Building a Better Future: Lessons from Rock Bottom
Dominick Meriwether joins me to share his journey of resilience and self-improvement through personal struggles, including his experiences in the foster care system.
A significant point we explore is the importance of changing ourselves first if we want to see change in the world around us. Dominick reflects on the tough choices he made, like opting to stay in foster care rather than returning to a harmful environment, and how those decisions shaped his path to becoming a better person.
He emphasizes the need for vulnerability, especially among men, and discusses how his relationships and community support have been vital to his growth.
As we dive deeper, we uncover how embracing flaws and learning from mistakes can lead to a fulfilling life, and Dominick offers insights on how to navigate the challenges that come our way.
Takeaways:
- The journey of self-improvement often starts with the willingness to change ourselves instead of just wanting to change the world around us.
- Dominick exemplifies resilience, having overcome the challenges of growing up in the foster care system to help others.
- Understanding your flaws and continuously striving to grow is essential for personal development, even when mistakes are made along the way.
- The importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people cannot be overstated; they can lift you up during difficult times.
- Men often struggle with expressing their emotions due to societal expectations, but it's crucial to acknowledge and talk about feelings.
- Embracing rock bottom can serve as a solid foundation for growth, transforming struggles into opportunities for success.
You can connect with Dominick on Instagram: @MochaBearMMA
The music in this video is copyrighted and used with permission from Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. All rights to the music are owned by Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. You can contact Raquel at https://YourGPSForSuccess.Net
Transcript
I've walked through fire with shadows on my heels Scars turn to stories that taught me to feel lost in the silence found in the flame now wear my battle cry without shame this isn't the end it's where I begin A soul that remembers the fire within.
Speaker B:Welcome back to another episode of A Warrior Spirit, brought to you by Praxis33.
Speaker B:I'm your host, Darrell Snow.
Speaker B:Let's dive in.
Speaker B:Many of us want the world around us to change, but how many of us want to try to be the type of person who's willing to change themselves first?
Speaker B:The type of person who knows they are flawed but continues growing and improving daily to help create the actual change they desire in the world around them.
Speaker B:In spite of the struggles of growing up in the foster care system, struggling with mental health issues, and a whole lot more, my guest today, Dominic Meriwether, is one of those courageous people trying to change the world around him by changing himself first.
Speaker B:Dominic, welcome to the show.
Speaker C:Thank you so much.
Speaker C:How you doing?
Speaker B:I'm doing great.
Speaker B:Appreciate you joining us today.
Speaker B:Your bio, your intro says you grew up in the foster system.
Speaker B:Where did you grow up?
Speaker C:I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska.
Speaker D:I was taken away from my family, I think around the age of eight.
Speaker C:I was a little younger, mostly due to my father and his drinking and his abuse and my mom wanting to make sure that she could try and, you know, fix my dad and help my dad so that we, you know, had a father figure in our life and it didn't end out that way.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:So how long did you spend in foster care?
Speaker C:I actually never went back home.
Speaker C:All my siblings went back home.
Speaker C:And I was put into a foster home with my brother Jacob for a little bit of time before we got separated.
Speaker C:And then, you know, I hopped around.
Speaker D:From like, North Star, North Star facility in Anchorage, Alaska, to a boys home or a group home called Jesse Lee Campus, where I was in the Gaylor Cottage.
Speaker D:And then from there, my life kind.
Speaker C:Of changed a little bit.
Speaker D:Like, my counselor, Claudia, told me that.
Speaker C:I had a person that wanted to take me into his foster home.
Speaker D:And, you know, at the time, I was young, so she was like, yeah, he's deaf.
Speaker D:And my first reaction is like, a dead guy.
Speaker C:You know, I didn't understand what that meant.
Speaker C:You know, that guy changed my life.
Speaker C:He, you know, he was hearing impaired.
Speaker C:I was definitely scared to move in with him.
Speaker C:I didn't like the other foster kid because he was kind of a bully towards me.
Speaker C:But my dad, or.
Speaker C:Yeah, he's my dad now he.
Speaker C:I mean, he did a lot for me, did a lot for my family, did a lot for my friends and so on, so forth.
Speaker C:And, you know, it was just an.
Speaker D:Incredible journey from there.
Speaker D:Taught me some valuable lessons, taught me, you know, a little bit more self control.
Speaker D:And I feel like even then, like, he.
Speaker C:Still wasn't able to teach me all the things that, like, a lot of young men or young boys need to know to grow into men.
Speaker D:And so I had to take a.
Speaker C:Lot of bits and pieces from the great people around me, my friends, fathers, and so on, so forth, to kind of grow into the person that I needed to become.
Speaker C:But that's not saying that I'm without.
Speaker D:Flaws or I haven't hurt people or I haven't made a lot of mistakes or burnt bridges along the way, because.
Speaker C:I've done all of that.
Speaker D:And I, you know, I've made mistakes, have impacted my life and impacted, you know, the lives around me.
Speaker D:And, you know, I'm.
Speaker C:I'm not perfect.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker D:And I know I made those mistakes.
Speaker D:And, you know, I think about them a lot.
Speaker C:And I try to.
Speaker D:I try to find ways to, you know, kind of remedy those mistakes with.
Speaker C:Some things you can't fix.
Speaker C:You know, it's.
Speaker D:Sometimes damage is done and we all heal differently.
Speaker C:And, you know, I've learned that.
Speaker B:So how many siblings did you have growing up?
Speaker C:And, you know, biological siblings?
Speaker B:Yeah, your biological.
Speaker C:Oh, man.
Speaker C:So it's my older brother Zach, older brother, our older sister Courtney, my little sister Blair, my brother Jacob, cj, Nathan, and aj.
Speaker C:AJ passed away long time ago, so quite a bit.
Speaker C:And then, you know, you know, it kind of goes on from there, too.
Speaker D:In terms of, you know, other parents and, you know, and then I.
Speaker D:I.
