Big Dog Talk w/ Charles and Shayvon

Unleash Your Inner Light: Therapy, Religion, & Finding Your Divine Spark EP 30 |Big Dog Talk Podcast

January 23, 2024 Charles Hawkins III
Unleash Your Inner Light: Therapy, Religion, & Finding Your Divine Spark EP 30 |Big Dog Talk Podcast
Big Dog Talk w/ Charles and Shayvon
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Big Dog Talk w/ Charles and Shayvon
Unleash Your Inner Light: Therapy, Religion, & Finding Your Divine Spark EP 30 |Big Dog Talk Podcast
Jan 23, 2024
Charles Hawkins III

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Have you ever swayed to the rhythm of your own personal growth, dancing through the corridors of your inner self? That's the journey Big Charles and I, Big Shay, invite you on in our latest podcast episode. We kick things off with a heart-to-heart on the necessity of peeling back layers to reveal the core of our beings, sharing insights on confronting internal shadows and healing past wounds. We're all about the emotional gym – lifting the weights of self-care, mindfulness, and professional therapy to build a stronger, healthier mind.

The melody of this episode carries us into the vibrant intersection of religion and therapy, where we question the role of churches in the modern therapeutic landscape. We reminisce over the swag and surf dance at William Murphy's Dream Center, igniting a discussion on the sanctity and relatability of worship. Balancing the sacred with the contemporary, we share anecdotes from my past, including tales of my youth pastor father, to illustrate the fine line between reverence and relevance in religious communities.

Closing with a powerful note, we delve into the concept of "God Innergy," that divine spark residing within each of us that's often overlooked in our quest for outside assistance. Whether you're a believer navigating the intricacies of faith or an individual seeking your truest self outside traditional doctrines, this episode promises to enlighten and empower. Join us as we traverse the path to finding the best versions of ourselves, discovering that the ultimate source of help may just be our own inner power.

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Send us a Text Message.

Have you ever swayed to the rhythm of your own personal growth, dancing through the corridors of your inner self? That's the journey Big Charles and I, Big Shay, invite you on in our latest podcast episode. We kick things off with a heart-to-heart on the necessity of peeling back layers to reveal the core of our beings, sharing insights on confronting internal shadows and healing past wounds. We're all about the emotional gym – lifting the weights of self-care, mindfulness, and professional therapy to build a stronger, healthier mind.

The melody of this episode carries us into the vibrant intersection of religion and therapy, where we question the role of churches in the modern therapeutic landscape. We reminisce over the swag and surf dance at William Murphy's Dream Center, igniting a discussion on the sanctity and relatability of worship. Balancing the sacred with the contemporary, we share anecdotes from my past, including tales of my youth pastor father, to illustrate the fine line between reverence and relevance in religious communities.

Closing with a powerful note, we delve into the concept of "God Innergy," that divine spark residing within each of us that's often overlooked in our quest for outside assistance. Whether you're a believer navigating the intricacies of faith or an individual seeking your truest self outside traditional doctrines, this episode promises to enlighten and empower. Join us as we traverse the path to finding the best versions of ourselves, discovering that the ultimate source of help may just be our own inner power.

Support the Show.

Speaker 1:

That's why I challenge everyone to go within side of ourselves. I'm not telling you to go deeper within your Bible and learn more of the word. I'm saying go deeper into yourself and learn more of self. Who are you at the core? Why are my behaviors this way? Why do I show up this way? Why Because life has altered me and I've used this as a coping mechanism. Why do I respond this way? Because someone hurt me and this is how I decided to show up and in my mind I have accepted that this is how I am, because this is what kept me safe from the hurt that I had to feel in the past. I'm saying not just go deeper into the Bible, but go deeper into your darkness, go deeper into your shadow. Go deeper into yourself. How? By getting professional help? How by going to church? How by practicing mindfulness? How by getting a healthy community, by finding a safe space, by building a relationship with people that you can talk to and tell your true story, by leaning into yourself. I'm talking a lot.

Speaker 2:

You're talking a lot, but you know what it's good. Am I OK?

Speaker 1:

You're OK, I'm good. Tell me to keep going.

