November 30, 2025 • 36 mins
What does it take to step out of the safe and familiar into a life that truly lights you up? Are passion and purpose reliable guides to the work you love?
I sit down with Agi Keramidas, a former dentist turned podcaster, author, and coach, who helps people create lives aligned with their purpose and passion. Agi’s story is one of courage, self-discovery, and reinvention — a journey from professional burnout to clarity about what matters most.
We discuss the mindset shifts needed for a career change or career pivot, how to reconnect with your inner compass, and why public speaking can be a powerful tool for introverts to share their message. Agi also opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped his path and the practices that help him stay grounded through transitions.
In this episode, we explore:
- The inner work required to navigate transitions with confidence
- How to find clarity in moments of uncertainty
- Building a career around your purpose and passion
- Lessons from leaving a secure profession for a calling you can’t ignore
- Why public speaking can be transformative for introverts
- Strategies to overcome self-doubt during a career pivot
- How to stay resilient when the outcome isn’t yet clear
If you’re at a crossroads in your career or life, this episode will give you both the inspiration and practical insights to take that next courageous step.
Connect with Agi Keramidas:
- Website: https://personaldevelopmentmasterypodcast.com
- Book: 88 Actionable Insights for Life
Subscribe to The Visible Introvert newsletter for tips, tools, and inspiration at
https://serenalow.com.au
This episode was edited by Aura House Productions
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_04 (00:01):
Hi, I'm Serena Lowe.
If you're used to hearing thatintroverts are shy, anxious,
antisocial, and lack goodcommunication and leadership
skills, then this podcast is foryou.
You're about to fall in lovewith a calm, introspective, and
profound person that you are.
Discover what's fun, unique, andpowerful about being an
(00:22):
introvert and how to make theelegant transition from quiet
achiever to quiet warrior inyour life and work, anytime you
want, in more ways than youimagined possible.
Welcome.
SPEAKER_05 (00:37):
Hello and welcome.
Today's guest on the QuietWarrior Podcast is Aggie
Karamidas.
Aggie's journey of personaldevelopment led him from a
successful dental career tobecoming a podcaster, mentor,
coach, and author.
He's the host of the PersonalDevelopment Mastery Podcast,
which has over 500 episodes andranks in the global top 1% and
(01:02):
distills transformationalinsights into practical,
actionable steps.
Aggie's mission is not toinform, but to influence, to
inspire action, ignite growth,and help others to create a life
of purpose and fulfillment.
While he values formaleducation, he believes that it
is the power of self-educationand lived experience that drives
(01:26):
lasting transformation.
Welcome, Aggie Caramedes, to theQuiet Warrior Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:32):
Thank you very much, Serena, for this uh kind
introduction.
It's a real pleasure to be herewith you today.
SPEAKER_05 (01:39):
Aggie, my first question has to be formal
education.
We still live in a culture thatprizes going to university,
getting the degree, getting thejob.
So, what triggered your shiftfrom dentistry to the work you
now do?
SPEAKER_01 (02:00):
Yes, and I think that uh there is happening that
uh importance, shall we say, ofthe formal education?
I think nowadays, with the veryyoung generation, it uh it feels
to me anyway that it's waning,which is uh it's good in many
ways.
Uh but certainly when uh I grewup, uh university was uh going
(02:22):
to university was a sign ofstatus.
You know, you were someone,somewhere important by uh going
to university.
To answer your question, what uhasked me, what uh triggered my
change, it was uh my heart's uhdesire when I realized after
(02:42):
many years of uh working indental practice.
So I've I worked for over 20years, but many years afterwards
I realized that that's not whatI want to be doing for the rest
of my life until I retire.
I don't want to live the samelife that my mom lived.
I'm giving my mom as an examplebecause she was a dentist as
(03:05):
well, so she retired fromdentistry.
So that triggered, you know, thechange.
Of course, it uh it has manymore layers than that, but uh
I'm giving an overview now.
SPEAKER_05 (03:19):
Yes.
And I think it's not easy, andI'm sure at every stage of that
transition, you probably askedyourself a lot of questions and
you had some doubts about whatyou were doing.
So, what kept you going?
What kept you moving on to thenext step and the next step away
from the dentistry towards whatyou are doing now?
(03:40):
Did you have an idea when youwere starting to feel restless
or dissatisfied about dentistry,what you wanted to do next?
SPEAKER_01 (03:49):
At that time I had no idea whatsoever.
And that was uh now eight yearsago when I first realized that
uh this is not for me for uh thefuture.
So uh, and I had just finishedthe master's degree in uh
aesthetic dentistry, so that uhshows the how much I valued uh
formal education.
(04:11):
Uh since then, hmm.
To answer your question, I hadno idea at that time, and that's
why I embarked on, I like tocall it a journey of uh
self-exploration, to figure outuh some things about myself,
which I never had uh consideredbefore.
(04:36):
So I was just 40, 40, 41, and Irealized when someone asked me
what's most important to you inyour life, I realized that I
didn't have an answer that I hadreflected on.
So some simple things like thatthat led me to little by little
uncover my uh what I wanted todo.
(04:57):
So no, it didn't happen justlike that.
It was uh a gradual process, uha journey.
I like the word uh journey, andstill is.
SPEAKER_05 (05:09):
Yes.
And I'm glad you mentioned thatit's a journey and a gradual
process because sometimes we canget very impatient, especially
if we've started off being thehigh achiever, the quiet
achiever, if grades came fairlyeasily and success came early,
and then you know you hit 40,50, and you start questioning
(05:32):
your existence or your identity,or where am I going with this?
And if I'm not happy to do thistill retirement, then I still
have quite a few decades ofproductivity left.
How will I use this time?
How will I use my my gifts andmy talents?
And that is actually quite ahuge question to ask ourselves
(05:54):
at a later season in life ascompared to when we're 18 or in
our 20s.
SPEAKER_01 (06:00):
I don't think my an 18, at least when I was 18, that
was the last question.
Even if you forced me to thinkabout that, I would say leave me
alone.
But of course, uh, there are uhreally important uh questions uh
for someone to consider to youknow the the the phrase uh know
(06:21):
thyself, sometimes I think thatin those two words, I can't
think of anything more profoundwisdom in such a condensed uh uh
you know sentence.
It's really uh yeah, it'severything, know yourself, know
thyself.
SPEAKER_05 (06:40):
Yes, I agree with you.
If we really reflect on knowthyself and what it means and
what it means for us, we wouldstart questioning a lot more and
we might arrive at some verysurprising answers.
So, my next question to you youmentioned being shy and
introverted.
How did you go from that tobecoming a public speaker and a
(07:01):
podcast host?
SPEAKER_01 (07:04):
Uh again, that was a journey, even though a much
shorter journey, but it stillwas not something that happened
overnight.
It happened over the period of afew months, actually.
