We would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which Moments of Clarity is recorded, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We extend this respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples of all communities.
Moments of Clarity
Moments of Clarity shares unique insights from diverse guests illuminating how their personal growth stories have contributed to building a better world.
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Episodes
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
The first ever episode of Moments of Clarity is an exciting one because I am talking to my cousin Clara who is somebody that ensures her values and actions align each and every day. Clara has a deep passion for coffee and sustainability and she discusses some of the success stories of her industry. We discuss social media, philosophy, mental health and our trip to Nepal among many other things. My name is Barney and if you enjoy the episode please subscribe and share or email me at momentsofclaritypodcast@gmail.com.
Music By Christian Prochilo
Artwork By Michael Chrisanthopoulos
Ricci Artisan Wood Roasted Coffee: https://riccimethod.com.au/
Minas Hill Brazilian Coffee Wholesaler: https://minashill.com.au/
Monday Feb 10, 2020
Monday Feb 10, 2020
Values. It is a word I often fall back on when encountering division and debate as I go about my day to day. I am constantly entering into intellectual, philosophical, spiritual and scientific conversations that all too often become a ping pong match. A ping pong match of who can remember the most from the last article they read, the last documentary they watched or the last podcast they listened to, that supports their current point of view. Nobody learns anything from talking past one another, from trying to ensure your next interaction is won through a successful conversion to your side. This is why I have been so caught up on reaching for my own values in the face of information overload. I have many values that I hold dear and like everyone I range between living each value out everyday and failing miserably to align my values and my actions. As social media and the 24 hour news cycle increases the perceived importance of little events and increases anxiety levels it actually works to blur our understanding and attention of the things that really matter.
My values stem from the idea that most people are inherently good. That individuals want to live in a better world, where peace, happiness, liberty and prosperity surround the lives of everyone. Yet when I look around, when I see authoritarian regimes outnumber democratic societies, when I see most of the worlds wealth in the hands of the few, when I watch wars, famine, exploitation, disease and one environmental disaster after the other dominate the news cycle I am overwhelmed by pessimism, despair and outrage. These realities work to make me question my values and beliefs. Yet they shouldn't. My despair actually comes from the strength of believing that most people are good. That we are the same. That we are all in this together. If I did not believe this then why would I care about the billions around the world in a worse off position than me.
Yet I find myself second guessing if people ARE inherently good. If we care about our neighbours? If we are willing to walk the walk when it comes to repairing a sick society. I don't mean sick as a synonym for disgust, although I often feel that way. I mean literally ill. A society that has lost its understanding of why societies exist in the first place. To benefit us, the people. A collection of diverse and unique individuals that work together to improve the lives of the many. That live in a community where each and every human is at the forefront of every decision they make. Yet this is not the case, in the richest, most developed countries in the world, we have growing issues of inequality, marginalisation, distrust in experts, conspiracy theories, addiction, anxiety, depression and suicide. How is this possible if society is working for us? Why are my daily interactions with people often lethargic and despairing rather than joyful and optimistic?
Moments of Clarity is my answer to my many questions. I want to dig deep to find out what makes people tick. What dreams and aspirations we are living and why so many people are missing out. I want to start to actually listen to others and use their stories and beliefs to help understand my own values. In his most recent book, “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”, Yuval Noah Harari writes that “in a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power”. I named this podcast long before reading this quote but it placed my scrambled thoughts into this one eloquent sentence.
As our knowledge changes, as science, technology and philosophy eb and flow, it will be our intrinsic moral and ethical foundation that will allow us to remain focussed on what is truly important. I plan to learn as much as I can about what I consider a gap in fundamental values - or at least a gap of our attention on them.
At a time where global problems require global solutions I feel that it is imperative that I add my small and at times solitary voice to the chorus. To find out if we do have the power to affect change. To find out who I am, and in the process develop an understanding of our collective self. And when we do understand ourselves personally and collectively, what will we do with that clarity to realise that our differences as a species do not divide us but unite us.
My name is Barney and if my rambling piqued your interest at all, please journey with me on the search for some Moments of Clarity.
Moments of Clarity
Moments of Clarity is a podcast hosted by Matthew Sortino and Toby Kent. Through analytical, honest and uplifting conversations, Matt and Toby delve into the personal and professional lives of a diverse range of guests. They garner the vision, expertise, as well as the more everyday qualities of those who align their values and their actions. In cutting through the noise of a world overloaded with information and disinformation, they are also willing to engage with those whose values may not immediately align with their own. It makes for an insightful and entertaining mix.
Matthew Sortino
Matthew Sortino began Moments of Clarity in January 2020 as a way to bring his daily thoughts and innate curiosity to life. Frustrated by the information overload, constant negativity and polarised nature of online communication he decided to create a podcast that cut through that noise and explore, through honest and open conversation, how inspiring individuals come to not only identify their values but make the world a better place by living by them each and every day. Matthew is an educator based in Melbourne, Australia, working across primary and secondary schools for over a decade. He loves to travel, read, exercise and spend time with friends and family. He lives with his wonderful partner, their daughter and they are expecting a second child very soon. After a successful first 50 episodes of Moments of Clarity, Matthew is now joined by former guest, guest-host, friend and now official co-host, Toby Kent.
Toby Kent
Toby Kent is an expert in sustainable development and resilience. Before moving to Australia, Toby spent two decades working across five continents to help major corporate, government, and non-government organisations achieve their commercial and operational objectives in more sustainable ways. He has the distinction of being the first person in Australia to hold the title of Chief Resilience Officer, a position he performed for metropolitan Melbourne for over five years. Moments of Clarity is a way for Toby to explore his passions, challenge his own preconceptions, and make bad jokes.