[Music] when I was 22 I experienced something
when I was 22 I experienced something
when I was 22 I experienced something that completely changed the course of my
that completely changed the course of my
that completely changed the course of my life I was in a forest in Ireland
life I was in a forest in Ireland
life I was in a forest in Ireland walking amongst the trees and I saw this
walking amongst the trees and I saw this
walking amongst the trees and I saw this giant branch and decided I needed to
giant branch and decided I needed to
giant branch and decided I needed to hang on it because that’s what 22 year
hang on it because that’s what 22 year
hang on it because that’s what 22 year old guys do so I made a run for it and I
old guys do so I made a run for it and I
old guys do so I made a run for it and I jumped up and I grabbed onto this branch
jumped up and I grabbed onto this branch
jumped up and I grabbed onto this branch and I started swinging and I was
and I started swinging and I was
and I started swinging and I was swinging and swinging and getting a
swinging and swinging and getting a
swinging and swinging and getting a little carried away because I was kind
little carried away because I was kind
little carried away because I was kind of in a whimsical mood when all of a
of in a whimsical mood when all of a
of in a whimsical mood when all of a sudden crack the branch snapped and I
sudden crack the branch snapped and I
sudden crack the branch snapped and I fell more than 10 feet landing really
fell more than 10 feet landing really
fell more than 10 feet landing really awkwardly on my back the force of the
awkwardly on my back the force of the
awkwardly on my back the force of the fall was so strong that I fractured my
fall was so strong that I fractured my
fall was so strong that I fractured my sternum broke my clavicle and I was
sternum broke my clavicle and I was
sternum broke my clavicle and I was knocked unconscious when I finally came
knocked unconscious when I finally came
knocked unconscious when I finally came to I felt like I was having a heart
to I felt like I was having a heart
to I felt like I was having a heart attack
attack
attack and I knew immediately something was
and I knew immediately something was
and I knew immediately something was really wrong for six years I lived with
really wrong for six years I lived with
really wrong for six years I lived with a fractured sternum and didn’t even know
a fractured sternum and didn’t even know
a fractured sternum and didn’t even know it I did everything I could to get
it I did everything I could to get
it I did everything I could to get better but I got to the point where I
better but I got to the point where I
better but I got to the point where I realized I wasn’t gonna be able to fix
realized I wasn’t gonna be able to fix
realized I wasn’t gonna be able to fix it myself so this past January I finally
it myself so this past January I finally
it myself so this past January I finally got the operation I needed I met the
got the operation I needed I met the
got the operation I needed I met the best doctors in LA and I chest
best doctors in LA and I chest
best doctors in LA and I chest reconstruction surgery I have the scar
reconstruction surgery I have the scar
reconstruction surgery I have the scar right here to prove it this injury was
right here to prove it this injury was
right here to prove it this injury was by far the most difficult challenge I’ve
by far the most difficult challenge I’ve
by far the most difficult challenge I’ve ever faced every morning I would wake up
ever faced every morning I would wake up
ever faced every morning I would wake up in pain and ask myself why did I swing
in pain and ask myself why did I swing
in pain and ask myself why did I swing on that branch I spent years alone in my
on that branch I spent years alone in my
on that branch I spent years alone in my apartment searching for something that I
apartment searching for something that I
apartment searching for something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on a
couldn’t quite put my finger on a
couldn’t quite put my finger on a connection or an outlet and then I
connection or an outlet and then I
connection or an outlet and then I picked up a camera
picked up a camera
picked up a camera and it was like I already knew what I
and it was like I already knew what I
and it was like I already knew what I was looking for see I may live in LA now
was looking for see I may live in LA now
was looking for see I may live in LA now but I was lucky enough to grow up in New
but I was lucky enough to grow up in New
but I was lucky enough to grow up in New York City as a kid on the Upper West
York City as a kid on the Upper West
York City as a kid on the Upper West Side no less and I went to the Met every
Side no less and I went to the Met every
Side no less and I went to the Met every chance I could I was obsessed with
chance I could I was obsessed with
chance I could I was obsessed with landscape paintings I would stare at
landscape paintings I would stare at
landscape paintings I would stare at them for hours and fantasize about what
them for hours and fantasize about what
them for hours and fantasize about what it would be like to wander around in
it would be like to wander around in
it would be like to wander around in those ancient Meadows and valleys and
those ancient Meadows and valleys and
those ancient Meadows and valleys and sea Shores
sea Shores
sea Shores my fascination with art continued to
my fascination with art continued to
my fascination with art continued to expand and as I got older I pretty much
expand and as I got older I pretty much
expand and as I got older I pretty much went to every museum I could find I
went to every museum I could find I