Speaker C:Also don't deem siblings based on blood.
Speaker C:I have a lot of friends and family that are never, never related to me in any way, shape or form that have kind of given me that.
Speaker D:That wing to hide under when I.
Speaker C:Needed it, you know, and a lot.
Speaker C:And one of them is one of the people that I work with daily, you know, or I was working with daily before I moved stores.
Speaker C:And so, yeah, the.
Speaker B:Fact that your siblings, your blood siblings went back to the house but you did not.
Speaker B:What was the distinction?
Speaker B:Why would they send most or all of them but one?
Speaker B:Like, why.
Speaker B:Why didn't you get to go back home either?
Speaker C:You know, that's.
Speaker C:That's a good question.
Speaker C:It wasn't that I didn't get to go when I got the opportunity.
Speaker C:I chose not to go.
Speaker C:I was In a spot where I, I knew I was a very angry kid.
Speaker C:I knew that I was going through a lot.
Speaker C:I knew that I needed.
Speaker C:I needed a male figure.
Speaker C:And with my dad out of the picture, I didn't know how I was going to cope or re.
Speaker C:Or react to things in life.
Speaker C:And I built friends for once.
Speaker C:I had friends and like, around this area, like good friends I skateboarded with every single day.
Speaker C:You know, their, Their parents would take us on skateboard trips.
Speaker C:No issues.
Speaker C:Like, my dad knew where I was at all times.
Speaker C:He trusted me.
Speaker C:And this is my adoptive father, Sean, of course.
Speaker C:And so I, I chose not to go back.
Speaker C:I, I said that it was something that I, I didn't want to do.
Speaker C:And I, I had a strong feeling, and I had lots of nightmares prior to making that decision that if I did go back, I would have.
Speaker C:I wouldn't be here today.
Speaker C:I would have ended up dead somewhere.
Speaker C:I probably would have overdosed or gotten something I shouldn't have gotten into.
Speaker C:And the areas that we lived in back then were not good areas.
Speaker C:And, you know, kids that I knew, you know, in grade school, around that area weren't growing up like I wanted to grow up or what I envisioned growing up.
Speaker C:And so I made that decision by myself.
Speaker C:And it's something that I had to stand by and tell my mother myself.
Speaker B:And how old were you at that point?
Speaker C:Oh, man, I was.
Speaker C:I don't even remember.
Speaker C:I think I was 9, 10, 11, 12ish, something like that.
Speaker C:I was young.
Speaker C:It was a decision that I was given the ability to make, and my mom respected it.
Speaker C:My mom knew that I was a daddy's boy.
Speaker C:My mom knew that this was going to be beneficial to me.
Speaker C:She, you know, and.
Speaker C:And it wasn't until I got older that I realized how much she had to endure after I did that, you know, and it made my brothers mad, too.
Speaker C:I got told over and over again that I abandoned my family.
Speaker C:And, you know, that's just a lot of weight to have on your shoulders because at the end of the day, I was just trying to make sure that I was taking care of myself.
Speaker C:I didn't want to end up dead or doing drugs or, you know, I had a life and I wanted to keep it and I wanted to keep growing.
Speaker B:It's unusual from what I know about the foster care system, for someone to actually thrive in the system and do well.
Speaker B:So you had to have been pretty blessed to get some parents who didn't abuse the system, but actually helped the children they were in, in care of, you know, there's not a, there's not a lot of people who come out of foster care and say, you know, foster care was better than being at home with my family.
Speaker B:So that had to be a pretty good system you were in, or at least at some point.
Speaker C:I think Sean was, Sean was different.
Speaker C:Shawn loved people.
Speaker C:He, I mean, don't get me wrong, people get paid to do what they do.
Speaker C:But, but I've seen him do a lot.
Speaker C:You know, I had a foster brother that he was trying to get to take legal guardianship up as well, and that didn't go out as planned.
Speaker C:And, you know, I've seen foster siblings pass away.
Speaker C:I've seen them pass away and wither away from doing drugs and whatever it may be.
Speaker C:And it breaks my heart because, you know, it's like this system is designed for people to thrive and, and to have a home and set them up for success when they, when they reach society at that age of 18 or whatever age they deem that they don't, you know, that they want to move forward.
Speaker C:And a lot of these kids don't make it that far.
Speaker C:They don't make it that far.
Speaker C:And if they do make it that far, they struggle in society, they struggle with drug use, they struggle with, you know, you know, financial struggles or finding a job or building the right friend group or, you know, or whatever it may be.
Speaker C:And, and I, I, I, I am blessed, but it, you know, takes a village, and I've learned that.
Speaker C:And, you know, if it wasn't for, you know, Sean and Cameron and Curtis and Alex, those are, those were my main friends back then.
Speaker C:I don't think I would have made it out of the foster care system or even wanted to stay in that system.
Speaker C:And they made it what it was.
Speaker C:They made that life for me.
Speaker C:And don't get me wrong, like, sometimes I think about what my life would be like if my, if I went back home.
Speaker C:I would love to see what it would have been like in, like, an alternate universe and see, you know, did I.
Speaker C:Was I right about the theories in which I would have, you know, went down the path that I thought I would have gone, gone down, or would I have thrived like I am now?
Speaker C:You know, would my family be better off or would.
Speaker C:Would we still be in the same spot?
Speaker C:You know, and those are things that I can't control.
Speaker C:And ultimately, every single day, we have to make decisions that impact our life and impact the people around us thoroughly so we can grow successfully.
Speaker C:We have our tight Knit group that we have to focus on and I had to make that decision.
Speaker B:You're pretty well rounded from the interaction that I've had with you.
Speaker B:We were fortunate enough to meet and you're very well.
Speaker B:What's the word I'm looking for?
Speaker B:I hate when master of words can't find a word like I just.
Speaker B:But you're very astute, you're very thoughtful, you're very outgoing and you really do try to make the situation or the people around you better.
Speaker B:And how did, how did that come out of being in foster care?