It started when I went to a TonyRobbins event, and then I had a
realization, a big light bulbmoment, that this shyness that
(07:25):
you uh said, and me being veryreserved in social situations,
not being comfortable aroundpeople that I didn't know.
So all these things came as arealization that this was my
behavior, not who Iintrinsically am as a person,
that's simply a set of behaviorsthat I have exhibited all my
(07:47):
life.
And I realized that I don't wantto, for the rest of my life, to
be the person that is shy to youknow walk up to another person
that they don't know and say,Hi, how are you?
Because I couldn't do that.
I was terrified to do that.
So when I realized that this wasnot who I was, but instead it
(08:08):
was a set of beliefs or a voice,if you want, playing at the back
of my head, then I startedtaking actions to change that.
And because public speaking wassomething that I was very afraid
of, first of all, but alsosomething that I felt intrigued
by, and I mean intrigued in theterms of a challenge.
(08:31):
I went to there was a freeevent, and I went there to see
without any, you know, uhexpectation for you to speak on
stage or anything.
But at some point the presentersaid, Who would like to come to
the stage and help me withsomething?
And I raised my head before Ieven thought about it.
Because if I had thought aboutit, I would certainly not have
(08:53):
done that.
But you know, I went on thestage, I just wrote some things,
and I realized that okay, Ididn't die, nothing really bad
happened while I was there.
I didn't make a fool of myselfin all those things that I was,
and many people I suppose thefear of public speaking is
because of that, that fear ofbeing judged, of being
(09:14):
criticized, or even ostracizedin the ancient times.
So one thing led to another, andafter that day, a couple of
months afterwards, I signed up.
I signed up for a five-daypublic speaking bootcamp, which
that was a very powerfultransformation because I walked
(09:34):
in on a Monday morning wonderingthat my accent is really a
downside, and the way that Ispeak uh because of my Greek
accent makes it difficult forpeople to understand me.
That was my set of beliefs.
And I walked out on that week onuh Friday evening, having
(09:57):
delivered two speeches withoutany notes in front of the whole
uh you know classroom.
It was about 20 people that wewere.
So it was very uh I think ifthere was one answer to uh the
way that you asked me thequestion, then what I did was
(10:20):
get myself out of the comfortzone and do something that I
knew it would be difficult forme to face.
But since that time, I you knowsomething changes when you hear
other people give you feedbackand say, Oh, your voice is
(10:41):
really or your accent, I couldlisten to it all day.
That's uh what someone told me.
And I thought, oh my god, I hadnever received any feedback like
that from anyone.
So when you get, and I know I'mdigressing now, but when you get
uh validation, externalvalidation from others, that
really helps you reinforce thenew beliefs that you are
(11:05):
starting to uh make or that youwould like to make.
So I'll take a pause herebecause I have gone to a
completely different uhdirection.
SPEAKER_05 (11:16):
Thank you so much for that, Aggie.
I think we touched on a few veryimportant points.
The first thing you said wasthat the feedback was validation
for you because we have oneconversation running in our own
heads, which is usually dictatedby our inner critic.
And we can be pretty harsh onourselves, introverts and quiet
(11:38):
achievers, particularly and highachievers.
So we are used to criticizingourselves and being very
judgmental.
But then when you balance thatagainst how other people see
you, then you realize oh, peoplesee me differently.
People actually appreciate myaccent.
My accent is my superpower.
My accent makes me stand out, itmakes me more visible because
(11:59):
people will remember me as beingthat person that speaks with a
Greek accent and a resonantvoice, and that makes you
memorable.
So that's one way of looking atit.
And you also talked about thefear of public speaking, which I
think is a general universalfear all the world over,
regardless of whether we areintroverted or extroverted.
(12:22):
Everyone fears, like you said,you know, in ancient times it
was fear of ostracism.
In some ways, it still is thisfear of judgments, fear of being
the only person standing in thespotlight, everybody looking at
you, waiting for you to fail.
But I think what I've alsolearned from my own speaking
experience is that actuallypeople are rooting for you
(12:43):
because nobody goes to an eventand wishes for the speaker to be
awful.
Exactly.
And then they have to sit therefor one hour and listen to them
speak terribly.
They want that person tosucceed.
They want that person to doreally well, tell interesting
stories, say something relevant,drop something wise.
And so then everybody goes homehappy.
(13:04):
So I think when we think aboutit like that, when we remember
that we ourselves as audiencemembers are silently cheering
for that person who is braveenough to get up on that stage
and stand in the spotlight, Ithink we start to feel quite
differently about ourselves.
SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
Yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_05 (13:22):
But you also said something else that that was
interesting, and that is thatyou put up your hand and said
yes without thinking.
Because if you had thought aboutit, you would have said no.
And that is powerful.
I think a lot of times we doourselves a disservice because
we overthink it.
We allow that thought, all thosethoughts to take root.
(13:44):
What if I fail?
What if I embarrass myself?
What if I say the wrong thing,and so on.
And so, of course, we talkourselves into backing out.
So perhaps the solution whenfaced with a challenging thing
is to say yes and then figureout how.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Definitely, and be certainly be more uh spontaneous
in uh things like that, becausethat's what uh I was.
If I had not raised my headimmediately, then my all my my
rational mind and all the thefear would kick in and I
wouldn't.
So it's important also torecognize that when it comes
(14:24):
some uh really inspired idea,because that's what it was.
If if if I look at it now, itwas inspiration that led me to
raise my hand.
It happened very, very quickly,intuitively.
So when we have that, uh it'sgreat to allow it at the very
(14:45):
least, and not suppress it byoverthinking it, as you said.
Yes, definitely.
When you when you know thatsomething is right for you, you
kind of know.
SPEAKER_05 (14:55):
Uh yeah, and that is a whole conversation on the
power of intuition.
And intuition, I think, is theone that we need to trust more.
It's that gut feeling where yourbody knows this is good for you.
This is where you need to riseup to the occasion and speak up.
(15:16):
And then if you wait fiveseconds later, that's where your
rational mind kicks in and tellsyou, no, no, no, it's dangerous
to speak up.
So, yes, I think I agree withyou when it comes to intuition
versus reason.
Intuition needs to be allowed tobe the one that leads you.
And you also used an interestingword.
(15:38):
You said you you looked at it asthe public speaking part of it
as a challenge, and that youwere intrigued by it.
And I think that speaks to thatquiet achievers, you know, in
inside every one of us, there isthat potential that often we
don't tap into because we areafraid.
But then if we really thinkabout it, we think maybe I
(16:01):
could, maybe it's possible forme to.
Maybe I have what it takes to bethe podcast host, to be the
public speaker, to be theentrepreneur.
It's just that we are nottested.
So when you take it as achallenge, a challenge means
it's difficult, it's maybe justa little bit out of reach at the
moment, but you can rise to meetthat challenge.
(16:24):
You do have what it takes.
Maybe you need to get some extratraining, maybe you need some
extra support, but then you canget there.
