Authenticity and Overcoming Addiction with Connor Beaton

“Have faith that you can turn the corner. No matter how dark or lost you feel, or how out of control you feel, you can turn it around. That starts with being real with people, by having real conservations that are tough, that sometimes hurt.”

- Connor Beaton

 In this episode I have Connor Beaton, founder of ManTalks, as my guest. Connor has built an incredible community for men to connect. ManTalks creates a space for men to evolve through authenticity, community, purpose and accountability. A place where men become better husbands, fathers, boyfriends and leaders.

Connor is one of the most open and caring human beings I know. He is open-hearted, clear with his communication and as authentic as a human being can be. These qualities shine brightly through in this podcast.

In this episode we talk about Connor’s early childhood struggles with “focusing” and how he was diagnosed with ADD. He talks about the impact this had on his life and how it created a part of his identity that he carried with him for a long time.

We talk about his first career after graduating from school and the conversations with his dad that led him to a new career path. A path that would bring him more fulfillment; that would take him to the University of British Columbia where he would study classical music and launch a career performing around the world on stage as a classical opera singer.

One of my favorite moments in the podcast is around 14:40 when Connor says,

“People will deprive themselves of the things that feel good because they don’t feel like they deserve them.”

This spearheads a conversation where Connor talks about starting to do the things that he really loved and what impact that had on his life.

He started to break down his own limitations. He started listening to that little intuitive voice inside him that said, “You like this. You’ve always enjoyed this. Why not go for it?” Once he tapped into that voice his life came alive. This voice pulled him out of the dark place his life had become.  

And it was pretty dark. Connor opens up and talks about his past struggle with sexual addiction. He talks about what he did to get himself out of his greatest hour of despair.

By listening to his intuition, Connor started to be more present and honest with his true self. This meant having some really difficult conversations and being authentic to everyone around him. He shares how this authenticity lead him to quit his job, start living out of his car and eventually move back to Vancouver to live with his ex-girlfriend.

Through all of this Connor was able to draw light and inspiration for ManTalks.

This episode is packed with nuggets of wisdom and knowledge. If you want to hear more about Connor’s story and how he was able to turn a corner I recommend you check out this podcast.

To learn more about ManTalks, visit www.mantalks.com or check out some of their incredible interviews in the Apple Store under the ManTalks podcasts.

If you wish to touch base with Connor, you can reach out to him on Facebook or via email at info@mantalks.com.

Notable mentions in the podcast:

Ten Tree
Victor Frankl - Man's Search For Meaning
The Alchemist
The Artists Way
The Wisdom of Insecurity - Alan Watts