English 
Français 
My life as an amputee has been a series of huge, life changing leaps of faith. While growing up in Virginia, there was a day in my early twenties when my first wife and I were sitting around one day just relaxing while watching one of our favorite shows. I was sort of lost in thought, mulling over a few family issues that had been troubling me. I had been feeling a bit stagnant. I thought maybe getting away from the area I had lived in all my life and making a fresh start of things would energize my life and help me “find myself”. With a flash of insight, in an instant I sat up, looked over at her and asked: “Do you think you can get your old job back in Minnesota?” She smiled, a bit confused by my sudden question and assured me that they would almost certainly welcome her back aboard as they were terribly sad to see her go when she moved to Virginia after our wedding. I smiled, stood up and announced that we were moving to Minnesota. Less than a month later I arrived at my new place in Minnesota in a rented U-haul, towing my Jeep. That move and the following few years taught me a valuable lesson about being open to opportunity and not being afraid to take a wild chance or two from time to time.
Flash forward about a decade and I was about to take my next huge leap of faith. My marriage was coming to an amicable end and I was faced with a big decision. I had no family in the area and while I had several friendly acquaintances, no close friends to speak of. There was nothing anchoring me to Minnesota. I no longer had any real attachments there. I didn’t want to move back “home” because it meant returning to the family issues that were the cause of my leaving in the first place. The company I worked for was opening a new store in Iowa and when management found out I was thinking of moving, asked me to consider becoming a supervisor and helping staff the new Iowa location. After speaking to the person who would be my new boss, less than a month later, I left Minnesota the same way I had arrived, in a rented U-haul towing my Jeep.
This new chapter of my story would be a relatively short but important one. It was there, in Iowa, that I met my best friend Nacho. After a couple of years, I was beginning to see that Iowa was not the place for me and began thinking of what my next move might be. Fate would intervene again as the company I had moved to Iowa for was now expanding into Nebraska. They were also expanding into the Chicago area with several new locations. Most candidates for the new management positions were eager for the chance to move to Chicago while only a few preferred the relatively slower-paced lifestyle offered in the Omaha area. This meant there was a greater need in the area I preferred. I was offered one of those positions so Nacho and I packed our bags, sold everything that wouldn’t fit in the SUV that I had traded my Jeep for, and off we went to Omaha.
There I met Teresa and after she worked her way into Nacho’s heart over the course of a year and a ½, we married. I left the company I had moved there for and worked my way into management with a local family owned pharmacy chain. I stayed with them for about six and ½ years before an amazing opportunity presented itself and led me to Arizona and my next great adventure. So, here we are. I’m working for a company with real integrity, representing a product that changed my life in ways that words can scarcely describe.
So, here’s the point of all this: I feel as if I have finally come home … not to the place I grew up but to the place I belong. It feels as if every decision I’ve made, every choice I’ve been faced with, and every trial I have overcome, has lead me here. If I had shied away from any of the opportunities that led me down this path out of a sense of fear or uncertainty, then I would not have found my way home. You should always weigh options and make decisions that you feel will be best for you, but don’t shy away from the big ones just because they’re scary. Be smart but when the time comes, sometimes you just close your eyes and take a leap of faith. Oh, and don’t forget to swing by our YouTube channel for more thoughts on taking a leap of faith.
Be sure to visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/rushfoot. Make sure to LIKE our page and visit regularly for upcoming blog posts, informative videos, and to meet and chat with all your favorite Rebels, ReBELLES and Rascals.
To contact Mark:
Email: [email protected]