A 3% Chance of Survival Changed Him. His Purpose Followed.

What if the hardest thing you’ve ever faced became the reason you kept going?

After surviving a horrific car accident that left him with a three percent chance of survival, John Ulsh spent years relearning how to live, move, and believe in the life ahead of him. Across 45 surgeries and 17 years of recovery, he found that healing wasn’t about getting “back” to normal. It was about building something new — one intentional day at a time.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How John reframed pain into purpose and found strength in progress, not perfection
• The role of patience, humility, and self-compassion in long-term recovery
• Why falling in love with the process can matter more than the goal itself

John’s story reminds us that survival can be just the starting line — and that even the hardest chapters can fuel something good.

John Ulsh knows what it means to rebuild. In 2007, he, his wife, and their two young children were in a catastrophic head-on collision. While his family suffered serious injuries, John took the brunt of the impact and was given less than a three percent chance of survival. After enduring over 45 surgeries and years of relentless recovery, he discovered that true resilience isn’t about avoiding hardship — it’s about learning to rise from it. Now, as the author of The Upside of Down, a speaker, and a coach, John helps others overcome adversity and turn setbacks into success. Learn more at www.johnulsh.com.

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The Life Shift shares real and honest conversations about the moments that change us. Host Matt Gilhooly sits with guests as they tell true stories of life-changing events, unexpected challenges, and quiet awakenings that shaped who they are today.

Each episode offers meaningful and candid storytelling about grief, healing, resilience, identity, and growth. These are the personal stories that remind us what it feels like to be human. These are the turning points that stay with us.

If you are drawn to personal growth, emotional well-being, or stories of how people rebuild after loss, this show offers a gentle place to land. Listeners come for the life changes. They stay for the connection.

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For more information, please visit https://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com