Special Guest: Ben Dykstra - The Rolling Dragon

Summary

This week on the Tragedy Academy, Jay introduces Ben Dykstra, a.k.a. The Rolling Dragon. Born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Ben hasn’t let his disability limit his potential. Ben is a talented voice actor with tireless perseverance in a field that can be tough to break into. Ben is also in the midst of developing a new podcast that would highlight the stories, voices, and talents of the disabled. Tune in to hear Jay and Ben discuss everything from perspective and authenticity to the Metaverse and bonobos.

Key Points

💪 Living with cerebral palsy

🎙Voice acting

🌤Silver linings

👏🏼Authenticity attracting opportunity

✊🏼Social media & advocacy

Episode Highlights

[2:35] - Jay introduces us to Ben, whose cerebral palsy has allowed him to develop a unique perspective on life. While Ben acknowledges that it is easy to get angry or bitter when dealing with disabilities, he also suggests that the universe gives even as it takes away. His own example of this “universal trade-off” is his outgoing personality and ability to use his voice.

[11:21] - Ben comments on how he has gained a unique perspective on pursuing authenticity early in life. Jay explains that this is hardly a mystery because of what Ben has experienced so far. Each experience in our lives adds to the nuance of our worldview.

[13:21] - Jay asks Ben about his podcast idea that centers around the universal trade-off. Ben explains that while the podcast is still under development, his goal is to create a space where he can showcase the hidden talents behind disabilities. While society often considers disabilities to be solely disadvantages, Ben wants to prove that there are many advantages to be found as well.

[14:53] - Ben mentions his career as a voice actor allows him to conceal his disability from potential employers and therefore potential discrimination. Jay understands Ben’s perspective but encourages him to try to avoid doing this if possible in order to attract the best people and best opportunities into his life.

[21:00] - Jay asks Ben what impact he thinks the Metaverse will have on the disabled community. Ben expresses his concerns that rather than solving any problems, the Metaverse could simply increase the presence that trolls have on social media. Jay counters that the Metaverse could be a way to move past society’s implicit bias against the disabled.

[33:41] - Ben shares his experience with recent wind storms that hit the entire province of Ontario. With no power or Wifi, he had to cancel a scheduled performance, and many others in the province are still without power days later.

Connect With Ben

Instagram | https://bit.ly/3fISp67 | @_rollingdragon_

Twitter | https://bit.ly/3FJBcnH | @benendykstra

Facebook | https://bit.ly/3IkrUQI | @rollingdragon-media

Website | https://www.rollingdragonmedia.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

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This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy