KILLEEN, TX — Killeen Mayor Jose Segarra has a different style than most mayors, one that seems to work well for the most diverse town in Central Texas.
The mayor's determination to change his life actually set his life on a brand new course.
There are people who say follow your dreams because they think it’s the right thing to say. Maybe, but Segarra really believes it. He believes that if you chart a course for yourself, you should see it through no matter what the odds. After all, it worked for him.
The mayor admits he doesn't have a huge, outgoing personality. Instead he sees patience as his virtue.
"Even as a little kid, I probably, everything that I do I probably do terrible when I first started. My thing is just stick at it, stick at it, stick at it, and sometimes your brain is gonna adjust and you're gonna get comfortable at it," he explained.
That became the theme of his life, but he didn't stop his self-improvement efforts there. He joined "Toastmasters" to learn public speaking skills.
"The biggest thing that I got out of that is just to get out of your fears ," he said.
He says we can all benefit from a little introspection and some learning time.
"You got to enjoy personal development, and that's one of the things that I picked up while on this journey as I started developing myself," said the mayor.
But why do so many fail? Segarra says the answer is easy.
"What I think a lot of people miss is because they give up too soon," said Segarra.
So determination is what got this former mechanic and cement worker into a white-collar job. He stayed in Killeen after leaving the Army because he saw opportunity.
"A lot of it reminded me we don't put everything in perspective. You know we have such a great community. We have a lot of diversity here, that's one of the great things," he said.
These days he shares his tips for success with others, hoping people learn to strive for the best.
"I enjoy coaching people, so now part of my business, and I don't actually go sell, but I do enjoy helping people become better better their lives," he said.
Segarra's beliefs on destiny aside, he’s become a coach of sorts to people, a coach who says you’re better off listening to your heart and not the world around you.
He says he wants even the smallest person in Killeen to have a voice equal to anyone else.