Speaker B:Because we all have friends and we all have, you know, people that kind of lift us up.
Speaker B:But somewhere internally that switch has to go on for us because you saw plenty of opportunity to go down the drug, the chaos path and you chose at a very early age to go down different path.
Speaker B:So, and so what innately in you like triggered that, that it's carrying forward today?
Speaker B:As a 30 something young man, have.
Speaker C:You ever heard the saying that the people that are hurting the most, they do the most or they're, they're, they're outgoing, they're pushing to make other people smile.
Speaker C:I didn't grow up extroverted by any means.
Speaker C:I was very, I was very antisocial growing up, especially growing up in hearing impaired home.
Speaker C:Like sounds on things like I'm probably one of the few people you'll ever meet that plays video games with no sound, you know, footsteps, whatever it may be.
Speaker C:I, but inadvertently, like I, I care about people because, because I hate how I feel sometimes, you know, and, and this mental health is, you know, we all struggle from it, but it's like, to the point where, like what may be bothering me might not be big for someone else, but it's big for me.
Speaker C:Just like what, what's big for them might not be big for me.
Speaker C:And I understand that every case is different.
Speaker C:Everyone has their struggles.
Speaker C:I just try to make the most of the day and try and make everybody smile.
Speaker C:And I've had my downfalls.
Speaker C:I've tried to end it.
Speaker C:I've threatened to end it several times.
Speaker C:I've had people not bang on my door.
Speaker C:My good friend Matt, I've had him come bang on my door, had his mom drive me to my house when I was threatening to hurt myself multiple times.
Speaker C:No one's perfect.
Speaker C:And I get that.
Speaker C:And I think that we're all perfectly imperfect and we need to understand that.
Speaker C:And I think that's where I come from when I try to make the most out of things and try and make everybody happy as much as I can.
Speaker C:But it's also something that men like to do.
Speaker C:Men are.
Speaker C:You know, we try to fix things.
Speaker C:That's.
Speaker C:That's what we try to do by nature, is try to fix things.
Speaker C:And I'm not saying that I'm the best man in the world.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:Like I said, I've made a ton of mistakes, a lot.
Speaker C:And I.
Speaker C:And I own those.
Speaker C:And if I don't own them right away, I'm learning to own them, or they're coming back and haunting me to where I have to own them.
Speaker C:You know, I've said some stupid stuff out of anger, and I've let my anger and my depression get to me at the most.
Speaker C:And I'm no different than you or anybody else.
Speaker C:I'm a man that.
Speaker C:You cut my arm, I cut your arm, we bleed the same color.
Speaker C:I just want to make sure that everybody is happy and thriving.
Speaker C:And I try my very, very best to make sure that I make every interaction with me, you know, a memorial one or memorable one to where you are.
Speaker C:You like this guy.
Speaker C:This guy tried to lift me, and I was having a bad day, and he made my day better.
Speaker C:Whether.
Speaker C:No matter what I'm feeling, I try to do that, you know, so that's where I'm at, I guess.
Speaker C:Like, I don't want people to feel how I'm feeling, and if I can turn someone's frown upside down, then I'm gonna try.
Speaker B:So who is there for you?
Speaker B:Because mental health is a big challenge, especially when it gets to the point where we have either attempted suicide or thought suicide.
Speaker B:I'm in that boat as well.
Speaker B:I've had moments where I've attempted it, and there's been a glimmer of a moment where something pulled me back from the brink, fortunately.
Speaker B:But I find that those moments come when I've lost all hope.
Speaker B:Like, if I have any type of hope at all, I'm good, and I'll muddle through and I continue on.
Speaker B:But if I feel like all hope is lost, that's the moments that I've just said, you know, it's not worth it.
Speaker B:So who is helping you or who has helped you stay on this side of that line?
Speaker C:I think, man, I think a lot of people have helped me, and my family is, you know, one of my biggest things and biggest supporters in the world.
Speaker C:But I think again, too, you know, one of the biggest struggles for men is learning how to talk about these feelings and learning how to adapt to these feelings and try and get these feelings out without feeling weak because, you know, I feel like society teaches us to feel strong and that we, you know, we can't shed tears and we, you know, talking about your feelings is a sign of weakness.
Speaker C:So I'm learning that myself.
Speaker C:I'm struggling with that myself and, but I definitely lean on my family and they have been there for me.
Speaker C:They ask me questions, they, you know, they reach out to me and I come home and I'm loved.
Speaker C:So I'm thankful for that.
Speaker C:And you know, ESA animals, I love my dogs, they support me a lot too.
Speaker C:And I'm still learning.
Speaker C:So I, it's that, that question is something that's a work in progress and it's going to only get better.
Speaker C:I think.
Speaker B:You mentioned family.
Speaker B:You were in a relationship at a young age.
Speaker B:You have a daughter from that.
Speaker B:How old were you when you, when you got with her mother?
Speaker C:Oh man, I met her around one of my fights and you know, we, we spent some time together and then we ended up having a kid.
Speaker C:And there's a lot of details into that that I don't really want.
Speaker C:I don't think I should get into on stream.
Speaker C:But like she, she ultimately passed away and so, you know, it's, it's something that, you know, we as a whole family and then her, her mom's side of the family are working on to give her the best life possible too.
Speaker C:And you know, and it's, I never focused on my health either until until recently.
Speaker C:And it's, you know, I'm, I was dealing with some health issues myself that I'm working on because I need to be here.
Speaker C:So I was, I think she, you know, I think I was 24 when she was born and she's nine now.
Speaker C:She just turned nine on, on the 14th of June.
Speaker C:And it blows my mind because it feels like yesterday she was just a little, tiny, tiny baby running around the preschool and, you know, excited to see me when mom dropped her off or excited to see mom when I dropped her off.
Speaker C:And some of those drop off times were really stressful because mom and I didn't always get along.
