Latest / The iAlign Podcast with Flint Mitchell / #24 - Perspective Shifts, Poetry, and Unconditional Love With Professional Soccer Player Robert Hines II

Transcript

#24 - Perspective Shifts, Poetry, and Unconditional Love With Professional Soccer Player Robert Hines II · The iAlign Podcast with Flint Mitchell

0:02
SPEAKER_01: How can you step up and still be in love or still be in a positive space and hold that boundary?
0:08
SPEAKER_01: And I think unconditional love is that.
0:10
SPEAKER_01: For me, it's it's something that's like, when I see something bad that I don't like, it frustrates me, it makes me angry, right?
0:17
SPEAKER_01: So it's like, how can I walk in unconditional love and still hold that boundary.
0:34
SPEAKER_00: What's up, y'all?
0:35
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Seeking Authenticity.
0:37
SPEAKER_00: My name is Flint Mitchell, and I get absolutely psyched by having conversations with authentic people that I admire about the things they value.
0:46
SPEAKER_00: Their stories and perspectives don't just make me smile, laugh, and think.
0:50
SPEAKER_00: They inspire me to wake up earlier, listen better, focus, and work harder, and help make me a better version of myself.
0:57
SPEAKER_00: And it's my hope that sharing these conversations through this podcast might do the same thing for you.
1:05
SPEAKER_00: In this episode, I talk with Robert Hines, a friend and former teammate of mine from our club soccer team, Santa Clara Sporting.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: Robert's journey with soccer has taken him to the Oakland Roots, where he currently plays professionally.
1:19
SPEAKER_00: On the field, he's incredibly determined and focused on the game.
1:22
SPEAKER_00: And while those aspects of his character still come out off the pitch, his laughs and smiles generally take the front seat.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: In this conversation, we talk about quite a bit, ranging from his adventure to become a professional soccer player, the practices he used to get through injuries and some darker times, how the reason for his wanting to play soccer has shifted from visions of himself to visions of the changes and motivations he can bring to others.
1:48
SPEAKER_00: He gives us a bit of his poetry from his current musical project, After Party, and about wanting to take every moment he's given and see how he can grow from it.
1:56
SPEAKER_00: His audio switches quality a bit around 10 minutes in, but it's worth continuing to listen because Robert has a great view on life that I think is valuable to hear and motivating.
2:05
SPEAKER_00: So I hope you enjoy.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for doing this with me, Robert.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate it.
2:13
SPEAKER_02: You're welcome.
2:15
SPEAKER_02: Glad to be doing it.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: It's an honor, major gratitude.
2:19
SPEAKER_00: Major gratitude.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: 100%, dude.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: No, I was so excited to have you on.
2:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh we we met by when we were playing club soccer uh back in high school days, and it was fun following the boys as they kind of went off to college, different colleges and and their their different careers and paths afterwards.
2:36
SPEAKER_00: And it's been pretty cool to watch you kind of actually succeed in this this profession of soccer that so many of us were aspiring to, you know, it's a it's a wicked path, it's motivating, it's fun to talk about, and it's fun to listen to.
2:49
SPEAKER_00: Likewise, it's cool to see you kind of chasing some other passions in your in your spare time, like music.
2:55
SPEAKER_00: Um and I'd like to touch on all of that.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: But first off, it'd be cool, I'd be really curious to hear about the journey from graduating uh uh college as a collegiate athlete to getting signed by the Oakland Roots.
3:11
SPEAKER_02: Um a very long journey in the sense of the daily, like trying to recenter my focus on this is what I want to do.
3:21
SPEAKER_02: So I'm gonna go for like this.
3:23
SPEAKER_02: I want to play pro soccer, I want to play pro soccer.
3:25
SPEAKER_02: I know or I feel this is why I've been born, this is why my experiences have happened to cultivate me to be in a professional team and organization.
3:36
SPEAKER_02: And so after after college, um I still had another year because my freshman year, I went to online high school, a whole bunch of stuff that threw off my uh kind of eligibility that freshman year.
3:49
SPEAKER_02: So I had an extra year.
3:50
SPEAKER_02: Ended up taking that extra year and partially tearing my uh ACL and and uh a mild tear in my NCL as well.
4:01
SPEAKER_02: So yeah, very, very, very, very uh, I don't want to say depressed, but uh I mean that depressive energy, you know, for sure laying down, couldn't really see the light.
4:11
SPEAKER_02: But I had some great therapist stuff that helped me out through all of that.
4:14
SPEAKER_02: And I didn't have any surgery, so it was just all just strengthening that that left leg, all the muscles, and and just making sure that every day I was getting up doing the exercises twice a day.
4:27
SPEAKER_02: It's the hardest part, the hardest part to my consistency is the hardest part, right?
4:31
SPEAKER_02: And but also to find like that passion still of like, I know this will get me to that.
4:36
SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
4:37
SPEAKER_02: It's like practicing by yourself or like even meditating at times for me at least.
4:41
SPEAKER_02: It's like, where's the passion to like learn my thoughts?
4:44
SPEAKER_02: Like, you know what I mean?
4:45
SPEAKER_02: I'm in a great headspace, like I don't need to do any meditation.
4:50
SPEAKER_02: Back to this knee injury.
4:52
SPEAKER_02: I ended up getting through it and uh I had played, uh they call it semi-pro, uh PDL, C USL elite one or two now, something like that.
5:02
SPEAKER_02: But um uh luckily to play on a team out in San Francisco that brought me back.
5:08
SPEAKER_02: And because I had a good year before the injury, um, they were like infested.
5:13
SPEAKER_02: They were like that, yeah, we were gonna put you in and and really see like how how fast you bounce back.
5:18
SPEAKER_02: And um that's wicked.
5:20
SPEAKER_02: I I was it was a great honor, you know what I mean?
5:23
SPEAKER_02: It's like, whoa, okay, let me go.
5:25
SPEAKER_02: I'm that man.
5:26
SPEAKER_02: I'm the man, you know.
5:28
SPEAKER_02: Slowly and surely we start taking L's and I start realizing like as I'm trying to go up for headers and stuff, like dude, I'm just not the same.
5:36
SPEAKER_02: I'm just not the same.
5:37
SPEAKER_02: So after that season, it made me really focused more on like how I'm taking care of my body.
5:42
SPEAKER_02: And so during that time, I was on this meditation kind of hype, and then I switched over a bit to doing qi gong, which is uh kind of an energy cultivation practice, like tai chi, but a bit more, I think it's I don't say exercising, but like a bit more exercising in Tai Chi.
6:00
SPEAKER_00: So you what would be what would be what would be like something you do in Qigong?
6:04
SPEAKER_02: Uh one of my favorite is uh I think they call it, I think they call it the like swan or something, but uh let me let me put this back up so I can give you the real the real future look.
6:16
SPEAKER_00: So it's uh uh you know lift one arm up out to the side, energy back through, and then again so it's all these like kind of circular motions.
6:28
SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, and just getting your breath and you know your movement in sync.
6:33
SPEAKER_02: And for me, for me, man, like some days like I'll just be in a zone and like I can really feel like my bioelectricity, like qi moving through me.
6:43
SPEAKER_02: And it's it's just like learning about your body to a different level, learning about yourself to another level that I've never had before.
6:51
SPEAKER_02: I mean, meditation was one, but this was like, whoa, it's another level, bro.
6:55
SPEAKER_00: This is a isn't a I I really like this idea, um, which is this kind of awareness.
