Alive With Purpose: Trevor James Wilson Returns

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back, Trevor Wilson
• 1:07 Health Scare And Renewed Purpose
• 2:26 Music As Daily Lifeline
• 5:17 Audience Feedback And Book Signings
• 7:42 Attitude, Aging, And The American Dream
• 11:20 Reflection, Risk, And Resilience
• 14:06 The Cow Story And Simple Joy
• 17:00 Kindness, Etiquette, And Nostalgia
• 20:15 The Albania Road-On-A-Rope Tale
• 23:40 Casting Trevor: Life As A Film
• 26:20 Next Chapter: Fighting Alzheimer’s
• 29:30 Farewell, Links, And Book Plug

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Every conversation tells a story, and the best ones begin with honesty, courage, and a little curiosity. That's where Elsa Kurt comes in. She's an author, podcaster, and independent media personality, and this is where she brings real life to the table. Authors, thinkers, creators, leaders, everyday folks with extraordinary journeys. We sit down, we dig in, and we talk about what matters, what's messy, what's beautiful, and what just might inspire you to look at the world a little differently. So pour a cup of something good. Settle back and join me. This is Elsa Kurt Interviews, where truth has a stake, and everyone's welcome.

SPEAKER_02: 0:41

Well, hello everyone. As you can see, I have a returning guest. This is Trevor, and Trevor Wilson here is uh is a second-time guest on the show. Everyone loved you so much, uh, myself especially, that we needed to have you come back and give us a little update on on what's new and what's going on and how things are going with the book and all that kind of stuff. So welcome back. How are you, Trevor?

SPEAKER_03: 1:09

Thank you, Elsa. It's very nice to be back and see you again.

SPEAKER_02: 1:12

Thank you. Thank you. Um, I I know that you um were were not doing too well recently, so uh I just wanted to say I'm so glad that you're feeling better. You had a little rough go of it there, huh?

SPEAKER_03: 1:24

Yeah, that's um that's what we're here for to survive. So um it's an impetus actually to keep going and do more things. So it's actually uh reinvigorated me, so I'm happy about that.

SPEAKER_02: 1:39

I love that. And I love, and you know, and that was one of the things that that struck me so much from our first interview, your your zest and your zeal for life and living. Like just, you know, people there are so many people in the world, I think they just exist. They get up, they do the things, you know, and then rinse and repeat basically, and they're just existing, they're not living, and you exude this sense of of life and just grabbing it and taking hold of it and seeing it with you know, it really with like an artist's eye. And and I admire that, and that resonates so much with me. And I and I think it really resonated uh a lot with a lot of our listeners and and viewers. So uh it's inspiring.

SPEAKER_03: 2:25

So thank you. Music is a good example of something that I um indicates what I think because I still gather music, even though my kind of music has gone out the door years and years and years ago. But I constantly find new things uh in different genres that is not particularly my uh favorites, but I I I try to understand modern music and different things, and I still keep collecting CDs. And so um every afternoon for two hours, I put my headphones on and lay on the bed and I play music. And um that keeps me aware of the world around me and the fact that even though I'm not being vogue, I can try to understand what is other people are listening to. And maybe that um will give me some use, you know, and to grab it from them. So um, but I love music. I love getting into anything I get into, I like to get it into into and tall. Yes, I love that. It's like with uh ice cream. If I am told it's a particular flavor, if it's a hint of it, they might as well not give it to me because I like the flavors that I'm I want to experience that rush.

SPEAKER_02: 3:54

So yeah, I love that. So you you mentioned listening to some modern music, today's music.

SPEAKER_03: 4:00

Is there something is there anything on your playlist recently that might surprise somebody that you listen to, any particular artist that somebody might say, what well it's more um there are still out there people who play the same type of music, which to me is melodic and um the lyrics are very important, and there's still people out there making that kind of music. So um uh and there were the I find things like um years ago there was a uh group called Rondeau for Netiano that played classical music but in uh modern modern instruments um and um the it was a woman's band and they played in uh 18th century costumes with powdered wigs. And um they unfortunately they don't record anymore. So for 20 years I collected all their music, and that's my background for a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_02: 5:02

That's so cool. Well, I hope they see this. Somebody from that band sees this and says, maybe we should get back together. Do some more wouldn't that be cool? Um so speaking of cool, that would be you. I'm referring to people really did respond really well to our our last conversation and you just clearly struck a chord with them. Um, how has the response been for you uh since we last talked? Have you seen, have you seen a reflection of that? What have the responses been from people you know, maybe people you don't know?

