“Vulnerability means that I am strong enough to show you where I am uncertain.”

In this episode, Nick speaks with Paul Rivera, who reflects on a life filled with diverse experiences (one of his highest values), including rescuing others, navigating the challenges of different professions, and learning the value of genuine authenticity. You’ll find inspiration in the deep-rooted thread of his purpose that stretches back through the years and learn the importance of giving yourself grace during moments of feeling lost. Paul highlights the significance of community support, setting boundaries, and understanding that we are never truly alone in our struggles, sharing his wisdom on overcoming mental barriers. This episode is a powerful guide to self-discovery, resilience, and finding meaning in life’s greatest challenges.

What to listen for:

Paul’s background and the many lives he’s rescued

Struggling with doing something valuable while teaching

The thread of his purpose goes back a long way

Giving yourself grace when you feel lost in life

Finding a supportive community

“Part of finding yourself and finding the places where you can go and flourish is finding the people that are going to help you in that journey, the people that are going to support you. So, you know, and it’s not that you have to have a whole crowd of cheerleaders, but you gotta find the people that are going to support you.”

How the separation of his parents at an older age affected Paul

Recognizing the lack of authenticity in maintaining a facade

The Greek root of authenticity means to master oneself

Asking ourselves the hard questions about happiness

Paul’s process for identifying his values

“I went through a good amount of work to realize that, for example, the most important thing for me is growth, and growth on multiple levels, right? Growth, emotional growth, spiritual growth, intellectual growth. And then after that, basically this idea of it came up, the word came up diversity. And it’s not diversity necessarily as in the DEI kind of thing, but I’m somebody who really values different experiences.”

Paul’s reflections on authenticity and his divorce

The job that pushed him out of his comfort zone

Deepening beyond the buzzword and surface-level values

Paul’s thoughts on overcoming mental barriers

“My willingness to sort of take that self-doubt and perfectionism and put it to the side and do the thing anyway, that’s something that should be an indicator for you that that’s meaningful to you, right? That’s something that hits you at the core. So when we talk to people about overcoming a lot of these mental barriers and really starting to master themselves, one of the questions that always comes up is asking people what they have overcome in the past and then what are the tools that they used to overcome them.”

Why the things we struggle with keep coming back

Paul’s belief that we’re never alone or the only one struggling

Setting limits and boundaries on what impinges on your progress

About Paul Rivera

Dr. Paul Rivera is a catalyst for positive change through his multifaceted career in academia, diplomacy, international economics, and strategic coaching. As the co-founder of BeActChange, his mission is to spark profound growth and alignment in individuals, teams, and organizations worldwide. With a PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California, Dr. Rivera is a professional in strategic planning, visioning, and systemic methodologies. A first-generation American and proud Latino, Dr. Rivera is a polyglot and passionate globetrotter.

https://beactchange.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaulrivera/

https://www.instagram.com/be.act.change/

Resources:

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Thank you for listening!