May 9th was the day my life began. As I lay on the operating table, groggy listening to London Bridge by Fergie while silently searing at my ablated heart muscle. I found myself unable to take my eyes off the monitor displaying the electrical contractions under the guidance of my physiologist's hand.And in that moment, I not only witnessed the taming of the spasms that had haunted me for the previous six years, but also the realization that my life would be mine again. As someone with an invisible illness, ...

Community Investment & Development - The speaker emphasizes the importance of investing in local communities to create environments where people want to stay and thrive [2][12][13] - The speaker initiated a project to build a children's museum in Grand Forks to provide a gathering place for families and promote intergenerational connections [5][8] - The project aims to shape futures and build community by investing in early childhood education and creating spaces for learning and play [10][11] - The speaker highlights the potential cost of inaction, including the loss of talent, lack of community connection, and difficulty in attracting businesses and employees [12] Workforce & Talent Retention - The speaker shares a personal motivation for investing in the community, stemming from the loss of a concrete finisher due to his girlfriend's dissatisfaction with living in North Dakota [4] - The speaker's goal is to make OP Construction the best place for employees to work, fostering pride in their work and the community [3] - The speaker acknowledges the challenge faced by rural communities in retaining their best and brightest individuals [12] Vision & Leadership - The speaker emphasizes the importance of having a vision and investing in people, particularly children, to build a better future for the community [13] - The speaker highlights the impact of Ralph Engel and his family's contributions to the community through projects like the Choice Wellness Center and the Alera Center [9] - The speaker initially underestimated the complexity of the children's museum project, realizing it was about more than just building a building [9][10]