Adam Przytula - The Road to Resilience

Thank you to my son Cale for recognising I'm the boss (hahaha), but mostly for choosing to be you, regardless of what others say — because you are so special! I hope to help you to be a better version of me.

Dad, thank you for your support and encouragement with Armed For Life and for believing in me at times when I did not believe in myself. I have always known you love me — and always will. Thank you for instilling in me the work ethic I have (most of the time). You carry the spirit of Oma in your interaction with my boys and all your grandkids. She would be so proud!

Thank you Mum, for embedding in me the desire to always be clean and to live in a clean environment (which I am sure my wife is thankful for too). Seriously though, thank you for playing a role in shaping who I am, and mostly for the help you provided when it was needed most. I am so glad that Cale and Levi get to call you ‘Oma’ and experience a grandmother's love. Your involvement with our son Levi in particular has been an incredible blessing — especially those first four weeks. You just did everything — it was really special to have you with us. You were a rock for Cherith and me — and you continue to be. Thank you!

And to my brother Paul. Thank you for looking out for me in primary school (yes, I do remember those times). Just as you are often a negatron on your awesome podcast, The Countdown: Movie and Television Reviews (free plug — you're welcome!), you were often a negatron to me when I was a kid — that's okay though as I snuck into your room constantly and used your stuff (haha!). Our relationship and friendship have grown over the years and I really do appreciate the time we spend together. Thank you for paving the way for my absolute love of movies and for being there in the darkest times to help and support me. Proud to call you my bro!

Opa, thank you for the love and guidance you showed to Oma and to our family, and for making the hard journey with Oma from Germany and Poland to set up a life for us here in Perth, Western Australia.

To Phil Baker, the senior pastor at Riverview Church during my time on staff: your words made a difference to my path in life. Thank you.

To Sy Rogers (RIP): you were hugely influential to me — the kindness you showed me every time we met and my style of speaking have a lot to do with you.

Thank you Neil Chisholm, for your leadership and guidance.

Jarryd Smith at 2nd Chance Trust, thank you for your feedback on the manuscript and for writing the foreword to this book. Your friendship and fellowship have become very important in my own journey and that of Armed For Life.

Thank you to the friends who have stood by me and supported me when I needed it most — you know who you are. Ray, Steve and Jordan, thank you for caring for me in my darkest time. Your love and support have helped me to become who I am today!

And to Chris Burd: thank you for pushing me to write this book. It took me a while, but I got there.

I also want to acknowledge team members who have played a role in helping Armed For Life get to where it is now. Thank you to those who have been involved in the past, and thank you to those who currently play a large role:

Mark Lloyd: I love what we do together bro — among my favourite school sessions to run. Thank you for supporting me personally and professionally. Love you bro!

Taylor Cowper: you have enabled us to go to another level (and me to another country) in what we do with students. It means so much that I can trust you to run any topic. Thank you for supporting me no matter what and stepping up when I needed a go‐to guy!

Tam Hopper: you have been with me the longest, almost from the start. Not even moving to another country stopped you from continuing to support me. You are amazing! I honestly don't think we would be where we are if it wasn't for your voluntary work in the beginning. Thank you so much!

Thank you to Shannon Lancaster for collaborating with me to bring this book to life.

Thank you to my editor, Peter Ramshaw.

Finally, to you — whether you've listened to me speak or you've picked up this book and read it — thank you for supporting Armed For Life.

Hey, I'm Jarryd and I'm the founder of 2nd Chance Trust and the author of two books, 180 Degrees: Had to Die. To Live and 2 Billion Seconds .

Two years ago, Adam told me he was writing a book about resilience and I knew it was going to be impactful. Now I've just finished reading the first draft and I'm not disappointed.

If you've ever felt alone or afraid, this book will definitely change that for you.

While I was sleeping on three crates and a cardboard box and given only three months to live because of my drug addiction, Adam was getting mercilessly bullied to the point he considered taking his own life.

Adam's story made me realise we all go through difficult struggles in life, but there is a way out and help is available. You have to speak up. Staying silent can kill you, but being honest and admitting where you're at is the most powerful thing you can choose to do.

This book gives you the tools to figure out what you should do when something happens in life to knock you down. They're simple principles which, if applied, can improve your life.

By sharing his own experiences, and with a good dose of practicality, Adam shows us how to take charge of our thoughts, how to become aware of our feelings and how to make good decisions that move us forward in life.

I won't lie, it's hard work committing to working on your pain and overcoming life's struggles. But it's worth it. My life is proof of that. If you're committed to changing your life, this book is for you !

Best wishes,

Jarryd Smith

Founder, 2nd Chance Trust @2ndchancetrust

Hey. I'm Adam Przytula and I run a social change enterprise called Armed For Life. You may have heard me (or one of my colleagues) speak at your school. We talk about some of the real issues you might be dealing with now or challenges you might be faced with in the coming years.

I really struggled growing up. I was bullied every single day from Year 4 until the end of Year 12. At home, my parents were always fighting until I was in Year 8 when they got a divorce and Mum moved out.

My parents before their divorce

I didn't know how to reach out and talk about what I was going through.

I thought I had to act tough and ignore the bullies. I tried to push down all my negative feelings. My life spiralled downwards until Year 10 when things got so bad, I almost ended my life.

And I know I'm not alone.

Fast‐forward 16 years to 2010. I was in my last semester of uni, studying to become a teacher. One day while working in a school, a student walked past me with his head cast downwards, biting his nails. I could feel the pain radiating from within him. I recognised myself: this kid was a younger me . He was trapped in pain and misery, just as I had been. At that moment, I knew I had to do something, and Armed For Life was born.

I decided to start going into schools and talking to students openly and honestly about what I went through at school. As a student, I'd been too ashamed to speak out about what I was thinking and feeling, and I didn't know I should have spoken out. I wanted students who were in a similar position to know they weren't alone. There is help out there. They deserve to be listened to, supported and respected.