Bryan Falchuk was a guest of People of Purpose on episode 015. He came into my life by serendipity on his 80 something podcast interview. His story of losing more than 100 pounds and overcoming the pain of his wife's battle with cancer is inspirational. Today he runs marathons and inspires people to live a better life every day through his book, Ted Talks, and now his podcast Do a Day. He asked me to be a guest on his podcast to share my story of how I used my rock bottom experience nearly dying after a major fall at Yosemite National Park to live a life more alive and purpose driven. Below is his writeup:
"After suffering many injuries and a major concussion when he fell off the side of a mountain, Tanur was forced to relook at the idea of purpose, the choices we make to relearn life, and how to actually live it.
Tanur had me on his show a while ago, and I was blown away by the depth of his soul and his humanness, and knew I had to have him on my show one day. Let's just say I wasn't let down."
Tanur Badgley is a school teacher, blogger, and host of his own podcast, People of Purpose. Fascinated with understanding the unique gifts he's been given and how he is shaped into a higher purpose when he chooses to live with full appreciation of these gifts. At age 19, during the summer break after his freshman year of college, Tanur was hiking in Yosemite National park with his father and younger brother. When his younger brother decided to venture off the beaten path and got stuck, Tanur found himself on a small ledge with no safe way down. Tanur ended up barrel rolling down the mountain, and sustained multiple injuries, but miraculously none of them were fatal.
Three years later, Tanur finished college without a plan or purpose. he found himself working a soulless corporate sales job, battling depression, and suffering from a second concussion. He finally found his path and purpose in 2015 when he packed up and moved to Phrae, Thailand to become an English teacher to 400 5th and 6th graders. During this time he kept up his blog, Student of the World, with information he found out about himself and the world through teaching, volunteering on a organic farm in Cambodia, trekking to Mt. Everest Bas Camp, sitting for a 5-day meditation course, and his month-long yoga teacher training certification course in Rishikesh, India.
One year later, Tanur felt happy and whole with his new life style, so he decided not to renew his teaching contract, opting instead to vagabond and couch-surf across Southeast Asia, the U.S., and Canada through family and friends. During this time, Tanur started his podcast, People of Purpose, in October of 2017 because he felt compelled to go beyond himself and begin a project that shares the stories and wisdom of all the purposeful people he met along the way. People of Purpose features guests who live with a high degree of intentionality, are leading communities toward positive change, and are treading a path that is very authentic to their passions and purpose. People of Purpose has expanded to now include a biweekly newsletter where Tanur shares what he's been experiencing and dwelling on to grow in his purpose and how they can be applied to your life as well.
After 15 months of odd jobs and moving around, Tanur finally moved to San Francisco in July of 2018 where he's working on getting his Masters of Education in one year through an accelerated program and teaches 7th grade at a urban, public-charter school in San Francisco. Tanur is driven by the purpose he can express through each of his endeavors and projects and the consistency of learning and challenging that helps him grow into his purpose which is "to be a conduit of God's love by accepting everything He is, opening himself to learning challenges through difference, and using his gifts to live, purposefully, in order to help others find their purposes and fulfill their potential." You can follow Tanur on his journey through Facebook and Instagram at @peopleofpurposepodast
Bryan has been so generous to grant me republishing rights so we could share this with the People of Purpose audience.
Listen as we talk about:
- How intentionality and purpose are the key themes to both this interview and Tanur's life journey
- How Tanur chose the more risky choice while on the ledge with his brother, and it turned out to be the more foolish choice.
- How Tanur was frustrated with the rescue team because they focused their help on him, while his brother was still on the ledge and in danger.
- How he got his second concussion while he was angry because he was on the wrong life path and letting it effecting his day to day.
- How Tanur got to focus on himself while healing from his head injury and it helped him define his purpose and how to live for his own interests.
- How he dropped everything in America and moved to Thailand to pursue a more peaceful life.
- How he used the time and the new perspective to move forward from his last relationship.
- How Tanur is positive that he wouldn't be where he is now if not for the travel or the concussions.
- How his teaching job has allowed him to see that teaching is the most proactive force for good.
- How difficult walking the line between being in the world, but not of the world is for him.
- Sign up or hear more about our Path to Purpose course via peopleofpurposepodcast@gmail.com
- Join our purpose seeking podcast community at...