And something in you know thatyou can get there, that you have
what it takes.
And I think just that wordchallenge alone is very
appealing to the intellectualside of the quiet achiever.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
Indeed, it is, because I think it implies the
word challenge, it implies apush forward of some kind, uh
transcending some limitation ofourself in some way.
So, yes, I agree with you.
Challenges are necessary.
I mean, that's and getting outof the comfort zone, that's
(17:08):
where the the progress happens.
It doesn't happen when you'redoing what you are comfortable
and familiar with.
That just keeps you, I mean, byby definition, when you think
about it, it keeps you in thesame position.
SPEAKER_05 (17:22):
Yes, it does keep you small.
It's like playing those computergames, and you are invited to
level up.
You know, you you conquer thethe obstacles and you go up
another level, and it's fun.
It's challenging, but it's fun.
So my next question for youwould be in becoming the person
(17:46):
that you are now and doing whatyou do now, how do you know if
you're making the right move?
Because one question that oftencomes up is what if it fails?
You know, what if I regret this?
So at each point, how did youdecide which way to go or
whether you should be turningback and going back to what's
(18:09):
safe?
SPEAKER_01 (18:12):
Yes, there are many levels there to this uh
question.
One element is the listening, Iwill use the word listening, but
it's not really listeningbecause I can't hear it through
my ears, but let's sayunderstanding what my body is
(18:35):
telling me.
So, for example, if I feel atightness in my chest, which is
or many people experience stressor anxiety in some form of
tightness, can be on the throat,the the abdomen, somewhere, I
pay attention to it rather thanyou know ignoring it.
(18:59):
So when you pay attention to itand you realize that I feel this
kind of uncomfortable, shall wesay, feeling, or feeling that uh
brings uh about some resistance,what am I doing there?
What is happening at this timeeither around me or inside my
(19:21):
head?
Because I can create a lot ofanxiety without leaving my desk
and just thinking aboutsomething.
SPEAKER_02 (19:29):
So um that's one thing to pay attention to that.
SPEAKER_01 (19:40):
When I realize that I am feeling in a certain way
that I don't like to be feeling,then I I do take the time to
reflect.
I have done this for years and Ihave seen some patterns that
happen.
And I will add conversely, thereis the the other side of it, is
(20:02):
when you are feeling I will sayuh content, happy, perhaps not
happy.
The word I am looking for, theword is enthusiastic.
That's more or inspired, orthese kinds of feelings.
When you feel that, for me it isa sign that you are going
(20:27):
towards uh the right direction.
So, as a you know, decision, thebig decision-making uh process,
I would really look at now,anyway, that I have become who I
have, I would look to which ofthe two sides is the one that
(20:49):
will make me feel you knowenergized, enthusiastic, uh
versus which option will make mefeel you know tight.
It will even even if I thinkabout something now, I can sense
a you know constriction of mymuscles.
(21:12):
I've I so I think payingattention to how our body uh
reacts to situations and tothoughts is a very good uh tool
to implement, to recognize, youknow, if you are on the right
path on the journey or or not.
(21:32):
Of course, you know, it it's notnecessarily something that one
can do immediately or easily,but it is again something that
the more you work on it, themore you learn to trust it and
follow it.
SPEAKER_05 (21:48):
That makes sense because we actually have access
to a lot of different kinds ofwisdom, but perhaps we have
overemphasized the intellect,the rational mind above all
else, and then we have perhapsfallen out of use, we have
(22:09):
stopped using or becomedisconnected from the other
kinds of wisdom, like theintuition you mentioned earlier,
and also this bodily wisdom,bodily intelligence, all the
signals that tell us which isthe right way to go.
And if we are not listening toall the intelligence together,
then we are missing out.
We we only have access to onesmall part.
(22:31):
But that's a really goodreminder to tune into the body
and to s to feel which way isthe right way.
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
Thank you for rephrasing it the way that you
did.
It's uh it's very I reallyenjoyed listening to you to you
saying back to me what I said.
Very thank you.
SPEAKER_05 (22:52):
You're very welcome.
Question about your podcast.
What inspired you to start thepersonal development mastery
podcast?
And how has it shaped you andshaped your journey?
SPEAKER_01 (23:05):
Uh it I started it in February 2020.
So one month before the thelockdowns uh happened.
That was my second podcast.
Uh, two years before I hadstarted uh my first podcast with
a co-host.
And uh in 2020, I started mypersonal development mastery
because of the desire I wantedto interview people, to learn
(23:29):
from people rather than have uha partner, a co-host, and you
know, speak uh between us, whichwas fun, but I wanted something
different.
So it started as me um exploringhow it feels to you know speak
with people and ask themquestions, and very quickly I
realized that wow, this I enjoydoing very much.
(23:53):
And just after uh you know, acouple of months later, everyone
was locked inside their houseand there was so much more time.
So I started doing two episodesa week, and then I realized uh,
first of all, how long it takes,how much work a podcast uh
takes.
But uh, more important thanthat, I realized that this is
(24:16):
not I'm not doing this as ahobby anymore.
This is really becoming apassion uh for me.
And then another couple of yearsdown the line, I realized that
that passion has started turninginto a mission, which is now,
and uh hence you know the 527episodes we have today uh and
(24:39):
carrying on.
Uh I don't know if that answersyour question.
SPEAKER_05 (24:46):
It does, it does.
And it's also emphasized to methat what started out as an
experiment, something you didfor fun, it was a hobby, and
then it became a passion, andthen over time it became a
mission.
And I think when it's reachedthat level, when it's a mission,
(25:07):
that is something bigger thanourselves.
It's no longer about just for myown pleasure.
You realize that it's of serviceto other people, you realize
it's touching people, changingpeople's lives.
Perhaps you get feedback,perhaps people leave comments
and reviews to tell you how muchyour podcast means to them or
you know how something you saidin a particular episode
(25:30):
resonates with them.
SPEAKER_01 (25:32):
Yes.
That makes uh such a it's as Iwas saying earlier about the
external validation.
When you have uh a listener, andI will invite now anyone
listening to the Quiet Warriorpodcast to reach out to Serene
and say, I listen to thisconversation.
Because it it means a lot to usas uh podcast hosts to uh
(25:54):
receive uh that.
Uh otherwise, we're justspeaking in front of a
microphone.
It is it is uh different thanpublic speaking in that sense.
It's not you know in front ofpeople, you can't sense the
energy of the people.
SPEAKER_05 (26:09):
That is so true.
We could be speaking into thevoid and not know that anyone is
listening.
SPEAKER_01 (26:15):
That's also, I think, uh a risk and a fear that
we have to overcome because youknow, you never know when you
start doing this if anyone willlisten.
I think that's the probably themost common fear I've
encountered uh when I had wascoaching others to start their
podcast.
Who will listen to me?
I know that question very well.
(26:35):
I also had the same question.
SPEAKER_05 (26:37):
I think we all do.
