Episode 4
You’re good as you are
Be a good team player. Don’t ask questions. Don’t cause trouble. These were the rules professional and Internationally capped Scotland rugby player Grayson Hart told himself he should live by in order to succeed. But this was at odds with his own sense of curiosity about the world.
Today, Grayson is the founder of Puresport, a brand of natural healing products for sportspeople. During his 14-year rugby union career, he began to discover how many athletes were becoming addicted to painkillers, so started work on natural alternatives using mushrooms and CBD. Combined with his growing interest in Buddhism and other spiritual teachings, he continues his mission to disentangle feelings of happiness from attainment and achievement.
Things to consider
- Are we the chatter, or are we the awareness of that chatter?
- Is happiness not within our reach, but already inside of us?
- Where does happiness come from, and what is its nature?
Links
- Connect with Grayson on LinkedIn
- Puresport
- The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle
Transcript
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::Julia: Welcome to Generative Leaders, a series of conversations with leaders generating positive outcomes for society, the planet, and future generations, to inspire, challenge, and have fun with what's universally true of the human mind.
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::I'm your host, Julia Rebholz, and this week to help me, I'm in conversation with Grayson Hart.
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::Grayson, tell us about what you are leading and, what it's all about and why, why you're so passionate about it as well.
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::Grayson: Yeah, so, I'm leading Puresport, which is, uh, it's a natural wellness supplement, um, brand and our whole way the brand launch was to create the world's
first fully certified and batch tested range of mushroom base Neutropic and C B D, which was short for cannabidiol, which is an extract from a cannabis plant.
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::So we created a range of these products that targeted different parts of people's, um, mental and physical, performance and health, sort of mainly folks around sleep quality, um, cognitive function, uh, pain relief and recovery.
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::And yet the, the whole way I got into it, before this was, um, professional rugby.
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::I had a 14 year career, was very, uh, reliant on painkillers.
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::Uh, I've got what they call a degenerative knee, so no cartilage in my knee.
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::Um, and sort of got diagnosed with that when I was 24.
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::So, uh, quite early in my career.
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::And, um, one day along the way I just reali, I, I just woke up to the fact that the way I was living was so unhealthy.
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::Uh, I had formed an addiction to painkillers I didn't even know was an addiction, just cause it was so normalized in professional sport.
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::And the sort of buildup was so gradual, of like the reliance on these painkillers.
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::And I just delved into finding alternative ways in which to look after my body and, um, function far more optimally.
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::And then what I found was there's the, there was this whole other world out there of what, at that time I thought was like alternative ways of looking after the body and mind, but actually it was more
so what I found was in the world of professional sport and maybe western culture and um, biggest sort of institutional sort of mindsets was that we're almost given a way of doing things or a perspective.
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::And that's the perspective we're given.
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::And unless we look outside of that perspective or challenge it or question it, it's so easy to just go along doing things the way that we've been told or know how to do.
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::Um, yeah.
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::And thankfully, I, I just woke up that there has to be another way.
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::And that's what led me to my own journey to utilize these types of products and learn about this stuff.
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::Um, and along that journey, it was, it was as much, just as much learning about the human experience, uh, not just the sort of physical tangible
elements of like, you know, supplementation and recovery in the body, but about, you know, who we are and what we're really looking for in life.
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::So I took, taken that journey for myself and started Puresport.
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::And our whole journey is to utilize this, these products and this ethos to help, allow people to question the status quo on how they're looking after themselves, uh, what habits they have got in life.
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::And, and by doing so, hopefully maybe get people to question who we really are and what we are looking for in life.
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::So that's, that's what I'm doing my best to lead.
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::Julia: Well, I, I feel like that introduction was a bit of a mic drop.
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::You know, you, you, you talked about the fact that you are a professional rugby player.
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::You played for Scotland, um, but you obviously also played, um, professional rugby.
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::You know, club rugby and you sort of just gently slid in there, most of professional sport is addicted to painkillers, which is you know, is, something that I guess we
don't really think about, you know, like how, how do, does a rugby player who's taking that many hits, that many knocks, you know, going to the ground, how do they function?
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::And from what I'm hearing from you, Grayson, is, you know, the, the sort of, the Western mindset is to become addicted to painkillers.
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::Um, and that's like, wow, that's new information to me as you know, somebody that's grown up with rugby, watch rugby, you know, seeing the
injuries that you get, um, you get through it, but not that that goes with it is an addiction, like a low level addiction to painkillers.
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::Is it a low level addiction to painkillers or is it something more than that?