7:00
SPEAKER_00: It's almost like an appreciation for your body that you kind of get from these more intimate exercises.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: And I I think if you probably get it from anything like soccer, it's just that there's so much more going on that you're thinking about, you're not really thinking about your body.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: But when you get into these kind of more meditative or reflective exercises, there's a like a presence or uh a feeling of your body.
7:26
SPEAKER_02: Yes, I agree.
7:27
SPEAKER_02: And that's that's what kind of kept pushed me to keep going to keep trying, to keep trying to make it pro because at the time as well, I'm injured.
7:36
SPEAKER_02: So I was like, um, I need to find some work.
7:39
SPEAKER_02: Like I'm not in school anymore.
7:41
SPEAKER_02: And I wanted to use my Canise degree, but at the same time, I was like, that's a lot of information that I might have down in my mind.
7:53
SPEAKER_02: Like it might not be easily accessible.
7:55
SPEAKER_02: So let me try something that I know a bit more to maybe access that stuff.
8:00
SPEAKER_02: And I started coaching uh at this middle school, and from that experience, it just opened my mind to like how much how important it is to have an impact not only on the field but off the field, in a sense of spreading my knowledge or even just spreading my energy, you know, just bringing positivity to kids and bringing my passion in a presentable way for them to like maybe take and be like, yeah, okay, I'm gonna run with this.
8:25
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like let me see if I can, you know, make it pro this way.
8:27
SPEAKER_00: But uh so did that give you more of an inspiration then to go for for professional soccer?
8:34
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
8:35
SPEAKER_02: For sure.
8:36
SPEAKER_02: I was playing adult league at the time too.
8:38
SPEAKER_02: So there was a lot that was still going on.
8:40
SPEAKER_02: And um I find I I ended up, I don't even know how it happened, just was looking for practices, anywhere to practice, any games I could play.
8:48
SPEAKER_02: I wanted anything, you know.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: The passion was like, yeah, the passion was just coming out from my heart soccer, you know.
8:55
SPEAKER_02: It was coming out like crazy.
8:57
SPEAKER_02: And I was fully back as well.
8:59
SPEAKER_02: Um I had signed with an agency at the time too.
9:02
SPEAKER_02: So during all of this coaching, I'd taken a week and a half break.
9:06
SPEAKER_02: I came down to San Diego um to do a combine to hopefully get my, you know, get my name out there, get my face, get my energy, my play, you know, maybe put myself in a position to get to a team, you know.
9:17
SPEAKER_02: That was the intention.
9:18
SPEAKER_02: And the team didn't work out, but I ended up signing with the agency who put on the the uh combine.
9:25
SPEAKER_02: So super cool for that uh for that plug.
9:28
SPEAKER_02: I was like, okay, now I have an agent.
9:29
SPEAKER_02: So I reach another step.
9:32
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, exactly.
9:32
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
9:33
SPEAKER_02: A little quick story on that.
9:35
SPEAKER_02: Patrick Pro, the guy, the guy that owns it, was trying to get me to go to UC Santa Cruz like sophomore year or not sophomore, like junior year at sporty.
9:45
SPEAKER_00: Interesting, yeah.
9:46
SPEAKER_02: So he had followed me, he'd always followed me all the way through it.
9:49
SPEAKER_02: It was crazy because even at even the next level at college, he coached at Minlo and NDU plays Minlo like preseason.
9:57
SPEAKER_02: So I would see him all the time.
9:59
SPEAKER_02: It was crazy, it was so crazy.
10:01
SPEAKER_02: Because once I finally got there, he was like, Do you have any representation?
10:04
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I'm seeing an intention behind the scenes here.
10:09
SPEAKER_02: And he was like, I want to represent you.
10:11
SPEAKER_02: I was like, Yep, you're right.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: It's not surprising to me with your energy that people would be following you or wanting to support you, I think.
10:23
SPEAKER_02: Oh I appreciate that little compliment.
10:26
SPEAKER_02: I appreciate that for real.
10:27
SPEAKER_02: But it's like I said earlier, like I feel like a narcissist because I'm just I just enjoy like the things that I do, you know what I mean?
10:34
SPEAKER_02: And like when I step into those environments, when I step in and have conversation with people, like I can't hold back my energy.
10:41
SPEAKER_02: Like it's exciting, it excites me, you know.
10:44
SPEAKER_00: That's good, man.
10:45
SPEAKER_00: No, I love that.
10:46
SPEAKER_00: And so this guy brings you on, and and he's how you got connected to the roots?
10:53
SPEAKER_02: Uh basically, so there was a kind of a longer process, almost a year or so, um doing an open cup game before the roots had even conceptualized.
11:03
SPEAKER_02: They were still Oakland Leopards, which was, I think, an NPSL team at the time.
11:07
SPEAKER_02: So I played an open cup game with them, ended up losing.
11:11
SPEAKER_02: So they thought I had played well enough that game, though.
11:14
SPEAKER_02: So I was still in the back of their head.
11:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:16
SPEAKER_02: And about January last year, um, another patch of pro combine, uh, I ended up going to that, doing really well, much better than I had done in the previous years, um, and playing more my natural position of right back.
11:30
SPEAKER_02: You know me as a right back, but throughout college and even uh PDL, a lot of teams played me at center back.
11:38
SPEAKER_02: Interesting.
11:38
SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, they're just like he's athletic, you know, he can use it.
11:43
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that a tough last when your coach just chooses something other than what you want to play?
11:48
SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
11:49
SPEAKER_02: And I've already been told, like, I'm not trying to hide myself, but I've been told by like a coach, like maybe my freshman sophomore year, he's like, you have the talent to make it to a professional level.
11:59
SPEAKER_02: He's like the one thing is is you're too adaptable, like you're too you're too fluid.
12:04
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so nobody knows where to put you.
12:06
SPEAKER_02: Like kind of find yourself somehow.
12:09
SPEAKER_02: Exactly, exactly.
12:10
SPEAKER_02: And so I think at that combine I did that well enough to to get attention from Roots, some other uh PDL teams, but uh a USL team in Pennsylvania sent me out for an invite.
12:22
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
12:23
SPEAKER_02: I guess I didn't fit their system, so they sent me back, uh, which was good because it opened that door wide open.
12:29
SPEAKER_02: Yeah Oakland Roots, they came in.
12:31
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we talked, we discussed, and I was seeing that uh, or they called and the door was wide open.
12:37
SPEAKER_01: I was like, yeah, uh, I think this would be something really good for me.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: And the cool thing about it as well was that I'm still coaching too and looking to move more local.
12:46
SPEAKER_01: I was coaching down in Belmont at the time.
12:48
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
12:49
SPEAKER_01: I was like, what opportunities can I find to do some coaching?
12:52
SPEAKER_01: And I've won off the field and on the field, and uh Street Soccer USA ended up opening a door for me, and uh I've enjoyed it ever since then, since day one, since they were like, This is what you do, you get to play with kids and you just play soccer with kids and you you help them with their issues if they have issues, but if they don't, you just like brink good energy and like play and like it's the coolest thing ever.
13:14
SPEAKER_01: Ever since then, I've been like, this is literally like the coolest thing ever.
13:18
SPEAKER_01: I just love seeing the kids' reactions to like the over the course of the week, finding out that I'm a professional.
13:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's just that's another story.
13:28
SPEAKER_01: That's so that's how that's the the the journey that is taking place to get to roots.
13:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, it sounds like you've had quite a few experiences then that deal with uh kind of coaching the youth already.