Anyone that attempts to come outof their comfort zone to start
something from scratch, buildsomething from the ground up
with no community, no way ofvalidating just yet, because you
are starting at day zero, thatis the I think that is the
admission price.
(26:59):
And you have to be willing toaccept that.
Maybe nobody will listen, maybenobody will respond, but I'm
still going to show up and I'mstill going to speak and I'm
still going to share my messagebecause it's important to me.
It's part of my purpose.
And I find that the the energythat you put out will be
reciprocated by people thatshare that energy, that
(27:22):
frequency, who are thinkingabout the same things, who are
also maybe kept up at night, notable to sleep because they are
pondering big issues like theones you talk about in your
podcast.
And something in there will landat the right time with the right
person.
unknown (27:39):
Yes.
SPEAKER_05 (27:39):
And that is magical.
And we we can't predict that, wecan't control that, and that's
why we keep showing up.
SPEAKER_02 (27:46):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (27:47):
And may I add to that that it is uh not about the
quantity or the numbers of uhhow many uh this is it is not a
numbers game, even though it isquite you know, for for many it
shows like it is, but it is notbecause the uh as you said, you
(28:10):
will attract the the people whoresonate with your vibration,
with your message that arelooking for what you have to
offer.
SPEAKER_05 (28:21):
Um so for someone who is listening to this
conversation and who is thinkingof how can I stop drifting, how
can I start livingintentionally, how can I find my
clarity and my purpose?
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (28:44):
Uh the first thing I would do would be to take some
time to myself, uh, preferablyyou know in nature, but it
doesn't have to be if you livein the middle of the city, but
even though you can go to apark.
Take some time with a piece ofpaper and or a general and write
(29:06):
down how you're feeling, how youwould like to feel.
Uh generally, write down.
I mean, there are so many thingsthat I could uh discuss uh as an
answer to your question, but Iwill generally put it if you
haven't done so, write down allthose things that don't allow,
(29:26):
don't just leave them be uhthoughts inside your head.
There is a different kind ofclarity and power when they are
uh written down.
So that's one thing I would uhsay that gives some initial
clarity or some a lot ofclarity, depending on what
(29:47):
exercises you you do.
The other thing which is uh moreum, let's say, taking some
different kind of action.
But I would invite someonelistening now to the
conversation and has exactlythat question that you had uh
Sharina, I would say follow youruh curiosity.
SPEAKER_02 (30:15):
So if there is if you have something that you have
been intrigued about, take somesmall action towards it.
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
You don't have to commit to anything, you don't
have to, you know, do anythinguh difficult, but take some
small action towards it.
Like you know, write an email toa person that can help you with
that, or go to uh the website, awebsite, and check out
information about a topic thatyou are intrigued about.
(30:50):
Take some little action.
That's if you are at that stagethat you really don't know what
you would like to do, take somesmall action towards the thing
that intrigues you.
It's different for different uhfrom anyone, but I think we we
(31:13):
know.
I mean, uh, if you if you run ifyou can't think of anything that
intrigues you, which some peopleuh might say that, uh even
though it is uh a very effectiveblock of it.
But if even if you don't have uhsomething to intrigue you, you
can think about when you were achild.
What did you love doing as achild, or what did you want to
(31:38):
be when you would grow up?
So maybe these are some placesyou know to start exploring, and
that's all I'm suggestingbecause the the um you know
finding clarity, meaning,purpose, all these uh things
that uh people say or throwaround easily.
(31:58):
In my experience, it doesn'thappen, at least for most
people, it doesn't happensuddenly and in one moment.
It is something that you create,you have to progress toward or
go on a journey uh toward.
(32:18):
So, yeah, these are some umpractical things.
Follow your uh curiosity.
Uh, I like people very much thephrase joyful exploration, uh
joy joyous exploration.
So, whatever it is, explore it.
See, if you like it, you willcarry on doing it.
You won't have no one will haveto motivate you to do it because
(32:41):
you something will open insideof you, if I can put it like
that.
SPEAKER_05 (32:48):
And I think that's a very good way to round up this
conversation.
I noticed a couple of differentthemes, but the the universal
thread that seems to go runthrough this um conversation
we've had is the power ofcuriosity, of noticing the
things that intrigue us, becauseyou've used that word several
times today.
Of it's so it's not that thatpurpose is something that's
(33:12):
outside of us that we have to gohunting for as though we don't
know what it is.
I think at the very deep level,all of us know, or at least we
have some idea of what thatpurpose, that calling, that that
bigger thing is.
Maybe we just haven't identifiedit in a certain way.
Maybe it's not conscious, it'sjust below the level where we
(33:37):
are really conscious of it.
Maybe it's just that we havebecome too busy or we think too
much.
And so, you know, that thebusyness of daily life sort of
buries that a little bit.
But if we follow the curiosity,there are clues.
You mentioned childhood, and Ithink as children, we knew what
we liked.
Before we were told we can't dothis and you can't do that, and
(33:59):
that doesn't make money, andthat's not a good profession.
We knew what we liked, and thosethings don't disappear.
They will find some way toexpress themselves repeatedly.
So 30, 40, 50 years later, youknow, it comes back in some
different form.
So it's a matter of noticing,and like you said at the start
(34:19):
of this conversation, knowthyself.
Because when we take time toreally know ourselves, we we
recognize, we realize actually,I know this stuff, I know
myself, I know what I reallylike.
Then the next step is, ofcourse, is what you said about
taking that little step towardsthe next step, taking that
(34:41):
action, coming out of yourcomfort zone, doing that one
brave thing.
So, what is the best way, Aggie,for people to get in touch with
you and connect with you?
SPEAKER_01 (34:50):
If you enjoyed listening uh to this, my podcast
is called Personal DevelopmentMastery.
You will uh find it uh AppleSpotify everywhere.
My website is personaldevelopmentmastery podcast.com.
So you can find me.
Uh the thing with my name, AgiKeramidas, is that there is no
(35:10):
other one.
So if you manage to type itcorrectly on uh the Instagram,
LinkedIn, etc., you will findit.
There is no other one.
Uh I won't, I'm not even goingto try to spell it, it's okay.
But uh the best the best way isuh certainly my my podcast.
If you have enjoyed listening tothis, uh please uh join along
(35:34):
there and message me throughthere.
SPEAKER_05 (35:36):
Yes, we'll make sure to include all the relevant
links in the show notes.
So make sure if you're listeningto this and you have enjoyed
this conversation with AggieCoromedas, do check out the
Personal Development Masterypodcast on all the podcasting
apps.
So thank you so much, Aggie, forsharing your time and your
wisdom with us today.
SPEAKER_01 (35:54):
It was a real pleasure.
Thank you, Serena, for thequestions that allowed me to
express what I did.
SPEAKER_05 (36:01):
You're very welcome.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave a five-star
rating and review to help theQuiet Warrior Podcast reach more
introverts and quiet achieversaround the world.
