Season Three Reflections

It's hard to believe fourteen months are now in the rear view mirror of my podcasting odyssey. Like a long uphill climb at a steady pace, this season's guests inspired me upward--to discover what lies beyond the next bend in the road.  My thoughts turn toward lessons from season three: the opportunity to meet kindred spirits, guides known through their works, old friends, even my earliest mentor from high school and college in Florida. I hope you enjoy these messages from our guests this season:

Sara Slattery watched her father lose his entire business. Learning from her parents’ examples of resilience, she picked herself up, turning disappointment into a new opportunity to grow.

  John Lee Dumas leveraged his experience from a pivot to swimming in high school, after an injury benched his basketball dreams.  He applied the concept of putting in extra repetitions to his podcast career - over 3,600 episodes later hosting the world's leading daily entrepreneurial podcast. 

Growing up as a young black man in 1960’s Georgia was not just difficult; it was life-threatening. Benny Vaughn realized that all these experiences sharpened his resolve, defining his life. 

Once Becky Karush learned the principles and essential strategies of writing from Suzanne Kingsbury at the Gateless Writer’s Academy, she allowed her creative genius to flow. Today she teaches others to find their own creative force.

Rock Wilk remembered sitting with Jack Rollins on a park bench when Jack was 99 years old. Jack reminded Rock of life’s uncertainty, and the unknown around the next corner.  

Carwyn Sharp learned the value of clarity in communication, fostering an environment of trust. Vital feedback can be gleaned from mistakes, leading to an improvement system for his team.

Finding your tribe  - one that supports and challenges you, elevates your craft, and creates a nurturing environment - Molly Grant found this in the leatherworker’s community. 

Jerry Lynch ran straight toward his passions, not allowing initial rejection to derail his dream.   Through self-exploration, a totally new way of thinking about spirituality and sport awakened in him.

Dick Beardsley has not lived an easy life,  learning through faith and following his passions to find joy in the moment.  Dick’s attitude radiates hope for the survivor in all of us.

Please reach out, let us know what stories move you forward. What type of guests would you like to hear? We are grateful to those who listen, like, subscribe, rate, and review us. This show is for you.

Intrinsic Drive ®  is produced by Ellen Strickler and Phil Wharton.  Continued gratitude to Andrew Hollingworth—master editor and sound engineer.  For more information on this and other episodes visit us at https://www.whartonhealth.com/intrinsicdrive

Music Credits:  Would if I Could by The New Fools from Epidemic Sound

Transcript

Phil Wharton: 0:00

A lifetime of training, practice study, hard work through discipline, some achieve excellence, mastery, fulfillment, self actualization. What can we learn from their beginning, discoveries, motivations and falls? How do they dust themselves off and resume their journey. During these interviews, stories and conversations, we reveal their intrinsic drive. Sideways sheets of rain turn the freshly tarred macadam road into a stream. Running along the rolling hills of Creek Road. My thoughts turn towards lessons from season three. The opportunity to meet kindred spirits, mentors known through their works, old friends, even one of my earliest mentors from high school in college in Florida. I cross humpback stone bridges and creeks. "Hey, you need to lift", a neighbor shouts through the rainstorm from the roll down window of his lowered silver Volkswagen sedan."I'll keep going. appreciate the offer". Smiling. I wave him on continuing forward, enjoying the cool late spring rain. Mist is rolling off the mountains watching over the valley leaves and pastures painted extra green from recent downpours. "The road goes on forever", originally written by Robert Earl Keen, pops into my head. I hope you enjoy these messages from our guests this season. Sara Slattery watched her father lose his entire business, learning from her parents examples of resilience. she picked herself up turning disappointment into a new opportunity to grow.

Sara Slattery: 1:51

Through swimming and through my parents. There's a lot of disappointment along the way too you know, there is a lot of a lot of things that didn't go right. Didn't always go right. But they figured things out and they continue to move forward and that in the same with swimming I have a lot of there's some big goals that I missed, but you learn I think those lessons are the most important lessons in that journey and and I and yeah, my dad was the biggest one. Yeah, you fall down but you get back up again and you keep working hard.

Phil Wharton: 2:31

The road to mastery is a lifelong journey. John Lee Dumas leveraged his experience from his senior year in high school when an injury benched his basketball dreams. Transitioning to swimming, he began to train two to three times daily in route to victory in the Maine State 50 yard freestyle final. He applied the same strategy in his podcast career, over 3600 episodes later, hosting the leading entrepreneurial podcast on the planet. Every day.

