Latest / The iAlign Podcast with Flint Mitchell / #25 - Season 1 Review and Excerpt From My Upcoming Book

Transcript

#25 - Season 1 Review and Excerpt From My Upcoming Book · The iAlign Podcast with Flint Mitchell

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: What's up, y'all?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Seeking Authenticity.
• 0:13
  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.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Their stories and perspectives don't just make me smile, laugh, and think.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: They inspire me to wake up earlier, listen better, focus, and work harder, and help make me a better version of myself.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: And it's my hope that sharing these conversations through this podcast might do the same thing for you.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: For the last episode of this season, I wanted to do something a little bit different.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: I want to instead go through some of the ways that the last 24 episodes have impacted me personally to give you a chance to see if there were any that you missed or that you might want to listen to.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: After that, I want to read a small teaser from the book that I'll be publishing later this year, that I'm pretty excited about, that has the same name, Seeking Authenticity.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: First, before I get into the episodes, if you have listened to an episode in the past, I would be incredibly grateful if you went and gave this podcast a rating and review on whatever service you use.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: It helps me gauge the impact that this is creating, and I appreciate it a lot.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, rather than list my favorite episodes, I thought it would be more meaningful to briefly talk about the times where I reflected in my own life from some of the comments that the guests said.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: For example, after episodes number three with former Dallas Cowboys rhythm and blue professional dancer Michael Saunders, number 18 with Brandon Maddox, and number 21 with the volunteer coordinator of Mission Hospice in San Mateo, Craig Schroeder, I honestly woke up thinking about the things in life that I was grateful for.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of thinking about what emails I had to read or checking my phone or whatever else I had to do for that day.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Those conversations were full of talks about shifting your perspective in the moment to find the things that you appreciate in life right now.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or after episodes number one with surfer and retired biology professor Gary Silberstein, number nine with MD PhD student Noah Erland, number five with professional music producer and DJ Brian Kelly, and number 20 with 15-year Air Force veteran and owner of personal training company Infallible Fit, Joanne Castillo, I found moments of extreme presence in the activities that I was doing, focusing intensely on what I wanted to do, knowing that if I was going to do something, then I better just do it.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: They were all about commitment, committing to your life and committing to the projects that you want to do in life.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Episodes number seven with impact documentary producer Robin Hauser, number four with microbiologist and adventurer Terrell Nelson, number 11 with professional snowmobiler Ross Robinson, number 15 with former statistician and current executive coach and life coach and yoga instructor Kristin Eskevius, and number two with tech businesswoman, entrepreneur, teacher, and author Ellen Leance, all helped me shift my perspective or my view of the risks that I'm taking right now in life, which include this podcast, committing to part-time work right now to sustain my life and personal projects instead of searching for a secure full-time position, moving to a different state, and writing a book.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Living a bit less of a secure lifestyle right now is daunting, especially during the pandemic, and I know a lot of people feel similarly.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: However, all of these guests were proof that the risks are where your most fulfilling projects come from, and your most fulfilling times in life.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Facing that fear is where life begins.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Episodes eight with professional and collegiate soccer player Mike Grayzak, number 16 with Hollywood writers agent Martin Spencer, number 17 with Trevor Thomas, who left investment banking to travel Southeast Asia, and number 23 with Waterwoman, artist, actress, film producer, and conservationist Faith Faye, all looked back in the ways we bind ourselves to the people around us.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Not only our friends and family, but our entire network.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: By looking at the actions we take in this life and how they impact the people around us, we are able to see a glimpse of what our legacy will really look like and how positive or negative it is turning out to be.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: In episode number six, with my friend and collegiate dancer Madison McKay, we dove into vulnerability and the possibilities of strengthening bonds through it.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And even the possibility of not forming friendships without that vulnerability.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: In episode number 10, with AP literature teacher Lisa Atsuka, she helped me reflect on how much literature has offered to me.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: There's not only a sense of calm and joy that overwhelms me when I'm able to dive into long-lasting, impactful literature, but also a shift in perspective on what I currently find important in life.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: To me, that's the power of the words of people like Emerson and Thoreau.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Next, episodes number 12 with Nigerian immigrant and med student Akenjide Onafade, number 18 with architect and adventurer Gabi Zenoula, and number 24 with professional soccer player Robert Hines, I've been able to reflect on some of the strong relationships that I've built through the great game of soccer.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It's really one that goes across all cultures and languages, and I've truly loved having that experience and gaining those strong friendships.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Episodes number 13 with speaker and intel analyst Juliana Burton, and number 14 with Hawaiian Caden Wajatilica both cover the need to go out of your comfort zone in order to see things in a different way.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that is through meeting new people, traveling to new places, or just stopping wherever you are to appreciate it with a shifted view.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Getting a bit uncomfortable is one of our best ways for growing.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, with collegiate soccer player Taylor Barg in episode 21, I had tons of fun hearing about her current career change.