And for resources on how tothrive as an introvert, make
sure to join the visibleintrovert community at
serenaloe.com.au.
See you on the next episode.
(36:25):
I'm so grateful that you're heretoday.
SPEAKER_04 (36:27):
If you found this content valuable, please share
it on your social media channelsand subscribe to the show on
your favorite listeningplatform.
Together we can help moreintroverts thrive.
SPEAKER_05 (36:38):
To receive more uplifting content like this,
connect with me on Instagram atSerenalo Quiet Warrior Coach.
Thank you for sharing your timeand your energy with me.
See you on the next episode.
Hi, I'm Serena Lowe.
If you're used to hearing thatintroverts are shy, anxious,
antisocial, and lack goodcommunication and leadership
skills, then this podcast is foryou.
You're about to fall in lovewith a calm, introspective, and
profound person that you are.
Discover what's fun, unique, andpowerful about being an
(00:22):
introvert and how to make theelegant transition from quiet
achiever to quiet warrior inyour life and work, anytime you
want, in more ways than youimagined possible.
Welcome.
SPEAKER_05 (00:37):
Hello and welcome.
Today's guest on the QuietWarrior Podcast is Aggie
Karamidas.
Aggie's journey of personaldevelopment led him from a
successful dental career tobecoming a podcaster, mentor,
coach, and author.
He's the host of the PersonalDevelopment Mastery Podcast,
which has over 500 episodes andranks in the global top 1% and
(01:02):
distills transformationalinsights into practical,
actionable steps.
Aggie's mission is not toinform, but to influence, to
inspire action, ignite growth,and help others to create a life
of purpose and fulfillment.
While he values formaleducation, he believes that it
is the power of self-educationand lived experience that drives
(01:26):
lasting transformation.
Welcome, Aggie Caramedes, to theQuiet Warrior Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:32):
Thank you very much, Serena, for this uh kind
introduction.
It's a real pleasure to be herewith you today.
SPEAKER_05 (01:39):
Aggie, my first question has to be formal
education.
We still live in a culture thatprizes going to university,
getting the degree, getting thejob.
So, what triggered your shiftfrom dentistry to the work you
now do?
SPEAKER_01 (02:00):
Yes, and I think that uh there is happening that
uh importance, shall we say, ofthe formal education?
I think nowadays, with the veryyoung generation, it uh it feels
to me anyway that it's waning,which is uh it's good in many
ways.
Uh but certainly when uh I grewup, uh university was uh going
(02:22):
to university was a sign ofstatus.
You know, you were someone,somewhere important by uh going
to university.
To answer your question, what uhasked me, what uh triggered my
change, it was uh my heart's uhdesire when I realized after
(02:42):
many years of uh working indental practice.
So I've I worked for over 20years, but many years afterwards
I realized that that's not whatI want to be doing for the rest
of my life until I retire.
I don't want to live the samelife that my mom lived.
I'm giving my mom as an examplebecause she was a dentist as
(03:05):
well, so she retired fromdentistry.
So that triggered, you know, thechange.
Of course, it uh it has manymore layers than that, but uh
I'm giving an overview now.
SPEAKER_05 (03:19):
Yes.
And I think it's not easy, andI'm sure at every stage of that
transition, you probably askedyourself a lot of questions and
you had some doubts about whatyou were doing.
So, what kept you going?
What kept you moving on to thenext step and the next step away
from the dentistry towards whatyou are doing now?
(03:40):
Did you have an idea when youwere starting to feel restless
or dissatisfied about dentistry,what you wanted to do next?
SPEAKER_01 (03:49):
At that time I had no idea whatsoever.
And that was uh now eight yearsago when I first realized that
uh this is not for me for uh thefuture.
So uh, and I had just finishedthe master's degree in uh
aesthetic dentistry, so that uhshows the how much I valued uh
formal education.
(04:11):
Uh since then, hmm.
To answer your question, I hadno idea at that time, and that's
why I embarked on, I like tocall it a journey of uh
self-exploration, to figure outuh some things about myself,
which I never had uh consideredbefore.
(04:36):
So I was just 40, 40, 41, and Irealized when someone asked me
what's most important to you inyour life, I realized that I
didn't have an answer that I hadreflected on.
So some simple things like thatthat led me to little by little
uncover my uh what I wanted todo.
(04:57):
So no, it didn't happen justlike that.
It was uh a gradual process, uha journey.
I like the word uh journey, andstill is.
SPEAKER_05 (05:09):
Yes.
And I'm glad you mentioned thatit's a journey and a gradual
process because sometimes we canget very impatient, especially
if we've started off being thehigh achiever, the quiet
achiever, if grades came fairlyeasily and success came early,
and then you know you hit 40,50, and you start questioning
(05:32):
your existence or your identity,or where am I going with this?
And if I'm not happy to do thistill retirement, then I still
have quite a few decades ofproductivity left.
How will I use this time?
How will I use my my gifts andmy talents?
And that is actually quite ahuge question to ask ourselves
(05:54):
at a later season in life ascompared to when we're 18 or in
our 20s.
SPEAKER_01 (06:00):
I don't think my an 18, at least when I was 18, that
was the last question.
Even if you forced me to thinkabout that, I would say leave me
alone.
But of course, uh, there are uhreally important uh questions uh
for someone to consider to youknow the the the phrase uh know
(06:21):
thyself, sometimes I think thatin those two words, I can't
think of anything more profoundwisdom in such a condensed uh uh
you know sentence.
It's really uh yeah, it'severything, know yourself, know
thyself.
SPEAKER_05 (06:40):
Yes, I agree with you.
If we really reflect on knowthyself and what it means and
what it means for us, we wouldstart questioning a lot more and
we might arrive at some verysurprising answers.
So, my next question to you youmentioned being shy and
introverted.
How did you go from that tobecoming a public speaker and a
(07:01):
podcast host?
SPEAKER_01 (07:04):
Uh again, that was a journey, even though a much
shorter journey, but it stillwas not something that happened
overnight.
It happened over the period of afew months, actually.
It started when I went to a TonyRobbins event, and then I had a
realization, a big light bulbmoment, that this shyness that
(07:25):
you uh said, and me being veryreserved in social situations,
not being comfortable aroundpeople that I didn't know.
So all these things came as arealization that this was my
behavior, not who Iintrinsically am as a person,
that's simply a set of behaviorsthat I have exhibited all my
(07:47):
life.
And I realized that I don't wantto, for the rest of my life, to
be the person that is shy to youknow walk up to another person
that they don't know and say,Hi, how are you?
Because I couldn't do that.
I was terrified to do that.
So when I realized that this wasnot who I was, but instead it
(08:08):
was a set of beliefs or a voice,if you want, playing at the back
of my head, then I startedtaking actions to change that.
And because public speaking wassomething that I was very afraid
of, first of all, but alsosomething that I felt intrigued
by, and I mean intrigued in theterms of a challenge.
