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What do you do when life hands you a death sentence — literally?

In this profoundly moving episode, Kathy Love sits down with Terry Tucker, a former college athlete, police officer, SWAT hostage negotiator, and cancer survivor who has been living with a rare and aggressive form of melanoma for nearly 14 years. What unfolds is a powerful conversation about purpose, resilience, faith, mental endurance, and the quiet, life-changing impact of simply showing up.

This episode isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending things aren’t hard. It’s about finding meaning in misery, making deep human connections, and understanding that your life exactly as it is right now — matters more than you may realize.

Terry shares his cancer diagnosis story and how he reframed a two-year prognosis into a lifelong commitment to meaning, connection, and contribution.

The Mental Battle of Chronic Illness

Why the psychological toll of illness can be harder than the physical pain and how faith, honesty, and endurance carried Terry through his darkest moments.

Purpose Found in the Middle of the Struggle

Purpose didn’t return after healing — it showed up during the suffering. Terry explains how purpose often reveals itself quietly, without our awareness.

The Power of Human Connection

From waiting rooms to hospital chairs, Terry shares how going deeper with people — really seeing them — creates healing on both sides.

Why Your Life and Your Story Matter

A powerful story of a nurse whose life direction changed simply by watching how Terry showed up, proving that impact often happens when we don’t even realize it.

Redefining Success

Drawing on John Wooden’s definition of success, Terry reframes achievement as peace of mind and giving your best — not titles, money, or recognition.

The Four Truths That Guide a Life

Terry shares the four foundational truths that shape his philosophy:

• Control your mind or it will control you
• Embrace pain and difficulty
• What you leave behind is what you weave into others
• As long as you don’t quit, you can never be defeated

Episode Sponsor: The Outlier Project

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