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::Grayson: Mine, mine definitely, with the type of injury that I was dealing with, which was, it wasn't like I had an injury and then I had like a surgery or a recovery time and I got back to a hundred percent.
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::Um, my, my knee, suffered a couple injuries that never quite healed, right?
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::And then I had ongoing issues with the sort of biomechanics of my knee, which meant that all, like my cartilage was wasting when all the wear and tear of playing rugby was accelerating that sort of degeneration of my joint.
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::Um, and cause of that was an ongoing, sort, like chronic issue.
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::Mine went from low level to like a, you know, pretty fully full blown addiction to the point where, you know, you start out with the, um, anti-inflammatories and sort of low level painkillers and then they start losing their effect
and then you need to take more of those, and then taking more of those loses their effect so you need the stronger ones to the point where, yeah, like at my worst, um, I was taking six or seven, uh, opioid based painkillers a day.
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::And to kind of explain how it was to the, you know, it got the point of being a fully blown addiction.
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::The moment I realized that actually was, um, I like to think of myself as quite a sort of charitable, um, guy.
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::And, but one day someone came door knocking from a charity and, cause I was so used to this just the usage of painkillers throughout the day, I probably wasn't
as aware of like how they were making me feel or like, you know, numbing me to reality and, or maybe that I wasn't thinking straight cause of these things.
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::Um, but an example of when I realized that was someone knocked on the door for a charity, I can't even remember what it was, they must have had a great pitch.
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::But I signed up for something like £200 a month ongoing, recurring, um, fee.
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::And, and the next day, uh, I couldn't remember it.
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::And that was quite a scary experience, becau, and, and I know for a fact that was because I was out of it and drowsy from six or seven Tramadol pills throughout the day.
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::Um, and that's when I was like, holy heck, like I'm, I can't think clearly.
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::I'm not making decisions clearly and like it's a problem if I can't remember things that I'm, like decisions that I'm making if I can't remember them the next day.
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::Um, so that was quite scary.
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::And, and like I've seen multiple teammates get full blown addictions.
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::Some, you know, went down the road like much, much worse than mine that to, to where their whole careers derailed.
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::I've seen a close friend, good teammate, become completely addicted to sleeping pills, um, that were first prescribed to him by the team.
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::Um, and that was a shock when he did, you know, things got went from bad to worse with this addiction, to the point where us, his teammates and friends were going to the club being like,
look like this is outta hand now, you know, and he could no longer perform and, come get to training and, and, and operate to the degree that he needed to because of this addiction.
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::And the club got rid of him, like they fired him rather than like trying to help him overcome this issue.
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::So that was also an, a wake up moment to the fact that, you know, as athletes you are a commodity to the, to the teams, um, that kind
of maybe talk and try to portray things in a way that you're not, but there's too many examples of pro-athletes just being a commodity.
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::Julia: You sort of talked very eloquently about that moment when you realized, hang on a minute, I am, I'm really addicted here, and I have to, you know, change, change my life.
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::We talk, you know, this podcast is Generative Leaders and it's about stories of, of really kind of going inside and looking at how we can think about things in a different way.
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::So what, you know, you had that moment, I'm addicted, and you were like, there's gotta be something else to go and look at.
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::And, and what kind of unfolded in that path for you?
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::Grayson: So I, I had had a really quite for me, profound shift in my perspective before that, which I feel really played a significant part in me seeing those issues with the painkillers and things and.
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::I mean, I grew up my whole life dreaming of being a rugby player.
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::And you know, I, I grew up in quite challenging circumstances.
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::Um, my dad, um, struggled with addiction.
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::Um, and I saw that in front of my own eyes.
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::And, um, you know, through his addiction, we, we grew up in a way that.
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::Wasn't ideal.
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::Um, and, and I, I struggled in school.
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::I didn't do well, but rugby was the thing that, you know, I found like freedom and peace, but I also found, um, like a sense of belonging.
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::And also it was the only thing that I can recall as a child, like, uh, doing well at like people, like that's great.
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::Like that's amazing.
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::Uh, you're doing so well.
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::Um, and so I think through that experience, rugby became almost like my, uh, direction to a better life.
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::And so I dreamed of getting a, a, a professional rugby contract and I actually achieved that, my dream when I was 19 years old, I got a contract for the Auckland Blues, which was the team that I grew up loving and supporting.
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::And that was an, an amazing, um, you know proud moment for me and my family.
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::But leading into that I, I honestly, truly believe that my life was going to be all better when I got that contract.
