Spread Joy, Reduce Suffering (ft. Craig Scharton)
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What life-changing event did Craig Scharton experience at 23?
One of the best things that ever happened to me, I would say, is that I got cancer when I was 23. I realized that we have one very precious life and I wanted to make sure and do good with the one I had and use it all up. And so I've been very fortunate to try to do things that had meaning. This life is an incredible gift and squandering gifts leads to a lot of unhappiness.
Welcome to Digital Voices, where healthcare and life science leaders explore the real work behind transformation. This podcast is about people, leadership, and the conversations that move healthcare forward. Now your host, Ed Marks.
Welcome to another edition of Digital Voices. Thanks for listening. We know you have a lot of different choices. So many great podcasts out there to listen and watch. And you chose us and we make it worth your while because we have amazing guests like Craig Sharton. Craig, welcome to Digital Voices. Hey, great to see you again, Ed. It's great seeing you. And I want to describe how we first met. So it was really only recently. So I heard about all the great things that you were doing at Connect Labs Charlotte, which we're going to get into in a big way. So I reached out. I think we had a mutual friend brought us together. Yes, Sandeep, a mutual friend brought us together. Very thankful for him. And I was like, wow, I cannot believe that something like this is being built.
And so you were kind enough. I think we're like almost like on the first day of some of the parts where we could actually walk in without, you know, wearing protective gear and check out this amazing facility. I don't want to steal the thunder. It'll come. You'll share it in a few minutes here. Before we get into all that, Craig, I have to ask what songs are on your playlist?
Oh, my gosh. This time of year, I have my bizarre holiday track, which is the Hanukkah song by Adam Sandler. Love it. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, and Merry Christmas with the Family by Robert Earl Keene. Those are the top three that come to mind, but they're all, as you can tell, have a humorous bent to them. Yeah.
Yeah, those are great. And I haven't heard of Robert Carle King's name in a while.
Yeah, I'm a big fan. Although that song is inappropriate, none of you should listen to it.
I saw him in concert a couple of times. It's a great concert. What about life message and mantra? Are there sort of words that guide how you live and how you operate?
Well, yes. So I always keep my five ideals in mind, which are love, truth, beauty, wisdom, and peace. And so that's kind of my mantra I developed over the years during meditation. And the other is just spread joy and reduce suffering. If I keep it simple like that, I can usually stay within sight of my path.
Eventually, I mention this all the time on Digital Voices, and we haven't done it yet, but eventually, someday, just like we have a playlist of all the songs on Spotify, we will develop sort of everyone's mantras, and I think it'll make for a fascinating read, you know, like something easy, like downloadable. But Craig, before we get into Connect Labs, let's talk a little bit about you so we understand your background and how it all fits in. Tell us about you, what's your story, like where were you born?
I was born in Fresno, California, which is the lesser known agricultural part of the state. The eight counties around Fresno grow more food than any state in the country. So it's wildly productive, 350 to 400 different kinds of crops. So a huge diversity. And we're right at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. grew up surrounded by farms and fields and 45 miles, 50 miles to the entrance to Yosemite and about 55 to 60 miles away from Kings Canyon National Park. So, you know, fishing and hiking and camping and all that was part of growing up.
That's really cool. I like that. Was there a pivotal moment that happened growing up or maybe later in adult life that fundamentally changed your trajectory?
Yeah. One of the best things that ever happened to me, I would say, is that I got cancer when I was 23.
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