(08:31):
I went to there was a freeevent, and I went there to see
without any, you know, uhexpectation for you to speak on
stage or anything.
But at some point the presentersaid, Who would like to come to
the stage and help me withsomething?
And I raised my head before Ieven thought about it.
Because if I had thought aboutit, I would certainly not have
(08:53):
done that.
But you know, I went on thestage, I just wrote some things,
and I realized that okay, Ididn't die, nothing really bad
happened while I was there.
I didn't make a fool of myselfin all those things that I was,
and many people I suppose thefear of public speaking is
because of that, that fear ofbeing judged, of being
(09:14):
criticized, or even ostracizedin the ancient times.
So one thing led to another, andafter that day, a couple of
months afterwards, I signed up.
I signed up for a five-daypublic speaking bootcamp, which
that was a very powerfultransformation because I walked
(09:34):
in on a Monday morning wonderingthat my accent is really a
downside, and the way that Ispeak uh because of my Greek
accent makes it difficult forpeople to understand me.
That was my set of beliefs.
And I walked out on that week onuh Friday evening, having
(09:57):
delivered two speeches withoutany notes in front of the whole
uh you know classroom.
It was about 20 people that wewere.
So it was very uh I think ifthere was one answer to uh the
way that you asked me thequestion, then what I did was
(10:20):
get myself out of the comfortzone and do something that I
knew it would be difficult forme to face.
But since that time, I you knowsomething changes when you hear
other people give you feedbackand say, Oh, your voice is
(10:41):
really or your accent, I couldlisten to it all day.
That's uh what someone told me.
And I thought, oh my god, I hadnever received any feedback like
that from anyone.
So when you get, and I know I'mdigressing now, but when you get
uh validation, externalvalidation from others, that
really helps you reinforce thenew beliefs that you are
(11:05):
starting to uh make or that youwould like to make.
So I'll take a pause herebecause I have gone to a
completely different uhdirection.
SPEAKER_05 (11:16):
Thank you so much for that, Aggie.
I think we touched on a few veryimportant points.
The first thing you said wasthat the feedback was validation
for you because we have oneconversation running in our own
heads, which is usually dictatedby our inner critic.
And we can be pretty harsh onourselves, introverts and quiet
(11:38):
achievers, particularly and highachievers.
So we are used to criticizingourselves and being very
judgmental.
But then when you balance thatagainst how other people see
you, then you realize oh, peoplesee me differently.
People actually appreciate myaccent.
My accent is my superpower.
My accent makes me stand out, itmakes me more visible because
(11:59):
people will remember me as beingthat person that speaks with a
Greek accent and a resonantvoice, and that makes you
memorable.
So that's one way of looking atit.
And you also talked about thefear of public speaking, which I
think is a general universalfear all the world over,
regardless of whether we areintroverted or extroverted.
(12:22):
Everyone fears, like you said,you know, in ancient times it
was fear of ostracism.
In some ways, it still is thisfear of judgments, fear of being
the only person standing in thespotlight, everybody looking at
you, waiting for you to fail.
But I think what I've alsolearned from my own speaking
experience is that actuallypeople are rooting for you
(12:43):
because nobody goes to an eventand wishes for the speaker to be
awful.
Exactly.
And then they have to sit therefor one hour and listen to them
speak terribly.
They want that person tosucceed.
They want that person to doreally well, tell interesting
stories, say something relevant,drop something wise.
And so then everybody goes homehappy.
(13:04):
So I think when we think aboutit like that, when we remember
that we ourselves as audiencemembers are silently cheering
for that person who is braveenough to get up on that stage
and stand in the spotlight, Ithink we start to feel quite
differently about ourselves.
SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
Yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_05 (13:22):
But you also said something else that that was
interesting, and that is thatyou put up your hand and said
yes without thinking.
Because if you had thought aboutit, you would have said no.
And that is powerful.
I think a lot of times we doourselves a disservice because
we overthink it.
We allow that thought, all thosethoughts to take root.
(13:44):
What if I fail?
What if I embarrass myself?
What if I say the wrong thing,and so on.
And so, of course, we talkourselves into backing out.
So perhaps the solution whenfaced with a challenging thing
is to say yes and then figureout how.
SPEAKER_01 (14:01):
Definitely, and be certainly be more uh spontaneous
in uh things like that, becausethat's what uh I was.
If I had not raised my headimmediately, then my all my my
rational mind and all the thefear would kick in and I
wouldn't.
So it's important also torecognize that when it comes
(14:24):
some uh really inspired idea,because that's what it was.
If if if I look at it now, itwas inspiration that led me to
raise my hand.
It happened very, very quickly,intuitively.
So when we have that, uh it'sgreat to allow it at the very
(14:45):
least, and not suppress it byoverthinking it, as you said.
Yes, definitely.
When you when you know thatsomething is right for you, you
kind of know.
SPEAKER_05 (14:55):
Uh yeah, and that is a whole conversation on the
power of intuition.
And intuition, I think, is theone that we need to trust more.
It's that gut feeling where yourbody knows this is good for you.
This is where you need to riseup to the occasion and speak up.
(15:16):
And then if you wait fiveseconds later, that's where your
rational mind kicks in and tellsyou, no, no, no, it's dangerous
to speak up.
So, yes, I think I agree withyou when it comes to intuition
versus reason.
Intuition needs to be allowed tobe the one that leads you.
And you also used an interestingword.
(15:38):
You said you you looked at it asthe public speaking part of it
as a challenge, and that youwere intrigued by it.
And I think that speaks to thatquiet achievers, you know, in
inside every one of us, there isthat potential that often we
don't tap into because we areafraid.
But then if we really thinkabout it, we think maybe I
(16:01):
could, maybe it's possible forme to.
Maybe I have what it takes to bethe podcast host, to be the
public speaker, to be theentrepreneur.
It's just that we are nottested.
So when you take it as achallenge, a challenge means
it's difficult, it's maybe justa little bit out of reach at the
moment, but you can rise to meetthat challenge.
(16:24):
You do have what it takes.
Maybe you need to get some extratraining, maybe you need some
extra support, but then you canget there.
And something in you know thatyou can get there, that you have
what it takes.
And I think just that wordchallenge alone is very
appealing to the intellectualside of the quiet achiever.
SPEAKER_01 (16:45):
Indeed, it is, because I think it implies the
word challenge, it implies apush forward of some kind, uh
transcending some limitation ofourself in some way.
So, yes, I agree with you.
Challenges are necessary.
I mean, that's and getting outof the comfort zone, that's
(17:08):
where the the progress happens.
It doesn't happen when you'redoing what you are comfortable
and familiar with.
That just keeps you, I mean, byby definition, when you think
about it, it keeps you in thesame position.
SPEAKER_05 (17:22):
Yes, it does keep you small.
It's like playing those computergames, and you are invited to
level up.
