The Alpha Initiative’s Featured Human!
Welcome to the Featured Human Spotlight!
Each month, we shine a spotlight on an extraordinary individual who is making a remarkable impact on our planet. From innovative entrepreneurs to passionate activists, our Featured Humans are driving positive change, big and small, in their communities and beyond.
Get ready to be inspired by their stories, motivated by their actions, and empowered to join the movement towards a better world.
Join us as we celebrate the incredible individuals who are shaping our world for the better. Stay tuned for our latest Featured Human and discover how you can be a part of the change!
Eric Recker
#WintheNow!
My earliest memories include a Monday morning in 1985. My clock said 5:57AM. My mom was going to wake me up at 6:30. I prayed that she wouldn’t. Why? I didn’t want to face the bullying at school. I didn’t want to face the their words. I didn’t want to feel like that anymore. I was done. And I hated Mondays. I have hated Mondays until recently.
My name is Eric Recker and I am a husband, father, dentist, professional keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Certified Success Coach, pilot, husband, father, author, content creator, mountain climber, endurance athlete, and recovering triathlete. This is my story and why I have such a passion for helping other people climb the mountains in their lives.
Recess kickball was everything to an elementary school kid in the early to mid 1980s in Pella, Iowa. Being able to get out there and kick the ball and drive in a run or to catch a line drive or a popup. The thrill was amazing and intense. It was a big deal. So to be told I couldn’t play because I wasn’t good enough was catastrophic. People question this part of my story because I am 6’5” not and very athletic and have conquered the athletic challenges I have faced.
But in second grade I was told I wasn’t good enough to play. I could have been picked last. I would have been fine with that. But the you aren’t good enough- that stung. Just recently I remembered the pact I made with myself on the sidelines after being told once again that I wasn’t good enough to play that I would be so good at everything I did that no one would ever not pick me. That’s a bold statement for a second grader.
I am not good enough framed so much of my childhood and well into college, dental school, and well into my working career. I was always trying to prove to bullies that had moved on a long time ago from me that I had what it takes. Marathons. Triathlon to the Ironman Distance. Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. Advanced degrees. Everything was a competition and I was going to win!
And it all led to one thing- BURNOUT. Extreme burnout. Chest pain, heart palpitations, and the dreaded panic attacks. And in late 2020 I was in negotiations to sell my dental practice and walk away. When that fell through I reached a personal ground zero and had to decide what I wanted to do with my life going forward. Burnout would follow me anywhere.
I discovered what I wanted. Impact. To make an impact. So I sold half of my practice to a partner and so I see patients three days a week and coach and speak the other days.
And I discovered at the top of Mt Princeton, near Leadville, Colorado, a very simple yet challenging phrase as I surveyed the summit and all its beauty and the glory of God’s creation. I felt completely empty. Hollow. The commit meant nothing to me. As did the finish line of most of my other accomplishments. Here is the phrase I heard in my spirit- If you don’t know why you are climbing the mountain, you won’t find the answer at the top.
With that realization, I realized my operating system was broken. I was good enough. And now, with knowing that, I started being on a mission to help other people realize how to fix their broken operating systems and design a life that they don’t need a vacation from. Through coaching, speaking, and writing, I meet people where they are on their journey and work as their ally to discover faith, hope, and belief that good days are ahead.
#WINtheNOW has become my mindset. It is the mindset of presence. It is all about being in the same place mind and body and showing up in the moments of your lives. For yourself, for your family, for your people. WINtheNOW has changed my life and it can change yours! I would love to share more with you. Hit me up and let’s talk!
I don’t want to waste my burnout story. I want to help others to be honest with where they are, but learn how to not stay there.
My overarching why and my due-north is this- I exist to make a difference in the world that is disproportionate to who I am. That clarity guides my days and encourages me to always be making an impact!
There is hope. No matter where you are. You don’t have to believe the words that were spoken over you. They do not have to be your truth. But until you are honest with yourself, they will continue to have power over you. The joy is in the overcoming. Don’t journey alone!
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