13:40
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's one thing that's helped me a lot, honestly.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: Of one, like the Chi Dog knowing myself, accepting myself, and uh you know, knowing my body, knowing my mannerisms, but but also the other side of reflecting to them just positive energy, like that self-empowerment for them is like empowerment for me as well.
13:59
SPEAKER_01: Like the words that I'm speaking, I don't want to say it in like a not confident way.
14:04
SPEAKER_01: For me, even saying it is like an affirmation, it's like a manifestation for for myself.
14:10
SPEAKER_01: So I grow in that way as well.
14:12
SPEAKER_01: And just seeing that ebb and flow of themes has been like, yeah, bro.
14:15
SPEAKER_01: Coaching is the one, and like I'm so glad I got into it because it's helped my game so much more.
14:20
SPEAKER_00: There's it's a big deal, man, is the ability to um when you help others in any form or fashion, somehow it that energy comes back and bounces back to you.
14:29
SPEAKER_00: And it's it's it's also, I guess, kind of a cool point that you make is it can be very specific.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: It's not necessarily just you help someone and you get positive energy back, but like you help someone with coaching soccer, your ability at soccer somehow is is is emphasized and bettered by it.
14:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, cool thing.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: And then and then you talk it and you have to execute it as well, too.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: They they are like, you a pro?
14:55
SPEAKER_01: Let me see.
14:59
SPEAKER_00: That's a good point.
15:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you're you're like putting yourself on uh on the show there's all the time.
15:10
SPEAKER_01: If I take a bad touch, they're like, oh see, that's why that's why they tie this weekend because Toach got a bad touch.
15:18
SPEAKER_01: That's so fun.
15:19
SPEAKER_01: I love me.
15:20
SPEAKER_01: That's hilarious.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: No, I I like that you've had all these experiences already with them with the youth.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: It sounds like that's all already become kind of a side.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't say the word passion, it's like a a side reason for why you're playing soccer, right?
15:35
SPEAKER_00: You at the beginning of this, you said you believed you were born to play soccer.
15:40
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
15:40
SPEAKER_00: How is that reason, like the reason you you feel like you were born to play soccer, how has that evolved over the past five or six years?
15:49
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was like I'm I'm meant to play and I don't know, become a superstar and all this, you know, a lot of ego, a lot of ego tied to it for sure.
16:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:01
SPEAKER_01: But now that that ego's been suppressed and kind of tamed, so it is more for playing for my community, the open community, you know, playing for the conquer community, playing for those coaches that have instilled the passion and the knowledge and the unconditional love in me from years ago.
16:21
SPEAKER_01: It's playing for um, I said open community earlier, but those little, you know, those those little youth that, you know, men and women, I don't want to just single out men, but little black boys or little black girls that don't see a future in soccer where their whole families play football.
16:38
SPEAKER_01: And they they like soccer, but they just don't see a a mirror reflecting to them that like they can do this and like they can still be really cool doing it.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not saying I'm the coolest guy in the world, but I hope that is the energy that I am extremely.
16:52
SPEAKER_01: And when I step out of the field, my intention is to not only play my best, but be my best self to reflect to them that like you can do this, you know what I mean?
17:01
SPEAKER_00: You gotta put it in work first off, you gotta put it in the work to manifest everything, but like it it can be a visualization you have, you know, it is a dream to have, you can do this, but especially I love the way you phrase that is it's um, I mean, you do talk about it in the context of like you could also be a soccer player, but it's it's not just you're talking about the energy you're putting off, it's also about you're talking about being your best self.
17:27
SPEAKER_00: It's also about it's also about character.
17:29
SPEAKER_00: Yes, exactly.
17:31
SPEAKER_00: You're coming out, and it sounds like you're taking almost the responsibility of showing these little kids like your character, like who you are, and in in and trying to be a good person, not just like a professional soccer player.
17:43
SPEAKER_01: Oh yes, oh yes, on and off the field.
17:46
SPEAKER_01: Um trying to just exude like one, my best self.
17:50
SPEAKER_01: I think exuding your best self, you'll you'll always have some sort of positive impact.
17:55
SPEAKER_01: And off the field, you know, with the music, I've picked up my skateboard again, getting back into that, and just like I remember how much fun I had with that.
18:04
SPEAKER_01: I used to have no fear with with that exuding that characteristic as well as like you know being mindful and aware and conscious of what is around, you know, there's danger skateboarding, you know what I mean.
18:17
SPEAKER_01: You kind of you're trying to always fix stairs if you're trying to grind a 14 stairs.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of danger, you know what I mean?
18:23
SPEAKER_01: So there is there is a you are, you can be afraid of that, but um, you shouldn't be afraid of enjoying those things or be afraid of him of playing soccer, of what judgment can come out of that, or even playing soccer even very aggressively and passionately as well.
18:38
SPEAKER_01: Because I'm I'm a very passionate guy, you know, it's not easy.
18:41
SPEAKER_01: And like I know at times I can get a little overboard in in the sense of like, let's go, I'm big flexing on people, whatnot.
18:50
SPEAKER_01: Just include it, it's not it's not that the intention of that is never to come off is never to be in a way or in a light of like ego.
18:58
SPEAKER_01: It is all just like this is my best self, and I can feel it, and I want you to see it, you know.
19:04
SPEAKER_01: Like yeah, this is it, it's here.
19:06
SPEAKER_01: You can do this too.
19:07
SPEAKER_00: That's it's um it's the term stoke.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: It's like this overflowing amount of energy, like you can't really handle it.
19:16
SPEAKER_00: It's not because you're trying to put it in someone's face, but it's just because you can't really hold it back anymore.
19:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think that's it's it's a it's a testament to personal expression, right?
19:26
SPEAKER_00: Because if you're if you're too insecure, it's a good thing, right?
19:29
SPEAKER_00: If you're too insecure about your personal expression or about who you are, it's gonna be hard for you to get to that level where you're like, no, this is it, this is who I fucking am.
19:38
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
19:39
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
19:40
SPEAKER_01: And since I've been here at Roots, I've I've seen, I mean, we have this guy, Jack McIntyre.
19:45
SPEAKER_01: Like he's been playing pro since he's probably 17, 18.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: And just the way he carries himself, you know that he's exuding his full self.
19:55
SPEAKER_01: I mean, on and off the field.
19:56
SPEAKER_01: So it's like, yeah, I want to reflect in that way, you know, but in my own unique touch, you know, flow.
20:03
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, absolutely.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, on and off the field.
20:05
SPEAKER_01: The intention is to do that, is to just exude that.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: It's good.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: I mean, yeah, and and that's actually a cool thing that you bring up about seeing that in other people, is it's a kind of a good realization.
20:15
SPEAKER_00: It's this idea of like the people you look up to.
20:18
SPEAKER_00: There are reasons you look up to them.
20:19
SPEAKER_00: A lot of them are these kind of authentic guys or or women who um who have this like expression.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: It's like the reason you look up to them is the re is that they are themselves.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: But the point isn't to copy them.
20:32
SPEAKER_00: The point is to see that they are the themselves and that you can actually be yourself too.
20:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
20:38
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I got a question for you, Narvis.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: Hit me.
20:40
SPEAKER_01: Back back in sporting days.
20:42
SPEAKER_01: So something I used to do a lot is like, you know, you watch you watch the best players because you want to you want to use that energy.
20:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I used to try to play like Danny Alvis.
20:52
SPEAKER_01: Like, literally what I said on the field at practice, or like it's I'm like, Danny Alves.