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::And it became confusing when it wasn't.
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::When I got that contract, like, I didn't wrong.
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::I was excited and proud and was an amazing opportunity, I was giving at my absolute best.
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::But I had this underlying confusion of like, why don't I feel more fulfilled?
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::Why don't I feel better?
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::Like this is everything that I ever longed for.
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::Cause I literally say things like, to my brother, I was like, I'll be like, man, If I ever get a contract, that's all I need.
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::I don't care how much money, I don't need anything else.
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::I just, that's, I just wanna do that for a living.
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::That's it.
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::I'll feel so good that that's all I want.
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::Um, and yeah, it w I just didn't, I felt insecure still, I felt not good enough.
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::I felt lacking.
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::And then unfortunately that confusion led me down a path of looking for that sense of fulfillment or belonging in other areas, which were, you know, uh, not so healthy, uh, like drinking,
and then I found gambling, um, and these led to, you know, just not a good way of life for anyone, let alone someone who's trying to be healthy and perform well as a professional athlete.
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::And then I, I, my dad passed away when I was 21, so that was a couple years into my rugby career.
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::Uh, and that then accelerated that sort of like really turbulent time of coping with alcohol and other things.
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::And one day I just woke up, I think hungover.
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::I think I might've gone to a fight the night before and I'd been in trouble for my club multiple times.
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::And I was just like, something has to change here.
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::Um, and that's actually that moment.
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::Because then before I was in denial, I was like, no, I'm just like young and I'm finding my way and I'm having a good time.
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::But I knew that wasn't true in like, um, in my heart, but my mind was really strong and uh, trying to portray that picture.
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::But then this one day where I was like, no, like this something's not right here.
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::And almost like that switch.
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::I still remember that day.
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::Uh, I can pick myself waking up in bed that day in the bedroom that I had in Auckland and like, it was a, it seems like some of it was a really profound moment.
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::There was just something like, I've got to figure something out.
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::Cause the way you're looking at life's not right.
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::And that actually led me on a path of like being really hungry to understand life and, uh, I was never religious.
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::I didn't grow up in like a religious family.
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::I went to a school that was Anglican, but I didn't, wasn't interested in it.
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::But the like angle I went down was quite a spiritual, I was drawn to like understanding like the spiritual nature of who we are after that moment.
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::And, um, that actually led me just in a roundabout way.
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::I started reading different books and stuff.
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::Things on like meditation, yoga, um, things like they had like, uh, bits of like Buddhist pointings and things like that.
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::Nothing like fully.
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::Grasp me, but I found them interesting.
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::Um, and before I'd never had any interest in any of these things, but I was looking for a way to, I don't know, find a bit more of an understanding of what life's really about.
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::And I actually then came across this book that someone gave to me and it was called, um, The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle.
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::And there was like elements within that book that spoke about like an awareness within us, like a presence.
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::Um, the fact that our thoughts came and went and that they weren't the truth.
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::And the fact of, of our life and kind of like spoke about the nature of our thoughts and how they're very insecure or they're always searching
for more or they're in the past and they're never present, but there's this space of awareness that they arise within that, and that's who we are.
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::And to be honest, at the time I didn't like fully grasp or understand it, but it something really made sense to me and like that something spoke true to my experience.
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::And then yeah, that, that led me on a path of trying to, like being really hungry to understand more.
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::I didn't know what that understanding was and I didn't have a label for it.
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::It just seemed true and I started to reflect on some of these pointings about like our thoughts and this awareness and it just started to seem, or in my experience, so true.
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::Like, uh, when we're attached to our thoughts, we take them seriously, we become like agitated or like, there comes a sense of
like, discontent and, and then if we can almost let those be and sink back into this sense of presence, uh, there's a piece.
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::And that understanding is actually, you know, what led me to searching.
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::Oh, not, no.
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::Like delving into that understanding and that becoming like really something, uh, at the forefront of like, importance in my life.
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::Um, it got me on track with my rugby career again, uh, which was really struggling at, at that point before that.
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::Got me into a much better, for the first time I felt uh, a sense of like, acceptance of myself.
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::Um, I felt that I was good enough.
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::Don't get me wrong, there was still this old conditioning that would come and go, but I kind of had this understanding.
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::I was like, oh, that's not necessarily true.
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::Started to be able to understand other people more.
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::I used to be someone that really.
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::Had a lot of conflict with people and butted heads with people that I didn't nec if we didn't agree or, um, I started to have more of a, like, compassion for people.
