Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrance Thomas.
Hi Terrance, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hello, Voyage Dallas viewers. This story started in Fort Worth, Texas. I did not know my father and his side of the family. My mother was doing her best with two boys and addiction. I spent many nights on the streets of Fort Worth asking people for money to buy food, only to have that money be used to purchase illegal substances. I had a little brother, and I was responsible for taking care of him. Our journey would take us from motel to motel in Fort Worth. They were dangerous places, and one motel had rats jumping out of the wall. We lived a life of danger and uncertainty. My shoes were torn, and the cold North Texas nights were difficult because my toes were exposed to the freezing rain.
When I was thirteen, we were arrested for shoplifting baby clothes in Forrest Hill. My mom went to prison, my brother went to foster care, and I went to a homeless shelter for teens called “The Bridge” near downtown Fort Worth. While I was at the Bridge, I was an honored resident. This meant I did all my chores and became a house manager. I was responsible for ensuring that the other teens did what needed to be done in the house. I had an absolutely amazing time living at the homeless shelter and did not want to leave when it was time to go.
I once believed that I had no value, and I was confident that my life would lead me to prison or death. I did not like who I was, and my future was something that I avoided thinking about.
I was blessed to have teachers in high school who believed in me. They taught me to believe in myself. I went to college and studied Political Science. I then moved overseas to China, where I did business, worked for a yacht company, and got into entertainment. I did contracts with the Atlantis, Autograph Collection, Edition, Mandarin Oriental, MGM Grand, and Hilton. Upon returning to the United States after nine years in China and three years in Africa, I, along with a group of community leaders, launched a 501 c6 non-profit known as the DFW Network Chamber.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest challenges was getting rid of the idea that I was stupid. When I was young, I was told that I was stupid and dumb. I believed it for most of my life. The result of this belief was a severely poor performance in school. My poor performance in school contributed to other limiting beliefs about myself and unproductive habits. I failed the second grade and was held back. This resulted in me being older than my classmates.
I was not able to read until I was around ten years old. I usually would sit in the back of the classroom to avoid being called on by my teachers. I performed poorly in school and failed most exams. In high school, my teachers, Mr. Hayward and Mrs. Coker, taught me about my potential. They had higher standards for my work, and they clarified that failure was not an option. I took the AP Exam for Macroeconomics and placed first in my school. That was when I learned about my ability to learn.
In college at McMurry University in Abilene. I studied Political Science and learned how to do research. That was the point when my academic life took a turn, and I started to become who I am today. I utilized the skills I learned in college once I left the United States. I was present in Hong Kong during the Umbrella Movement and in Thailand when a military coup attempted to overthrow the King. I took a boat into North Korea by a river and had the North Korean Navy throw rocks at me. I saw the North Korean Navy rob vendors selling goods on the river. I also took a boat deep into the South China Sea from Palawan Island to get a firsthand account of the regional dispute. I was at the Queenco Hotel in Cambodia when the country’s government found out that its first case of COVID-19 was in that same hotel! My adventures took me to South Africa in 2022.
I learned about my value. I learned that I had experiences and wisdom to share with people that would inspire them to take the next step toward their ambitions in life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a motivational speaker and life coach.
I am a unique speaker because my stories do not use other people’s examples and experiences. I have slept under a bridge and behind a convenience store. I went through a cancer battle in 2009 while living in a house without electricity or water. I stood in line at the homeless charity waiting for canned goods because I had no way to refrigerate food. My health crashed, and I lost three jobs. I know what turmoil is, and I know that each of us can rise above our circumstances and live a life for the better.
I know what it means to say that God is good and will deliver. I can say this because I have been to the bottom of the pit and back. My story is a story of triumph, and I am still writing it today.
Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Ruben Gonzalez said, “There are top dollar speakers who wish they had a story like you because you speak from experience.” I believe that is true. In my books “We Must Fail to Succeed” and “Make Today Your Day,” I discuss that the things I was once ashamed of are what God has turned into my most remarkable assets for success!
The confidence I needed was already there because God was with me all along. I had faith that God would use my pain to my advantage. He took my frustration and turned it into a blessing. I was not alone.
Dr. Robert Criner told me, “Whatever you focus on will expand.” If you focus on your problems, they will get more significant and numerous. If you focus on your blessings and all the good things God is doing in your life, you will attract more blessings.
You must define success for yourself and work diligently to make that your reality. My books so far include We Must Fail to Succeed, Make Today Your Day, 365 Days of Love & Gratitude, and Made by China: A New World Order. Success for me includes publishing seven books and sharing my story of triumph on stages across the US. I already had the opportunity to leave a positive impact in China. It’s time to take my message to organizations across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Covid-19 pandemic hit me differently. I was living in China when Covid-19 struck. The result of it was that China closed its borders, and I was not able to get back home with my wife. We responded by flying to Mauritius Island, Africa. We did not know that the pandemic would result in us being in Africa for three years, but that is precisely what happened. COVID changed everything, and those willing to adapt came out of it okay.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://terrancethomas.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrancethomas_int/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrancethomasofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrancethomasofficial/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Must-Fail-Succeed-Strategies-Self-Enhancement/dp/B0BZFLDR5P/ref=sr_1_1?
