What's Your Escape Velocity?

002 / Philip McCluskey / "The goal is to shoot straight"

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Philip McCluskey is a professional writer, enthusiastic story-seeker (and teller), and an avid empathizer. He has traveled to 40+ different countries on six continents, has officiated four weddings, and has had three separate friends name things after him: A beer, a cat, and taxidermied puffin. He was also once rescued at sea by a retired plumber. Follow along as he drinks with people he doesn't know at www.adrinkwithastranger.com.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • 1:40 - Phil moves to Key West
  • 2:38 - Phil suffers existential career crisis, meets with a career counselor, decides to become a writer
  • 5:58 - Phil explains the Stoic philosophy
  • 7:35 - The Stoic philosophy can be help up in times of chaos and disruption
  • 8:05 - Phil introduces his book project, Drink with a Stranger
  • 11:30 - Fear and lack of intention can lead people into mismatched careers
  • 15:00 - The absurdity and overly complex work processes
  • 17:40 - The delights of living in San Francisco
  • 19:00 - Phil's 8-country global trek as a solo traveler
  • 20:08 - A transformative moment at Coit Tower
  • 22:25 - Releasing yourself from expectations and uncertainty
  • 24:00 - Risks are necessary if you want the reward
  • 25:35 - Accepting things as they are and trusting in yourself
  • 29:00 - Constant upheaval as positive training for the younger generation

    • QUOTES

    • "Once you're in a career, you can change it [...] but there's a long stretch ahead, so if you have an idea, you might as well take an opportunity while you have it."
    • "Because it was so uncomfortable and because it was definitely not for me, it forced me to ask myself some questions about what was for me."
    • "A lot of us get caught up in trying to control everything, and the Stoics are really, really good about reminding you that there are only so many things you can control. The things you can't control are a waste of your time and energy."
    • "A single conversation with a stranger; it's amazing how quickly it goes from small talk to the real things that matter in our lives."
    • "Everyone wants to be heard. Social media is basically a bunch of people just screaming out to be heard. And everyone's yelling over each other right now. And that's understandable considering the amount of noise to there. But there's also a signal—and usually those signals are better heard when you're speaking one one."
    • "I could have stayed in that kind of job for a long time. But because it was so antithetical to what I wanted, I was confronted every day with the pain of not doing what you want to do. And that forced me to make the choices I did."
    • "Risks are necessary in a lot of cases if you want the reward."
    • "Having a more open mind to just how diverse the opportunities are out there, and trusting in yourself and what you can do, and recognizing when you aren't in the right role—that there's a reason something inside of you is telling you that."

      • RESOURCES

      • Cocktail (movie) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094889/
      • The Daily Stoic (book) — https://dailystoic.com/
      • Drink with a Stranger (website) — https://www.adrinkwithastranger.com/
      • Coit Tower (monument) — https://sfrecpark.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Coit-Tower-290
      • Garden State (movie) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0333766/

        • SOUNDTRACK

        • "Palms" by Text Me Records / Bobby Renz
        • "Trip to Ganymed" by KieLoKaz/li>

          • ___

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          What's Your Escape Velocity?By Kevin Sawyer
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