SPEAKER_03: 5:32

I did a uh well, first of all, everybody who saw the podcast um was very, very um impressed. And also the fact that I could speak for an hour with uh running out of things to say. Um and then also I've met people at uh book signing ahead at Books and uh Barnes and Noble. Uh I think it was last week. And uh so people uh have seen the podcast, and to get the personal feedback from somebody, it's like when you and I are talking now, it's like doesn't really go anywhere, you know. It's like validation that we actually did something. And to get positive feedback or even negative feedback, I think is wonderful. Um, and of course I'm not used to that. You get it all the time, you're very popular. It's it's just nice to know that um I'm living and uh I'm out there and I'm going to another book signing in second minute, I think, uh, next month. Uh and I really enjoy that uh process of um learning from people, learning about what your words did to them. That makes you feel very um worthwhile that you have a point of view and somebody can actually people are different stages of their life and they haven't lived it yet. So I represent this kind of um data bank of old memories, and um it appears to resonate with people, and I find that very exciting.

SPEAKER_02: 7:10

Yeah, I love the multi-generational impact, you know, and it's to your point, it's like people who have shared experience, similar experiences to yours. There's that relatability, and then there's people who have never experienced these things, and maybe they're considerably younger and they're just starting their life's adventures, you know, that's inspiring to them. And then for people who are maybe within your same age bracket who have not done the things that you've done and and have a lot of um admiration, I hate to say envy, but admiration for what you've done. And maybe that's inspiring to them as well, that like you're not too old. You're you know, what whatever it is that you think is defining you in this moment of your life, whether it's uh illness, whether it's fear, like whatever it is, you can actually use that for your own good and use it to spur you on. And but I think you just talking about just moments ago, your your recent uh illness. Um the the fact that it didn't put you into a place of fear, but instead put you in this place of of action, of like more determination to really grab a hold of everything that life has to offer is just it's just so mind-blowing to me that you know I I hope so many people see this and are inspired by that. And what what a treasure and what a gift to give to the world um to to offer that kind of um inspiration and remind people to live with purpose, you know.

SPEAKER_03: 8:41

Yeah, I think um in a way I use that to inspire myself. Um so um uh I I think there was a time a year ago when I wasn't doing, I was really retired before I wrote the book, and I was really laxing into a kind of um retirement mode and thinking uh what can they do each day? Now the book has made me um realize that I don't have enough time to do anything, you know. I I know friends of mine who are tired and say, I don't do anything every day, but it, you know, I can get it all done. You know, like they think they're doing nothing, but really doing a lot of things. Um and it it's uh like my garden, I look out the window at it. And um uh nobody else I know in this area uh uh Tucson has um gardens. I I've got um bougain veas and I've got geraniums and I've got um other flowers all around, everywhere. Uh they're all in pots, but I have a potted garden and I like keeping that going. And watering in the morning is like um it's like visiting friends, and I look at them and I water them and they're you know, sleep perk up and that. Uh so I'm keeping them going too, you know. But I'm very pleased with with um my life, even after um my illnesses, and um uh surviving an illness, I think, makes you uh victor over it. So that's why I know people who have cancer and things and say, I won the battle over cancer. That's a really important thing to that person, um, that they had a battle and they won. So um, and maybe they didn't know like me that it came back, but it's like um, okay, I ran one round two, you know, so it's right.

SPEAKER_02: 10:47

And that attitude just really I I think it impacts positively, you know, everything. They talk about that all the time, particularly with, you know, illnesses like cancer, any any type of physical health battle that you're you're you're challenged with, you know, they talk about that that attitude. And I know it sounds cliche, but it really is so true because I'm sure just like you, um, I'm sure you can say you've known people on both sides of that spectrum that people took it with a defeated mindset and attitude, and people who took it with um, okay, this is the challenge for me to overcome attitude and and the results, you know, maybe the end result is the same. And I think that's probably like a hard thing for people to accept. You know, the result may still be the same, you still may not win that battle, but it it really does matter so much how you lived out that time that you had.

