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Todd-Huston-Speech-Book.Pdf MORE THAN MOUNTAINS The Speech Edited transcription of Todd Huston’s speech Editor Julie Dunbar Huston Copyright 2018 Todd Huston LLC Forward The beauty from the mountaintop can be a very spiritual experience, and very symbolic of our life journey. We all have greatness within us – it’s how we are created. Eventually we live that greatness, and it’s the most brilliant light we could ever imagine. It beams through all darkness, not only in our lives, but the lives of those with whom we come into contact, and even those upon whom our thoughts rest. Getting to that point can seem like quite a hike up a strenuous mountainside, because throughout our journey we cram our packs full of some dark and unnecessary debris. This debris may take the form of negativity others have said about us that we can’t seem to shake off. It may take the form of abuse we have suffered. We may find we have taken on an unfavorable and unhealthy self-image. The debris may even come in the form of impatience, anger, or greed, which don’t seem terribly harmful; however, these are the most toxic because we feel justified in holding these thoughts toward ourselves or others. But none of this has anything to do with our true selves and the greatness and light we all are. In fact, it’s the opposite of our true identity and will only shroud our light in empty darkness. The more we unload our pack of this vile debris and toss it to the wind the easier becomes our ascent, until we finally let go of every false suggestion about who we are, recognize our true, beautiful identity, and reach that incredible summit. Once we are there the view is one words fail to capture. Freedom. Joy. Innocence. Peace. Grandeur. All in infinite abundance. But the most amazing part of this spiritual summit is, once we are there, we realize we’ve always been there. We just needed to let go of the darkness to see it. Because this beautiful summit isn’t a destination – it is, and always has been, the very essence of our being. It is who we are now, who we always have been, and who we forever will be. No matter what. May this, and other of Todd’s works, help you to stand on your summit and experience the amazing view. Julie Dunbar Huston Editor VIDEO INTRODUCTION The world has its share of incredible mountain ranges, each with its share of high profile peaks. Many people dream of reaching such elevations, but only few are bold enough to do so. This is the story of one man who broke world records. The man who set a world record by climbing to the highest elevations in every American state in a little less than 67 days. This world-record holder has been featured in thousands of publications and televised programs across the world, achieving various global recognition as well as being awarded with several distinguished honors. Regarded as an inspirational speaker, his journey reflects both strength and ambition. However, it isn’t only his achievements that have become the main source of motivation; it is more about how he managed to overcome the obstacles that stood in his way. (Todd speaking) “I know some people may consider this somewhat remarkable, but it really all started when my life changed when I was 14 years old. It was a beautiful day, and I had no idea what was about ready to happen.” 1 “I’m sure everybody has had an experience where everything has just been going along great in life, and then all the sudden something happens.” “And my legs go sucked into the propellers. And that’s when my life changed forever.” “It’s been a long time since that accident when I was 14 years old. I’ve overcome a lot of challenges, and I’ve been able to reach the impossible. And that’s what I’m talking to you about today. I want to help you be able to reach your goals, overcome your obstacles, and achieve those dreams you have in life. That’s why I came to this event. Is to talk to you…” (looks into camera) “and you.” (looks at audience) Be Inspired Presenting Todd Huston VIDEO ENDS 2 Part 1 – The Accident Hello everyone! You’ve heard I’m a mountain climber, but what’s different about my mountain climbing? I only have one leg. That's correct! Which leg is it? Right?... Left?... We've got two choices here guys. (audience laughter) It is my right leg. I will show you so you know I’m not making this story up. And here it is. (Todd removes his leg and holds it above his head) Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. “That poor guy! He only has one leg!” That's not true. I’ve got about 6 or 7 these in my closet at home. (audience laughter) Let's talk about how this happened. When I was 14 years old I was waterskiing in eastern Oklahoma on a really hot summer day. While I was behind the boat getting ready to go again I noticed the boat coming back toward me. I yelled, “Hey! Stop the boat!” but nobody could hear me. My family and friends were on the boat listening to music, talking and laughing, and having fun. 3 As the boat continued backing up toward me I saw this big propeller spinning just beneath the surface of the water, coming directly at me. I tried to get out of the way but my legs got tangled in the ski ropes. I took one last breath and tried diving under the water, but before I knew it, Wham! I was hit, and both my legs got sucked into the propellers. I could feel the propellers crawling up my legs tossing me back and forth underneath the water like a rag doll. I was trying to keep my head above water so I could breathe. Then all the sudden this chaos turned to a deadly silence. I opened my eyes and that dark green Oklahoma water had now turned to a bright red. Ever see the movie Jaws? Or Piranha in 3D? That's what it looked like. At that moment I felt like I had a choice to either go home, whatever that meant, or stay and battle. Somewhere in my heart I made the decision to stay, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The next thing I knew my dad reached down, grabbed me by the life jacket, and yanked me out of the water. That’s when I realized how badly I’d been injured. 4 I’m sure many of you have had experiences where everything is going along fine, and suddenly you, or someone you love, has something horrible or tragic happen. It might be a physical injury or illness; a break up of a relationship or a divorce; a bad medical report; or something else that seems to shatter your world. Whatever it is, you know at that moment your life will never be the same. That’s how it was for me, because when I looked down I saw that the back side of my right leg was completely missing. My entire left thigh was ripped down to the bone and chunks of muscle were hanging down. My knee had been sliced in half and my legs were cut in multiple places. My dad put me on the floor of the boat. Blood was squirting out of me like a Texas oil well. My friends went running to the front of the boat screaming, some of them getting sick. My dad was putting towels on my legs to try to stop the bleeding. This whole time I am screaming, “Why? Why me?” Have you ever asked that question when you’ve gone through something incredibly difficult or some great challenge hits you? You think, “Why? Why is this happening to me?” Sometimes you get the answer right away. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, or maybe even years. In my case it was going to take almost 20 years before I would learn 5 the "why" behind this seemingly tragic accident and how it would become one of my life’s greatest blessings. I can’t tell you when you’ll get the answer to your “why” question, but I will tell you when you’ll know you have it, and that’s when the answer not only blesses you, but it also blesses others. My father yelled at my 12-year-old brother to drive the boat back to the dock. Once we arrived a nurse and doctor happened to be there. When they realized what was going on they immediately gave me first aid and called the ambulance. It was so hot, well over 100°, but as I was laying in the bottom of the boat I was shaking like I was in a blizzard because I was so cold. The paramedics loaded me into the ambulance and rushed me to a small-town hospital. The emergency room physician did what he could to stabilize me and ordered the paramedics to get me to a larger facility. As they were putting me back into the ambulance he was overheard telling one of his hospital staff, “I don't think this kid is going to make it.” They rushed me to a larger hospital. At this point it had been two hours since I’d been hit.
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