Speaker 2:

As you all know, on the Big Dog Talk podcast, we have a slogan Therapy is always in session, and that is why we are now sponsored by BetterHelp. During hard times, it can get really difficult if you don't have anyone to talk to. Being alone with your thoughts can be an isolating feeling that can allow negativity to consume you. Betterhelp has customized online therapy that offers video, phone and even live chat sessions with your therapist, so you don't have to see anyone on camera if you don't want to. Some of the things that we have learned from our therapist on the Big Dog Talk podcast are how to be emotionally available, why it's important to practice self care and calming activities to ease anxiety. There is a broad range of expertise in BetterHelp's 20 plus therapist network that gives you access to help that may not be available in your area. You just fill out a questionnaire to help assess your specific needs and then you get matched with a therapist in under 48 hours. Then you schedule a secure video or phone session. Plus, you can exchange unlimited messages and everything you share is completely confidential. You can request a new therapist at no additional charge anytime. Join the three million plus who have taken charge of their mental health with an experience. Betterhelp therapists. So many people use BetterHelp that they are currently recruiting additional therapists in all 50 states. Get 10 percent off of your first month of BetterHelp by using BetterHelpcom.

Speaker 2:

Slash Big Dog Talk, that's better. H-e-l-p dot com. Slash Big Dog Talk. You better bring the show in. Bring it in. Bring the show in. You better bring this episode in right now. I'm so serious with you.

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of the Big Dog Talk podcast, big Charles and Big Shay. I'm on the mic and she got it out of tune. What's up?

Speaker 2:

Hey y'all. It's your girl, big Shay, and I'm back on the mic. He's threading on pins and needles in the current moment. Let's stop playing with me.

Speaker 1:

What are we talking about today?

Speaker 2:

You better what we talking about? Is you better stop playing with me at work, ok.

Speaker 1:

Well, I would need you to bring the voice now.

Speaker 2:

My voice, that's the mic. The voice is the voices down On this episode today of the Big Dog Talk podcast. I want to talk about belief system. I want to talk about is church truly therapy for some people? Right, and do you? Do you think I want to hear your perspective versus, you know kind of my perspective on if you think therapy is for everyone, or can everybody benefit from therapy? Boom.

Speaker 1:

That's what we're doing.

Speaker 2:

Boom.

Speaker 1:

Boom. So before we start this conversation, just want to make sure the air is clear, there's no bad energy. So what I'm going to do, I'm going to take the high road. Shall, we have work and I just want to say I apologize, co-worker, I apologize and I'm ready to have a professional day at work. I don't want to have any energy, bad energy.

Speaker 2:

So you don't want me to have attitude, so I'm podcasting.

Speaker 1:

I know how to shake it off and keep going. But you know, sometimes you get in your emotions.

Speaker 2:

I'm not in my emotions, I'm at work.

Speaker 1:

Are you ready to work? I'm at work y'all, but anyway, let's dive into it.

Speaker 2:

So first of all, I just feel like saying this Happy New Year.

Speaker 1:

What, what, what, damn, what this? That was a long time ago.

Speaker 2:

Happy New Year. Now, I'm saying that because in Atlanta, with William Murphy's Church Dream Center in Atlanta, did you see how they brought in the new year?

Speaker 1:

Is that what?

Speaker 2:

the swag is Swag, it's swag. Now, walk it out, walk it out. Walk it out, walk it out. I thought that looked fun. I thought that looked fun. I would go to that church for New Year's even do that. Walk it out, swag and serve. Would you swag and serve at the church?

Speaker 1:

At home. Swag and serve at home.

Speaker 2:

So let's talk about that.

Speaker 1:

What you want to talk about.

Speaker 2:

So I want to know from your perspective okay, I want to know from your perspective, I guess the word is do you think that that was appropriate for a New Year's Eve church service? What the Swaggering Service? Yeah, and the walk. So his sermon was around. You gotta walk some things out in life, you know what I mean. You can't let them go. You gotta walk it out, walk it out. So then they play the song now, walk it out, walk it out. But then I guess one of the highlights of the night bringing in the New Year was they was swaggering and they were surfing. They were swaggering and they were surfing.