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::And then it allowed me to start to understand that there is a lot of cultural conditioning and a lot of like, seemingly set ways of doing things that we kind of raise with for our cultural
society around us, kind of that we learn, and, you know, like what you do or what you achieve is the source of like your fulfillment or happiness in him, like what I believe of rugby.
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::Um, and that actually helped me really to start to unravel or question more things in life to be like, but what is actually true to me?
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::And that's what led me to see this reliance on painkillers that I had, that I'd never questioned before cause it was so.
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::You know, um, so that's a pretty long-winded answer, Julia, but I hope that gives some.
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::Julia: No, no.
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::It's a, it's a brilliant answer, Grayson, and we'll, we'll, we'll delve much more into that, um, in a moment.
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::But, uh, you know, I loved where you kind of landed that point that, in life, we sort of go through life just, just doing things and they're just accepted and they're just the way that things are.
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::And they look like they're true.
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::And then, you know, someone comes along and they question the status quo.
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::And they sort of question those assumptions and they question that way of, of, of being, because they're curious.
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::You know, their mind is open enough to, to wonder and question and say, well, hang on a minute.
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::Is, is, is there another way?
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::Grayson: Yeah, I mean, I was someone growing up that, like, like I said, I didn't, I never did well in school and I always was questioning things.
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::Like, why, but why do we have to learn this subject?
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::Or, but how is this gonna help me?
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::Or, or why do we, why is the only way to study or to do the subject to sit here in this class and do it like, and it ended up not being received well.
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::And then I was, you know, quite, quite cheeky and stuff like that.
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::So I'd end up getting into a lot of trouble.
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::So I think I've always been someone that, or, or getting into trouble from very early on in school and things like that.
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::It, it almost created a bit of a, like resistance or, no, not a bit, like a real resistance to, powers that be within these sort of organizations and the ones that tell you what to do.
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::So authority, I guess.
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::And then I guess my hunger to do so well in rugby cause I had attached from the concept that I feel is like rife in our society, which your value or happiness is connected to what you have and what you do.
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::And also like the perception of others.
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::I don't think it's necessarily like something that's taught like that, like this is what's true, but I think the way the world operates, that we are led to feel and believe that.
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::And, and because it's maybe not spoken directly, that maybe then doesn't give people the chance to question it.
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::Cause it's just become so ingrained in us by what's going on around us.
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::And I guess that ingrained feeling within me of okay, I've never done good in anything, but rugby is my chance to do good and then that's gonna make me a happier and more valuable person.
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::Because it felt like it was like my one shot, you know?
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::Uh, so I really did my best to like adhere and do what was good and right, and be seen as, you know, like a, a good team player and don't question, don't cause trouble, don't ruffle feathers.
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::That is how I got caught up and captured in that like way of doing things.
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::And I wasn't, didn't have the kind of, cause I was so immersed in my identity and value and happiness being derived from these outcomes within my career.
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::I wasn't able to separate and ask questions to be like, But why do I need to put an injection in my knee?
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::You know?
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::Why can't I let it recover on its own?
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::Or if my knee is swollen and painful, maybe I should take a week off training or, you know, like it was just, no.
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::You don't complain.
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::You get on with it.
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::And if you don't train, you don't play.
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::And if you don't play, you don't get another contract.
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::And if you don't get another contract, you're a failure.
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::And you just immerse in it so you don't question anything.
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::And actually I think sport is like a magnified example of life.
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::Like people are just grinding to get from A to B because they believe the happiness, but we never question, or I don't think we question enough why our happiness is never found for any actual prolonged
period of time in any outcome or thing, you know, whether it be a new relationship or a new set of shoes that you've trained, or a car or a pay rise or an amount of money in the bank or a new house.
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::Like no one's ever found unbroken, ongoing fulfillment, contentment, and happiness in these things, yet we live in this culture that just is constantly chasing them.
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::And like now going through that with my rugby, and being something that was a profound shift in my life, I get caught up in it still every day.
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::Cause it's so like, I feel anyway, so ingrained in our like culture or culture's way of looking at life.
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::Um, and then now this new experience that I'm in of being in business, you know, like that's a new challenge to not get caught
up in chasing outcomes or forecasts or, you know, um, valuations or, or whatever, with the feeling that like, oh, I need that.
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::And if I don't, if we don't get that, I'm a failure, I'm not good enough.
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::Or that's gonna make me more fulfilled or happy cause like, it's just not.