went to every museum I could find I wasn’t actually going out of my way to
wasn’t actually going out of my way to
wasn’t actually going out of my way to spend time in nature though I was
spend time in nature though I was
spend time in nature though I was definitely not the champion
definitely not the champion
definitely not the champion type of guy much more of a city boy but
type of guy much more of a city boy but
type of guy much more of a city boy but um but that fall from the tree and my
um but that fall from the tree and my
um but that fall from the tree and my battle with chronic pain that forced me
battle with chronic pain that forced me
battle with chronic pain that forced me to look at life with new meaning it
to look at life with new meaning it
to look at life with new meaning it forced me to try and discover what it
forced me to try and discover what it
forced me to try and discover what it meant to be alive and it’s taking me to
meant to be alive and it’s taking me to
meant to be alive and it’s taking me to a place that I want to share with you
a place that I want to share with you
a place that I want to share with you today we all need to realize the power
today we all need to realize the power
today we all need to realize the power of nature but we all don’t have to fall
of nature but we all don’t have to fall
of nature but we all don’t have to fall out of a tree to do so you have choices
out of a tree to do so you have choices
out of a tree to do so you have choices one if you see a branch take it from me
one if you see a branch take it from me
one if you see a branch take it from me don’t swing on it and – nature is your
don’t swing on it and – nature is your
don’t swing on it and – nature is your way to unedited life let me explain
way to unedited life let me explain
way to unedited life let me explain I spend a majority of my time on the
I spend a majority of my time on the
I spend a majority of my time on the beaches of Malibu and the cliffs of
beaches of Malibu and the cliffs of
beaches of Malibu and the cliffs of Palos Verdes but it was a trip to the
Palos Verdes but it was a trip to the
Palos Verdes but it was a trip to the Mojave Desert that changed my life I
Mojave Desert that changed my life I
Mojave Desert that changed my life I remember it like it was yesterday I
remember it like it was yesterday I
remember it like it was yesterday I drove all night in the dark to get there
drove all night in the dark to get there
drove all night in the dark to get there just before the Sun began to rise brisk
just before the Sun began to rise brisk
just before the Sun began to rise brisk air and PR on the radio my thoughts
air and PR on the radio my thoughts
air and PR on the radio my thoughts drifting in and out when I arrived the
drifting in and out when I arrived the
drifting in and out when I arrived the clouds were perfect shapes and sizes of
clouds were perfect shapes and sizes of
clouds were perfect shapes and sizes of all kinds I walked two hours from my car
all kinds I walked two hours from my car
all kinds I walked two hours from my car all the way to the top of the dunes and
all the way to the top of the dunes and
all the way to the top of the dunes and I knew there was going to be like
I knew there was going to be like
I knew there was going to be like another 13 or 14 hours until the Sun
another 13 or 14 hours until the Sun
another 13 or 14 hours until the Sun went down and the most colourful shots
went down and the most colourful shots
went down and the most colourful shots are at sunrise and sunset but if you’re
are at sunrise and sunset but if you’re
are at sunrise and sunset but if you’re like me you’re impatient how could I
like me you’re impatient how could I
like me you’re impatient how could I walk two hours take photos of the
walk two hours take photos of the
walk two hours take photos of the sunrise and then wait at least another
sunrise and then wait at least another
sunrise and then wait at least another 13 or 14 hours in the Sun until the
13 or 14 hours in the Sun until the
13 or 14 hours in the Sun until the sunset that literally felt like a
sunset that literally felt like a
sunset that literally felt like a lifetime and I mean I’m a millennial if
lifetime and I mean I’m a millennial if
lifetime and I mean I’m a millennial if I google something on the internet and
I google something on the internet and
I google something on the internet and it takes longer than half a second to
it takes longer than half a second to
it takes longer than half a second to load I’m literally like what is going on
load I’m literally like what is going on
load I’m literally like what is going on so yeah being in the middle of the
so yeah being in the middle of the
so yeah being in the middle of the desert waiting for the Sun to go down
desert waiting for the Sun to go down
desert waiting for the Sun to go down feels like the longest day of your life
feels like the longest day of your life
feels like the longest day of your life trust me and like a twenty-something you
trust me and like a twenty-something you
trust me and like a twenty-something you know with guy I came prepared
know with guy I came prepared
know with guy I came prepared I had a few swigs of water left a half
I had a few swigs of water left a half
I had a few swigs of water left a half beating protein bar and my cell phone is
beating protein bar and my cell phone is
beating protein bar and my cell phone is pretty much dead but the moment that
pretty much dead but the moment that
pretty much dead but the moment that phone died
phone died
phone died was actually the breakthrough I needed
was actually the breakthrough I needed
was actually the breakthrough I needed because suddenly what seemed so long and
because suddenly what seemed so long and
