Rich Bracken is a motivational speaker, podcast host and currently working on his first book, but things haven’t always been this way.
As a child, he was active and healthy but in the 3rd grade was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. He began gaining weight rapidly and as a result, losing confidence.
“I went from playing sports year round to playing video games and eating junk food year round.” He experienced a lot of self-doubt, and those feelings ended up haunting him for years.
Up until his sophomore year of college, he struggled with his weight and self-esteem.
After playing for a year, he gave up the sport and eventually stopped working out, but he didn’t quit his poor eating habits.
“I felt sluggish and tired all of the time and my insecurities were at their peak,” he said.
He was self-medicating by drinking and eating, which only made things worse for him.
For the second time in his life, Bracken found himself in the throes of depression until he woke up one morning feeling like he couldn’t stand to feel that way anymore. “I felt like I had given up on myself, and I felt sorry for myself all of the time,” he said.
It was that one morning, in that moment, staring at himself in the mirror, hating what he saw, that he knew something had to change.
Usually one to make excuses and give up easily, his new found resolve was out of character for him but ended up guiding him throughout a journey that would completely change his life.
The concept of taking control of his life was terrifying and exhilarating all at once for the now 42-year-old. Shedding years of bad habits was daunting and seemed nearly impossible but something kept pushing him in that direction.
For Bracken, it was about losing weight and gaining knowledge.
22 years later, he’s been able to keep off the 100 pounds he worked so hard to lose and has learned that he could do anything he put his mind to. More importantly, he’s learned that the only was to make important changes in your life, is if you do if for yourself.