By Judi Curry
San Diego has some remarkable native-grown youth. We probably hear about many of them in a negative way, and it is always so uplifting to meet one that is making a difference in the world. When I sat down to talk with Jake Ducey I found that it was so exciting, so much fun, that I didn’t want it to end.
Who is Jake Ducey, you ask? He is an extremely tall – think basketball tall – handsome young man of 22, born and raised in Encinitas, with long curly hair, a smile that goes from ear to ear, blue eyes that sparkle with mischief, enthusiasm, and sincerity. He has gone from a drug filled life and a basketball scholarship to an author, a script writer, a motivational speaker, and an actor that will soon be a household name all over the world. He has written a book that appeared on the Amazon best seller for weeks – “Into the Wind” – and is writing his second book to be published in 2015 having to do with setting your principles and going after them. In his second book he interviewed 27 people and has written about their successes and how they were obtained.
During his high school years, Jake was able to wend his way through classes, obtaining average scores, in spite of his use of drugs and alcohol. He has a photographic mind and found it was not necessary to study to pass the examinations administered during this time. He could be stoned at night and yet score 25-30 points on the basketball court the following day. He was elected as the Most Valuable Player in the Avocado League while playing at La Costa Canyon High School, and set records still in existence today.
He was offered several basketball scholarships and decided to accept one from California Lutheran University, a small Lutheran university where he was promised a better approach to academia. However, after his first summer on campus, he found that he was unhappy; that the promises that were made to him were not being fulfilled, and he knew that he had to do something else. He lasted there until his 3rd semester, and then quit the university.
Jake decided that he wanted to leave the drug-filled life that he had known to wander the world to “prove we can find our dreams by following our heart.” His travels took him to Guatemala to villages that had intrinsic gifts for the inhabitants. Gone were the materialistic fabrics of life that he had known as a child and young teen. He never felt unsafe; he aided the inhabitants in constructing orphanages, homes, and felt like he was finally performing a dream come true.
He went from Guatemala to Australia, to Indonesia, to Thailand, allowing his destiny to come to the forefront. He discovered that all he needed to do was to look inside himself to find his purpose of being. An accident that could have claimed his life shaped what he has become today. While going with some people he met to visit their favorite waterfall, he took a step and fell. His arms and legs are bleeding; his life flashed before his eyes, and a man jumped off the cliff to offer help and assistance to him, a man that Jake had never met. As Jake lay in his bed pondering what could have been, he found that he wanted to write a book; a book saying that one does not have to travel around the world to find oneself; that the purpose of life is to share your gift with others; you can completely change the world. He realized that he had something to share.
Jake decided it was time to come home and begin writing his book. He received rejections from many until the right publisher read the book and said he wanted to publish it. Now, at the age of 22 Jake is able to go around the world and talk to others; he can inspire others to fulfill their dreams. He shows that destiny is in reach if “we . . . only look within ourselves first.”
His book has been so successful, so motivating to others, that it is going to be produced as a film. Jake would like to act himself in this film; that is still being discussed while the script is being written. He says in his book that “this book was written for the sole intention of sharing what I discovered while wandering the world for six months; that we are more powerful than we’ve been led to believe, and when we leap toward our destiny for the highest good for all, the whole world unfolds for us. Once we all do this we will transform our world.”
“My journey is physical proof that each of us can set a goal and obtain it, that we can consciously create our realities, and whatever we envision we can accomplish. This read will begin your path to realizing your personal dreams – that is, if you choose to pursue them.”
The enthusiasm sparked by Jake’s conversation with me made me want to go reevaluate my purpose for being; to set new goals and follow them through. This young man is going to inspire a great many people in the years to come. “Into the Wind” – his six month journey wandering the world for Life’s purpose is a must read. Maybe you will even be lucky enough to hear him speak in person. He says that “there is no reason not to take risks; life is brief in the eye of eternity.”
You can see some of his works on http://jakeducey.com/, where he closes his TED tape with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Do not go where the path may lead you; Make your own trail.”
Judi Curry
Latest posts by Judi Curry (see all)
- What the Heck? The Story of My Randomly Sounding Fire Alarms - June 1, 2017
- My April Fool’s Day Story for the Year – Looking for a Man - April 1, 2017
- Restaurant Review: Pepe’s in Ocean Beach - March 15, 2017
Judi– I hope SDFP readers find out how you are reevaluating your purpose and what new trails you make! Your interview with Jake sounded energizing.
Jake is my miraculous nephew that hasn’t a mean bone in his body. His true life mission is to save others and to help them realize their true potential. God bless him.
You are one lucky lady!
Kudos to both Jake and you. Jake sounds like he heard his inner voice and had the wisdom to listen. It’s his follow-through, that he’s living out what he heard within, that sets an example for others, that they too can discover the path never yet taken, their own.
Judi, it seems your articles are becoming, in part, a celebration of San Diego’s youth. How terrific. Giving these young, inspirational people more light can only make an edifying impression on all of us. It seems clear that character isn’t a matter of age but of personal choices at any age. The older folks should heartily applaud.