Speaker 2:

And there's just been a lot of controversy around the appropriateness of-.

Speaker 1:

What do you mean? I'm on that hypnotic exotic. This polo on my body got a bad girl beside me and her friend is right behind me Is the same song. That's the one and we swagger and surfing and swagger and surfing. Okay. All right all right, all right.

Speaker 2:

Well, all right then. All right, we swaggering and we surfing.

Speaker 1:

I got the hypnotic Dranky drank and anyway do I think it was necessary. I mean, what was the context?

Speaker 2:

of you know necessary, appropriate those are interchangeable depending on. I just really wanna hear your thoughts around it.

Speaker 1:

I saw him swaggering and surfing, but what was he trying to say?

Speaker 2:

So I don't know. The walk it out what was the message? Cause you just told me the walk it out part, cause they played that too. That was a part of his message. Just in life you gotta walk some things out, like I saw how that tied into. I don't know what the walk it out lyrics are, but that's what he used to tie into his message. Now, the swag and the surfing I don't know I could be being or something, but I'm not sure if that's how they brought in you know I'm playing like a dis detergent on Patron.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm gone. Purple by the zone. Yeah, I'm smoking strong and you know I'm gone.

Speaker 2:

That's not walk it out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Hmm, yeah, so so that.

Speaker 1:

So he was saying he was walking into, he was walking it out into a new year.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, sometimes in life you gotta walk it out, Like don't let, I guess, certain things, like you know, hold you down, hold you back. You gotta walk it out, keep moving. You know what I mean? Keep pressing that sort of narrative.

Speaker 1:

Well, I get it, though. I get it. I get what he was trying to do. Like I said, I grew up in the church, right, I get what he was trying to do, trying to be relatable to the world, but my only issue is with that when you too relatable to the world, then it's not the level of respect and dignity is gonna be taken from it. Mm-hmm, you know, in my perspective, knowing anything about the Bible, jesus hung with the world, but he never changed who he was, faced off the Bible stories, you know. But this is the thing, though in churches, and this is why a lot of religions aren't taken seriously, it's because we do things to be well. The religious world community do things to be relatable or too relatable. You know, I get what he was trying to do, but do I believe in the Swagg and the church? And in the churches? You gotta have a lot of respect there. I don't think it was necessary. I think we were doing too much, basically, specifically off the context of the lyrics of the song.

Speaker 2:

Sample's that, yeah, now some people on the flip side are negating and saying, well, at least those people and there were a lot of people in that pact and I think it's called the dream center, there were a lot of people in that church at least those people chose to Go to church, be in the house of the Lord, or New Year's Eve.

Speaker 1:

Why, though? So why is it okay? Just because the people chose to go to a building?

Speaker 2:

because they could be anyplace else. They could be like at the club.

Speaker 1:

Or at home with their family and their children and kids.

Speaker 2:

Or at the club or at home, but they chose to be in the dream center.

Speaker 1:

Swagging and surfing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and walking it out. So that's it.

Speaker 1:

But here's the thing, though if you want people to take you serious, you have to come, you have to stand with a certain level of dignity and morals and respect. You have to earn respect. Now I get what only thing. My issue with that is it confuses the I'm just use the word followers, that you mean, like the congregation, the congregation? Right, it confuses the congregation. It confuses the people that are even thinking about it and watching and observing the congregation. Well, you know what? I may want to just join the church, because it makes it seem like it's okay to do what I do. It's cool over there, yeah, yeah, you know, but I've also been in. You know, my dad was a youth pastor, so he would come in there. He would preach a message with gold chains on and earrings on to be relatable to our community, right, but he still was sticking to the truth though, right, right, I've never seen anyone take some words other than like R Kelly. I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly.

Speaker 2:

I believe I can fly and we'll stop there I believe I can fly you better not. I believe I can fly, you better not.

Speaker 1:

I'm just saying Now, all fairness and honesty right, I don't, I do know that Dream Center is a big church in Atlanta.

Speaker 2:

I don't know anything about it, I don't. I do know William Murphy from his career in singing.

Speaker 1:

He can sing, he can sing and a lot of his songs are absolutely are on the top of my list as it relates to music.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, that's who that is, and so that in itself.