20:57
SPEAKER_01: This is what I would say to myself over and over and over.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: I love it over and over and again.
21:02
SPEAKER_01: Would you do something similar back then, like in those times?
21:05
SPEAKER_01: I didn't just go out there and play.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: Dude, I didn't have a specific um player.
21:12
SPEAKER_00: Um I that's actually that's a good one.
21:16
SPEAKER_00: So over the course of high school, I transitioned a little bit like mentally.
21:21
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's just kind of like everyone does.
21:22
SPEAKER_00: You grow as a person, you mature, you become a little more secure as yourself.
21:27
SPEAKER_00: Um I tried every game to be extremely confident that like what I was doing was the right thing.
21:40
SPEAKER_00: Um, and so it was more of like me trying to, it was it was almost like the whole like fake it till you make it.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: It was like it was like I'm gonna go out there and just believe that what I'm doing and the energy I'm putting out is is the right thing.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: And dude, I have a stupid funny story.
21:57
SPEAKER_00: Um like stupid and funny.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: On my high school soccer team, uh there was some like meme going around.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: It was like the care bears, uh like straight out the little you know, with like the parts and shit on their chest.
22:13
unknown: Yeah.
22:16
SPEAKER_00: Don't the care bears like shoot up like energy out of their hearts, right?
22:20
SPEAKER_00: I don't actually know.
22:21
SPEAKER_00: I've never actually watched it, but there was a meme going around.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: And so it became like an inside joke about not being a care bear.
22:30
SPEAKER_00: You were like 17-year-old men um like joking about not giving a shit.
22:35
SPEAKER_00: Like I like on don't give a care bear or something.
22:39
SPEAKER_00: Oh my god.
22:40
SPEAKER_00: Oh my god, yo.
22:43
SPEAKER_00: I love the dad jokes.
22:45
SPEAKER_00: Like looking back, it's so dumb.
22:49
SPEAKER_01: Yo, y'all at 17 throwing out these dad jokes.
22:52
SPEAKER_01: I love it though.
22:54
SPEAKER_01: The dad jokes are hitters.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:56
SPEAKER_00: Hit it.
22:56
SPEAKER_00: You can't go wrong with dad jokes, though.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: But even the fact that it was such a dumb joke, the point of it was like, I don't care.
23:03
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't care.
23:04
SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna do my thing.
23:05
SPEAKER_00: And somehow like that joke evolved over the course of the season.
23:09
SPEAKER_00: So these some of these guys just being like, I don't give a shit.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't care, I'm just gonna do it.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: And so it really was this evolution of like a really dumb, stupid dad joke turning into like honestly, I think some of these guys gained self-confidence because of it.
23:22
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, bro, it tends to empower me.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: You know, wild.
23:28
SPEAKER_01: That's incredible, incredible.
23:31
SPEAKER_01: How a silly, a silly joke turns into that.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's amazing though.
23:36
SPEAKER_01: That's amazing though.
23:37
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, the only thing I can say to that is I want to start trying to implement some of that into the coaching I do, you know, making silly jokes like that, and hopefully, and kind of guiding as well, you know, creating that path for it to become something bigger than what it is.
23:52
SPEAKER_01: 100% that's important.
23:54
SPEAKER_01: It is important.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: It's a good that's a good comment, is like there's potentially ways of impacting, like if you're gonna try to impact the youth, you do want to do it in a way that that they would enjoy, yeah, like doing.
24:07
SPEAKER_00: Um and and having like a like I'm gonna make this joke because it might have this underlying theme, right?
24:16
SPEAKER_01: Plant his seeds, plant seeds, like a gardener.
24:20
SPEAKER_01: Like I was having this, I was having a conversation.
24:23
SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
24:25
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, uh, one of me and one of my friends actually were talking about uh some like ancient philosophy the other day, and we're still kind of having this conversation because we got hung up on the word ancient philosophy.
24:38
SPEAKER_01: I was just using it as like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates are the basis of philosophy, so they're very ancient.
24:46
SPEAKER_01: You know, that's an ancient time period it comes from.
24:49
SPEAKER_01: But like it's important for us in in modern times to take that and maybe shape it and shift it into a tangible way, like a seed we can plant and grow for the future.
24:59
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
25:00
SPEAKER_01: Because you know, we we live in a completely different time than we don't think we're alive.
25:06
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
25:07
SPEAKER_00: I think that's an important kind of understanding.
25:11
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think it's the reason why a lot of one of my friends and I were actually talking about something relatively similar, which is the reason why a lot of these pieces of writing um last, kind of the reason they last over time is that uh they express an idea or a value without ascribing it to a very specific uh uh experience.
25:36
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
25:36
SPEAKER_00: And so the point is they give you like the bones and then they write it in a way where you put the flesh on it.
25:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
25:44
SPEAKER_00: They give you the structure, but it applies to whatever you're gonna put into.
25:48
SPEAKER_00: And that's why these philosophies and these writers stand in the strength of time.
25:53
SPEAKER_00: And it's true, we need to uh change it a little bit as as society move progresses, but the values are most likely still relevant.
26:03
SPEAKER_00: It's just how we adapt them.
26:05
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.
26:06
SPEAKER_01: And once I think once we can adapt it and make maybe make it a bit more modern and see how everyone holds these, like everyone to some extent holds these intrinsic and um deep, deep, deep.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: Well, deep, deep, deep uh kind of like knowledge of it or understanding of it, you know.
26:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, or and and as well wanting to carry it forward.
26:28
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, yeah, absolutely.
26:29
SPEAKER_01: It was an interesting conversation we're still having.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: Well, that's a good thing about I think this is another relevant kind of topic is discussions nowadays seem to be more about trying to end them as opposed to start them.
26:44
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's a good under people should understand that conversations don't have to have a period at the end of it.
26:49
SPEAKER_03: They don't.
26:49
SPEAKER_00: They could they could last days, they can last months, they could probably just continue until the day you die.
26:54
SPEAKER_00: And that's a great thing.
26:56
SPEAKER_01: Right facts, because there's many conversations I'm having with my mom and my father about you know just certain stuff.
27:03
SPEAKER_01: Like, like I'm really into horoscopes nowadays, and so I'm trying to kind of educate them a bit on it.
27:08
SPEAKER_01: And it's a it's a consistent conversation.
27:11
SPEAKER_01: We'll have maybe 30 minutes and it's just a brick wall, like they're not open, and um, I'm not trying to be mean, you know, just a brick wall, they're not they're they're not able to see it yet.
27:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and over time though, then I'm like, see, remember what I was saying about that?
27:24
SPEAKER_01: You see how it kind of applies now.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: They're like, my dad's like, okay, I can see what you're talking about now.
27:29
SPEAKER_01: And my mom's like, yeah, that's awesome.
27:32
SPEAKER_01: I'd love to see that application.
27:33
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna, okay, I'm gonna read it again now that you say that.
27:36
SPEAKER_01: And it's a continual evolution where it grows not only me, it grows her, and you know, whoever else they talk to and want to share that information with.
27:44
SPEAKER_01: It's you know, pushing the needle in many different directions.
27:46
SPEAKER_01: And it doesn't have a period.
27:48
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have a period either.
27:49
SPEAKER_01: Doesn't have a period, man.
27:50
SPEAKER_00: No, I I love that.
27:52
SPEAKER_00: Um I just going back a little bit, I I do want to touch on where you're at right now with the Oakland Roots.
28:00
SPEAKER_00: I'd love if you have do you have any kind of experiences that that really get you excited about the the the adventure so far with that team?
