"There Is No Box" With USAF Veteran David Inman

Fatherhood On Fire

David Inman is a US Air Force Veteran and is now a sales trainer and consultant with Sandler Training.

What fuels your fire? "Challenge and experience. The more experiences I have the more it's going to serve me in the future."

After building a successful career, buying their dream home with a two year old, and a second on the way, David was so inspired by the book Team Of Rivals and the story of Abraham Lincoln and started considering joining the military. After seeking counsel from several uncles who served he chose to enlist in the Air force.

After much prayer and conversation with his wife David enlisted. On the second night of basic he actually broke down and cried, questioning if this was really where he was supposed to be. He woke up the next morning, said a prayer and told God, "okay, this is where you wanted me to be" from then on out he actually loved basic training.

After wrapping up basic training, his wife moved down to Texas to live near base so David wouldn't have to miss the birth of their second child. After their second was born and David was working his way through technical school. He said even with everything going on it was such a happy time for his family. He said he attributes this to a philosophy he lives by that was taught to him by his parents. "Choose the right and let the consequences follow." He said we were doing what felt right, and he felt that God blessed them to handle hard things. We were going through experiences that helped us grow, I was becoming a better person.

What did you learn from your Air Force experience that has equipped you as a father? Understanding sacrifice. In his role as an Air Force psychologist, David worked with people who were coming back from deployment, or had lost kids back home or were going through divorce, and just seeing what they were going through to serve was super impact.

Additionally he realized how faulty our first impressions can be. He said when people would come into his office he would make a snap judgement as to who they are and why they're struggling. And he said "I was wrong almost every single time. I came to the strong realization that people are struggling in ways that I can't understand and I need to give them the benefit of the doubt. Just love them and serve them."

David is the oldest of seven kids and learned from his father what it means to incorporate your children into your decision making. When David was nine years old his father, who is an artist, brought the family together and presented the family with a choice. The family was barely living above poverty at the time and his dad told the family he could either remain an artist and the flexibility that comes along with it, or he could pursue another career and earn more money. The family

"Kids don't even know that a box exists yet"

"We can teach our kids to solve interesting problems." David says when his kids come to him with problems he asks them to bring three solutions.

David's youngest was born just a month before he left the Air Force. The birth was the easiest of their four children. Shortly after her birth it was discovered that, through David's insistence, that their baby's lactose was severely high and her sugar levels were severely low. Doctors didn't know what was causing it. And his wife and their newborn were sent to Riley. They ran numerous tests but couldn't identify the issue. David said a blessing and the next morning her levels began to balance. They've never discovered what caused the issue or resolved it. Fear took over faith and I prayed out of desperation. But that's what we needed.

No matter what you may be going through there's a lot of opportunity to help in life.

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