You know, you you conquer thethe obstacles and you go up
another level, and it's fun.
It's challenging, but it's fun.
So my next question for youwould be in becoming the person
(17:46):
that you are now and doing whatyou do now, how do you know if
you're making the right move?
Because one question that oftencomes up is what if it fails?
You know, what if I regret this?
So at each point, how did youdecide which way to go or
whether you should be turningback and going back to what's
(18:09):
safe?
SPEAKER_01 (18:12):
Yes, there are many levels there to this uh
question.
One element is the listening, Iwill use the word listening, but
it's not really listeningbecause I can't hear it through
my ears, but let's sayunderstanding what my body is
(18:35):
telling me.
So, for example, if I feel atightness in my chest, which is
or many people experience stressor anxiety in some form of
tightness, can be on the throat,the the abdomen, somewhere, I
pay attention to it rather thanyou know ignoring it.
(18:59):
So when you pay attention to itand you realize that I feel this
kind of uncomfortable, shall wesay, feeling, or feeling that uh
brings uh about some resistance,what am I doing there?
What is happening at this timeeither around me or inside my
(19:21):
head?
Because I can create a lot ofanxiety without leaving my desk
and just thinking aboutsomething.
SPEAKER_02 (19:29):
So um that's one thing to pay attention to that.
SPEAKER_01 (19:40):
When I realize that I am feeling in a certain way
that I don't like to be feeling,then I I do take the time to
reflect.
I have done this for years and Ihave seen some patterns that
happen.
And I will add conversely, thereis the the other side of it, is
(20:02):
when you are feeling I will sayuh content, happy, perhaps not
happy.
The word I am looking for, theword is enthusiastic.
That's more or inspired, orthese kinds of feelings.
When you feel that, for me it isa sign that you are going
(20:27):
towards uh the right direction.
So, as a you know, decision, thebig decision-making uh process,
I would really look at now,anyway, that I have become who I
have, I would look to which ofthe two sides is the one that
(20:49):
will make me feel you knowenergized, enthusiastic, uh
versus which option will make mefeel you know tight.
It will even even if I thinkabout something now, I can sense
a you know constriction of mymuscles.
(21:12):
I've I so I think payingattention to how our body uh
reacts to situations and tothoughts is a very good uh tool
to implement, to recognize, youknow, if you are on the right
path on the journey or or not.
(21:32):
Of course, you know, it it's notnecessarily something that one
can do immediately or easily,but it is again something that
the more you work on it, themore you learn to trust it and
follow it.
SPEAKER_05 (21:48):
That makes sense because we actually have access
to a lot of different kinds ofwisdom, but perhaps we have
overemphasized the intellect,the rational mind above all
else, and then we have perhapsfallen out of use, we have
(22:09):
stopped using or becomedisconnected from the other
kinds of wisdom, like theintuition you mentioned earlier,
and also this bodily wisdom,bodily intelligence, all the
signals that tell us which isthe right way to go.
And if we are not listening toall the intelligence together,
then we are missing out.
We we only have access to onesmall part.
(22:31):
But that's a really goodreminder to tune into the body
and to s to feel which way isthe right way.
SPEAKER_01 (22:41):
Thank you for rephrasing it the way that you
did.
It's uh it's very I reallyenjoyed listening to you to you
saying back to me what I said.
Very thank you.
SPEAKER_05 (22:52):
You're very welcome.
Question about your podcast.
What inspired you to start thepersonal development mastery
podcast?
And how has it shaped you andshaped your journey?
SPEAKER_01 (23:05):
Uh it I started it in February 2020.
So one month before the thelockdowns uh happened.
That was my second podcast.
Uh, two years before I hadstarted uh my first podcast with
a co-host.
And uh in 2020, I started mypersonal development mastery
because of the desire I wantedto interview people, to learn
(23:29):
from people rather than have uha partner, a co-host, and you
know, speak uh between us, whichwas fun, but I wanted something
different.
So it started as me um exploringhow it feels to you know speak
with people and ask themquestions, and very quickly I
realized that wow, this I enjoydoing very much.
(23:53):
And just after uh you know, acouple of months later, everyone
was locked inside their houseand there was so much more time.
So I started doing two episodesa week, and then I realized uh,
first of all, how long it takes,how much work a podcast uh
takes.
But uh, more important thanthat, I realized that this is
(24:16):
not I'm not doing this as ahobby anymore.
This is really becoming apassion uh for me.
And then another couple of yearsdown the line, I realized that
that passion has started turninginto a mission, which is now,
and uh hence you know the 527episodes we have today uh and
(24:39):
carrying on.
Uh I don't know if that answersyour question.
SPEAKER_05 (24:46):
It does, it does.
And it's also emphasized to methat what started out as an
experiment, something you didfor fun, it was a hobby, and
then it became a passion, andthen over time it became a
mission.
And I think when it's reachedthat level, when it's a mission,
(25:07):
that is something bigger thanourselves.
It's no longer about just for myown pleasure.
You realize that it's of serviceto other people, you realize
it's touching people, changingpeople's lives.
Perhaps you get feedback,perhaps people leave comments
and reviews to tell you how muchyour podcast means to them or
you know how something you saidin a particular episode
(25:30):
resonates with them.
SPEAKER_01 (25:32):
Yes.
That makes uh such a it's as Iwas saying earlier about the
external validation.
When you have uh a listener, andI will invite now anyone
listening to the Quiet Warriorpodcast to reach out to Serene
and say, I listen to thisconversation.
Because it it means a lot to usas uh podcast hosts to uh
(25:54):
receive uh that.
Uh otherwise, we're justspeaking in front of a
microphone.
It is it is uh different thanpublic speaking in that sense.
It's not you know in front ofpeople, you can't sense the
energy of the people.
SPEAKER_05 (26:09):
That is so true.
We could be speaking into thevoid and not know that anyone is
listening.
SPEAKER_01 (26:15):
That's also, I think, uh a risk and a fear that
we have to overcome because youknow, you never know when you
start doing this if anyone willlisten.
I think that's the probably themost common fear I've
encountered uh when I had wascoaching others to start their
podcast.
Who will listen to me?
I know that question very well.
(26:35):
I also had the same question.
SPEAKER_05 (26:37):
I think we all do.
Anyone that attempts to come outof their comfort zone to start
something from scratch, buildsomething from the ground up
with no community, no way ofvalidating just yet, because you
are starting at day zero, thatis the I think that is the
admission price.
(26:59):
And you have to be willing toaccept that.
Maybe nobody will listen, maybenobody will respond, but I'm
still going to show up and I'mstill going to speak and I'm
still going to share my messagebecause it's important to me.
It's part of my purpose.
And I find that the the energythat you put out will be
reciprocated by people thatshare that energy, that
(27:22):
frequency, who are thinkingabout the same things, who are
also maybe kept up at night, notable to sleep because they are
pondering big issues like theones you talk about in your
podcast.