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::Julia: Well, and I think this is a really great point that you're pointing to for anyone that's, you know, starting a business.
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::And, you know, especially one with a purpose, you know you've got a very strong mission to revolutionize the way that pain is managed within sport.
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::And I could see that it could be really, really easy to, you know, fall into getting really attached to your personality, and you as a human being, being attached to that as an outcome.
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::Grayson: Understanding who we are, for me is the simplest way to describe it.
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::It's, it's an ongoing journey.
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::Like you are, as long as you are living, you've never figured it out.
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::Uh, and I say that because I did experience a real profound shift in like, feelings of peace and contentment.
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::And also like resilience and ability to, you know, cause I think in life it's inevitable, like things are not gonna go to plan, there's gonna be hardships.
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::And there's, there's gonna be certain challenges that are thrown our way that none of us would like or plan for.
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::But if there's this underlying knowledge of who we are which is, you know, like I spoke of earlier when I read that book, the Power of Now, the sort of presence or awareness
at the, at the background in which our thoughts and concepts and, uh, all of these arise with them, if we, if we are able to like start to question and, and explore
that as who we are rather than the ongoing chattering thoughts that are pointing outwards to the future or the past and comparing and, um, seeking and pursuing things.
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::But if we can look to this, this level, this presence or awareness.
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::That is an, how I'll describe and, and you know, more importantly, these, the sort of teachers and, and authors and people
who are really well qualified to talk and point to these, to this understanding would describe as like inherently peaceful.
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::And the very nature of it is fulfilled and content.
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::Um, if we can look there, then we understand we've got whatever it takes in that moment to deal with whatever circumstance life throws at us.
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::Um, and actually the thoughts that compare or tell you're not good enough or say you need to get this in order to be okay, they're actually not true if you are.
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::So this background awareness.
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::And then actually from that space we are able to express ourselves like our true self.
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::Cause I think there that, I think the nature of.
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::people as to be like, you know, relatively creative and productive in whatever form that takes place.
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::You know, it doesn't need, when I say productive regret, it doesn't mean to be in this, like this grinding work, corporate way.
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::It could be, might love gardening or walking a dog or cooking or making food or calling up your friends or having a meaningful conversation with a family member.
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::But I think, from this concept that we always need to get something more, I think that also creates a fear that if we are not doing something to progress, that we're just going to be like sloths.
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::But actually, I think some of our most profound like work or problem solving or creativity or productivity comes from the knowledge that we are, we're enough, we are good as we are, and then just go and express yourself from there.
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::I know for sure as a sportsman when I'd go out on the field being, knowing that, yeah, I wanted to win, but the outcome didn't define me.
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::And I'd have this moment be like, I'm good as I am.
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::Just go out there and just play, I would feel so much freer and so much, uh, less bound up.
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::And then actually my energy would flow and my, like my peripheral vision would widen and like, you know, my, my senses were more present and aware.
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::So I think what I've learnt is there's never an end point to understanding who we are, and that the world that we live in and our culture and society is currently set up in a way that will take
us in a different direction from who we are, and almost create like fear or an insecure drive or an insecure ambition, rather than an expression, an uh, a creative and express expressive ambition.
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::And I'm learning that in in business too.
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::Cause I think I had this quite profound, like realization that really served me well through my earlier life and, and now in business it's this new challenge and it's a new, uh, yeah, experience that I've not been used to.
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::And I'm having to almost like remind myself even more so than before, like, Hey, it might seem like your whole life is depending on this.
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::Or they might, it might feel like the problems are never gonna go away or the pressure is too much, but actually right here and now you're perfect as you are.
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::You're good enough and whatever happens, you're gonna be okay.
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::And then I'm like, oh, wow.
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::Yeah.
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::It's usually from that sense of like presence, that I gain perspective again, you know?
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::And I interact better with the team.
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::I problem solve more clearly, or even like things that seem like such big.
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::they don't seem to be as big a problems.
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::And yeah, so for me it's just not losing that as a priority.
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::Cause the world will throw so many things and our minds are so convincing that anything is more important than this peace within us.
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::Julia: I love what you're saying, Grayson, cuz what, what I'm hearing in this moment of you saying, and I'll, I'll express it in my
words, you know, not your words, but it's kind of like the purpose of life is to intimately know that awareness, and to drop into it.
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::you know, as frequently as and often as you can.
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::Because when you are in that space, anything's possible.
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::Um, there are no limitations.
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::It's, you know, there's, there's just a limitless well of, of creativity, of, of, um, of love, of understanding, of connection.
