your mind and make you a better and more resilient individual. Keep fighting no matter how many setbacks you have or how bad you feel. Believe in yourself and know that there will be light at the end of your journey one day.
If you need greater support along your journey, please consider joining the Sustainable Excellence Membership. My goal with the Membership is to enrich and improve your life through inspiring, diverse, and uplifting content and providing you access to a Community to help you grow as you determine what your uncommon and extraordinary life looks like.
Motivational Check LLC is here to support you, inspire you, and help you in your struggles. Remember, YOU are never out of the fight, no matter how often you fail or how many obstacles you face. Stay positive and keep moving forward!
VALUES
Character - I want to distinguish myself by doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason, in the right way.
Courage - I want to have the emotional, mental, and physical resolve to face circumstances that frighten me.
Empowerment - I want to teach people how to fish, instead of giving them the fish.
Excellence - I want to live a life of challenge, discomfort, and service so I can die knowing I realized my full and true potential.
Gratitude - I want to appreciate the people, experiences, and circumstances in my life.
Humility - I want to build a solid foundation of service to others by putting their needs and rights before my own.
Integrity - I want to be honest with myself and live a principle-centered life.
Resolve - I don't want to stop when I'm spent. I'll stop when I'm finished.
Respect - I want to treat everyone I encounter with dignity, kindness, and consideration, regardless of how I'm feeling.
Spirituality - I want to understand that I am part of something bigger than myself that is supported by spirit and truth.
MISSION
My mission is to consistently enrich and improve lives through inspiring, diverse, and uplifting content, without sacrificing the relationship with my family and friends. This mission is accomplished by providing a world-class personal development membership experience, books, coaching, speaking engagements, and podcast interviews.
I have reinvented myself frequently over my professional career. After I graduated from college at The Citadel (where I played NCAA Division I basketball), I was employed in the Marketing Department at the corporate headquarters of Wendy’s International in Dublin, Ohio. From there, I worked in hospital administration for Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. After getting married and moving to California, I became the Customer Service Manager for an academic publishing company in Santa Barbara. When our daughter was born and we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, I became a police officer with the Cincinnati Police Department, where I was a SWAT Hostage Negotiator. In 2004, I obtained my Masters degree from Boston University. Following a family relocation to Texas, I started a school security consulting business and coached high school girls basketball. Each time I took on a new job, I had to develop new skills and faced different challenges. There was always a significant learning curve with every new position.
But my greatest challenge began in 2012 when I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, which presented on the bottom of my foot. By the time the cancer was detected, it had metastasized to a lymph node in my groin. Because my disease is extremely rare I was treated at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. I had two surgeries to remove the tumors, and after I healed, I was put on a weekly injection of the drug, Interferon, to help keep the disease from returning.
I took those weekly injections for almost five years before the Interferon became so toxic to my body that I ended up in the Intensive Care Unit with a body temperature of 108 degrees. Fortunately, expert medical care saved my life.
The Interferon gave me severe flu-like symptoms for two to three days after each injection. I lost fifty pounds during my therapy, was constantly nauseous, fatigued, and chilled, my ability to taste food significantly diminished, and my body constantly ached. This misery went on for over 1,660 days!
One thing I learned during all my pain and discomfort is that you have two choices. You can succumb to the debilitating distress and misery, or you can learn to embrace it and use it to make you a stronger and more resilient human being. I chose the latter.
Make no mistake, there were times I felt so poorly and was in so much agony that I prayed to die. Each day was a struggle to use my mind to override my body's apathy and distress.
I realize pain and discomfort can beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it. But I also came to appreciate that I could use my hurting and anguish to harden my mind and make me more resolute.
I was no better at dealing with pain and discomfort than the next person. But every day, I found a way to survive, with the knowledge that I would need to do it again the following morning.
I wrote my book, Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life to help people find and live their uncommon and extraordinary purpose. The ten principles outlined in the book will provide the bedrock necessary to form the foundation of unshakable beliefs and dedicated behaviors to reinforce your attitude, no matter how much pain you must endure or how many obstacles you must overcome. Sustainable Excellence is available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLGVTVS), Barnes & Noble.com, (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sustainable-excellence-terry-tucker/1137534840), or anywhere you can get a book online.
