[TRIGGER WARNING]: This episode includes discussion of a traumatic car crash and associated trauma (TBI). Listener discretion is advised, especially for those with past experiences related to car crashes. Alright everybody, that was a ripping chat with Damien Cole, who is an absolute legend and hammering towards his destiny. The core thread we pulled on was the difference between external labels—like his name, Damien or Damo—and what's actually going on inside, which led us into this heavy territory about whether love or blood ties should carry more gravitas when talking about family roles.

The dude got real about escaping the Society Lie and the ideologies that trap you, pointing out that our society is just one option out of infinite possibilities. Damien's main approach to life, rooted in a Walt Whitman quote, is: Be curious, not judgmental. He was living this fear-based life for his entire 20s, working in the offshore mining industry and making "ridiculous money," which he called Escaping Blood Money. He finally bailed at 28 to jokingly/sincerely "save the world".

We talked about his environmental Hippie Roots—his dad Maurice Cole co-founded Surfrider Foundation Europe in 1991, and Damien's first protest was at age 8 against French nuclear bombing. This led to a key takeaway on how to deal with overwhelming global crises like the Pacific Garbage Patch: don't get frozen by fear, you gotta Localize the Impact—think global, but act local. We shut down the haters who call you a hypocrite when you change your path, recognizing that a commitment to growth means you Embrace Evolution.

The biggest piece of gold came when Damo shared the story of his traumatic car crash (which gave him a TBI) and the moment in a San Pedro ceremony where he chose Forgiveness is Self-Care. He realized holding onto anger toward the drunk driver, Samantha Hartwell, was just keeping a "black ball" of hatred inside himself. The final kernel of wisdom, mate, is that while we don't control outside things, we get to choose whether we react (leading with emotion and losing control) or respond (maintaining control and taking a beat). Pull your finger out of your ass, get engaged, and go do something! Damo & Mason Discuss:

Ditch the Labels: Damien started leaning into his full name, Damien, as a new chapter, realizing that a name—or any external label—doesn't matter as much as what's going on internally. You are so much more than just your name.

Love Over Blood: We dove into whether love should carry more gravitas than blood ties, especially when talking about family roles and who really steps up. It's about the energetic role, not just the blood role.

The Society Lie: Don't get trapped by ideologies! The world we live in is just one option out of infinite possibilities, so you've got to be aware and curious about what could have been.

Curiosity is the Key: Damien lives by the Walt Whitman quote: "Be curious, not judgmental." Every choice strips back to one core approach: lead with love or lead with fear (which breeds jealousy, anger, and frustration).

Escaping Blood Money: Damo spent his entire 20s in the offshore mining industry making "ridiculous money," but it was "soul destroying" and led to low self-worth. He finally bailed at 28 to jokingly/sincerely "save the world".

The Hippie Roots: This dude was influenced by his huge-character dad, Maurice Cole, who co-founded Surfrider Foundation Europe in 1991. Damien's first protest was at age 8 against French nuclear bombing, showing that connection between surfers and farmers.

Localize the Impact: Don't get frozen by fear over the global plastics crisis (like the huge Pacific Garbage Patch). Think global, but act local. If you pick up a few bits of rubbish, that's four less bits that won't go into a turtle—that small action is where the true power is.

Embrace Evolution: Don't let the haters call you a hypocrite! When people questioned Damien's jump from the mines to environmentalism, he shut them down—it's called evolution, and it's a never-ending path of growth. It's okay to fail and be wrong.

Forgiveness is Self-Care: Damien talked about the gnarly car crash that gave him a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and led to a moment in a San Pedro ceremony where he chose to forgive the drunk driver, Samantha Hartwell. He realized holding onto anger was just keeping a "black ball" of hatred inside himself.

Respond, Don't React: This is the kernel of wisdom, mate. We don't control outside things, but we choose whether to react (leading with emotions and losing control) or to respond (maintaining control and taking a beat).

References:

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DAMIEN COLE - CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY

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