#234 Forgiveness is Self-Care and Choosing to Respond, Not React with Damien Cole

[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 wh