“I was in my early 20’s, it was the season of life when everything was new. I was just married, we moved from a stable, rural community to the big city. I had lots of hopes and dreams as I was trying to prepare for whatever my future was going to be. That was when my Brother-in-law gave me Switchfoot’s Learning to Breathe CD. He gave it to me at his parents house which was in a really rural area of Pennsylvania, I mean Amish country. And I remember walking through the wide open fields on a cold, winter’s day and I couldn’t stop listening, because not only was the music impacting me, it was the first time lyrics from any band had really resonated with me. The first song on the CD is “Dare You to Move”, when I listened to it I felt like the words were challenging me to be better, calling out to me, in my soul, to be my best self. The songs compelled me to be more reflective and the message of each song continued to challenge me even after I stopped listening. I’ve been following them ever since.
During another transitional time in my life, I was basically re-inventing myself, I wanted to be a better husband, a better father, I wanted a better path for my career. My wife and I had recently adopted a child with special needs and we spent a month on the beach, in New Jersey at the Ronald McDonald House during her treatments. Our necessities like food and housing were covered so it gave me the opportunity, everyday to walk on the beach, sometimes for hours, and I would listen to Switchfoot’s music over and over and over. The songs were motivating me to be more, to find my purpose. They were asking questions like ‘This is your life, are you who you want to be?’, and instead of giving me the answers they were encouraging me to think deeply. I really felt like I was being healed, internally, I felt vulnerable and raw. It was probably one of the most defining times in my life, resulting in stronger personal relationships and the decision to pursue a career that would help others enjoy life more.”
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