“I believe that everyone comes into this world with a gift, and that gift is needed in community. When we become individualized, we have no one to share our gifts with, and we lose the gifts that others have for us. Other people, even people I don’t get along with, have something I can learn from, something I can grow from. They have a gift for me.” – Larry Keller

Howdy! Welcome to episode 10 of The Modern-Day Superhero show! In this episode, I sat down with Larry Keller. Larry is program director of the Men’s Program at Red Oak Recovery, a certified substance abuse counselor and certified arise interventionist, and is currently finishing a master’s program to become a licensed clinical addiction specialist. Larry has completed over 175 expeditions as a master therapeutic wilderness guide, and has served extensively as a facilitator of vision quest and rites of passage ceremonies.

I met Larry at Four Circles Recovery Center (FCRC); he served as my mentor for the first few months of my employment with FCRC. Larry not only taught me how to build a fire with a rock, some steel, and a couple of sticks, but also guided me in how to effectively lead vision quest ceremonies for young men recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

It was an honor to sit down with Larry; he has been a huge inspiration and has served as a direct guide in helping me to understand my purpose in life.

If you are interested in a practical way to find your life’s purpose, recover from addiction or depression, and find your place in community, then I would like to welcome you to episode 10 of The Modern-Day Superhero Show!

Topics

• How Larry got into the field of substance abuse and mental health counseling
• Larry discusses his first experiences as a wilderness guide and the impact spiritual books had on his healing process
• How to stay patient in difficult situations
• Using nature as a tool for self-care
• How to be compassionate towards others even when they are yelling at you
• The importance of being part of a community
• How to find community even if you live in a city and feel isolated from others, & the importance of living intentionally to form your own community
• Using a vision quest as a tool to find your life’s purpose
• The difference between rites of passage and vision quest and the importance of both

Books Mentioned

• Way of the Peaceful Warrior – Dan Millman
• Warrior of the Light – Paulo Coelho
• King Warrior Magician Lover- Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine
• The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
• Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl

Contact

• redoakrecovery.com
• buckrunrecoverysolutions.com

Organizations Mentioned

• Four Circles Recovery Center – wilderness therapy program based in Western North Carolina

Other Quotes from Larry

“I truly feel like when we cease to grow as individuals, then that is when depression, egotism, and narcissism, and things like that begin to move into our lives. And that is when we begin to burn out and not be effective human beings. So I challenge all of the people I work with and myself to continue to grow, to continue to challenge yourself.”

“I don’t think you can be in nature and not be impacted by the magnificent qualities of nature. For me, it was like seeing God in the handiwork all around me, and making that spiritual connection.”

“I realized everything I needed in life fit in my backpack… food, shelter, water, sleeping bag and clothing for warmth… everything else was just extra.”

“Even young men escaping addiction, coming into their early sobriety… if they can see a purpose in that suffering of addiction… now they have a story to tell, now they have a purpose, and can move on with their lives.”

“We keep what we have by giving it away. When we give it away, we are reminded where we came from, and what we have.”

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

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