Speaker 2:

this is, this is, this is. You know how? I want to make sure that I'm not being judgments because, to answer your question, I would be offended if I went to the church or New Year's Eve and I was sitting there, maybe for the first time, and they were swaggering and surfing and walking it out. Me personally, I'd be like, okay, that's a little bit too much for me as it relates to my church, that's a little bit too much for me as it relates to my traditional beliefs around how you reverence the house of God, right. But on the flip side, that was just a snapshot of his church, right? We don't really know I don't really know much about Dream Center and ATO what they really do. You know what I mean. And so, honestly, I do want to be careful because, just like when what's his name? Dietrich Haddon got a lot of pushback he gets pushback anyway because he's pretty radical but when he got a lot of pushback at his birthday party because his wife was basically talking on her husband.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but they wasn't in church.

Speaker 2:

No, they were not in church, but I'm just saying that was a celibate. I'm just saying how, when you're it's not the same, I'm listening, but what I'm saying is that sometimes when you're in that space of religious, you know Christianity, churches, etc. You know anything that you do can be scrutinized.

Speaker 1:

That's exactly why I don't want to be put in that box. That's exactly why the box of religion, the doctrine, the doctrine nation, I listen because anything, I'm sorry I cut you.

Speaker 2:

We just don't know that in that moment there could have been, honestly, people in the congregation that could have very well turned their lives around. They could have been drug addicts, they could have been, you know, homeless. No, no inspiration in life, no motivation in life, and something about that community and that church.

Speaker 1:

I hear you, I hear you, I hear you, I hear you. But they also got scriptures in the Bible and said Be ye, not of the world.

Speaker 2:

I understand that too.

Speaker 1:

You know what I mean, so I'm hoping I'm quoting that the right way. But what about? I'm in this world, but I'm not of this world. I'm paraphrasing it. So it's like why would the community, the religion, I don't care what?

Speaker 2:

they do. No, that's the I don't care. That's basically what I'm saying and that's why I'm supporting the fact that that was a snapshot. I don't know what they're doing over there at the Dream Center. That was a snapshot, but based off of the Bible and biblical doctrine Right. That snapshot was impressive in a negative way.

Speaker 1:

That was too Much for church. I don't want to say too much for church, but it was to me it was too worldly Okay. So for the rules of their doctrineation, Okay, and I'm saying that based off of their rules, also the Christianity and that.

Speaker 2:

Right right right, right right right.

Speaker 1:

Not my rules, not my perspective, right, you know what I mean. My opinion, right, just based off of okay, if I take some scriptures out of the Bible and I you know, this is the thing about religion. Religion has all been distorted for to fit our own personal world.

Speaker 2:

That's out for personal gain and personal world and to make people At the end of the day, churches are a business as well and something like you said to fit our own personal world to make people feel comfortable. And they could be feeling comfortable in, is it right?

Speaker 1:

I don't know.

Speaker 2:

Mess, for lack of better words. I don't know, I don't know, but that's the reality. That's the reality, you know.

Speaker 1:

But here's the thing, though, and I'm not even trying to bring this back, though when the Europeans brought Christianity over to America, they thought a lot of things that they were doing killing, creating slaves. They done that all in the name of God, so we have to be careful of who and what indoctrination that we are adapting to.

Speaker 2:

Right. That's why it's really important for us, as humans, to have a mind for ourselves.

Speaker 1:

Well, we've been conditioned at an early age not to think for ourselves.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, we've been conditioned at an early age. You know, even like for me, I had put the Bible down. I was born and raised. I'm grateful for the Bible. I am not against church. I believe church is necessary, but I still have my own opinion and my own perspective and my own truth that nobody can take from me, right, you know, based off of my experience, based off of my study, my knowledge, my understanding, Right, the wisdom that you've gained Throughout my experiences, exactly.

