Keep on Walking with Sheldon R.S. Crocker

Episode Transcript

Julianna:

Hello and welcome to the Daring to Succeed podcast. I’m your host, Julianna Yau Yorgan, and I’m honored to be joined by Sheldon R.S. Crocker.

Sheldon is a dynamic keynote speaker, author, and resilience advocate known for his inspirational journey of overcoming adversity. With a deep passion for empowering others, Sheldon shares insights on resilience, transformation, and personal growth drawing from his own experiences of triumph over life’s challenges.

As the author of Keep on Walking, a Transformative and Inspirational Journey, Sheldon provides a roadmap for resilience and a testament to the power of positive change. Through his speeches and workshops, he inspires audiences to embrace their struggles, transform their lives, and achieve their full potential. Welcome to the podcast, Sheldon.

Sheldon:

Thank you so very much for having me here today. It’s my pleasure to be here.

Julianna:

Yeah, I’m so excited to share your story with our audience. But before we get into that, I always start with the same question for my guests, which is, do you consider yourself more introverted, extroverted, or a little bit of both?

Sheldon:

You know, I never really considered that question before I met up with you. Um, but I would have to say, um, it would depend. Depends on the situation, depends on the people I’m around. Um, but I’d say, um, mostly ambient vert, ambient vert is a combination of both. But I’m most, most times that’s the way I have recently, but most times in my life, I’ve been an introvert.

Julianna:

Yeah, and in talking to a lot of people about introversion and extroversion, I find there’s a large group of people who are a bit of both or they find that their energies kind of are different, like you said, depending on who they’re with or, or the time in their lives. So thanks for sharing that with us.

And for our audience who may not be so familiar with your story, could you tell us a little bit about your life growing up and your journey of resilience and transformation and personal growth?

Sheldon:

Sure. Yeah. Okay. Well, I was born many years ago, 51 years ago, actually in a very small, small town that only had a population of 300 people. Being born in such a small town and having a physical disability, being the only one there with a physical disability.

I was laughed at and picked on and bullied. My father was an alcoholic. My mother didn’t feel like she had any control in her relationship with my father, so she used to take her frustrations out on me. Physically, she used to be very violent towards me. For example, if I came home and I had 85% on an exam, but my cousin…when I’m an only child, but if my cousin had 98% she would actually…physically punish me.

Right. So, um, I didn’t, and I wasn’t allowed to have a voice when it came to anything. I was always told kid children are supposed to be seen and not heard. I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s been through that. I’m hearing that kind of thing, but, um, it’s always kept me very quiet. And it’s never allowed me to have many friends because I always felt like I might let the family secret of how my parents were behind closed doors slip out. And then I would be in a lot of trouble when I got home.

So I kept everything bottled up inside and I didn’t allow myself to have any friends, which caused me, I believe, to become an introvert and not allow myself to be more open with people. And because of the way I was treated, I fell into addictions. And I started alcoholism at a very young age to try to numb the mental pain of going through everything that I was going through. And because of that, once again, I went into a dark shell, a dark hole, and I just didn’t allow myself to open up to anyone and…why am I saying that so much? I’m sorry.

Julianna:

That’s okay. This must be really powerful for you to have to revisit as you’re telling the story.

Sheldon:

Actually it is. And I gained positive power by telling my story because I know that somewhere out there I’m helping other people. And that’s the whole purpose of me doing what I do as a transformative thinking coach. And after going through everything I went through in my childhood and everything I went through in my addiction years as I called them, sleeping on the streets and sleeping on park benches and other things that I’ve been through, not having any support or not feeling like I had any support, it didn’t allow me to develop more communication or better communication and socialization skills which…played into, I believe, me being more of an introvert.

So because of all that, I continued with living. I stayed alive. Well, I’m here today, so yes, I stayed alive. I managed to get through all my negative growing up and spend time in, I guess, I don’t know, to prefer a proper name, we call it the drunk tank because of my addictions of being drunk so often and ended up in locked up overnight. And I didn’t allow myself to share how I was really feeling with anyone.

Julianna:

Right. And how did you kind of find your way through all of that? I mean, a lot of the people who are listening probably have much different challenges in their lives. A lot of them are focused on challenges with career, with finding work, but yours are so powerful and they started at such a young age. How did you finally kind of move through all that to where you are today?

Sheldon:

Well, actually, I managed to go to two colleges at the same time as I was living in the streets. I managed to go to two colleges and I graduated with honors in both colleges. I don’t remember how. I don’t remember even being in college, but I do remember I had the proof that I actually graduated from two colleges with honors and it helped me to keep going forward because I knew, I always knew deep down inside that I’m here for some reason. I don’t know what the reason is.

I didn’t know what the reason was back then, why I was here, but I knew that there had to be a reason why I was born. I wasn’t just put here. So I continued to go to college and one of the colleges that I went to, the guidance counselor actually used to work at an addiction treatment center here in the city where I live now. And she got in contact with them because I wasn’t able to save my parents any, well my parents divorced when I was 20, but I wasn’t able to save my mother and her new husband any longer because my mother ended up in the hospital.