John Lee Dumas: 3:03

I was able to apply that later in my life to podcasting. I'm like just like, swimming, where I was terrible when I started. But I quickly got better. Why did I get better? Because I put in the reps. I was doing morning practice, afternoon practice. Yeah, twice a day, three times a day putting in the reps. And it just clicked for me that it would be the same with podcasting. Of course I was going to be not good at speaking to a microphone being interviewed, interviewing other people, public speaking all these things. Until I put in the reps, and so that was a huge light bulb for me that said, hey, if I'm going to do this. I'm doing it daily.

Phil Wharton: 3:43

Growing up as a young black man in 1960s, Georgia was not just difficult; It was life threatening. Benny Vaughn realized that all these experiences sharpened his resolve, defined his character, shaping his destiny. What were once barriers became his road forward.

Benny Vaughn: 4:07

And I now recognize acknowledge and am grateful for all the up until now what I thought were hardships. Right. What I thought were roadblocks. Were simply validation that I was headed in a good direction.

Phil Wharton: 4:29

That's the adversity advantage

Benny Vaughn: 4:32

Exactly, exactly.

Phil Wharton: 4:39

Once Becky Karush learned the principles and essential strategies of writing from Suzanne Kingsbury, at the Gateless Writer's Academy, she allowed her creative genius to flow. Today, she teaches others to find their own creative force.

Becky Karush: 4:56

Understanding that there often is a principle of logic, of preference of culture that's behind, that's organizing everything you figure that out, I mean, you still have to live. It doesn't take away the troubles. But you're oriented in a higher level.

Phil Wharton: 5:18

Rock Wilk remembered sitting with Jack Rollins on a park bench when Jack was 99 years old. Jack reminded Rock of life's uncertainty, and the unknown around the next corner.

Rock Wilk: 5:32

Just prepare. Every day. Do your work. Because the only thing that people can't take from you is the work that you do from day to day. The life that you live every single day. That's your life. You know, that's it, that's your existence.

Phil Wharton: 5:49

Carwin Sharp, learned the value of clarity and communication. Fostering an environment of trust. Vital feedback can be gleaned from mistakes, leading to an improvement system for his staffers and athletes.

Unknown: 6:06

It's a normal process. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. And I think we need to create environments where we're not trying to make mistakes. But we need to create an environment so that people feel comfortable. If they make a mistake, we're going to bring it forward so we can all learn from that.

Phil Wharton: 6:23

Finding your tribe that support, challenge and elevate your craft creates a nurturing environment. Molly Grant found this in the Leatherworker's community.

Molly Grant: 6:36

I wasn't for the real world. You know, the real I was a little bit different. And this I just felt immediately at home. That's amazing, you know, around all these artists.

Phil Wharton: 6:51

Jerry Lynch, left his counseling career moving to the mountain trails of Colorado to run and learn about himself. Through self exploration, a totally new way of thinking about spirituality and sport awakened in him. Jerry ran straight towards his passions, not allowing initial rejection to derail his dream.

Jerry Lynch: 7:17

You know in the beginning, Phil. Yes, it was an easy because I use the word crazy. Maybe that's not the right word. But people really did think that I was going down the wrong path. They couldn't believe that I you know, spirituality and sports? Well, yeah. Let me show you how. So I had a lot of rejection. And I had, yeah, I had a lot of publishers not want my books.

Phil Wharton: 7:44

Dick Beardsley has not lived an easy life. Over 20 surgeries, prescription medication addiction, and his son's suicide. Dick has learned through faith and following his passions to find joy in the moment. He shares his love of the outdoors, motivating others in the magic of moving forward with your dreams. Dick's attitude radiates hope for the survivor in all of us.

Dick Beardsley: 8:18

You try to, you know, pick yourself up and learn from those things and just keep moving forward. And, you know, like I always try to tell myself every morning when I wake up, I try to wake up with a smile on my face and enthusiasm in my voice, joy in my heart, and faith in my soul. And those four things have gotten me through a lot of difficult times. That's

Phil Wharton: 8:39

Thanks for being with us. We appreciate you for sure. opting in, subscribing, and reviewing us. For thumbing us up and following us on socials. Liking us. We like you. Drop us a note. Tell us what stories move you for books, videos, resources and more information. Visit us at whartonhealth.com/shopwhartonhealth. And be sure to join us for the next episode of intrinsic drive.