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::And so, you know, keeping that at the forefront of your mind as a business leader, it then enables the outer purpose to be fulfilled, um, in whatever
expression that has, and you'll get more and more wisdom into that expression as you, as you, as you keep dropping into that, that space of awareness.
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::Grayson: No, absolutely.
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::You've summarized it very well and, and also like just, it allows you to know that it's very, it's part of being a human to have insecurity or feelings of like, I need this to happen or this shouldn't happen, or, and
actually, rather than like resisting those or judging them or trying to fix life to get rid of those feelings, you can in any moment, drop into what is aware of those and start to explore as is that who I really am?
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::Cause it seems so much that who we are as.
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::Chattering thoughts that just keep going, going, going.
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::And it seems so real and true cause we actually, I feel kind of taught that that's who we are.
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::Like we are our mind and these thoughts, you know.
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::Whereas if we start to question that and see that there is an awareness that knows those sorts and, and we start to explore the nature of that awareness and find that it is, it's
very nature's love and peace and fulfillment, um, then we can start to be more, much more like non-resistant to the fact that like insecure thoughts and feelings are gonna come and go.
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::And it's just part of being a human, part of the human experience
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::Julia: Yeah, No, exactly.
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::Exactly.
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::Grayson: to get caught in trying to fix insecure thoughts and feelings.
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::And then we, we are usually making.
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::In life to change circumstances or try to change the way people are around us or whatever, or change ourselves to fix these thoughts and feelings.
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::But if we turn it around the other way and realize who we are is not those thoughts and feelings more often what I feel can happen is we start to operate from
a place of like of freedom, And then we are more likely to actually, uh, positively, you know, make changes that that needed to be made without trying to fix things.
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::Julia: And it's amazing that you've had this profound experience, Grayson, that's that's played out throughout your life and, and you can sort of look back on it and, and see where, where you were.
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::But as a, as a leader of a, of a business, you've got 15 people that work for you.
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::You've got a, you know, huge community that you are working with.
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::How do you talk.
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::to your team about this?
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::How do you engage them, you know, how do they engage in this conversation with you?
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::Grayson: I love it.
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::Like it's my, it's the thing I love most about Puresport.
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::I feel there are a lot of people, right, who are drawn to like exploring more and trying to understand more deeply what life's all about.
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::And then these types of people are open to a direct conversation that would be like, you know, like on the top of like what we are talking about.
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::But actually there's a lot of people who aren't necessarily like open to a conversation like that.
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::And I think what I love about Puresport is this brand, these products and this community have arisen because of how this sort of knowledge or understanding or exploration has made a profound shift in my life.
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::And therefore I see Puresport as like a vehicle to help people.
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::Like almost like this tangible vehicle for people that aren't necessarily open to like this deeper conversation to start to question how they're living their lives.
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::And the times that we're in right now, you know, through all the lockdowns we had, a lot of different changes and things going on in the world.
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::And access to, you know, like so much information and alternative perspectives through like social media and YouTube and these types of places.
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::People are interested in like, you know, how they can optimize change, how they can change habits, how, you know, for example, exercise has such an, a positive effect on like mental health.
259
::Um, you know, how important sleep quality is in order to like function well and be happy and optim, um, live optimally.
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::So there is this, I feel, anyway in my like humble opinion, like the shift towards more of an openness and a, and a questioning of things.
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::Like even like diet, you know, what are we eating in order to feel better and, um, to be more productive and have more energy?
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::Like say eight or so years ago, I remember questioning things about diet and sport and I cut out meat for a little while and it was like, people thought I was an absolute weirdo.
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::Like, whereas now, it's not abnormal for like there to be many vegans or vegetarians in professional sporting, um, organizations.
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::So that's even an example of like the shift that we've had towards like how are we living life and what are we doing?
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::But there's still like a huge way to go.
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::And for me, this conversation happens naturally because of that curiosity that I feel is gaining traction in more and more and more people.
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::Um, you know, even like customers come to us who they may be a bit more elderly and they're saying, Look, um, I never thought I would use a product that, um,
was derived from the cannabis plant, but I was seeing pro-athletes talking about your product, and I know that these guys are drug tested, so I trust them.
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::And so I'm interested in how I can stop taking these painkillers because I'm so sick of taking painkillers for my arthritis.
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::Or you got people who are like, I don't wanna take these sleeping pills anymore.
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::They're having a negative effect on me, but I need to sleep well, da da da.
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::And I'm looking for a natural alternative.