SPEAKER_03: 11:36

Yeah. And I think the people that don't live life to the full are the ones that don't get into the battle. Uh, that's part of living. Um, you everybody knows that there are things that are poisonous, things that are bad for you. And if you do those things, then really you're defeating yourself. Um, if you know the rules, you behave by them, and you test the limits sometimes. But and that makes you stronger because you're build up an immunity, maybe. Um, but that's the thing about life, you can make and when they talk about the American dream, and particularly these days, you think what's happened to that um vision, right? Um, but it's still there, and it's up to you to um overcome what really bugs you. It may be different things, but um uh you have control of yourself, and you have so many things given to you as a child that you can actually uh um make advantage of those. And even if you have a disadvantage, you learn how to ameliorate that so that it isn't against you, right? It's kind of a neutral thing. So um uh but you learn everything in every day, I think.

SPEAKER_02: 13:00

Absolutely, and then you know, you get afforded this opportunity in life, you specifically, to reflect on the journey thus far, which is by no means, you know, at its end. I mean, you're still having adventures and and new things and all of that. Um, but the reflection part, which of course is is all all part is all is the book, really, the where have I been all my life? Um, it's such a great looking back on everything and seeing it through this you know, mature lens, a completely different lens than what you saw as you experienced it. Um is is there anything about your own story that you understand differently now after hearing how other people react to it?

SPEAKER_03: 13:44

Only that I um at the time I was living it, particularly in um Ontario, and I had that experience of um being sort of kidnapped by these um terrorists, as I thought. Um but I I I tend to think of it at the time because I know I may have mentioned it before, but in that uh room in that hotel where I was, and I was fearing by my life, but I made a list of the things I'd done in my life and the things I hadn't done. And even at that, years and years ago, I felt like I had the plus side. I had more things happen than the things I wanted to do. People make bucklists. I kind of make the buckless when I was five years old, I think. So I had a lot of time to empty it out. Um but after that uh and I'm reading that afterwards to say, yeah, I really that was a shocking moment. But I I'm very resilient uh because I remember when I got off a plane in France uh when I escaped that thing, and there was a uh rush of these um immigrant, uh Alterian immigrants into France, um, which had no papers, no nothing, and they all rushed to the uh checkout line. And I was at the back because I couldn't run that fast. And um I actually walked past everybody because they're gonna be here all day. So I walked up to the front, excuse me, and I stood in front of the line and I went through, and I thought, you know, that was pretty nasty to just insert yourself with the front of the line, but I thought that's the decision I made was based on my needs. And the others were gonna take a long time anyway, so why not get me out of the way?

SPEAKER_02: 15:50

So throughout the book, so um, for those of you just catching up with this, um, Trevor's book, it is just it is just a sweeping journey through uh all of maybe not all, but many, because there's probably so many more than you can even fit into one book. Um, but some of the life adventures that you've been on in your travels and and the experiences, and it's they're just all situations that most of us have never and probably will never find ourselves in, like the Algeria story. And um, there was one question that I had asked you, what your favorite and I love this so much. There was one question I asked you, and it was uh about one of your favorite uh memories of one of your adventures, one of your trips. And you know, and honestly, I thought you were gonna say something like, Oh, you know, I checked off the clips of such and such, and I used this, you know, this wild, exciting thing. And you talked about the most sweetest, beautiful story um about a cow, this cow that you encountered. And, you know, I was not the only one that loved that story. So many people love that. I think that video. So I do, as you know, I do I put out uh clips from from our interview and uh, you know, just little segments of it. And that was one of the clips that I put out. And I think within like the first few days, that clip had like well over 5,000 views. Like the how resonated with everyone. So I mean, why do you think that that struck people so much? It was just the most simple story of all of them, I think, right?

SPEAKER_03: 17:26

Uh well, I think, yeah, uh, because really when it boils down to it, um that represented the most um something that anybody could have. So maybe I said that to say to people, your uh special moment doesn't have to be something world-shattering or uh world-famous sight or anything like that or something. Um it was just the fact that really that does um that's why I go back to that village so often. Um I I'm sure the cow's not there anymore.

SPEAKER_02: 18:01

I like to think that it is. Let me let me just let me believe it is.

SPEAKER_03: 18:06

But there are other cows that take its place, and they I always look with them such admiration because of that one the brave it's line to come up and just lick my leg. It's like um uh very, very, I don't know, I guess I have a relationship with my cow, but um um I'm not ashamed of that. It's something very sentimental and uh, you know, it's uh but it's really it's the most precious experience in my life.

