There are a lot of different ways to define PRIDE. Ask ten people what the word means to them, and you’ll get ten different answers. Some will tell you it’s about confidence, some will say it’s about identity, and others might say it’s about respect. But for me, PRIDE is something I’ve had to build from the ground up—through blood, sweat, tears, and more than a few scars. It’s not just a word, and it’s sure as hell not just a feeling. It’s a way of living. A set of core values I’ve had to live and die by. It’s my Purpose, Resilience, Integrity, Discipline, and Empowerment. And yeah, there’s a story behind each one.
Let’s start with Purpose because without that, what the hell are you even doing with your life? For a long time, I was drifting, lost in the chaos of addiction, trying just to make it through the day. I was existing, but I wasn’t living. I didn’t have a purpose; if I did, I was too far gone to see it. But when you hit rock bottom—and I mean the real bottom, where the only way out is to either dig your grave or fight like hell to climb out—you find your purpose. Mine wasn’t just about getting clean; it was about taking that pain, that struggle, and using it to help others fight their way out of their own pits. It became crystal clear: my purpose was to be the guy who doesn’t just survive the wreckage but walks through the fire and comes out stronger. I made it my mission to lead others through that same fire. If you’re not clear on your purpose, you’re just floating through life, waiting for something to happen. But here’s the truth: you make it happen. You define what your purpose is, and you chase it like your life depends on it because it does.
Now, onto Resilience. This one’s close to my heart because if there’s anything I know well, it’s how to get knocked down and crawl my way back up. Life isn’t kind; it’s a brutal fight, and it doesn’t care about your feelings or your plans. Life is going to throw punches that make you want to stay down, curl up, and quit. I know because I’ve been there. Whether it was addiction dragging me into the gutter or the challenges I faced in law enforcement, seeing people at their absolute worst, I’ve had every reason to give up. But resilience isn’t about taking the hit—it’s about how you get back up after you’ve been flattened. I didn’t just want to survive those punches; I wanted to come back stronger. Every failure, every stumble, every brutal day on the job taught me something: resilience is a muscle, and the more you use it, the stronger it gets. If you’re not getting stronger after every blow, you’re not doing it right. It’s not enough to say, “I made it through.” The goal is to say, “I’m better because of it.”
Then there’s Integrity—and let me tell you, this one doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s easy to talk about integrity when life is smooth, but when you’re in the trenches, integrity is the thing that either holds you together or breaks you apart. Integrity means doing the right thing when no one’s watching, even when it would be easier to cut corners or give in to the wrong side. I’ve had more than a few moments in my career where it would’ve been simpler to look the other way, ignore the problem, or let someone else deal with it. But that’s not how I’m wired. Integrity means standing your ground, even when the world’s collapsing around you. It’s about aligning your actions with your values, no matter the cost. And the cost can be high. I’ve walked away from things that didn’t sit right with me, jobs, and situations that didn’t match up with my sense of right and wrong. I’m not perfect, but I don’t cut corners, and I don’t bend the truth, not to myself, not to anyone. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t have integrity, you’ve got nothing.
Discipline is another one that people love to talk about but rarely understand. People think discipline is just about willpower or staying on track. But it’s more than that—it’s a lifestyle. Discipline means getting up every day, even when you don’t want to. Especially when you don’t want to, it’s pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, whether it’s in the gym, at work, or in your personal growth. Discipline was the one thing that kept me from falling apart during my recovery. It’s easy to give up when things get tough, to let yourself slide just this once. But “just this once” turns into every time if you’re not careful. Discipline isn’t just about saying no to bad habits; it’s about saying yes to what’s right for you. Every day, I make the choice to stay sharp. Whether it’s physically, mentally, or emotionally, I put in the work. And yeah, it’s a grind. But without discipline, you’re just spinning your wheels, stuck in the same place, wondering why nothing changes.
Finally, there’s Empowerment—but let me be clear: empowerment isn’t about being soft or coddling people. It’s about giving people the tools to take control of their own lives. I didn’t start working in recovery, career, and life coaching to hand people easy answers. I got into it to show people that they already have the strength to change their lives—they just need to see it. Empowerment is about lighting that fire in someone, giving them the push to realize they’re capable of so much more than they think. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. People come to me at their lowest, thinking they’re too far gone, and when they leave, they’re on fire for life again. That’s what empowerment is. It’s not about doing the work for them; it’s about showing them they can do the work themselves and that they must. I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to think you’ve got nothing left. And I know what it feels like to find that last scrap of strength and use it to rebuild everything from the ground up. That’s what I aim to give to everyone I work with: the confidence to take back their own power.
So yeah, PRIDE means different things to different people. For me, it’s not just a word—it’s a code I live by. It’s Purpose, Resilience, Integrity, Discipline, and Empowerment. These five principles aren’t just abstract ideas—they keep me grounded, push me to keep going, and guide everything I do, both in my own life and in helping others. This isn’t a nice little acronym I threw together to sound good on paper. It’s the real deal. It’s the result of years of hard lessons, of falling down and getting back up, and of fighting to create a life worth living—not just for me, but for everyone I come into contact with.
If you’re serious about turning your life around, you need more than motivation. You need PRIDE.
Stay disciplined. Stay resilient.
Jim Lunsford
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Use of Artificial Intelligence: Jim Lunsford is committed to sharing authentic and meaningful content. To enhance the clarity and effectiveness of his writing, Jim utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool in the content creation process. While AI assists in organizing and refining his ideas, every thought, insight, and story shared on this website is genuinely his own. The use of AI does not alter the authenticity of his work; rather, it helps Jim communicate more effectively with you, his audience. Jim's goal remains to inspire, motivate, and connect, and AI is simply a tool that supports that mission.
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