"Dad, come and get me. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to be your son again." Former Major League Baseball player John Patterson had finally hit rock bottom. The fifth overall pick in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft, and the first high school player drafted in 1996, John Patterson stepped right into the plan he created for himself. And then an injury coupled with a series of setbacks sidelined Patterson's aspirations sending his life into a downward spiral as he turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain of his shattered dream.
In his newly released book, Perspective, Perception, Perseverance: How to Understand and Navigate Life's Challenges, former MLB pitcher John Patterson shares his journey to overcome depression, anxiety, and addiction. John has a message to share with others who find themselves struggling to overcome life-shattering failure, especially during this uncertain time amid COVID-19, when many feel hopeless. Whether one has recently experienced the loss of a job, a relationship, or fallen on desperate financial times, it's possible to overcome giant obstacles victoriously. John knows from personal experience that while you may have failed, you're not a failure.
"Failure isn't what holds you back. Believing you can never recover is." John wants others to learn from his experience and understand how to use their personal challenges as fuel to build a better life. Anyone can take back their lives and move into a happier and more successful future than they could ever imagine. John says, "The biggest flaw in building dreams is believing we can control the outcome. Sometimes our biggest lessons come when what we planned falls just out of reach."
When I had the honor of speaking with John about his story, he told me how, when his dream died, his sense of purpose died. He said there were a couple of moments when he didn't feel any value at all. He was lost and depressed. When he lost his sense of worth, he started asking, "Why am I here? Why keep fighting?" Suicidal thoughts came to his mind briefly, which was scary because it wasn't something he wanted to do. But he felt hopeless to change his situation. Statistics show that sadly many people are in this same situation today because of COVID-19. Substance abuse is on the rise as people turn to destructive self-medicating vices to deal with stress and numb their pain. There is a better way. Through prayer, meditation, and visualization, John's book shows how failure is used to capitalize on the opportunities hidden in setbacks.
Were it not for the loving support of his family, encouraging him to get professional help, John's story would have turned out very differently. John's wife and son, parents, and siblings have played an integral role in his road to recovery. When he finally stopped pushing them away and allowed them back into his life, he started to heal. He said that the best thing he did during his darkest days was to move back to his hometown. Surrounded by the support of his family, John got the courage to write a different narrative for his life. John says that gaining the right perspective, drive, and willpower to persevere is what's needed to get through hard times.
The idea of writing his story was planted in John's mind several years ago, but the time wasn't right until now. The process of telling his story has helped him to heal on deeper levels. He said it's been freeing to work through his story, stop hiding from his past, and to be open and honest about life.
John is passionate about the role gratitude has played in his recovery. As a part of his counseling, John was encouraged to keep a gratitude journal, which he still continues today. He says that the practice of gratitude has been life-changing. Instead of focusing on the negative things in life, gratitude journaling has enabled him to focus on the positive things that feed his future goals.
John attributes the importance of his faith in his healing process as well. When he gave up control and let God direct him putting him where he needed to be, he started to be happier. He found he could stop stressing about the things he couldn't control.
When asked if he would write more books, John says yes! He and his wife talk about it regularly and have even tossed around the idea of writing a children's book together.
John would like to use his book as a speaking platform to work with others who have suffered failure and disappointment. He wants to inspire them to change the narrative of their lives and give them hope for the future.
John's wife, Shannon Patterson, is a broker for Coldwell Realty Apex. Shannon is ranked in the top 6 agents of 900 in the company. Shannon has such great relationships with her clients that she becomes their family's go-to Realtor.
John doesn't watch baseball much anymore except for the World Series. Instead, he enjoys playing golf as a hobby, traveling with his family, and coaching lessons on pitching to area youth. In addition to all of that, John has also started an investment firm called Orange Tree Capital Investments company.
Learn more about John and purchase an autographed copy of his book at Perspectiveagent.com. You can find Shannon at www.shannonpattersonrealty.com.