Speaker C:But I missed some, sometimes I missed those moments where I could drop her off and see her run to her mom like this, you know, and she's an incredible little girl.
Speaker C:Like incredible little girl.
Speaker B:And yeah, so you mentioned before that men typically struggle with mental health and I think you're right in that fact because men aren't allowed by society to freely express and talk about it as much as females are.
Speaker B:They don't have the same vulnerability opportunities to work with that.
Speaker B:So what do you think in your sphere, in your world, what do you think causes most of that challenge amongst men?
Speaker C:I think that.
Speaker C:I think it starts with solid fathers.
Speaker D:I think that, you know, that ideology of, like, you have to be this tough, masculine man at all times.
Speaker C:Big, strong.
Speaker C:No, no crying, no talking about your feelings, whatever it may be, comes from some fathers just being too harsh.
Speaker C:And, and I'm a big.
Speaker C:I'm, I'm a.
Speaker C:I'm not.
Speaker C:I mean, I guess I am sort of a victim of that.
Speaker C:But, like, I'm also guilty of that sometimes with my kid.
Speaker C:Like, I, I don't know how to turn that switch off sometimes.
Speaker C:And it's something that I didn't learn.
Speaker C:Like I said earlier, like, there's things that I didn't learn from, from my, my fathers that could have helped me, you know, especially in this day as a young adult male and father.
Speaker C:And so I think that it just comes from.
Speaker C:I personally think it comes from that and then, and it stems out from there.
Speaker C:You know, then those people have that mentality and then they spread it off to their friends and so on, so forth.
Speaker C:Like, it's.
Speaker C:I, I'm here to tell everybody that you can talk about your feelings.
Speaker D:You can.
Speaker C:And it doesn't make you less of a man to shed some tears or to, to express how you feel in any way, shape or form.
Speaker C:And, and, you know, I've.
Speaker D:I've went on a crisis line just.
Speaker C:Because I needed friends and I wanted to talk to somebody, you know, not because I was suicidal or wanted to hurt myself.
Speaker D:I, I just needed someone to talk to and be friends with somebody.
Speaker C:And it doesn't make you weak.
Speaker C:I think it actually makes you stronger.
Speaker B:I think that's a message that I wish many, many men could hear.
Speaker B:I've said this on other shows.
Speaker B:You know, one of the greatest gifts my wife has given me is the opportunity to be vulnerable.
Speaker B:Because prior to that, all I was was angry.
Speaker B:And, you know, anger doesn't go well in most relationships if that's the only emotion that you're displaying.
Speaker B:So that ability to be vulnerable and express those feelings and actually start to be comfortable in expressing those feelings, I think is a huge gift that I wish more men could find.
Speaker B:And have you also mentioned that you're an athlete?
Speaker B:I'm going to bring up a couple things here for you.
Speaker B:You're an M and a fighter.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's my, that's my, my brother Zach.
Speaker C:He, he passed away, which One.
Speaker B:The one on the left or the right?
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:That's Zach Eastlake.
Speaker C:His name is Baby Bear.
Speaker C:Yeah, he.
Speaker C:He passed away not, you know, not too long ago.
Speaker C:And definitely shocked, man.
Speaker C:It shocked the entire community.
Speaker C:Hurt a lot of us.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And I have a.
Speaker C:I have a sticker of his logo, his fight logo on my iPad.
Speaker C:I have it on my water bottle.
Speaker C:So he's with me at all times.
Speaker C:Like, I love all my coaches back in Alaska, but none of my fight camps were as grueling and annoying and.
Speaker D:Pestering as they were when Zach was leading them.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker D:And it's.
Speaker C:It's those big brothers, those.
Speaker C:Those veterans, those people above you that push you to the point where you want to quit, and then they don't let you quit.
Speaker C:And that's.
Speaker C:That's who he was.
Speaker D:Like, I'd be crawling after practice, and.
Speaker C:He'D be lifting me up and making me run, making me not miss a beat, really pushing me to be the person or athlete that he believed I could have.
Speaker C:I could have been or I can be.
Speaker C:And what an incredible athlete himself.
Speaker C:And, man, he is truly missed.
Speaker C:We love and miss Zach Eastlake so much.
Speaker C:Not a day goes by that I don't miss that guy and his infectious laugh and, you know, you know, him.
Speaker C:Him coming into the gym occasionally.
Speaker C:But those are things that, again, like, we learned that tomorrow is not promised.
Speaker B:So did you do any sports other than before you got into mma?
Speaker B:Were you in other sports?
Speaker C:Yeah, I wrestled, played football, basketball.
Speaker C:I played basketball for, like, one year.
Speaker C:Wasn't my thing.
Speaker C:I was into the sports where I could get hurt or could possibly hurt somebody else, because that made it.
Speaker C:Made it feel more real to me.
Speaker C:I don't know why.
Speaker C:I loved skateboarding and snowboarding quite a bit.
Speaker C:I started BMXing at one point.
Speaker C:I was a fairly athletic kid.
Speaker C:I could.
Speaker C:I could do most things.
Speaker C:I could do most things now still.
Speaker C:You know, I was fast, I was strong.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker C:You know, I was fearless, and I'm still fearless.
Speaker C:I'm at that point where I'm just.
Speaker C:I'm not scared of anybody else but myself and the decisions that I make.
Speaker C:And, you know, that's a trait that is great, but also can get me hurt when I compete, you know?
Speaker B:So do you think those sports like wrestling, football, mma, do you think those were chosen partly because they're a viable outlet for inner anger and for, you know, some of that external expression of what's going on internally?
Speaker C:Possibly.
Speaker C:I like what each sport taught me.
Speaker C:You know, like, wrestling was dynamic, you're using your entire body and it's a grind and it's mentally, physically, mentally and physically exhausting.
Speaker C:And then football, you're learning to work as a team.
Speaker C:You're, you're, you're a, you're a cylinder in an 11 cylinder engine.
Speaker C:And you're working with that offense or that defense and all of you have to work together to make sure that that play is executed to perfection.