And something in there will landat the right time with the right
person.
unknown (27:39):
Yes.
SPEAKER_05 (27:39):
And that is magical.
And we we can't predict that, wecan't control that, and that's
why we keep showing up.
SPEAKER_02 (27:46):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (27:47):
And may I add to that that it is uh not about the
quantity or the numbers of uhhow many uh this is it is not a
numbers game, even though it isquite you know, for for many it
shows like it is, but it is notbecause the uh as you said, you
(28:10):
will attract the the people whoresonate with your vibration,
with your message that arelooking for what you have to
offer.
SPEAKER_05 (28:21):
Um so for someone who is listening to this
conversation and who is thinkingof how can I stop drifting, how
can I start livingintentionally, how can I find my
clarity and my purpose?
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (28:44):
Uh the first thing I would do would be to take some
time to myself, uh, preferablyyou know in nature, but it
doesn't have to be if you livein the middle of the city, but
even though you can go to apark.
Take some time with a piece ofpaper and or a general and write
(29:06):
down how you're feeling, how youwould like to feel.
Uh generally, write down.
I mean, there are so many thingsthat I could uh discuss uh as an
answer to your question, but Iwill generally put it if you
haven't done so, write down allthose things that don't allow,
(29:26):
don't just leave them be uhthoughts inside your head.
There is a different kind ofclarity and power when they are
uh written down.
So that's one thing I would uhsay that gives some initial
clarity or some a lot ofclarity, depending on what
(29:47):
exercises you you do.
The other thing which is uh moreum, let's say, taking some
different kind of action.
But I would invite someonelistening now to the
conversation and has exactlythat question that you had uh
Sharina, I would say follow youruh curiosity.
SPEAKER_02 (30:15):
So if there is if you have something that you have
been intrigued about, take somesmall action towards it.
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
You don't have to commit to anything, you don't
have to, you know, do anythinguh difficult, but take some
small action towards it.
Like you know, write an email toa person that can help you with
that, or go to uh the website, awebsite, and check out
information about a topic thatyou are intrigued about.
(30:50):
Take some little action.
That's if you are at that stagethat you really don't know what
you would like to do, take somesmall action towards the thing
that intrigues you.
It's different for different uhfrom anyone, but I think we we
(31:13):
know.
I mean, uh, if you if you run ifyou can't think of anything that
intrigues you, which some peopleuh might say that, uh even
though it is uh a very effectiveblock of it.
But if even if you don't have uhsomething to intrigue you, you
can think about when you were achild.
What did you love doing as achild, or what did you want to
(31:38):
be when you would grow up?
So maybe these are some placesyou know to start exploring, and
that's all I'm suggestingbecause the the um you know
finding clarity, meaning,purpose, all these uh things
that uh people say or throwaround easily.
(31:58):
In my experience, it doesn'thappen, at least for most
people, it doesn't happensuddenly and in one moment.
It is something that you create,you have to progress toward or
go on a journey uh toward.
(32:18):
So, yeah, these are some umpractical things.
Follow your uh curiosity.
Uh, I like people very much thephrase joyful exploration, uh
joy joyous exploration.
So, whatever it is, explore it.
See, if you like it, you willcarry on doing it.
You won't have no one will haveto motivate you to do it because
(32:41):
you something will open insideof you, if I can put it like
that.
SPEAKER_05 (32:48):
And I think that's a very good way to round up this
conversation.
I noticed a couple of differentthemes, but the the universal
thread that seems to go runthrough this um conversation
we've had is the power ofcuriosity, of noticing the
things that intrigue us, becauseyou've used that word several
times today.
Of it's so it's not that thatpurpose is something that's
(33:12):
outside of us that we have to gohunting for as though we don't
know what it is.
I think at the very deep level,all of us know, or at least we
have some idea of what thatpurpose, that calling, that that
bigger thing is.
Maybe we just haven't identifiedit in a certain way.
Maybe it's not conscious, it'sjust below the level where we
(33:37):
are really conscious of it.
Maybe it's just that we havebecome too busy or we think too
much.
And so, you know, that thebusyness of daily life sort of
buries that a little bit.
But if we follow the curiosity,there are clues.
You mentioned childhood, and Ithink as children, we knew what
we liked.
Before we were told we can't dothis and you can't do that, and
(33:59):
that doesn't make money, andthat's not a good profession.
We knew what we liked, and thosethings don't disappear.
They will find some way toexpress themselves repeatedly.
So 30, 40, 50 years later, youknow, it comes back in some
different form.
So it's a matter of noticing,and like you said at the start
(34:19):
of this conversation, knowthyself.
Because when we take time toreally know ourselves, we we
recognize, we realize actually,I know this stuff, I know
myself, I know what I reallylike.
Then the next step is, ofcourse, is what you said about
taking that little step towardsthe next step, taking that
(34:41):
action, coming out of yourcomfort zone, doing that one
brave thing.
So, what is the best way, Aggie,for people to get in touch with
you and connect with you?
SPEAKER_01 (34:50):
If you enjoyed listening uh to this, my podcast
is called Personal DevelopmentMastery.
You will uh find it uh AppleSpotify everywhere.
My website is personaldevelopmentmastery podcast.com.
So you can find me.
Uh the thing with my name, AgiKeramidas, is that there is no
(35:10):
other one.
So if you manage to type itcorrectly on uh the Instagram,
LinkedIn, etc., you will findit.
There is no other one.
Uh I won't, I'm not even goingto try to spell it, it's okay.
But uh the best the best way isuh certainly my my podcast.
If you have enjoyed listening tothis, uh please uh join along
(35:34):
there and message me throughthere.
SPEAKER_05 (35:36):
Yes, we'll make sure to include all the relevant
links in the show notes.
So make sure if you're listeningto this and you have enjoyed
this conversation with AggieCoromedas, do check out the
Personal Development Masterypodcast on all the podcasting
apps.
So thank you so much, Aggie, forsharing your time and your
wisdom with us today.
SPEAKER_01 (35:54):
It was a real pleasure.
Thank you, Serena, for thequestions that allowed me to
express what I did.
SPEAKER_05 (36:01):
You're very welcome.
If you enjoyed today's episode,be sure to leave a five-star
rating and review to help theQuiet Warrior Podcast reach more
introverts and quiet achieversaround the world.
And for resources on how tothrive as an introvert, make
sure to join the visibleintrovert community at
serenaloe.com.au.
See you on the next episode.
(36:25):
I'm so grateful that you're heretoday.
SPEAKER_04 (36:27):
If you found this content valuable, please share
it on your social media channelsand subscribe to the show on
your favorite listeningplatform.
Together we can help moreintroverts thrive.
SPEAKER_05 (36:38):
To receive more uplifting content like this,
connect with me on Instagram atSerenalo Quiet Warrior Coach.
Thank you for sharing your timeand your energy with me.
See you on the next episode.
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