Speaker 1:

I put the Bible down not because I hated it a few years ago, about 10, 12 years ago. I put the Bible down for a certain amount of years because I wanted to go through a process of yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm learning and I wanted to be able just to think for myself. I didn't want to be what word am I looking for? I didn't want to be Like attached. No, I didn't want to be. I don't even want. I don't want to use the word manipulated it. But I didn't want to be convinced to believe in something just because it's written in this book.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to put that book down. I wanted to see, if I put that book down, what would happen to me. I wanted to see if my family is cursed with a curse. I wanted to see if God would really turn his back on me. I wanted to see how I think without. I wanted to see how I would think without the Bible. I wanted to see influencing my thought pattern Like who am I Like? We have been conditioned to not think for ourselves. Nobody can tell me that there's not a divine God body, a body, god that lives on the inside of us, that doesn't guide and navigate us through life. Nobody can take that away from me. I put the Bible down. I wanted to see what my truth was, and I went inside of me.

Speaker 2:

Then discover your belief system.

Speaker 1:

Here's the thing, though. I'm sorry, go ahead, I did, I've discovered my own belief system.

Speaker 2:

I've discovered my own belief system which incorporates the Bible and God. Through that process you said this is something that I still want to continue to be at the top of my belief system.

Speaker 1:

Because why here's the thing I have to be honest with you I have some certain loyalty. I have some loyalty to the Bible because it saved my mom and my dad.

Speaker 2:

That's a story for a lot of us the Bible gave my mom and dad hope.

Speaker 1:

The Bible is what my dad used to raise me, inspiration and put inside of me certain morals and characterizations. The Bible is what my parents used to navigate our lives. So I have some certain loyalty to the Bible, absolutely Very well said. So I'm not going to just throw away something that potentially saved me from being in a place I could have been and my dad could have been a murderer, my mom could have been a prostitute. You know what I mean Two young kids having a baby. That was the thing. The Bible was the thing, the glue that kept them sane. So how can I throw away something that possibly saved who I am?

Speaker 2:

That is still a lot of love in your home and things like that.

Speaker 1:

Because one thing I do believe is the Bible exposed me to God.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes. So, with that being said, I know we're talking about God and we're talking about the Bible. Do you feel that, like, church is a place of therapy for people, or should it be, or could it be, a place of therapy?

Speaker 1:

I take church as what see? I believe a lot of us give too much power to the wrong things. Is the church necessary?

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Is it mandatory to go to a church building? No, why is it helpful? And this is my truth, based off my experience, based off my study? Why is it helpful? Because you're going gather amongst a community that's creating an energy that's liberating that gives you hope.

Speaker 2:

That gives you guidance that motivates you in some areas that motivates you.

Speaker 1:

Uh huh. So I take the church and the Bible for what it is. It is the, especially in the black community. It is the number one motivational book in the world. Now my struggle with the Bible is my struggle with the Bible is that the Bible have been distorted.

Speaker 1:

We've talked about this To control the world. So if you don't know any better, you don't know how to pick and choose right from wrong. We can use anything and adjust it to fit our perspective on life Totally so. Is the church beneficial for therapy? Yes, it is. Is it good for mental health? Yes, it is. Is it good for a place of unity? And yes, it is yes. Is it law? Hell, no.

Speaker 2:

It's not. There are extreme. I mean I can remember some points and times in my life. There are extreme benefits to having that space to go and navigate to, to feel positive, feel inspiration, feel motivated, like you said, have that community and just to have that for some people like that, that safe space where you can go in time of needs, where you can go celebrate, where you can go pray or lay your cares at the altar, et cetera, et cetera, I do believe that that's necessary because that's a tool, and that's a tool that's an only tool for some people. Church is a community. It's an only tool for some people to navigate through life.

Speaker 1:

It's an only tool. It's no different than therapy. It's a tool. It's no different than exercising.

Speaker 2:

It's a tool, it's no different than eating right.

Speaker 1:

It's no different than going for a walk, yep. It's no different than going do some activities. It's no different than going meet with your friends and talking about positive things and feeding each other positive affirmations that's right, it's a tool. And pointing to each other. It's no different.

Speaker 2:

Yep, it's a part of your support system.

