Bobby Bland’s Lucky 13: Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way cuts through today’s noise of quick wins and shallow triumphs, offering something far more lasting: truth earned through experience. An honest, unfiltered look at how real wisdom is earned, not inherited. More than a memoir, it’s a roadmap built from bruises, heartache, triumphs, and one unshakable belief: you grow through what you go through.
The number 13, often shrouded in superstition, becomes a powerful symbol of identity, resilience, and grace for Bland. Born on June 13 and assigned jersey #13 as a kid too big for standard uniforms, the number stitched itself into his story in meaningful ways. But Lucky 13 isn’t about luck. It’s about choosing gratitude over bitterness, even when life throws the hardest curveballs.
From a childhood shaped by small-town Arkansas values and Razorback pride to navigating the complexities of business, faith, family, and health, Bland writes like a man who’s been knocked down more than once and got back up each time with deeper insight. His career spans decades, from the grocery business to commercial insurance and, later, the health-conscious venture Snack Lab, which he co-founded. But it’s not a highlight reel. Bland shares the struggles, too, the kind most people hide.
In Chapter 2, titled “But What If…,” he recounts the devastating loss of a loved one at age 21 and the spiral that followed. It’s raw and relatable, a reminder that grief doesn’t wear a suit and tie. It kicks in the door. But it’s in a quiet church in East Texas, weeping in a sanctuary with a stranger’s prayer, that Bland’s journey toward spiritual healing begins.
Perhaps the most gripping turn in the memoir is his health transformation. Once 390 pounds and plagued with diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea, Bland describes a rock-bottom moment so vivid it aches: standing next to a woman in a nursing home who had lost her legs to the same disease that was slowly killing him. That day, he didn’t just cry. He surrendered. What followed was a radical, God-centered transformation of body, mind, and mission. Today, he’s not just surviving; he’s coaching others to reclaim their health, too.
But Lucky 13 is more than the story of one man’s redemption. It’s a masterclass in empathy. Bland doesn’t preach. He confesses. He invites readers to sit with their own regrets and then shows them how to turn those regrets into fuel. Whether he’s discussing bullying, immigration, or just how to say hello with eye contact, the throughline is clear: Treat people with dignity. Always.
What makes this memoir shine isn’t just its life lessons, though they’re plentiful and profound. It’s the warmth. Bland writes like a grandfather telling stories around the fire, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always rooted in love. His reflections are paired with “Food 4 Thought” questions at the end of each chapter, designed to nudge the reader toward self-discovery.
In a time where division and disconnection dominate the cultural conversation, Lucky 13 offers something radical: a call back to kindness, to faith, and to remembering that the person holding the door for you might just be holding space for something deeper.
This isn’t a self-help book masked as a memoir. It’s a mirror, gently held up, with one powerful question staring back: What are your 13?
Author Name: Bobby Bland
Book Title: LUCKY 13: Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Book Published by: Author Publications
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