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: She had one comment that I think rings true to the whole point of this podcast.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: The idea of living an authentic life is incredibly vague, but as Taylor says it, all the time you have is going to pass, and you will eventually have to look back on what you have done during it.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So chase the things that you're passionate about and be the person you want to be right now.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Anyways, I hope that one of those descriptions or people stood out to you enough to go listen.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Or if there was an episode that you really enjoyed, maybe go and re-listen to it.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Next, I'm pretty stoked to announce that I have a book that is currently in the editing process.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: My hope is to have it self-published by the end of the year.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: I believe that your values are the best guiding compass you have, so at 25 years of age, I wanted to declare the things I believe are important to me in life to myself, so that those declarations of values could help guide me and my actions better in the future.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: The book contains 10 essays.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Each essay is dedicated to a specific value that I hold close to my identity.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Once I finished the essays, I added a series of short stories from my year-long surf and hiking adventure through the west coast of the United States, Hawaii, and Australia.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: After I finished, I sat back, pre-stoked about what I had written.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it was only then that I really realized that in order for this to have any sort of importance or legacy, it has to be shared with at least someone, not just myself.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: And then, after some positive comments from friends and families, I thought I needed some more objective feedback.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I went to the website Fiverr to pay a couple people who don't know me to read it and give me some brutally honest feedback.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: When one of them wrote back and said, I don't take this lightly, but I am returning your money because this book positively changed my life, and I believe I should be the one paying you.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: I kind of realized that for whatever impact it might be able to create, I should put this book into a published format and release it for others to see.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it might help you reflect on what you believe is important in life.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you'll use it as kindling in your fireplace.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Regardless, I'm really excited about how it's coming out.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, without further ado, here is a brief excerpt from the first essay, Time.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: An angel in my life, a remarkable woman whose kindness knew no bounds, once expressed a poignant thought to me over lunch.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Time is the most important gift God gives us, and the way people spend it is what separates them from others.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: How much more simple could this lesson be?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone has a set amount of time, and that amount is finite.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Every individual you know gets the privilege of being able to spend that time, and after each allocates their quota, they will all be different people.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Some for the better, some for the worse.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: What kind of person do you want to be should really be stated.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: How will you spend your time?
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Great men and women of history took their position in life and did not hesitate.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: They marched persistently, gaining experiences to catalyze their future success.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: They knew that every action they took which could change them would direct them.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: The true grace of God is the privilege that you get to begin.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: You get to be right here.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: You get to spend your time, you get to go to work.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: These heroes of history show us that the greatest platform upon which life can be lived is that of the adventurer's mindset.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: This is an approach of experience-based living, one that separates an individual from the mass of men who lead lives of quiet desperation, ever searching for acts which might provide them meaning.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: He does not abide inside his mind, constantly submerged in contemplation, drowning under the weight of constant speculation.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, his sails are filled by the prevailing wind of action, with only nimble tacks of reflection for redirection.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: We have colored the word adventure with views of vibrant cities and cultures halfway around the world, with the rainbows and waves of Hawaii, the pyramids of Giza, and the temples of Machu Picchu.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: But we forget that every day can be an adventure.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: The verb adventure is defined to risk or hazard, or to take the chance of and dare.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Where in this definition does it speak of Himalayan summits or Amazonian rainforests?
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: What bigger risk will you ever have than spending your time wisely?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: You risk losing so many experiences to better yourself, to find love, to find friendship, to find mastery, to find direction.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: I instead define adventure as to put yourself in a place where novel experience can occur.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've had a ton of fun writing these essays and have found them incredibly impactful in my life.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that that brief excerpt gets you a little excited to read them yourself.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Lastly, with this being the last episode of the first 25 episode season, I'll be taking a two week break before getting back into season two, where I hope to apply all that I have learned over the past two months to continue to grow this podcast and make it a better experience for everyone involved.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you again for listening.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate it.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Peace.