because suddenly what seemed so long and boring became another world I just
boring became another world I just
boring became another world I just stepped into the world of nature of
stepped into the world of nature of
stepped into the world of nature of peace of patience of simplicity of truth
peace of patience of simplicity of truth
peace of patience of simplicity of truth it didn’t matter to me if the Sun took
it didn’t matter to me if the Sun took
it didn’t matter to me if the Sun took forever to go down or if it would take a
forever to go down or if it would take a
forever to go down or if it would take a week cuz I was there experiencing the
week cuz I was there experiencing the
week cuz I was there experiencing the nature and I was fully present in the
nature and I was fully present in the
nature and I was fully present in the moment and he was up there that I
moment and he was up there that I
moment and he was up there that I thought about falling in the tree and
thought about falling in the tree and
thought about falling in the tree and the years of pain and frustration that
the years of pain and frustration that
the years of pain and frustration that followed could I have been more patient
followed could I have been more patient
followed could I have been more patient during that time could I have spent that
during that time could I have spent that
during that time could I have spent that time with my head back looking up at
time with my head back looking up at
time with my head back looking up at this guy rather than down on my phone do
this guy rather than down on my phone do
this guy rather than down on my phone do you do that do you look up at this guy
you do that do you look up at this guy
you do that do you look up at this guy just to see what the clouds look like do
just to see what the clouds look like do
just to see what the clouds look like do you look down at the flowers do you pay
you look down at the flowers do you pay
you look down at the flowers do you pay attention to what’s around you you don’t
attention to what’s around you you don’t
attention to what’s around you you don’t have to have some
have to have some
have to have some thing significant or dramatic happened
thing significant or dramatic happened
thing significant or dramatic happened to you in order for you to be grateful
to you in order for you to be grateful
to you in order for you to be grateful in order for you to just sit in silence
in order for you to just sit in silence
in order for you to just sit in silence and enjoy these simple luxuries so put
and enjoy these simple luxuries so put
and enjoy these simple luxuries so put the phone down walk to the park sit by
the phone down walk to the park sit by
the phone down walk to the park sit by the water make your life less filtered
the water make your life less filtered
the water make your life less filtered see all my photos they are unedited
see all my photos they are unedited
see all my photos they are unedited unfiltered because I realized the value
unfiltered because I realized the value
unfiltered because I realized the value that nature provides for us
that nature provides for us
that nature provides for us why edit this guy to make it look more
why edit this guy to make it look more
why edit this guy to make it look more colorful some days
colorful some days
colorful some days mother nature doesn’t want to look more
mother nature doesn’t want to look more
mother nature doesn’t want to look more colourful and that’s why it’s so special
colourful and that’s why it’s so special
colourful and that’s why it’s so special when the sky does erupt in every color
when the sky does erupt in every color
when the sky does erupt in every color imaginable and that is exactly why I
imaginable and that is exactly why I
imaginable and that is exactly why I don’t edit her but I’m asking that you
don’t edit her but I’m asking that you
don’t edit her but I’m asking that you unfilter your lives by putting down your
unfilter your lives by putting down your
unfilter your lives by putting down your phones and swinging from the branches of
phones and swinging from the branches of
phones and swinging from the branches of nature’s path like I said don’t actually
nature’s path like I said don’t actually
nature’s path like I said don’t actually do that I mean it metaphorically and and
do that I mean it metaphorically and and
do that I mean it metaphorically and and I’ll admit it might feel slow at first
I’ll admit it might feel slow at first
I’ll admit it might feel slow at first your connection to nature but the more
your connection to nature but the more
your connection to nature but the more time you spend trying to be present the
time you spend trying to be present the
time you spend trying to be present the more your life and the way you feel
more your life and the way you feel
more your life and the way you feel about it will shift the more you will be
about it will shift the more you will be
about it will shift the more you will be able to reflect on and process your
able to reflect on and process your
able to reflect on and process your experiences with insight and clarity
experiences with insight and clarity
experiences with insight and clarity I don’t edit my photos so I’m asking you
I don’t edit my photos so I’m asking you
I don’t edit my photos so I’m asking you to see what’s possible when you don’t
to see what’s possible when you don’t
to see what’s possible when you don’t edit your life adopt the pace of nature
edit your life adopt the pace of nature
edit your life adopt the pace of nature and let her be your guide thank you
and let her be your guide thank you
and let her be your guide thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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