28:09
SPEAKER_01: Yes, um, we have a game on the 29th, uh, and is it is called the uh justice match.
28:15
SPEAKER_01: Um it's a match for justice within the open community, justice for Brianna Taylor and whatnot, but also just to uh push the conversation around uh social justice, equality, and equity for men and women.
28:28
SPEAKER_01: And so I mean I'm super excited about it because I mean us players are gonna play.
28:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh they're gonna bring in some legendary uh women's player, women players, um, some legendary male players as well, some community figureheads.
28:42
SPEAKER_01: Like I just love being in a space like that where it's soccer and and deep discussion, but also creativity and love and music, and it's just like a festival of just like high vibrations.
28:55
SPEAKER_01: So I'm I I'm super excited to be a part of it, whether I step on the field or not.
29:00
SPEAKER_01: Um, just being able to be in that that space is something I'm very excited about because it's a lot of uh a lot of people that I think just have that deep intrinsic value of you know what we're talking about, where people, you know, if they take off the smoke and ears, can see that we all hold this and we all want this this fluidity in life.
29:20
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
29:22
SPEAKER_00: It's it sounds like then um and this is cool that a lot of your inspiration for soccer has shifted towards um how that interacts with the community.
29:40
SPEAKER_01: Yes, very much so.
29:41
SPEAKER_01: The social impact is huge for me, huge for me.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: I mean, one of my favorite basketball players, LeBron James, opened up a school.
29:49
SPEAKER_01: A school, like you know what I mean?
29:51
SPEAKER_01: Like he's the greatest ever in my eyes, because of that, you know, and I would love to be able to walk a path similar to that.
29:59
SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say follow his path, but walk a path similar to that.
30:03
SPEAKER_01: Walk your own.
30:04
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, yes.
30:06
SPEAKER_01: And and have an impact that's greater than than the game, you know, greater than the game.
30:11
SPEAKER_01: And a school is a is a whole thing.
30:14
SPEAKER_01: That's a that's further down the line, right?
30:18
SPEAKER_01: That's further down the line.
30:20
SPEAKER_01: But I think it starts for just like playing for something more and being a part of an organization like like Roots, where we just also uh we announced, I think it was last month, that we joined this organization called Common Goal.
30:33
SPEAKER_01: And um within our organization, we're gonna take 1% of our salaries, combine it together, and then put it into different places.
30:42
SPEAKER_01: Um, maybe black-owned business, local community business, um, a uh uh a nonprofit that's pushing for houselessness, uh you know, stuff like that.
30:54
SPEAKER_01: Um but I'm I'm just excited to be a part of that.
30:56
SPEAKER_01: And like I say, or like you say, it is it it has grown to be something bigger than just like what we're doing on the field.
31:02
SPEAKER_01: And I still try to focus a lot on what we're doing on the field and bring that intensity and bring that energy and try not to get frustrated and hold each other accountable, all of those things.
31:12
SPEAKER_01: But when I when I first get ready or wake up in the morning and think, okay, what are we doing for practice?
31:19
SPEAKER_01: It's like we're practicing this for something else, we're reflecting this for something else.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're we're using this to impact this.
31:28
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, you know.
31:29
SPEAKER_00: It's that it's that philosophy.
31:31
SPEAKER_00: Uh he who bears a why, or he who knows his why can bear any how, or something like that.
31:38
SPEAKER_00: Very much if you know why you're doing it, there's nothing that's gonna stop you from finding out.
31:42
SPEAKER_01: Very much so.
31:44
SPEAKER_01: And it's bringing that unconditional love as well.
31:46
SPEAKER_01: Because that's something else I've been thinking about a lot, a little tangent, is like unconditional love of like, yes, we all get frustrated as players, we all get frustrated as coaches, we all get frustrated as just a humanity, but like, what can we bring daily that like allows us to still act in a positive way, an intentional way, and have a uh a consciousness that is able to see the things that uh like you know, racial injustice.
32:14
SPEAKER_01: How can we step up and still be in in love or still be in a positive space and hold that boundary?
32:20
SPEAKER_01: And I think unconditional love is that for me it's it's something that's like when I see something bad that I don't like, it it frustrates me, it makes me angry, right?
32:29
SPEAKER_01: So it's like, how can I walk in unconditional love and still hold that boundary?
32:33
SPEAKER_01: And I think, I don't know, for me it's it's something I'm still divulging in and adding to the philosophy to carry on in everything I do, music, soccer, coaching, all of that.
32:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
32:44
SPEAKER_00: It's a um it's you know, it's the way people carry themselves and it's interacting with the world and the things that frustrate you while kind of keeping the calmness of your mind.
32:57
SPEAKER_00: Um equanimity as well.
33:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I sent something to I sent a text to someone the other day and she said, wow, it's an artfully crafted response.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, no, just honest.
33:08
SPEAKER_00: And she said, Well, you can be honest and you can also be honest, right?
33:12
SPEAKER_00: Like the the point is you can be honest and be a dick, or you can be honest and and not, right?
33:17
SPEAKER_00: And so you can you can say the same thing, or you can interact with the same people and try to get your point across in multiple different ways.
33:25
SPEAKER_00: And if you're right, the idea is you're coming from the perspective of unconditional love, your response is probably gonna be taken better than someone who comes out saying, I hate yo, that ain't right.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
33:41
SPEAKER_01: You wrong, bro.
33:43
SPEAKER_01: I'm just being honest, though.
33:45
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, like it's a better way.
33:49
SPEAKER_01: Like, yeah, that wasn't the best task, bro.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: They're like, all right, let's work at it next time you get it right, and like hold me accountable too.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a bit that's a big one.
33:59
SPEAKER_00: Draw that connection.
34:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love it.
34:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:02
SPEAKER_00: It's real.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: So is that then is that one of the reasons for the the emphasis for starting with music is trying to kind of express that message?
34:13
SPEAKER_01: Yes, and also working through my own thoughts as well.
34:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, I've for a while now, even during sporting days, like I used to write like little raps.
34:23
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
34:23
SPEAKER_01: Little raps, like just putting words together, putting my thoughts together about what was currently going on, and like just like the spaciness that I have as well.
34:31
SPEAKER_01: Because I can be a spacey guy as well.
34:33
SPEAKER_01: I'm just like off daydreaming, not really, really present.
34:37
SPEAKER_01: Um, so kind of one to bring myself back to presence, um, yeah, being able to just take an accounting of everything that's going on in my conscious and put it in a tangible way where then I can read it and be like, oh yeah, this is what I am doing right now.
34:50
SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm not in, I'm not in Danny, I'm not Danny, I'm I'm not Danny Alvarez, I'm Robert Hyde II.
34:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, to bring me back to my own humanity and but also divinity in that, um, as well as kind of um leaving uh, I don't know, I don't want to say leaving a legacy, but there is another way I can coach, and it can be through music, through the words that I speak not only to them in person, but also like they can pop in headphones and listen to my voice as we're walking, you know.
35:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, that's something I do a lot out in Oakland.
35:22
SPEAKER_01: Uh some days I'll skateboard, but some days I'll walk around just listening to music.
35:25
SPEAKER_01: And some of my favorite artists, you know, I'm listening to their words and getting inspired and fueled and growing from that.
35:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then lastly, because it's fun.
35:35
SPEAKER_01: Like it's fun, you know.
35:37
SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna lie, when I was in college, you know, in the off-season, you enjoy yourself, you have fun, right?