Speaker C:And you know, basketball was the same way.
Speaker C:And skate, skateboarding was one of those things where I can be as creative as I want inside my mind with that skateboard.
Speaker C:I can create whoever I wanted to be.
Speaker C:Whatever style I wanted to do, I could create that style as long as I worked for it.
Speaker C:And those were all things that made my mind work.
Speaker C:And I loved it and I still love it.
Speaker C:And I can't wait to compete again when I fight.
Speaker C:That, that global fight league did not go through, sadly.
Speaker C:They, they, they had their draft already pre picked.
Speaker C:And I don't get along with the promoter at all, the owner at all.
Speaker C:I think that he's kind of a shady guy and.
Speaker C:But if I'd have known that ahead.
Speaker B:Of time, I would have put it on here.
Speaker C:It's okay.
Speaker C:They, they, they used all the fighters essentially to boost their platform and then they haven't had a fight since.
Speaker C:They already had everything pre picked.
Speaker C:They had an AI commercial the day of the draft.
Speaker C:We were all excited.
Speaker C:I was excited because this is a big opportunity for me considering all the big names that are in that category.
Speaker C:And ultimately it's, it's, it's, it's their loss.
Speaker C:I think I'm a tremendous athlete when I'm ready.
Speaker C:I think I'm a tremendous person to have on the show.
Speaker C:I'm a tremendous draw.
Speaker C:I bring the crowd.
Speaker C:I'm not afraid to talk and make sure I sell those tickets.
Speaker C:You know, I speak my mind and I think that's what people should get as, you know, as promoters.
Speaker C:And I don't think the promoter liked that.
Speaker C:The promoter wanted somebody that was just going to be a puppet for him.
Speaker C:And, you know, I'm no one's stepping stone and I'm no one's crutch.
Speaker C:I'm gonna tell you how I feel.
Speaker C:If I feel like I was jaded, I'm gonna let you know.
Speaker C:And he didn't like that.
Speaker C:So it is what it is.
Speaker C:But that is a great photo.
Speaker C:I think that was after I fought, I believe that was after I fought Tyson Duckworth and there was a lot of, a lot of trash Talk in between those rounds and during the rounds.
Speaker C:And it was definitely one of my longer fights, and I wanted to challenge myself and push myself to the brink until the bell finished at the end.
Speaker C:And I think I broke my thumb in that fight, too, if I remember correctly.
Speaker B:That's a sign of a true athlete.
Speaker B:As proud as you are of all your athletics and all that, I know that this is what you're really proud of.
Speaker C:Yeah, she's.
Speaker C:She's something.
Speaker C:She's a little monster.
Speaker C:She's nine going on 17.
Speaker C:And she likes to push my buttons.
Speaker C:And, you know, she pushes mom's button.
Speaker C:She's.
Speaker C:She's just, she's.
Speaker C:She's goofy.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:But definitely, definitely the reason why we all work and push forward for her and try to make sure she has the best life that she can have.
Speaker C:There's days where I get frustrated.
Speaker C:I don't know what to say.
Speaker C:And there's no book to being a parent.
Speaker C:And you know this.
Speaker C:You have a son, and you, you, you know, he's an adult.
Speaker C:There's no book to it.
Speaker C:There's no perfect science.
Speaker C:We're going to make mistakes, and we learn from those mistakes, and those are the mistakes that I didn't get to see growing up.
Speaker C:So I'm learning now, and I'm learning those mistakes now.
Speaker C:And, and, you know, I have my mother, and my mother figures and my father figures around for me to support me in that category as well and, you know, to the parent category.
Speaker C:And it's, it's something that we are.
Speaker C:We're working on every day.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I have a son and a daughter, and there's no book for either.
Speaker B:My, My daughter is 26 now, and my.
Speaker B:I don't think a dad ever stops worrying about his daughter.
Speaker B:Your son.
Speaker B:You try to.
Speaker B:You try to race to be able to handle someone else's daughter with the care that you want your daughter, you know, and respect.
Speaker B:You want your daughter handled.
Speaker B:So it is a, It's a balancing act for sure.
Speaker B:And you.
Speaker B:You mentioned when I met you that you had moved from Alaska to Arizona to give your daughter a better, better life, a better chance.
Speaker B:What, what do you find the differences other than.
Speaker B:And we talked about this a little bit, how Arizona is not conducive for making friends.
Speaker B:And, you know, outgoing, talkative people aren't always openly welcomed here.
Speaker B:But what was it about, you know, Alaska that made you feel like you needed to move away from it in order to give your daughter a better life?
Speaker C:Alaska was just.
Speaker C:I, I didn't think.
Speaker C:I was going to be who I needed to be in Alaska.
Speaker C:I had a lot of trauma there.
Speaker C:And, And I been talking about leaving that place for a long time.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And I'll be honest.
Speaker C:Like, I've been asked to come back and fight in September and.
Speaker C:Or later this year, and I'm.
Speaker C:I don't know if I'm mentally strong enough to do that yet.
Speaker C:I dealt with a lot of trauma there, and I.
Speaker C:And I created a lot of the trauma myself, too, and I just don't.
Speaker C:I don't know.
Speaker C:And, but ultimately, too, like, her family left Alaska after her mom passed away.
Speaker C:Grandma, grandpa, her sisters, aunts, they all left.
Speaker C:They went back to Arizona, where they're from.
Speaker C:And I know how it felt to not be around my siblings, and that was the decision that I made.
Speaker C:But my, My, you know, my dad, Sean, was very good about letting me go, spend time with my family whenever I wanted.
Speaker C:I didn't even really have to ask.
Speaker C:He would let me go.
Speaker D:He knew her.
Speaker C:You know, if I text him, I'm like, hey, I'm going to my mom's.
Speaker C:He's cool with it.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:But I wanted her to be in a spot where she could be around her family.
