Have you ever met that guy that seems like a genuinely good guy AND a walking hot mess all at the same time? Unfortunately, the latter quality tends to be the one that is paraded around out in public for all to see, and that was no different for Dakotah Tait.

From his first few months in the military to the day when he got out, a black cloud seemed to follow him. As that cloud let out more and more rain and the storms became more and more severe, it hindered the view of the genuinely good guy that did exist, just like a storm that moves in blocking out the blazing sun.

Mistakes and missteps defined his short military career, and like many of us, finding the ability to own those mistakes and missteps was not something that came naturally. There is a tendency in all of us to want to dodge responsibility, especially as we begin our adult lives. The motives to dodge the responsibility of our actions is where the difference is, and for Dakotah, his motives weren't all that wrong.

In the months following his separation, he would come face to face with the one thing that would begin to expose the things inside of him that he needed to face. With the death of his father and hero, Dakotah faced a future that would never be the same. Crisis, pain, grief...they are all things that press us, and when we are pressed, what is inside always comes out. That is when Dakotah began to find out what he really is made of.

Fast forward a few years to today, and the proud daddy of three kiddos, Dakotah is walking proof that mistakes and missteps do not have to define a person. He will tell you that letting people help him, whether emotionally, physically, and even financially has been a big part of his growth. He will tell you that the pain of losing someone you love more than life itself doesn't have to be something that keeps you stuck and paralyzed, gripped with grief. He will tell you that having people help him has taught him how to help others. He will tell you to own your crap...to not run and hide and make excuses. He will tell you to face the consequences of your decisions. He will tell you that all of that will build integrity, and that your integrity is not worth sacrificing for anything.