Greg Hasberry

Special to the Enquirer

I recently felt called to share my testimony and my heart with others through the written word, in hopes of reaching even one person who might be struggling with a similar battle.

In sharing your story with others, you often get a two-fold blessing and response.

In one way, you’re able to keep in touch with the pulse of the community. As you share your experiences with others, those relatable words will reach people. It often will shock you who you can affect, encourage and help.

On the opposite side, writing helps keep me grounded. It makes me realize that there’s a lot more going on in this world than my own struggles – which is a huge reason why I felt called to put my thoughts on paper.

One of my mentors has always expressed to me the importance of building a story. “Tell it like you’re reliving it fully,” he said.

So today I’m going to tell you about my $1.64.
The Friday before I returned to my personal training job, I had $1.64. Up until that point, I had managed to accumulate a fair amount of savings while in the hospital and in the beginning stages of dialysis.

Fortunately, through donations from a benefit race appropriately named “Hearts for Hasberry,” I was able to get back on my feet. The race was a benefit 5K/10K started by some key individuals in my life. I was able, along with my personal savings, to take care of my needs and my daughter’s needs while enduring renal failure. Without this fundraising event, life would have been extremely tough – much more so than it already was at that time.

I was traveling weekends to different transplant hospitals, and my daughter belonged to an AAU basketball association in Tampa, Fla., as well. Needless to say, road trips were my existence.

Without those long drives, I honestly might have passed away; the interactions and normalcy kept me going.
I’m thankful because my training did not fail me at my strongest, fittest or sharpest. It was my mind that became the source of my edge.

Having become accustomed to being at the top of my physical game, I didn’t understand how it sharpened my mental game.

When dialysis got even harder is when I was truly in the fight.
When you’re in the fight of your life – no matter what fight it is, whether divorce, financial problems or career changes – when you hit the wall of struggle, you cannot stop training. You cannot allow yourself to be consumed by the fight.

Always enter into adversity with a strong mentality that you will not be defeated because then the trial that attempted to weaken you can’t do so. This is where you find your mental strength blossom.

Hold on to your self-confidence and authority. Even if you’re falling forward, you’re still making progress.
Every challenge you meet takes you down a path of discovery and power that equals freedom.

Use adversity as an opportunity. Seize it. Remember, it’s the warrior within us that drives us forward.

Start your process – even if it begins with $1.64 cents.