Speaker C:And, you know, her, you know, mama Katie, mama Jenna, you know, her sisters, aunts, uncles, everybody, they're all here.
Speaker C:And so I.
Speaker C:That was one of those things I was trying to do.
Speaker C:I was applying for jobs like a madman to get.
Speaker C:Get to Arizona as fast as I could.
Speaker C:And it took a couple states to get here.
Speaker C:It took from California to Texas.
Speaker C:And then I finally got here.
Speaker C:I got an offer from the company I work for now, and I accepted it.
Speaker C:And, you know, it's.
Speaker C:There's a lot of sacrifices that we make.
Speaker C:Like, you know, my daughter goes to school 25, 30 minutes away from us.
Speaker C:We drop her off every morning because she gets to go to school with her sister, her closest sister.
Speaker C:And then, you know, we're going to keep her in that school area because she wants to go to Liberty High when she gets older, too, just like her oldest sister.
Speaker C:And so ultimately we, you know, those are.
Speaker C:Those are things that I, I wanted to make sure she was around.
Speaker C:I don't.
Speaker C:I don't want her to have a relationship with her sisters over a cell phone.
Speaker C:I want her to be able to grow up with them.
Speaker C:That's, you know, her mom not being here shouldn't mean that she can't be around her family.
Speaker C:And also, you know, in order to move up, there's got to be something you're willing to give up, and I'm willing to give up my home and everything I knew back there to make sure that she has what she needs and deserves.
Speaker C:So I knew how that felt.
Speaker B:Very selfless.
Speaker B:And that's not a lot of parents put that part of their, their children's lives first.
Speaker B:They, you know, the children sometimes become an afterthought.
Speaker B:I need to be here for my life and my career.
Speaker B:So you as the child get, you know, get to be here too, as opposed to.
Speaker B:To.
Speaker B:You need to be there, so I'll be there as well.
Speaker B:That's a very unique position that not a lot of parents take.
Speaker B:So, again, I applaud you in, you know, trying to make the changes in the world around you by changing yourself first.
Speaker B:And that's a huge sacrifice, you know, parents make for their kids.
Speaker B:So kudos.
Speaker C:Appreciate it.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker B:If you were to talk to someone who is going through some struggles, mental health issues, have some things that they're trying to better themselves on, what would be one piece of advice that you'd give that individual, especially a male.
Speaker D:Man?
Speaker C:I think the biggest thing they understand and realize, for me, that's helped me a lot is understanding that if it doesn't, if you can't change it within five minutes, you just got to roll with those punches, and you're going to eat a few of those before you can throw them back.
Speaker C:And just know that like, just like fighting and what my coach used to said, there's no such thing as free punches.
Speaker C:So, you know, when you get hit, you hit back.
Speaker C:I've been a big fan of rock bottom.
Speaker C:Rock bottom is the farthest you can go down.
Speaker C:That is the ultimate platform for success in which you can build off of.
Speaker C:And I think a lot of people are scared, scared of failure and scared of rock bottom.
Speaker C:But I've learned to embrace it because it's like a sister to me.
Speaker C:You know, she can be hard and cold and unforgiving.
Speaker C:But once you learn to embrace that, it's definitely a solid platform for you to grow off of.
Speaker C:And, you know, again, like I said a minute ago, in order to move up, there's got to be something you're willing to give up, you know?
Speaker C:You know, is it.
Speaker C:Is it drinking?
Speaker C:Is it certain friends?
Speaker C:Is it, you know, certain family members that are not beneficial to your mental health?
Speaker C:You know, there's so many different factors like that you have to think about as, as a man or anybody, anybody in general, as a human that we need to think about in, in terms of Our, our mental stability and growing and moving forward and, and those are things that, you know, deep down.
Speaker C:And it's great to have therapists where you can talk about it and they can help you pinpoint those decisions and those, those indicators or whatever it may be.
Speaker C:But I really think that, you know, trying not to stress over something you can't control in five minutes from now is crucial because you dwell.
Speaker C:And I do it all the time.
Speaker C:As much as I say, don't think about it five minutes for an hour.
Speaker C:If I can't fix it in five minutes, I'm one of those people that it lingers in my mind and I obsess over it.
Speaker C:I obsess over becoming the best that I can be.
Speaker C:I don't care about being better than anybody else.
Speaker C:That doesn't, you know, that doesn't mean anything to me.
Speaker C:I just want to be 0.1% better than I was yesterday.
Speaker C:And I think that that's what I could tell people.
Speaker D:You know, I have a lot of friends that are struggling right now.
Speaker D:I see it on social media.
Speaker C:I see people stressed and struggling, you know, financial relationships, whatever it may be, and I get it.
Speaker C:And I'm always there for them.
Speaker C:You know, I'm always there for anyone that wants to reach out to me, whether I know them or not.
Speaker D:Like, I want to help you.
Speaker D:I mean, make sure you're taken care of.
Speaker D:Like, you know, I, I, I have.
Speaker C:I have a Google review from my.
Speaker D:One of my, one of my customers at my store that literally said that I went above and beyond when she, when her mother was in a terrible situation in which she was abused.
Speaker D:And I did, I went above and beyond.
Speaker D:I tried my hardest to make sure I got her a new phone, new.
Speaker C:Phone number, made it as cheap as possible to help this customer out, and.
Speaker D:Then I supported that customer in that regard.
Speaker C:I, you know, and ultimately, like, we're all gonna, we're all gonna struggle.
Speaker C:No one's perfect.
Speaker C:I don't care who you are or what you think.
Speaker C:There's no way that not a single person on this planet struggles in one way, shape or form with mental health issues at any time in their life.
Speaker C:You may be good now, but it.
Speaker D:Might, you know, might be coming later.
Speaker D:And if it comes later, I hope that they find the right tools to.
Speaker C:Push through it, because it sucks.
Speaker C:It sucks.
Speaker C:It's terrible.
Speaker B:It's not something we wish on anybody.
