Finding Joy in Any Circumstance with J.T. Jester

If the worst things happen in your life, are you able to cultivate joy? Could you find joy in any circumstance?

Today's guest, J.T. Jester, is a young entrepreneur, philanthropist, podcaster, and inspirational speaker based in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A graduate of High Point University in North Carolina, JT is also an experienced mountaineer, extreme skier, boater, hunter, and adventurer who has made it his life mission to encourage people to untether from natural or self-imposed limitations and live full, passionate lives.  Born with life-threatening VATER/VACTERL syndrome, as well as extreme dyslexia and short-term memory loss, he established the JT Mestdagh Foundation to bring encouragement, joy, and laughter to people with physical and learning disabilities and their families. JT hopes that through sharing his life experiences and other people’s stories, people will be reminded there truly are no bad days and to never give up.

J.T. Jester shares the inspiration for his book title, No Bad Days. During one of his hospitalizations when he was 7 or 8 years old, J.T.'s father offered sympathy for his suffering. J.T. told his dad, "There are no bad days, only hard ones. And we get through them." This statement became the motto by which J.T. and his family lived. 

Jester describes himself as "blessed," since he did not have all of the possible complications of vacterl syndrome. He was born with a non-functioning GI system which required sixteen surgeries throughout childhood, including a hospital stay of over 200 days. In middle and high school he had a tethered spinal cord that required surgery so he could walk and regain other functioning. He recounts his faith journey and relates his perseverance and healing to his relationship with Christ. 

J.T. shares the experience of going to a youth camp, though needing medical assistance, and notes how he gave his life to Jesus at the camp.

We discuss the ripple effect of J.T.'s positive attitude on those whose lives he touched. Jester emphasizes the importance of choosing a "tribe" of supportive people to help you fulfill your goals and live your best.

J.T. explains that we all have hard days into which we fall. He relates how his ski coach taught him to fall, which helped him realize he learned prevention and response from this training. J.T. says learning to fall and get back up is crucial to living well. He also emphasizes the need to find trustworthy people who will be there to help us when we need it the most.

We discuss the importance of recognizing we will fall but refusing to let fear prevent us from living our fullest. J.T. credits his parents with allowing him to do everything he wanted to experience, even though it might seem challenging due to his medical risks.

Jester recounts the troubleshooting and preparation required to fulfill his goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He shares the incredible story of his experience training for the climb as well as summiting in a shorter time than average. He notes how on the last day of the trip he suffered from altitude sickness and faced unexpected glacier obstacles. 

J.T. said the challenges on the last day forced him to relinquish his backpack. He didn't want to let go of his backpack, but the process of needing to do this taught him how reaching goals sometimes requires us to let something go. We need to rely upon our tribe to help us. Jester reached the summit and described the spiritual and emotional experience.

We discuss the importance of setting big goals in order to maintain hope and joy in life. J.T. notes the benefits of writing down goals daily, monthly, and yearly. He also reiterates how your tribe will help you write the story you want for your life. He recommends choosing stronger, smarter, more proficient support team members to help you grow.

We explore how to select tribe members who will prove beneficial. Jester details how different people helped strengthen him in areas of physical training, skill development, and discipleship. 

We emphasize how we can choose a problem-solving perspective instead of letting circumstances shape the limits of our lives. Jester relates one of the stories in his book, No Bad Days. A woman wrote an allegory called "A Trip to Holland" to describe her unexpected, yet beautiful experience as a mother of a child with Down's Syndrome. 

J.T. notes how we all face different challenges, but can choose to grow and find joy in our journeys.

Connect with J.T. Jester at jtjester.com and on social media at jtjesterspeaks.

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