Unfortunately, my cancer experience hasn't ended with me conquering my disease. The melanoma that had plagued me for over five years returned in 2017, and my only treatment option was the amputation of my left foot in 2018. The cancer reemerged again in 2019, requiring multiple operations. In February 2020, an undiagnosed tumor fractured my tibia. My only remedy, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, was an above the knee amputation of my left leg. I also learned I have tumors in both of my lungs.
But I refused to be a victim of this malignancy. I vowed to continue my fight. I knew the only way cancer could win is if I gave up or gave in to the disease, or it killed me.
In addition to my faith, I use my 4 Truths to guide the decisions I make in my life. These 4 Truths are:
1. Control your mind, or it will control you.
2. Embrace the pain and discomfort we all experience in life and use it to make you a stronger and more determined individual.
3. What you leave behind is what you weave in the hearts of other people.
4. As long as you don't quit - you can never be defeated.
I chose the title, Motivational Check, for a simple reason. When I was a recruit in the Cincinnati Police Academy, it was a phrase any of our classmates could shout if they needed encouragement, motivation, or support. The class's response was to answer with a loud “84,” signifying our Recruit Class number and letting the person needing the reassurance know that we were all there for him or her.
I am passionate about conveying what I learned by combining my ten-year cancer journey with my diverse business, athletic coaching, and law enforcement background to encourage and support everyone who reads my posts that you are not alone, no matter what you are struggling against.
If you are besieged with anything in your life, know there are people available, able, and willing to help you. I understand what it is like to fight for your life. I hope the quotes, stories, videos, recommendations, and podcast recordings on these pages will inspire and motivate you to fight on against whatever is hindering you. However, if you are overwhelmed by what is going on in your life, please have the courage to contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at: 800-273-8255 (USA Only). For a list of International Suicide Hotlines, please click here.
However, I came to understand the responsibility for altering your life is entirely up to YOU. Whining, complaining, or blaming others for your plight will not enhance your experience. Motivation alone will not cause you to progress. YOU have to want to make the change and commit to the discipline of implementing health habits every minute of every day. There are no days off when attempting to make significant and lasting improvements in your life. Make the commitment to take personal responsibility for your success and happiness.
Just as fire strengthens metal and lifting weights until exhaustion grows muscle, use the pain and distress you are experiencing to harden your mind and make you a better and more resilient individual. Keep fighting no matter how many setbacks you have or how bad you feel. Believe in yourself and know that there will be light at the end of your journey one day.
If you need greater support along your journey, please consider joining the Sustainable Excellence Membership. My goal with the Membership is to enrich and improve your life through inspiring, diverse, and uplifting content and providing you access to a Community to help you grow as you determine what your uncommon and extraordinary life looks like.
Motivational Check LLC is here to support you, inspire you, and help you in your struggles. Remember, YOU are never out of the fight, no matter how often you fail or how many obstacles you face. Stay positive and keep moving forward!
VALUES
Character - I want to distinguish myself by doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason, in the right way.
Courage - I want to have the emotional, mental, and physical resolve to face circumstances that frighten me.
Empowerment - I want to teach people how to fish, instead of giving them the fish.
Excellence - I want to live a life of challenge, discomfort, and service so I can die knowing I realized my full and true potential.
Gratitude - I want to appreciate the people, experiences, and circumstances in my life.
Humility - I want to build a solid foundation of service to others by putting their needs and rights before my own.
Integrity - I want to be honest with myself and live a principle-centered life.
Resolve - I don't want to stop when I'm spent. I'll stop when I'm finished.
Respect - I want to treat everyone I encounter with dignity, kindness, and consideration, regardless of how I'm feeling.
Spirituality - I want to understand that I am part of something bigger than myself that is supported by spirit and truth.
MISSION
My mission is to consistently enrich and improve lives through inspiring, diverse, and uplifting content, without sacrificing the relationship with my family and friends. This mission is accomplished by providing a world-class personal development membership experience, books, coaching, speaking engagements, and podcast interviews.