Speaker B:When you say rock bottom, you learn to embrace it.
Speaker B:If you look back into your life, where was your rock bottom moment?
Speaker C:I'm still on rock bottom, man.
Speaker C:I'm still building.
Speaker C:I'm still building my foundation.
Speaker C:Like I said, I'm a work in progress and I'm still moving forward.
Speaker C:I'm not where I want to be right now, but I'm going to reach it.
Speaker C:I'm going to make sure I reach it.
Speaker C:I have goals and those goals are going to be.
Speaker C:I'm going to reach those goals and.
Speaker C:But I'm definitely not, I'm not past the, I'm not past the initial foundation of my building yet.
Speaker C:I'm going to build this empire one day at a time.
Speaker B:I like the self awareness to know that you're not far enough down the road to say I'm not quite at the middle level yet.
Speaker B:I'm still at the bottom.
Speaker B:So that's really great self awareness.
Speaker B:Just to change it up for a minute.
Speaker B:Your, your daughter, you said is 9.
Speaker B:Most of the time when we provide our children, you know, pets, it's dogs and cats and, you know, birds.
Speaker B:You, you, you tying your daughter to love geckos and spiders.
Speaker C:You know, I, I was in a spot where I wasn't sure if I was going to compete again.
Speaker C:Was I, was I mentally stable enough?
Speaker C:I was dealing with some health stuff too, you know, that I, I just, I don't really want to disclose.
Speaker C:And I was struggling with that and I didn't know if fighting was something that I was going to get into.
Speaker C:So I wanted a hobby and I wanted something different.
Speaker C:And so I got into scorpions.
Speaker C:I got into scorpions first.
Speaker C:I got a scorpion.
Speaker D:His name is Onyx.
Speaker D:I named him after my big bro.
Speaker C:Chris because he's very feisty like him and.
Speaker C:But like, man, it turned into tarantulas and then it turned into, you know, snakes and bearded dragons.
Speaker C:And I haven't figured out how to keep geckos alive.
Speaker C:Don't know how.
Speaker C:I tried twice.
Speaker C:They died, both of them.
Speaker C:I do know how to keep spiders alive.
Speaker C:I, I love taking care of spiders.
Speaker C:I love, in general, I love spiders in general.
Speaker C:But you know, my daughter's gecko passed away a couple days ago.
Speaker C:I bought her a new spider and I'm hoping that we can raise this one so where it grows successfully and she get to what, she gets to watch it grow as a sling.
Speaker D:I have a, I have it right here.
Speaker D:I'm not sure if the camera can see it is right there at the top.
Speaker C:Kind of chilling on this little rock.
Speaker C:Let me see.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's a baby tarantula.
Speaker C:It's called a Carabine A Versacolor.
Speaker C:It's an arboreal species.
Speaker C:It is, it is a very, very cool, colorful spider.
Speaker C:They start out blue and then as they get older they, they kind of change colors and different patterns and different forms.
Speaker C:And I thought it was a cool spider for her because they're docile.
Speaker C:You can pick them up.
Speaker C:They're more likely to flip flee than to bite.
Speaker D:They don't have urticating hairs.
Speaker D:In fact they, the abdomen touches you, then the hairs will stick to you.
Speaker D:But it was a hobby where I.
Speaker C:Could see the beauty in the world.
Speaker D:Without, you know, having the money or the funds or the time to go.
Speaker C:See that beauty in the world through.
Speaker D:These spiders and kind of see the environment through itself as well.
Speaker D:And it's fascinating because they're, you have to respect these animals.
Speaker D:They, they are, you know, if you disrespect them, you can pay a price and get bit and you know, respect their homes.
Speaker D:You have to get to build their enclosures and set the, set the temperature of the, where it needs to be.
Speaker C:The proper humidity and, and substrate and.
Speaker D:You know, proper hides.
Speaker D:And it's just been a very big and big life changing obsession of mine and I, I'm hoping that one day I learned as much as I can to where I can, I can be a successful, successful breeder myself.
Speaker C:Yeah, my puppies are running around.
Speaker C:This is my, my boy Denali.
Speaker B:Welcome to the show.
Speaker B:It's awesome.
Speaker C:I know, I know.
Speaker C:Hey, stop, stop.
Speaker C:Hey, put them away, please.
Speaker C:But you know, she likes geckos and I, I, I, it sucks that I don't know how to take care of them.
Speaker C:We didn't, we didn't know how to keep it alive because I, I would love to keep that alive and watch it grow, but I, I wasn't able to do it and it wasn't something that I wanted to put in the time to learn right now.
Speaker C:Especially with everything in life, I wanted to make sure that it was something that I could handle on a spider is something that I already know how to take care of and it's at an earlier stage.
Speaker C:I got a baby, baby, baby, a little baby sling.
Speaker C:And so that's something new.
Speaker C:But we get to watch it grow and then that's the reward.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker C:Like similar to being parents, you get to watch your children grow and see what they grow into.
Speaker C:And that's something I'm trying to teach her.
Speaker B:So that's awesome.
Speaker B:What kind of snakes have you had?
Speaker C:We have two pythons.
Speaker C:Two ball, Ball pythons.
Speaker C:Yeah, a white one and A banana one.
Speaker C:They're about four, three feet, both of them.
Speaker C:One's a little bit smaller than the other one.
Speaker C:We have a female, she's pretty big.
Speaker C:And then a male we picked up at the convention in.
Speaker C:In Mesa.
Speaker C:And it was towards.
Speaker D:It was the last day, and they were selling them for 75.
Speaker D:And we're like, why not?
Speaker D:So, and then we have him now.
Speaker C:And, you know, it's.
Speaker C:It's always a trap.
Speaker D:Whenever I go to these stores and I see.
Speaker C:I see all these spiders and I.
Speaker D:Just want to spend everything I have.
Speaker D:And it's definitely an addiction, but it's something that's helped me grow and it's helping my family grow, and it's.