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::So there is like a shift I feel that's happening.
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::And for me, what I love, and I, and I think what makes you so passionate about Puresport, but also like natural, uh, supplementation is it's an opportunity to bit by bit, get people to question how they're living life.
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::And for me, the ultimate perspective that people can come to, if, even if that's just a little part in the way on the journey, is like, who am I really?
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::Like what is this life really all about?
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::Cause I remember reading books and like different interesting things along the way when I told you I had that moment of waking up hungover and trying
to find a different way of, like, I read so many articles about people on their deathbeds who said, Oh my God, these are the things I wish I knew.
277
::And so much of it spoke to like things they would've done differently in life that I feel were almost a byproduct of the realization that we are enough as we are, and they only realize it right at the end.
278
::So, so I almost want to, you, like for me, Pureport is a vehicle to try and help people get to that point sooner.
279
::Um, because we say it, we are here to help break the quick fix mentality because, because our culture is in a quick fix perspective.
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::It's like if you got pain, take a pain pill.
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::If you can't sleep take sleeping pills too.
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::If you're anxious, you know, look, Look for a way to fix it or a coping mechanism.
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::And actually what people are starting to wake up to and why businesses like Puresport are starting to gain traction is we are here to provide, you know,
insight, information, and products that can help on that journey to unlocking a, a bit, a greater understanding of how to overcome that quick fix mentality.
284
::So another long-winded answer, but I mean, I have those types of conversations all the time with my team and like we are always, we are driven by that purpose, you know,
we see, uh, our product and like we, we operate like we do our absolute best to operate with complete integrity cuz we'll say these are not the answers to all your problems.
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::This is not a fix, this is part of a lifestyle and part of a shift in, uh, perspective and how you are looking after yourself.
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::Julia: And it's, it sounds like, you know, it's a disruptive conversation, and it comes back to where you started around, you know, we are conditioned to perceive the world in a, in a certain way.
287
::And, um, you know, we, we, we see those.
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::those thoughts as being true.
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::We don't question that actually they're just thoughts.
290
::You know, someone had these thoughts, they came up with them, they looked like they made sense at the time, but now given our evolution, you know, what we are now seeing, does it still make sense now?
291
::Um, and it sounds like you know that that disruptive conversation is the essence of, of the business in terms of really waking people up to that.
292
::Grayson: Yeah.
293
::Yeah, it really is and, and I actually think that's what draws people to us, many of whom probably don't actually realize that's why it is.
294
::But I feel this is within everybody there's like this almost low level, well, it depends, it varies in people, but like a discontent with like how our culture is teaching us what life's really about.
295
::And then in some, there's like a real like urge to like fight against it.
296
::And I feel that people that really align with what we are doing here, they really feel that.
297
::And like, I mean I spoke earlier about like getting in trouble a lot as a kid and feeling not good enough and, and things like that.
298
::And what I realized along the way is that I feel that like everyone in some way or another is looking for like a sense of belonging.
299
::And there are a lot of people who feel unsure about the status quo that we've been given, and they're, they're almost looking for a sense of belonging around people that share.
300
::like a yearning to kind of live more freely and peacefully and get out of this like rat race, fear-based, uh, mentality that is consuming so much of people's attention right now.
301
::And yeah.
302
::Uh, I, I just want to do our best to be able to provide that space for people.
303
::And I think it's why our, like you mentioned our run club, I think it's why our run club is, has grown so much.
304
::and people seem to really love it is, the one thing that I remind our team of when we are doing these events is, anyone and everyone that comes here, they belong with us, and I want
them to walk away with that knowing that, yeah, like I might not be an, an elite runner or an athlete, um, and, and if that is the case actually, then, you know, I want people like that.
305
::I want people who might have been intimidated to join like a sports club or a run club or a gym or whatever, to know that no, like you, you are, you belong.
306
::Like you are good enough as you are and you are one of us.
307
::And that was, those were the times in my life where I growing up.
308
::You know, I remember I, I wasn't feeling that in school and I never got good marks, and I was getting kicked outta class and told that I was a problem and distracting people and all that.
309
::And then I remember that my older brother, he's three years older on, on the weekends, he'd let me play video games with him and his friends and things like that.
310
::And I was like, those were the moments I felt a sense of belonging.
311
::Or like in my rugby team, you know, uh, they, they didn't care about.
312
::My grades, what I was doing in school was I was part of the, that team and that that actually allowed more of an expression from a place of like freedom.
313
::And I feel the world people are looking for that.