SPEAKER_02: 18:40

Yeah, yeah, I think, I think, and I think that's what resonates. I think that's what touches people. Especially, you know, you mentioned in the world we're living in right now, there's so much conflict and chaos and and you know, all of the negative yucky things, and then you get in the middle of all the case, you just get this moment of pure sweetness, you know, and and I really think that that is probably part of what I and and the people watching that and listening to it um took a hold of and just kind of tucked in our heart because it is, it's just a such a sweet, pure, good moment that you know, it's just like that little pause when you take that breath and you just kind of say, okay, hang on a second, like lots of crazy stuff in the world, but there's so many beautiful moments um that are happening in life. And I think that was such a great reminder for all of us.

SPEAKER_03: 19:33

Yeah, I just want to go uh I go to the Starbucks in the morning uh every day. And um I I I really enjoy the fact that um partly it's because I'm old, but when I come, uh people open the door for me, uh, and they're carrying, you know, three or four uh coffees and everything, but they still uh open the door for me. And it's so delightful that there's still um gentility in the world, in spite of all the harshness, in the competition. Uh people still have time to um like I always open the door for a lady when I go anywhere. You know, that to me is seared in my memory. That is something uh I forget uh because um it's just a little thing, but it does mean and I it brings a smile to the face of the person I'm doing it, and that is what you get. If you get a smile from somebody, you've got a reward.

SPEAKER_02: 20:39

Yes. Um so yeah, I agree with you completely. I love it. I love gentlemen. I love when that door gets open for me. Don't get me wrong, I'll certainly open the door for I will open the door for anyone as well, but I do as a female, I love those gentlemanly things, you know. And it's so weird to consider that like a you know old fashioned or old. Oh my gosh, that's that's timeless. That is a timeless thing. Men keep doing it, please. We do love it.

SPEAKER_03: 21:03

So yes, it's like um writing Christmas cards.

SPEAKER_02: 21:06

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 21:08

More and more people will um send you a text or send a group message or something. Um that is gone, you know, it's so much what Christmas used to be about. Um uh that you remember time to remember friends that you still in your mind, even though they're not in your life. And so uh my sister and I were discussing it the other day that uh you know, I knew you got two cards this year, and it's like, you know, that's the way it is, you know.

SPEAKER_02: 21:40

Yeah, yeah, you're right. Now you just made me feel like I have to start doing that again. I feel bad. I feel bad. I do, but you're so right though. No, no, no, I I know you're not interested. I yeah, I I do I you're so right though, you know, and and I do every Christmas, I'm sure we all, you know, we all do uh every holiday like that for us. Uh you know, for me it's Christmas, you know, you do get nostalgic for the old the old days, the old ways, you know, where everybody got together and it was, you know, it was just there weren't the nobody was sitting on the couches with their cell phones in their faces. You know, you were interacting and talking and maybe arguing, but stiff communicating. Yes, communicating. Oh. I want to ask you, and I don't think I asked you this the last time. We talked about a lot about, you know, what was in the book, of course, as as would be natural. I'm a little curious if you could or would tell me um if there was something that didn't make the book. Is there anything that you were you know kind of like either I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_03: 22:40

Like if if you didn't have room for it, if you just simply didn't want to share it for whatever can you give us a little bit of there was a chapter that I wrote that actually and I sent but it didn't get um through the I I guess the process was too far along. But it was when I went to Albania um off a cruise. And Albania is a very uh unusual country. But uh I wanted to I I was um when I think now about yeah I want something different in each story and uh what would what would my story be when I went to Albania and it was when I went to um a national park which was by a river and uh it's quite picturesque um barely nothing commercial and uh as I looked across the river I saw this group of schoolchildren and um they were all lined up and they were obviously coming to the park which was on this side and it wasn't a big river I mean it was more like a stream and uh I noticed that they were be getting getting bigger and it fascinated me. It was like you know in my eyesight going and it got bigger to the point that the road that they were on came across the river. Uh they didn't have a ferry they just had this piece of road on a rope and um they it came across and they acted like it was nothing unusual and they just got off of the other side and walked past into the thing and I thought you know that is absolutely incredible how somebody could say let's just send the road over you know they didn't have to get off they didn't have to do anything they just actually uh came across the river and that was a it's just a silly little thing but it's a kind of thing that I would include because nobody would believe that that could happen.