35:42
SPEAKER_01: You go and party.
35:43
SPEAKER_01: And so after those nights, we come back and you know, it's the late night munchy meals and whatnot, getting ready for bed.
35:50
SPEAKER_01: But so me and my friends, like me and one, you remember Pac Tigres, right?
35:55
SPEAKER_01: You remember Pac-Tigres.
35:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, 100%.
35:56
SPEAKER_01: So the guy I used to mark up on my team became my roommate at C.
36:02
SPEAKER_01: So we used to sit some days and just make he used to find beats, and he would be like, yo, let's just go in on this.
36:10
SPEAKER_01: Like, let's really go in on it, not just like some freestyle.
36:13
SPEAKER_01: And I'd be like, okay, you want to you kind of challenging my creativity, like I'm with it though.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: I'm with it.
36:20
SPEAKER_01: Like, plus I'm bored, I don't want to do homework, so yeah, let's do this.
36:23
SPEAKER_01: Let's do this.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: That's funny.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: And it just like slowly grow or slowly grew and evolved to where I think it was last November we started getting in contact again and having FaceTime calls, and like FaceTime calls were just like rabbit hole, rabbit hole, rabbit hole.
36:41
SPEAKER_01: Come back up for rabbit hole, rabbit hole, rabbit hole to music, and then we'd just be sitting in there for like it'd be like a three-hour combo or like a two-hour combo, and by the end of it, we're we're making songs.
36:53
SPEAKER_01: And no, I I love that we started to take it with more intensity.
36:56
SPEAKER_00: So do you have this?
36:57
SPEAKER_00: Might be a tough question.
36:58
SPEAKER_00: Do you have any lyrics like any of lyrics that you've written that are your favorite?
37:04
SPEAKER_00: That you oh yes, oh yes, not a tough question.
37:09
SPEAKER_01: I'd be hyping myself up a little bit too much at times like one of my one of my favorite songs that we made is called uh it's called Only You.
37:21
SPEAKER_01: And um actually I'm not even gonna go to that one because I like this one man more.
37:26
SPEAKER_01: It's called More to Come.
37:28
SPEAKER_01: And it's just verse, verse, we're just going in.
37:33
SPEAKER_01: Going in.
37:34
SPEAKER_01: And my my favorite one is uh is uh I'm determined and expressive, undercover, quite perceptive, preaching to my community on live stream, future reference.
37:46
SPEAKER_01: And don't forget, I'm the motherfucking second.
37:50
SPEAKER_01: So I like that whole bar just because determined and expressive, it it ties in some of my horoscopes.
37:56
SPEAKER_01: This feels like genies, by the way.
37:58
SPEAKER_01: Like those genie videos where rappers be dissecting their music.
38:01
SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, this is crazy.
38:03
SPEAKER_01: This is like manifestation.
38:04
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I love it.
38:06
SPEAKER_01: So determined and expressive.
38:08
SPEAKER_01: I'm determined because my son's sign is a is a Capricorn and they're very hardworking, very stoic.
38:15
SPEAKER_01: Just they their therapy, the way they release emotions, is working.
38:19
SPEAKER_01: So I'm very determined in that sense.
38:22
SPEAKER_01: I'm expressive.
38:23
SPEAKER_01: Um I am a Leo ascending, so they say that with that you call a lot of attention to yourself because you naturally just want to express yourself, and I felt like that for a while now, and then the undercover, quite perceptive, is a Piscean moon, and that's fish underwater, so kind of the veil of water undercover, but these fish are very perceptive of what is happening outside of it.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: Um, and then preaching to the community on live stream future reverend.
38:51
SPEAKER_01: I was just talking some shit because I did this uh street talker video where I instructed them on Qigong first ever time I'd done that.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: So I was like, dude, I feel like a reverend right now.
39:05
SPEAKER_01: Like, so I had to add that in there, and then I am Robert Hines the second, so yeah, I gotta I gotta add that in there.
39:15
SPEAKER_00: That's the period is like that's the declaration, this is who I am.
39:18
SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
39:19
SPEAKER_00: Dude, I like that part.
39:22
SPEAKER_00: I I like the background of that.
39:23
SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't have I wouldn't have understood the reference to your horoscopes.
39:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, that's fun, that's cool.
39:30
SPEAKER_00: It's and it is like you were saying earlier, it's a form of evolving your thoughts.
39:35
SPEAKER_00: It's like putting them out there on pen and paper or saying them or wrapping them or however.
39:40
SPEAKER_00: Um just to yourself is a big one, let alone making it public.
39:45
SPEAKER_00: Um it's it's a incredible way of developing your thoughts and trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong and and and how to how to mature with that.
39:56
SPEAKER_00: And also like in this, you're kind of declaring who you are.
40:00
SPEAKER_00: It's a good way of reflecting and be like, is that who I want to be?
40:04
SPEAKER_00: And how do my actions now reflect who that person is?
40:07
SPEAKER_00: Right.
40:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
40:08
SPEAKER_01: Even the reverend line, I would love to actually be a reverend at the end of the day.
40:13
SPEAKER_01: Maybe not an official reverend, reverend, you know, deacon, church, everybody come in, ushers, bring, bring down the uh what is it, the donations, bring it, you know what I mean?
40:23
SPEAKER_01: Maybe not all that, but like a yoga instructor in the sense of a reverend, um, a qigong uh instructor is in the sense of reverend.
40:31
SPEAKER_01: Um I did a year of masters uh for marriage and family therapy.
40:36
SPEAKER_01: So I feel like in a sense that can be be kind of a reverend kind of place.
40:40
unknown: Yeah.
40:40
SPEAKER_01: Um so all of those things, even a coach, even a coach, because you're preaching your philosophy and uh guiding others into that mind state.
40:47
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, no, I think that that's a from that that's a good perspective to have because I think that the the idea of um a reverend or any sort of leader like that doesn't have to be super specific.
41:01
SPEAKER_00: It it's more just and I think this is a big thing on on the difference between religions or non-religions, is seeing that the underlying underlying reason reason why they're preaching those things or why they're saying those things is to try to teach something positive.
41:16
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right.
41:17
SPEAKER_00: They're trying to build positive character.
41:19
SPEAKER_00: And if they do, if they maybe it's a lot of times they do it wrong.
41:22
SPEAKER_00: Um but but the point is they're trying they're trying.
41:28
SPEAKER_00: And so yeah, maybe maybe it's through qi gong or maybe it's through being a yoga teacher or just a coach.
41:33
SPEAKER_00: It is just the idea of standing up and kind of uh making an effort to bring a positive atmosphere and try to teach positive values and morals.
41:42
SPEAKER_00: I think it's a great thing.
41:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because it's important.
41:45
SPEAKER_01: I mean, we are in an advanced society now where we have so much technology and uh I don't want to say because I hate when people are like, it's so distracting, it's so you can't stay focused, you don't have discipline, and it's like, dude, you gotta think like kids are raised up in this.
42:01
SPEAKER_01: Like it's not even it's not even a distraction in their mind.
42:04
SPEAKER_01: This is just their reality.
42:06
SPEAKER_01: But somebody hasn't maybe explained or shown to them or reflected to them that like um it is a distraction.
42:12
SPEAKER_01: This is something that isn't that isn't out.
42:14
SPEAKER_01: This is something outside of yourself, you know what I mean?
42:16
SPEAKER_01: Get to know what is actually within you, like what is your mold, what is your phone form, what is your system, you know?
42:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like that's a that's a good I it's a tough subject because they're it I agree.