Speaker D:It's a new passion.
Speaker D:I know a lot of people don't.
Speaker C:Look at it that way.
Speaker D:My co workers think I'm crazy for having all these spiders, but they make.
Speaker C:Me happy and that's, that's all that matters to me.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker B:But actually learning and growing from them, you're actually helping your own mental health by having them and by learning about nature and the world around you, you know, so doesn't have to look, you know, sane to the outside world, just has to look sane to you.
Speaker D:Facts.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Like, my favorite spider ever is called the Blue Balfouri.
Speaker C:And it's one of the only truly communal tarantulas.
Speaker D:They can live together.
Speaker D:And, and for me, that was a big spark for me, being a native Alaskan and realizing that it took a community to get me to where I am now.
Speaker D:It was something that really linked me to that spider.
Speaker D:And a lot of people start with spiders.
Speaker C:They start with old world or new world spiders.
Speaker C:I jumped right into the old world factor.
Speaker D:You know, old world spiders are more.
Speaker C:Likely to bite, and they use their, their speed and their venom as, as defense mechanisms.
Speaker D:They're highly defensive.
Speaker C:And then, you know, you have the new world spiders that they kick their hairs off their abdomen and stuff like that.
Speaker D:And, you know, I dove into the fire with that one, I feel like.
Speaker D:But I'm learning to handle it.
Speaker D:And again, those spiders mean a lot to me in terms of that communal aspect.
Speaker D:You know, it's like it's a village and it takes a village.
Speaker B:So I'm glad that you found, you know, something that actually resonates with what you're wanting to do.
Speaker B:It's not something many of us get the opportunity to do.
Speaker B:And nature, I don't care where it is, whether it's, you know, Alaska, Arizona, anywhere in the world, nature has a lot that it can teach us about how to live our lives and.
Speaker B:Well.
Speaker B:So I'm glad that you're, you know, finding some of that.
Speaker B:I'm going to ask you a couple questions, questions here as we kind of wrap this up.
Speaker B:Who's Dominic Day versus who Dominic was 10 years ago?
Speaker B:I know you're not where you want to be, but who are you today versus who you were then?
Speaker C:I'm still in this.
Speaker C:I'll be honest.
Speaker C:I'm not.
Speaker C:Like I said, I'm not perfect.
Speaker C:And I don't want to sit there and act like I am.
Speaker C:I don't.
Speaker C:You know, some days I get into my head and I feel like I'm better than other people when I'm angry.
Speaker C:And then I have to bring myself back down and realize that I'm no different than those people.
Speaker C:I'd probably.
Speaker D:If, you know, if I got to see Dominic from 10 years ago, I'd.
Speaker C:Probably smack the hell out of him.
Speaker C:And I'm.
Speaker C:I'm sure he would smack the hell out of me.
Speaker C:You know, that's the.
Speaker C:The beauty of life is that we, we move forward as time moves forward and we learn from our mistakes.
Speaker C:So I'm.
Speaker C:I'm doing that, and sometimes it's a tough pill to swallow.
Speaker C:Am I proud of where I'm at?
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:I'm proud of where I'm at every single day, whether I'm struggling or not.
Speaker D:Because I'm alive.
Speaker C:I woke up breathing, and I get to try and help people and, you know, and, and try and help myself and, and also, to be fair, that Dom and this Dom, not too different.
Speaker C:They're, they're, they're two different spots of life.
Speaker C:But.
Speaker C:But mentally, I think we're the same people.
Speaker C:And we were both struggling and we're both trying to find a reason why and attack that reason why and grow.
Speaker B:And the last question that I ask all my guests, what does a warrior spirit or having a warrior spirit mean to Dominic Meriwether?
Speaker C:I think warrior spirit is not quitting.
Speaker C:You gotta keep pushing through, persevering, understanding that my coach says it best.
Speaker C:You gotta.
Speaker C:You gotta learn to be comfortable while uncomfortable.
Speaker C:Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Speaker C:Embrace the suck.
Speaker C:Understand that these things are thrown at us.
Speaker C:And no, no matter what higher power you believe in, all storms pass.
Speaker C:And whether it's a small win, you know, a big victory, a huge loss or a small loss, you're gonna.
Speaker C:You're gonna learn from that regardless.
Speaker C:And, you know, don't take shortcuts.
Speaker C:Just keep pushing through it and understand that whether you win or you lose, it's gonna help you.
Speaker C:And, you know, lean on your family.
Speaker C:Lean on your family and your friends and let them know how you're feeling, especially those men out there.
Speaker C:You know, make sure you let your friends and family know how you're feeling.
Speaker C:Because, you know, quitting isn't an option.
Speaker C:It shouldn't be an option.
Speaker C:And warriors don't quit.
Speaker B:So I love that warriors don't quit.
Speaker B:And so I appreciate your time today.
Speaker B:Thank you for sharing part of your journey.
Speaker B:And as always, I'm glad that you're in my tribe.
Speaker B:And I appreciate, you know, what you stand for.
Speaker B:And as you know, a curmudgeony old man, it gives me solace to know that young men like you are coming up and still trying to make a change in the world.
Speaker B:So thank you for all you're doing.
Speaker C:I appreciate it.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:Thank you for having me.
Speaker B:More than welcome.
Speaker B:And if you'd like to, you know, connect with Dominic, you can connect on his Instagram and Okabearmma.
Speaker B:And as always, I want to thank you for joining us on this edition of A Warrior Spirit.
Speaker B:Be sure to like or subscribe.
Speaker B:Subscribe, you know, so that you catch all the episodes.
Speaker B:And we're not only on YouTube, but we're also on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and all the major platforms, as well as now on Roku via the Prospera TV app.
Speaker B:And as always, the journey is sacred.
Speaker B:The warrior is you.
Speaker B:So remember, be inspired, be empowered, and embrace the spirit of the warrior within.
Speaker B:It's not just about the fight.
Speaker A:It's how we rise from it.
