We had the good fortune of connecting with Sean Stone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sean, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to give up. How many nights I went to bed in tears, feeling that all my hard work and effort was going unseen. How many days I felt like a failure, rejected and misunderstood. And then, one day, while hiking with my girlfriend in Hawaii, I suddenly realized, all that I thought was my purpose , was wrong. And it sucked the wind right out of me. I was thrown into a void, wondering what I’m doing on earth, and why had I been walking the wrong path… But the message wasn’t negating my work, or my effort. Those were necessary aspects of my growth. But the realization was that instead of the expectation of tangible rewards and monetary success, my purpose was so much greater. It is a purpose of evolving into manhood, showing up for my partners, and deepening into my own emotions. My purpose is to be me, in all my messiness and glory, and to embrace all aspects of being. It’s not just the moments we dream about, of collecting the accolades and ticking off the accomplishments. It’s to be in this journey of life, not knowing exactly where it’s taking me, but trusting that the journey is the destination… That how we live begins now, not when we reach the point we are striving toward.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m proud to announce the release of a recent love story on Audible… Desiderata: A Cosmic Fairy Tale by Ali. I took Ali as the pen name because the story felt more like it was channeled through me than me writing it. It is the tale of two lovers who fall from their ideal world, into a world very much like our own. And through the timeless quest, they search for love in many forms, ultimately learning important lessons about the fragile and fleeting nature of this world. Yet the story feels increasingly relevant, for those of us who question who we truly are, and how we came to this place. Many of us feel intuitively that things are not right on earth, and that we must remember who we truly are… divine, timeless souls in search of the oneness of creation. We taste it, at times, when we open ourselves to love, in all its guises.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
It’s fun, and challenging, to reflect on this question amidst a pandemic with forced-lockdowns, but I think the ideal day would involve some time in the mountains, whether hiking the Santa Monica mountains or in Malibu’s parks. From there, a jaunt to Matador beach would be in order. Then I’d shoot down to the Santa Monica promenade and Ocean Ave. The only other commercial areas that I enjoy walking as much would be Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, and The Grove in central LA. And to top it off, a night journey to either Griffith Observatory or the Hollywood Bowl would make it a magical Hollywood night.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My partner in life the past couple of years has been my lady Kaya Leigh, a successful entrepreneur in her own right, having founded the Sacred Breath Academy to train people in ‘breath work’ internationally. She is a mystical shaman, a loving goddess, and a gentle soul. I am blessed to have found her, but I must also honor my own lineage for giving me the graces of a balanced foundation and worldly education, so I give thanks to my mother and father for the incredible people that they are.

Website: https://www.audible.com/pd/Desiderata-Audiobook/1094149381
Instagram: @therealseanstone
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-stone-b135491a/
Twitter: @WatchingSean
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRealSeanStone
Youtube: Sean Stone
Other: https://www.patreon.com/SeanStone

Image Credits
Photo with glasses is a still from my film Fury of the Fist and the Golden Fleece, Photo with sword by Harun Mehmedinović Childhood photo by Elizabeth Stone,
& Peter Augustin for the headshot.