42:29
SPEAKER_00: The people who their kids are growing up today are growing up in a new world where so many things are so accessible and there's so much information being just kind of attacking them.
42:39
SPEAKER_00: Um even if it is even if it is uh their normal, what they grow up in, I would say it's probably not the most productive normal to have.
42:49
SPEAKER_00: And and and I think our generation is a big one.
42:53
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we're we're kind of bridging these gaps where it was still coming on as we were growing, and so we realized that there was something beforehand that wasn't this way.
43:02
SPEAKER_00: Um and it's tough.
43:04
SPEAKER_00: I mean, how how do you try to uh uh take yourself away from those distractions and that noise?
43:11
SPEAKER_01: Um music is one way when I'm well actually I should say poetry is one way because a lot of the lyrics that I write first are kind of poems or like little raps, like I said.
43:21
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
43:21
SPEAKER_01: So trying to make it into a poetic form because I don't know, it kind of puts me in a space where like almost that meditative zone space where you know it's just me and my thoughts with this this phone or this pen and paper, you know.
43:36
SPEAKER_01: I have nothing else around me.
43:38
SPEAKER_01: Like I'm not hearing no beats, I'm not I don't got the TV on, I don't got even my soccer balls with me.
43:44
SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm just with myself.
43:46
SPEAKER_01: Meditation is another.
43:48
SPEAKER_01: Um what's another?
43:50
SPEAKER_01: Skateboarding is another.
43:51
SPEAKER_01: I just picked that up even more recently because it's pandemic.
43:55
SPEAKER_01: I've been like, dude, I can't just do only soccer training.
43:57
SPEAKER_01: Like, don't get me wrong, I love the game, but uh I gotta step away from that, even at times, you know what I mean?
44:03
SPEAKER_01: And I love video games.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: I play video games a lot too, but even that has been like it doesn't clear my mind enough.
44:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
44:13
SPEAKER_01: The board clears my mind.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: You know, those poetry, uh poetry clears my mind, even even reading.
44:19
SPEAKER_01: Like I've been even more so recently the last few weeks reading hella more.
44:24
SPEAKER_01: I just finished this book called uh On Fear by uh Krishnamirty.
44:29
unknown: Yeah.
44:29
SPEAKER_01: He's like a super old philosopher, and I want to say he's a psychologist as well, but it was amazing.
44:34
SPEAKER_01: It was amazing, and just picking up little activities that kind of are more like they have antiquity to them now, you know what I mean?
44:42
SPEAKER_01: They have that sort of like old school feel, but even though they still are applicable to today's world, you know.
44:48
SPEAKER_00: So just some of the some of those things.
44:50
SPEAKER_00: Oh that's awesome.
44:51
SPEAKER_00: I love that the first thing you think of uh with that question, because I emphatically agree, is this idea of personal expression through poetry uh or or any sort of kind of declaration like that is an incredibly interesting way of reflecting and calming yourself.
45:15
SPEAKER_00: Um it's it's kind of it's one of those things where you go, oh, well, then I have to put in effort in order to go do poetry or to go do this.
45:24
SPEAKER_00: But in reality, it's kind of just like, no, sit down, turn off your phone, turn off everything, and just kind of see what comes out.
45:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that that is not energy.
45:34
SPEAKER_00: I would say it's like that is releasing energy, right?
45:37
SPEAKER_00: It's like letting it go.
45:38
SPEAKER_00: Um I've got one for you.
45:40
SPEAKER_00: Give me a sec.
45:42
SPEAKER_03: Hey, I love it.
45:45
SPEAKER_01: Oh yes, oh yes, give me these bars.
45:50
SPEAKER_00: Is that the is that the poetry journal?
45:52
SPEAKER_00: This is uh the complete works of Ralph Wallow Emerson.
45:56
SPEAKER_00: Um my gosh, he's a legend, by the way, as well.
46:01
SPEAKER_01: I haven't read enough of his stuff.
46:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, all right.
46:05
SPEAKER_00: This one was um the other night.
46:09
SPEAKER_00: Warm to cold and crimson blue, wind delivered by another hue.
46:14
SPEAKER_00: Fast to slow and risen mind, thoughts I received from the greater bind.
46:19
SPEAKER_00: Past appear, and neither's right.
46:21
SPEAKER_00: Here we exist in the brightest night.
46:25
SPEAKER_00: Gosh, I'm trying to I gotta go over five.
46:27
SPEAKER_01: My word that was the excuse me, I was the shit.
46:33
SPEAKER_00: It was it was no, it was the explanation was the first warm to cold and crimson blue, wind delivered by another hue is the sunset, right?
46:41
SPEAKER_00: As the sun drops, the temperature changes, and temperature changes bring wind.
46:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
46:47
SPEAKER_00: Um fast to slow, arisen mind, thoughts I receive from the greater bind is exactly what we're talking about is the the mind going from fast to slow to calming and seeing what words come out and seeing what happens.
47:00
SPEAKER_00: And once you slow down, your mind just opens up.
47:02
SPEAKER_00: And then past appear, neither's right, here we exist in the brightest night, which is kind of this idea of connecting with each other and and that connection and like the calming of your anxiety uh puts you in this place where we're in a bunch of chaos.
47:17
SPEAKER_00: It's like it's nighttime, it's there's a lot of chaos, but it's the brightest night.
47:22
SPEAKER_00: It's like the best possible time we could be alive because it's the best possible time to kind of calm that chaos.
47:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's funny that we're talking about like the shifting from dark to night or dark to light.
47:33
SPEAKER_01: I said dark to night because me and me and my my friend that I've been working on music with, and who we've created this whole you know image around, he he and I just are making a song called Moonlight.
47:45
SPEAKER_01: And one, it's based off of like kind of my moon sign.
47:49
SPEAKER_01: Like I've I don't say I wrote the chorus or broke the hook and but like we collaborated on it.
47:54
SPEAKER_01: And so there's a part that's dark to light, uh my guide kind of taking flight to the to the sky in in a sense of like the void of like darkness is where like the most like you won't get light without dark, you know what I mean?
48:11
SPEAKER_01: You it to get in that space of nothingness is where you find everything, you know what I mean?
48:16
SPEAKER_01: So like it's just crazy, all these different like connections, like oh my god, I love it.
48:22
SPEAKER_00: I wrote another one the other day which was uh the darkest shadow is still conceived by the most radiant light.
48:28
SPEAKER_00: Yes, right, like without it, without it, you wouldn't be able to see it.
48:32
SPEAKER_01: Without the light, there'd be no shadow though.
48:35
SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
48:36
SPEAKER_01: That's the point.
48:37
SPEAKER_01: It's all together, like there's a harmony in there, you know what I mean.
48:40
SPEAKER_01: There's a fluidity to it, like yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
48:46
SPEAKER_01: Next thing I want I we gotta keep going back and forth with uh uh uh little poetry, you know, a little poetry, like descriptions.
48:54
SPEAKER_01: I've got plenty.
48:55
SPEAKER_00: I don't uh that was the that was the first read.
48:57
SPEAKER_00: That was the first public read.
48:58
SPEAKER_00: Hey, I'm honored, I'm honored.
49:00
SPEAKER_00: Shout out you, shout out to you.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: Love it, dog.
49:03
SPEAKER_00: No, keep releasing it.
49:05
SPEAKER_00: You got it, man.
49:06
SPEAKER_00: No, I've got some I've got some exciting other projects coming forward in the future.
