How to Become an Active Participant in Your Life

Now more than ever, choosing to actively participate in your own life is essential to thriving in a world that constantly demands your attention. 🎙️In This Episode... Clark Crosby joins Brandon in the Think in Cursive podcast for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about what it means to "participate" in life. Clark first talks about the idea of him being the "rabbit" instead of the "turtle" which eventually leads into a bigger conversation about participation: getting off the sidelines, creating instead of consuming, spending time with people, and being intentional about how we use our attention. The discussion moves into real estate and lending, where Clark shares what he's learned from working in mortgages for the past two decades, what people don't see behind a real estate transaction, and why experience and relationships can make such a difference when a deal gets complicated. Clark also talks about the current Atlanta housing market and mortgage rates. Clark also opens up about losing his grandmothers, wrestling with faith and atheism, finding a deeper sense of connection, and how he actively seeks to participate actively in many aspects of his life such as in work, family, community, and his country. 🎙️Timestamps: 02:27 – Embracing Experiments, Career Pivots & Wearing Multiple Hats 05:00 – Tending to Your Own Garden & Moving Past the "Too Cool" Mindset 07:10 – Creation vs. Consumption in a World of Information Overload 08:32 – Staying Grounded in Real Estate & Understanding Market Shifts 13:40 – The Shifting Economy, Financial Literacy & Stewardship 18:20 – Navigating the Atlanta Market & Building Family Wealth 21:10 – Daily Discipline, Mentorship & Finding Direction 23:15 – Letting Go of Control & Overcoming the Hurry Culture 25:10 – Spiritual Growth, Sobriety & Perspective at 40 32:20 – Boldness Over Fear: Proverbs 28:1 & Showing Up 36:25 – Sacrifice of the Fittest: The Reality of Entrepreneurship 39:20 – Coaching the Next Generation & Paternal Engagement 44:40 – Walking Through Challenging Deals & Serving Real People 51:50 – Creating Boundaries, Presence & Shutting Off the Noise 59:50 – Final Thoughts & Where to Connect with Clark Crosby 🎙️Key Takeaways 1. Be an active participant in life. Stop rotting in front of the TV and waiting for life to happen. Actively engage in your relationships, business, profession, community, and that things that matter to you. 2. You can always reinvent yourself. Part of Clark's story is that he has not threaded a straight, steady path to success. He went through some rough times, especially during his teenage years. He tried many things, including managing a tattoo shop, getting into music, moving to different locations, and working in the corporate world. His willingness to reinvent himself and experiment has opened doors to new opportunities. 3. You can't control every outcome. Real estate, as with other industries, is full of moving parts, unexpected problems, and emotional reactions. Often, the best thing you can do is to stay calm and do your part, while letting the rest unfold. 4. Define success in your own terms. Be a famous band member and sing for a huge crowd? Or build a business that allows you to work from home with your family? Success means different things to different people. Define what success means for you and pursue it. 5. Don’t let fear run your life. Fear often keeps people from starting something new, but taking the first uncomfortable step can create clarity along the way. 🎙️This Week’s Guest Bio: Clark Crosby Clark Crosby is a mortgage broker and loan officer with Success Mortgage Partners. His job is mostly about helping homebuyers and real estate agents figure out the ins and outs of getting a mortgage. Originally from Florida, Clark eventually made his way to Georgia, where he now lives with his wife and kids. He first entered the mortgage industry in 2007 and has spent years working through the many changes in real estate, lending, and the broader housing market. Outside of mortgages, Clark is a husband, father, musician, and someone deeply interested in personal growth, faith, creativity, and living an intentional and engaged life. In this conversation, Clark brings the perspective of a guy who has tried different paths, changed his mind, taken some wrong turns, but kept moving. 🎙️Mentions Guest: Clark Crosby Book: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Cultural References: Fight Club, The Tortoise and the Hare Financial Institutions: Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac, Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), Dodd-Frank People: Kevin Warsh, Jerome Powell, Siamese Dream, Peter Gabriel, Wim Hof, Meister Eckhart, Bob Goff, Brian Johnson Music: Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream 🎙️Keywords real estate, mortgage, intentional living, meaningful life, reinventing yourself, entrepreneurship, how to let go of control, hustle culture, slowing down, phone addiction, eliminating hurry, music, relationships, fatherhood, creativity, play