314
::Um, there's too much just seeking materialism, and feelings of comparison, discontent.
315
::And I think.
316
::The world needs more places that bring people and say, no, like you are.
317
::You are good as you are.
318
::Just be yourself.
319
::And that's all we try to create with our whole community.
320
::Julia: Fabulous Grayson.
321
::Well, it so resonates what you, what you say with, with my story as well of I've just, I need to get good grades at school,
and then, you know, when I didn't do that, it was like, well, I've gotta get a good job and then that's gonna make me happy.
322
::And then when that didn't happen, it was like, well, you know, I've gotta have a, a great relationship and that will make me happy.
323
::And then, you know, now you know, let's have a child and that's gonna make me happy.
324
::And a house size and a car, and a this amount of money.
325
::And then you get all of those things.
326
::And it's, it's empty.
327
::And I think, you know, my observation is that the younger generation are waking up to this much earlier.
328
::They're kind of going, My parents are not happy.
329
::I see that they're not happy.
330
::And so all these things they're chasing to make them happy can't be the answer.
331
::Grayson: Yeah.
332
::Julia: So what the fuck is it?
333
::And it's, it's so, so, so great that, you know, there's businesses like yours that are, are a place where that younger generation can, can come and they can, you know, start to, as you say, find out, well, what, what really is happiness?
334
::And that it's actually always been within you.
335
::And it's always available to you.
336
::Other than when these thoughts arise within that awareness, that then separate us from seeing it.
337
::Grayson: it doesn't matter who you are.
338
::We all have different experiences.
339
::You know, we grow up in different parts of the world and have different ambitions and different parents and different families and, but I reckon it's a human misunderstanding
that, I don't know, maybe it's part of the design for it to seem this way and then it's part of the design design for us to try to figure out what it is we are really looking for.
340
::Julia: Well, Grayson, it's been so, so fabulous, um, spending this time with you and, and as having a, a chat and, and reconnecting.
341
::And so where can people find out more about Puresport and, um, the community and, and how do they become part of that?
342
::Grayson: Yeah.
343
::So, um, hopefully this podcast has allowed you to have the sense that Puresport's for everybody.
344
::And our whole kind of view of the sport and the batch testing for drug test athletes was to accelerate the trust for these
types of products to show that everyone can use them, that they are legal, that they, they work, they're good for you.
345
::And then with that, our communities for everybody.
346
::So, um, we are very active on Instagram.
347
::It's just at Puresport.
348
::Um, and our website is puresport.co
349
::Just co
350
::And we do our weekly run club every Wednesday evening.
351
::Um, and we, uh, alternate between Battersea Park and our office, our HQ and Southwark, 6:30 every Wednesday.
352
::Everyone's welcome.
353
::There's people that run really quickly.
354
::I mean, there's people that walk and talk and, um, here for a good time.
355
::And we do different events and stuff like that.
356
::But yeah, most of all we just, or we want to be an organization that people feel that they can relate to and, um, help spark questions and explore ways in how in which we are living our lives really.
357
::Julia: Fabulous.
358
::Well, thank you so much, Grayson.
359
::As always, it's been an absolute pleasure spending time with you.
360
::Grayson: Thank you so much for having me on Julia and for hosting these conversations.
361
::I'm excited to tune into the future episodes you've got.
362
::Julia: I always come away from my conversations with Grayson, feeling refreshed, calm, and inspired.
363
::And the points that he really pointed me to in that conversation is all that chatter that's going on in the mind all the time and this awareness.
364
::that gets to be aware of that chatter that's, that's happening.
365
::He asked the question repeatedly, who are we really?
366
::Are we all that chatter or are we the awareness of that chatter?
367
::And he asked us a question about how are we living our lives?
368
::Are we striving for something outside that we think is gonna make us happy?
369
::Or is happiness something that's already there, something that's already inside of us?
370
::And are we looking to the outside for a series of quick fixes?
371
::Either to stop the pain or to make us happy, or to give us a, a mental reboot?
372
::And so he really left us with that question of what is happiness really?
373
::And I would urge everyone to reflect on the conversation and reflect on what is happiness?
374
::Where does it come from?
375
::What's its nature?
376
::When are the times that I've really experienced that?
377
::How did I get to be aware of it?
378
::How much chatter was there really going on in my mind?
379
::I really love that conversation with Grayson, and if you did too, then I would urge you to share it with someone who also needs to hear this.
380
::You can do that by going to generativeleaders.co or you can find it on anywhere you have your local podcasts.