49:10
SPEAKER_00: I'll I'll keep you posted on them.
49:12
SPEAKER_00: Um, I and I I I like how this kind of music then, this poetry, because what it really is, is it's poetry, it's not just music.
49:21
SPEAKER_00: Um it's like a personal expression, it's not just like a form of evolution like mature, maturing your mind and maturing your thoughts, but it's also kind of an expression that you hope this is this reverend topic.
49:32
SPEAKER_00: You hope that potentially, uh, and I know you don't want me to use the word legacy, but it's like the idea of giving some of your ideas out into the world and and seeing what kind of positive influence they could have.
49:46
SPEAKER_00: And that's tied uh directly into your kind of shift in perspective on soccer, which is this idea that it's it's uh shifted from you know, uh not necessarily just solely being about the ego, but like about this personal desire to then seeing your why shift into, well, how can my hard work, how can my determination um positively influence the community and the people around you, right?
50:12
SPEAKER_00: That's the reason why the first thing you think of when you think of or experiences that you're excited about with the roots, the first one that comes to mind is this this celebration where you're like literally touching the community.
50:23
SPEAKER_00: You're like going out and helping the community, right?
50:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a dramatic.
50:27
SPEAKER_00: Oh, for sure.
50:28
SPEAKER_01: I love it.
50:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean you're kind of connecting these ideas for me because I don't say I I can't uh I can compartment stuff at times where it doesn't always like come together.
50:38
SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, I think it it it naturally naturally does, huh?
50:44
SPEAKER_01: It naturally does.
50:45
SPEAKER_01: And I I'm in my own world too, so I sometimes you don't get your you don't get your own.
50:50
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes you need the outside perspective, yeah.
50:52
SPEAKER_00: Exactly, exactly.
50:53
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for for reflecting that.
50:55
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
50:55
SPEAKER_00: No, but I I I I have one last question which kind of ties everything I was trying to get talking about together, um, which is reflecting on those topics, reflecting on the soccer and reflecting on the shift in perspective and the qi gong and the music and the poetry.
51:12
SPEAKER_00: What is one message or or several messages from this conversation that you think that a listener could take out of it?
51:23
SPEAKER_01: I guess two things, uh, and both are reflected in nature.
51:27
SPEAKER_01: Um the growing of a tree, the planting of the seed all the way until it's full uh growth as a I don't know, a redwood, a fig, a smoke tree, whatever you want to call it, you know.
51:40
SPEAKER_01: Um, that for me, or that what I would like to reflect back is is we all are seeds in our own our own way.
51:48
SPEAKER_01: And we take water from ourselves, you know, we take uh I'm I'm gonna say, sorry, we take water from ourselves, we take nutrients from other trees because trees pass nutrients through their roots.
51:59
SPEAKER_01: So we connect our roots, we share information, and it's all building this forest of humanity, right?
52:07
SPEAKER_01: But also growing us individually at the same time.
52:10
SPEAKER_01: So uh develop yourself, plant your know your seeds, know what type of seed you are, you know, come to an understanding and and an acceptance of like this is the type of tree I am.
52:20
SPEAKER_01: So like let me just grow as as much as I can, not as fast as I can either, but as much as I can.
52:25
SPEAKER_01: Because daily, daily growth is you know, it's a big thing.
52:30
SPEAKER_01: For a while, I I in my own mind was I need to get better today, you know.
52:35
SPEAKER_01: But it's like you're not gonna see those results, like you know, unless you're going through a whole surgery or but even that, you know, you still gotta recover and get back.
52:42
SPEAKER_01: So just the the the little growth, the little growth, a little growth, but also the um the uh dark to light, you know, that transitioning from night to day or even from day to night.
52:54
SPEAKER_01: Um having an appreciation for that dark space that um maybe sometimes it might be considered negative, you know, like a knee injury.
53:05
SPEAKER_01: Um but having an appreciation during those times and finding some sort of light in those times will carry you till you get to that full exudance of your most positive light.
53:16
SPEAKER_01: And it's like days, you know, it's like days.
53:19
SPEAKER_01: Every day the night or the sun comes up and goes down into night.
53:22
SPEAKER_01: It comes up and goes down into night.
53:24
SPEAKER_01: So the understanding that uh we are, yes, we are humans and we are people and we have all these different labels, but at the end of the day, we are you know natural organisms and uh now we have to follow those rules, but uh take an appreciation for that as well, you know, and kind of honor yourself in that way too.
53:42
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
53:43
SPEAKER_00: You you it's a wonderful thing where you can appreciate the negatives as just as important as the positives.
53:51
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes.
53:52
SPEAKER_01: I think it only adds to the love and only adds to the growth, and um yeah, in that way you're honoring both sides.
54:00
SPEAKER_01: You know, you're honoring your full self, you're honoring the past, the present, the future, all of those things.
54:05
SPEAKER_01: Love it, man.
54:06
SPEAKER_01: No, that's a perfect place to wrap up.
54:08
SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Don.
54:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, thank you.
54:10
SPEAKER_01: I I enjoyed this conversation a lot.
54:12
SPEAKER_01: A lot of smiles happen, so that's always a good thing.
54:17
SPEAKER_01: And Belly laughs, and I get that.
54:19
SPEAKER_01: We know we know that's confirmation of a great conference.
54:23
SPEAKER_01: And and we had a lot of folks today.
54:28
SPEAKER_00: I'm all about it, all about it, dude.
54:38
SPEAKER_00: I want to thank Robert for that conversation.
54:41
SPEAKER_00: If you liked it because of the teammate Bond Robert and I have, you might want to check out episode number five with Brian Kelly, who's now a DJ named BK, or number eight with Clegiate coach Mike Graza.
54:52
SPEAKER_00: Brian, Robert, and I all played underneath Mike and had fantastic friendships with great conversations.
54:57
SPEAKER_00: More than the endless laughs Robert gave me, however, there are so many ways that I reflected from his views on life in this conversation.
55:04
SPEAKER_00: The one that I think resonates most because it seems like it's a central feature of his character, is this idea of living with the perspective of unconditional love.
55:12
SPEAKER_00: It's not just tied to your significant other.
55:15
SPEAKER_00: Robert talks about it in a way that means something more.
55:17
SPEAKER_00: Living with unconditional love means looking towards everyone around you and opening your mind and heart to them.
55:23
SPEAKER_00: To accept them as they are.
55:25
SPEAKER_00: This doesn't mean you have to accept every one of their views.
55:28
SPEAKER_00: It just means understanding that they are also human and being willing to look at them and see what they have to say, want, and feel.
55:35
SPEAKER_00: It makes me wonder where in my life and who in my life I haven't been given that opportunity of unconditional love to.
55:41
SPEAKER_00: And maybe it makes you wonder the same thing.
55:43
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
55:47
SPEAKER_00: If you liked this episode of Seeking Authenticity, that's freaking awesome.
55:51
SPEAKER_00: All I want to ask of you, the listener, in return for the time and effort I put into making it, is that you take a deep breath.
55:59
SPEAKER_00: I mean really breathe.
56:01
SPEAKER_00: Breathe so that it stretches out your shoulders and your back and your chest and pushes out your stomach.
56:06
SPEAKER_00: No more of these shallow bullshit breaths that are really keeping you alive, my friend.
56:11
SPEAKER_00: And after you exhale, go out and soak up today.
56:15
SPEAKER_00: Because in the end, your actions and the way they interact with the world and the people around you right now are all you have in this life.
56:23
SPEAKER_00: So be authentic with them.