SPEAKER_02: 24:45

And uh that makes it a wonder of the world you know yeah absolutely so I gotta ask you well first let me just say that your your life reads like a movie like I see your your life in my head as a movie and I'm just picturing I'm just picturing it on the screen which makes me think of the question I want to ask you which is who would play you what actor would play you in a movie of your life these days I don't know probably yeah I guess we'd have to separate that like young young you and and present day you who would play you well when I was young um people said like I looked like several people and it was always somebody different and I wondered why I uh we probably hairstyle probably whatever but anyway in my life I've been told I look like Clint Eastwood uh Robert Bradford um all these people um but um I think it would be uh disingenuous to say I'd like somebody like that to represent me but somebody um happy looking ordinary looking but uh indicating they're a nice person and probably that's in the eyes so um yeah if they could find somebody like very like a young Dick Van Dyke personality right like I I think he's probably one of the most charming humans to ever exist on the planet. I I could see someone like him playing yeah yeah I think that'd be um it's funny when Robert Redford's looks when you think of uh somebody I was in Norway once at a fjord in um uh Stavanger and there was the the um guide looked like um Harrison Ford according to one of the girls and uh so I just suddenly said um no Harrison Fjord it was a good one I like that so but it seemed to fit the situation that was perfect oh I love love love it and I again just as I did last time I encourage you guys to pick up this book um it's just it's just so great and if any um you know movie producers are paying attention here um hello can we make this movie please come on now um I and guys I mean and to to the watchers and listeners um you know you you need to okay even if you're just listening and you're just hearing his voice don't don't be afraid to chime in with who do you think should play Trevor in a movie so we need the present day Trevor actor and we need you know the the adventures the young younger version so throw them in the comments because we love it. That would be so fun I'm so curious what's uh what everybody would say would be fun. Um I have one more question for you before I set you free for the day um what do you hope the next chapter of your life looks like even if you don't know the details yet like what do you envision for yourself?

SPEAKER_03: 28:05

I would like to think that I can do something for the have nots um and I've recently been uh a friend of mine who actually lives in the house uh I recently had to put into a uh long care facility because he has Alzheimer's and um it's it I it's awakened my mind to this terrible disease that um uh really capture somebody's uh life really because really when you have it you're not really the person that somebody knew and I think what I would like to do is um maybe start a fund for raising money for uh Alzheimer's uh because that to me has hit home in a very personal way and um I just hate to say that and I uh the thing I remember when I was young it didn't exist nobody talked about Alzheimer's right so we're obviously doing something or eating something or our lifestyle that causes this now to happen so I'd love to fund research to eradicate this for my life because it's a terrible terrible thing to do so absolutely you know Tara um as as I've come to know you a bit over the past two interviews I I have to say that is exactly the type of response that I would have expected from you something so sweet and selfless and and giving and purpose driven.

SPEAKER_02: 29:43

So um again I can't say it enough to you and to our viewers and listeners um what an inspiring uplifting um feel good life you've decided to share with us. So again I thank you tremendously um you know that I will ask you to come back again because I just love talking to you and the audience loves listening to you and watching you. So I hope you'll see you'll consider coming back again.

SPEAKER_03: 30:08

You oh you would always be my favorite I've never you have eradicated all the tension that I feel about doing this.

SPEAKER_02: 30:18

And you have a way of making somebody just feel such at home uh make me cry thank you thank you very very much I've enjoyed it tremendously I want you all to um go and buy the book you can find on Amazon Trevor can you give them your website again is it trevorwilson.com or or no I'm sorry trevorjameswilson.com thank you very much um yes I will put all of that in the links for you guys you'll be able to go just click and go right to it so please do uh I thank you guys all for joining us and we will see you in the next episode so take care take care you've got a story worth sharing now it's time to tell it well whether you're an author entrepreneur influencer or podcast guest stepping in front of the camera or microphone can feel overwhelming.

SPEAKER_01: 31:04

On the other side of the mic is your practical encouraging guide to becoming a confident authentic and engaging interviewee written by media personality and best selling author Elsa Kurt this book blends real world wisdom from hundreds of interviews with a touch of humor, grace and heart. It's more than a how to it's a roadmap to presence, professionalism and peace in every conversation