Creating a Life Full of Memories with Pro Soccer Player Davis Paul

Creating a Life Full of Memories with Pro Soccer Player Davis Paul

Davis Paul, professional soccer player and kind human, believes in the power of compassion. Influenced by unique experiences working at GoPro, traveling, and playing Major League Soccer, he has special insight into keeping life interesting and finding ways to spread kindness. We asked Davis to share his perspective and ideas for how to make the world a better and kinder place. – KH

Who is Davis Paul?

I think I’m still on that journey! In a nutshell, someone who believes life isn’t about how well-known you become; it’s about the impact you can make on the lives of others. All other things are just fun, minor details.

What are some valuable lessons you learned during your professional soccer career and working at GoPro?

I think there are lot of clichés in sports – all down, get up, teamwork –  those feel like givens to me. Something I really valued was the work ethic, though. To get to that level, there’s this extra gear you have to access. Often, you’re so tired that it doesn’t seem possible, yet you manage that extra sprint, rep or play. That experience really made me feel like humans are capable of so much more than we even realize. To have that mentality instilled in you makes you pretty optimistic! At GoPro, being surrounded by so many talented creatives who all were bouncing off of each other sharing, collaborating, and pioneering, you felt like creatively anything was possible. I didn’t know it then, but looking back, I feel like I learned a decade’s worth of knowledge in just 4 years.

Tell us about a foundation you support? What was the inspiration behind it?

Gosh, there are a lot of amazing foundations I’ve been able to support and work with. From the bigger guys like Unicef, UNHCR, and World Wild Life Fund all the way to small community programs like the Future Stars in Tanzania or Grassroots Soccer in the townships of Cape Town. I’ve always had a heart for people and really wanted to find the way in which I could add the most value. For me, that way was to help not only create and share content, but to educate, to train, and to leave organizations more sustainable than when I showed up. I helped implement tools to create messaging, social best practices, online resources, branding, payment, etc. The impact that a single creative can actually have in this space is very significant. It is so unbelievably necessary. They all need support in some capacity. Hopefully, it’s a ripple effect that allows them to grow sustainably.

After traveling the world and seeing so many different regions, nationalities, and poverty lines, what does kindness mean to you and what role does it play in your life?

When you invest in cultures and people around the world, quickly you realize we are all the same at a foundational level. We smile in Vietnam just like we do in Brazil. There’s love and heartbreak, hustles and grinds. We all laugh and cry. But deep down, everyone needs and craves kindness. We crave it because life can be so challenging. I’ve never wanted to be the reason for someone going down, I want to try and be part of the reason they come up. I believe that people feel your intentions when they’re honest and authentic. That’s probably why I’ve been able to spend so much time in favelas, townships, refugee camps, and conflict zones. It’s authentic.

 

Can you share one of the biggest challenges you have come up against?

I can discuss probably my toughest experience that really changed my perspective on a lot. I was asked to go to Tanzania to spend 3 weeks within two refugee camps of roughly half a million people escaping violence and persecution in Burundi. Many Burundians had been trapped in these camps for years! The stories I heard were truly unimaginable. I never thought I’d experience some of the things I saw. Kids who witnessed their brothers, sisters, and parents killed right in front of them. People with missing limbs or eyes and life-long scars. Every single person there had that kind of story. I cried every day for 3 weeks. I couldn’t believe the ways that we treat each other as human beings. One of the last days, I asked this kid, Jackson, if there was anything that he wanted me to bring back to the states. He simply said, “I just want people to know we exist, that our lives matter” – and I have never been the same since.

Can you share a moment you are most proud of?

Well, I’ve been involved in building a nonprofit that plans trips for groups, while partnered with a local nonprofit on the ground. We are using soccer as a tool to create real social impact in local communities; it’s the simplest form of communication and engagement for kids all over the world. Half of the proceeds go straight to the organization so they can sustainably manage themselves, while our travelers get the hands-on experience and education, hopefully gaining a more global perspective.

Name three kind humans in your life that have positively affected you and why?

My parents have been through so much in their lives. We didn’t grow up with money and we bounced around between many homes. No matter what, they always prioritized family. Seeing them still holding hands, laughing, and wanting to spend time with us is something you only come to appreciate as you get older. Despite being so different than my family, their optimism and kindness definitely became a big part of who I am.

What is a fun fact about yourself that isn’t widely known?

My mom helped judge a Hawaiian Tropic contest in San Diego when I was a kid. Obviously, you can’t have your kids running around, so the solution was to enter me into some 6-year-old “pageant” for babysitting. I won that, then won a regional, and finally ended up coming in second at some national final. I have no recollection, but the photos and videos are next level. Apparently, I was cool then, too.

What can we do to better ourselves and our communities?

We need to get reconnected. We should spend time with each other and spend time on ourselves. If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that we have neglected so many things simply because we were busy and distracted. The only way we can come to care about something is dedicate time to it and to cherish the small details like you would a partner or spouse. It’s why we have an environmental crisis and why racism and corruption are so rampant; we are disconnected from the realities of our consumption, systems, and history. Out of sight out of mind. Spend time connecting on things that matter again, you won’t regret it.

If you could spend time with any kind human in history, who would that be and what would you do together?

There are so many people I’d love to be around and feel their hearts, like Mother Theresa or Nelson Mandela. But in a twisted way, I actually think it would be more beneficial to spend time with the other side of the spectrum, like those responsible for our more devastating moments in history. I feel like I’d learn so much about how people tick others and become capable of such acts. Hitler didn’t just seize control by force, people loved him. We often forget that aspect. Maybe if we gained more perspective, we’d be able to connect some dots and prevent such atrocities in the future.

Do you have a ‘life lesson’ or kindness quote that you can share?

Something I always ask is, “What are you going to remember more?” There are flaws in the logic, but it has been an interesting guide on decision making. With so many days coming and going uneventfully, I make choices that may yield a memorable moment. If life is a collection of memories, I’d like to stack as many as possible.

What is a message you want to spread and leave with the Kindhumans community?

The world is in a dark place, but every 5 years that’s said. My bet is 5 years from now, it’ll be dark again. That’s the wave of life as we created it. Kindness may not be the wildfire, but it absolutely is the spark. So start spreading it, being kind can only bring more light. I truly home this pandemic has shown just how powerful a smile or conversation really can be!