809. Lessons from 2,200 Miles on the Appalachian Trail

Kirk Mote

“I believe everyone is born with certain gifts and purpose to fulfill. And on the whole, people choose comfort over change. And that is why we follow the outline of life passed down for generations. We are told, ‘you graduate high school, go to college, get a job, buy a house, get married, have kids, a 401k and so forth and so on. But what does that get you! And now you are working nine to five with an hour lunch break. You probably had two to three hours of productivity in the day. Now what kind of life is that? You are either fulfilling your purpose or you are a slave to someone else’s purpose.”

Kirk Mote is founder of Rescue Site Services, where he specializes in developing Automated External Defibrillator (AED) programs for businesses, homes, and community groups. Kirk uses the only AED on the market with Real CPR Help® technology, the world’s #1 AED program management solution, and scenario-based CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care training and education. Kirk’s life mission is #TargetZero, which is a vision of the world where no one dies from sudden cardiac arrest.

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

Five years ago at a presentation about the Holocaust an older gentleman got up from his chair, shuffled to the door and suddenly collapsed, like he was having a heart attack. I had been trained in CPR so I began barking orders to call 911, and to get the AED immediately. An off-duty nurse and I were able within a couple of minutes to get the first shock on him. All of his children and grandchildren were at this event utterly frightened and confused by what was happening. Thankfully we saved his life.

I was so moved by this experience that I did some research and found out that in one year 475,000 people in this country die from sudden cardiac arrest and it is the number one killer worldwide. I made the decision to become an American Heart Association instructor and dedicated the next 4 years of my life to teaching people how to save their loved ones.

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

My 3 younger siblings and I were homeschooled by our mother from the 1st through the 7th grades. That experience allowed each of us to explore our interests and talents to a far greater degree than if we had stayed in the traditional school system. It contributed greatly to me being an outside the box thinker.

Between high school and college, I participated in a program by an organization called Global Year. I wanted to learn Spanish and for two semesters we went to El Salvador and were able to get an up-close and personal look at an altogether different culture by teaching English via a local church that had partnered with an orphanage and a homeless ministry.

I believe as human beings we are here to find our purpose and be as productive as we can using our talents and gifts. In my view, too many individuals choose comfort over change and settle for far less than they are capable of.