Divorce
My parents divorced when I was in 8th grade. The divorce
rate is very high right now, which is disappointing, but I know
that this one relates to many of you.

This is always difficult for anyone and is always unique to
the people involved.

I cannot say that my situation was any worse or any better
than anyone else’s. It was just mine and mine only. I will
not discuss the details, as they will not teach you anything.

What this situation did for me was to open up a lot of new opportunities, both good and bad.
All of the sudden, I had more time without parents to do other things.

Now that I am 26, I can recognize the value of what that has done for me and why it has now empowered me to be a stronger person. I was essentially forced to make my own decisions and fend for myself much more than before. At first, I stumbled quite a bit but I have become much better over time. The situation created an environment of independence for me. I was able to drive around whenever I wanted to and go to places far off when I wanted to and no one was really stopping me.

What this did was enable me to go see new places and search for things that I wanted to see. As I started seeing a few good things that I enjoyed, this made me more comfortable going further and so I started seeing more new places. This aspect has taught me a great deal and I do not think that it would have been the same if the divorce did not happen. At this point in my life, I hardly need a map to know where I am driving to, in more states, than I can count. I can drive all the way across country and back and know exactly where good places to eat and , get gas and sleep are without having to check. I also know where a lot of the good attractions are located.

This situation also created a free thinking attitude for me. It was likely always there to begin with but it essentially broke the chains from the ball. Once I started filling my thinking with good things, this opened up so many good avenues and good education. I am very thankful that I have made better decisions about what to fill my brain with because it is absolutely helping me out right now and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. The hard part is avoiding the bad things that are out there because they are so easily available with TV and the internet. In my opinion, the good things are far more fun and can lead to far more exciting things.

I suppose the key factor for me getting through this bad situation was that I had a strong determination to overcome it. I did not want to feel miserable and I did not want to waste my life. I did not want to continue on a bad path. Just like travelling across the country, there is ALWAYS another road you can take. And you can always turn back. The hard part with this is finding the map! You cannot just go out and buy one or get it for Christmas. Some roads are good and some roads are bad. Some roads are boring and easy and some are bad and dangerous. Some roads are all of the above too. Just because it is hard to find does not mean you shouldn’t search for it.

Go to the Racing Resources section for a list of things that might help you find your map >>

Bertil Roos Racing School
http://www.racenow.com
This school has taught me a lot over the past 8 years.
It also came at a time when I needed something to focus
on. Going to The Bertil Roos School opened up my passion
for driving and racecars again. I am also very fortunate
to have worked with such good people who looked out
for me. They are all older than I am and they helped
me make good decisions along the way and continue
to do so. I also learned so much from all of the
students that I taught there, as they all came from
different backgrounds and have different mindsets
than each other.

Teaching is also very gratifying. Watching someone
struggle and then listen to you on how to make things
better, and then watch them “Get It” is a very cool thing.
It is a feeling of high achievement. It also builds a level of respect. I enjoy teaching driving
very much and I wish I still had the time to do it every now and then because it keeps me in tune with the basics
of driving which keeps my mind sharp. I have also learned things from my students that have helped me to be a better driver, as strange as it may sound. Sometimes students do things that they do not know that they did!

Performance Prime
http://www.performanceprime.com
In August of 2004, I went down to do the drivers program with Jacques Dallaire and it was the best thing I had ever done with my life. It was absolutely a turning point for my driving and my life, as the program taught me new ways to think about things, and in my opinion, a healthier way of thinking. This program was what absolutely got my hooked on human behavior and performance psychology. I carry with me today all of the tools that I learned through this program.