That refusal to settle became one of the foundations of his career. It also came with a personal cost. Robert speaks candidly about fear being instilled in him early and the stress it created. His mentor believed fear could keep a person alert, restrained and prepared for what might go wrong. Looking back, Robert recognizes that it may have protected him in certain moments, but he also questions how much of that burden was necessary. “If there was something I could have turned off, or turned the volume down on, that would have been one of them,” he says.Asked what he would tell the younger man trying so hard to prove himself, his answer is no longer about pushing harder. “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself,” he says. “Do your best, and it will all work out. In time, you will find what you’re meant to do and what your skill set is. Follow your heart first.” Robert does not reject the difficult parts of his life. He sees the peaks and valleys as pieces of a larger story, each one capable of teaching something if a person is willing to reflect honestly. “Life is more about experiences,” he says. “Whether you hit your peaks or valleys, it’s all part of the life experience. You put this whole collage together, reflect on it, and it makes for great stories.”
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