So she contacted this addiction treatment center and asked if it was possible for me to get in there to stay, to do the program because I was going through such a…troublesome time with my addictions. And so I went there for the interview and it was only supposed to be, it’s usually a six month waiting period to get in, but they took me in right away. And they said, because you’re in such a dire situation that you need help.

Because of this program, I managed to start believing more in myself. I started using my voice more. I just found out that people do, there are actually people who do care, and there are actually people who are willing to listen, and like to, would love to be able to help other people. So that helped me to break out of my shell more, that helped me to open up, that helped me to be more outgoing, because I was surrounded by other people. It helped me to become more of an extrovert, to know that I was in a safe place, to know that it was okay to share.

Julianna:

Yeah, and that’s something that I think even for those of us who haven’t gone through the tremendous struggles that you’ve had in your life face with just trying to really believe that there are people out there who want to help and support others, especially with everything going on in the world right now. It’s sometimes a little bit hard to see or believe.

Sheldon:

Yeah, it is for sure. With everything that’s going on in this world today, it’s good to know that there are people out there who are willing and able to help. And you might have to search for it. You might need to search for it out of people who are willing, because everything’s so fast paced these days, but having to keep going and know that you can get over your fear being stuck at home or your fear of not being out more often, you’re not even necessarily, if you’re uncomfortable in this of being more up going.

Julianna:

And you share a lot of your story in your book, Keep on Walking. What else could people expect if they want to grab a copy of that?

Sheldon:

Well, I speak a lot about my own personal life because it is my autobiography. I speak of it and the resilience that I gained. And many people think that resilience is something you’re either born with or you’re not. You know, I’m a resilient person, I was born that way. But the thing is, a person can actually develop and grow resilience.

So that’s one thing I speak of is how I developed my resilience over the years because of the things I went through. Because of the things that I went through, it was not necessarily, it’s not a depressing story. It’s more of an uplifting, empowering story. Knowing that because of the things I went through is what made me who I am today. It’s what made me strong enough to actually be on your podcast today which I appreciate very much.

It’s in the book, I also speak with other things such as self-belief. Not how important it is to believe in yourself, even if no one else do. Right. The various aspects of being courageous enough to seek for help. And, you know, how we can all overcome whatever obstacle we may have, whether being feeling like we don’t want to be so much of an introvert or feeling like we just want to overcome, whatever. We can all keep on walking. Because I believe that we need to walk through the manure in order to get to the pretty flowers on the other side.

Julianna:

Yeah, that’s so true because especially in a society where everything’s kind of Instagrammed and made to seem so perfect and easy, I think a lot of us forget that it is through hardship that we get to the best part of our lives.

Sheldon:

It is because when we are observant and listen well, we actually…develop more skills and we’re able to not be so focused on Instagram and do things for our own selves and to be able to help others in the process.

Julianna:

Yeah. And speaking of helping others, you also have a course about transformation. Can you tell us a little bit about that and sort of what you help people with?

Sheldon:

Yes, thank you very much for asking about that. Well, my course, it’s I’m working on a journey of self-reflection and transformation, embracing life’s journey, understanding and adapting to patterns in your life that you might want to change, uncovering how to be your authentic self, hope, love, and abundance. Teach people how to love yourself in order to be able to love other people properly.

Julianna:

Yeah. Which I think is something that speaks to a lot of introverts too, because we’re, as a society, at least in North American and Western type societies, told that introversion is such a negative thing. You need to be louder. You need to get over being an introvert. And I think a lot of us forget that there is so much power in being an introvert. And like you said, you have to learn to love yourself first before you can…really get out there.

Sheldon:

Right. Well, contrary to popular belief, introverts make excellent leaders actually. We’re observant, we listen well, and we tend to think before we act, qualities that are essential in effective leadership.

Julianna:

Absolutely. And I think a lot of people are surprised when they find out there’s so many leaders out there who are introverted because they kind of see leaders as these… boisterous, loud people making speeches.

Sheldon:

Right, right. Well, in roles that require thought decision-making, Yeah. Interest is where we excel.

Julianna:

Absolutely. So. Yeah, so I guess if people want to learn more about your story or connect with you and find these amazing resources that you’ve put out there, where can they find you? I know you have a website.

Sheldon:

Yes, my website is shel…And I’m on all social media platforms. Just look for Sheldon Crocker and you’ll find me.

Julianna

Yeah, I’ll be sure to put all the links in the show notes for everyone as well.

Sheldon:

Right. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely.

Julianna:

Was there anything else you wanted to share with our audience today before we wrap up?

Sheldon:

I’ll just say to my fellow introverts, embrace your quiet strength.

The world needs your thoughtfulness, your insight, and your vision.

Do not underestimate the power of a quiet voice. It can roar in ways that surprise you and those around you. And to everyone listening, whether you identify as an introvert or not, I encourage you to explore the strengths of all personality types.

Diversity and personality is not just beneficial. It’s essential for a balanced, insightful, and compassionate world. So thank you for having me here today.

Julianna:

Thank you so much, Sheldon. And just from hearing that last little bit, I know that your book will be such an amazing read. Thank you.

Sheldon:

Thanks.