Speaker 1:

Here's the thing, though. Here's the thing that I want this community to get. There's a teacher, of all teachers that live within sight of us. There's a spirit, there's a level of diviners, there's an essence that guides us on the inside that will lead and direct us. When people pray, most people pray and look up. When I pray, I go deep within sight of me. When I'm at my worst, I don't look up. I go deep within sight of me because I understand, when I'm at my worst, that my God that I serve is with me while I'm in the belly of the beast. Mm-hmm, I'm not looking elsewhere, I'm going all rosely back to self. I will be wrong and not a good leader If I didn't say you have everything on the inside of you already that will get you through life.

Speaker 2:

So what do you mean? Like what if someone doesn't understand what that means? What do you mean? I have everything inside of me.

Speaker 1:

You have. We were all born with the divine. Some people call him the Holy Spirit, some call it divine essence, some call him presence, some call it the breath of life. Whatever you call it, god lives inside of everyone. Now, do we need help being able to tap into that? Absolutely yes, we do. We do. You need coaches, you need pastors, you need leaders.

Speaker 1:

They're therapy, because what you're basically doing is when you're going inside of yourself, you're going back to who you are, at the core of you. It's a place of godliness and divine. It's a place of pureness where there's no judgment. There I can sit with myself, I can be honest with myself. It's the safest place. I found something on the inside of me that I know I want. That's why I say big Charles always say God, energy, I N N E R G Y.

Speaker 1:

Am I against all of these other things, all of these other tools? No, because the more tools that we have, the more we build to guard our mind, the more mental resilience that we build, mental toughness, baby. The more we, the better chances that we have to endure until the end. Because, at the end of the day, life has altered all of us, life have damaged all of us, and so I'm not going to speak negative about therapy. I'm not going to speak negative about church. I'm not going to speak negative about yoga.

Speaker 1:

I'm not going to speak negative about any of these things, because sometimes this is the only hope that each person can grab onto. Why would I, why would I demise something that people are holding onto just to breathe? Yeah, but I am here to tell you, though, all of us have a divinus on the inside of us, that a breath of life that guides us, a breath of life that never leaves us, a breath of life that when you're doing good, that same breath of life is there. When you're doing bad, that same breath of life is there. We all have a God inside of us that's with us when we're up in our best and when we're in the belly of the beast. I am a true witness. Yeah, amen, me too. True witness. God never leaves nor forsake us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but you know, sometimes just in life, the world, the pressures of the world, the things that we have to do every day, that voice of God gets lower and lower and lower and lower and you can't hear.

Speaker 1:

Based off of our experiences, based off of environment.

Speaker 2:

Based on struggle, sadness, grief.

Speaker 1:

All of these things are shaping us and it's lowering our God energy.

Speaker 1:

Yep, yep.

Speaker 1:

It's lowering. It's pulling us away from our divine. Some people call it the anointing of God. We life pulls us away Life circumstances, life environment, right, our job, the stresses of life, the way the world was set up. It pulls us away from our natural power. That's right. Every person on this earth have that natural power.

Speaker 1:

No, you don't have to go to church. No, you don't have to go to therapy. No, you don't have to do yoga. No, you don't have to go to you don't. No, you don't.

Speaker 1:

But I'm saying all of these things are weapons. You have a better chance at winning the war and winning the battle with all of these weapons with church, with therapy, with mindfulness, with yoga, with coaches, with eating healthy, with being mindful of what we're watching on. All of these things are tools. The Bible is the number one guide to get you to the end goal. The Bible is the number one tool that we use.

Speaker 1:

But I stand on the Bible have been distorted and adjusted. I stand on that. That's why I challenge everyone to go with inside of ourselves. I'm not telling you to go deeper within your Bible and learn more of the word. I'm saying go deeper into yourself and learn more of self.

Speaker 1:

Who are you at the core? Why are my behaviors this way? Why do I show up this way? Why, because life has altered me and I've used this as a coping mechanism. Why do I respond this way? Because someone hurt me and this is how I decided to show up and in my mind, I have accepted that this is how I am, because this is what kept me safe from the hurt that I had to feel in the past. I'm saying not just go deeper into the Bible, but go deeper into your darkness, go deeper into your shadow, go deeper into yourself. How? By getting professional help, how by going to church? How by practicing mindfulness? How by getting a healthy community, by finding a safe space, by building relationships with people that you can talk to and tell your true story, by leaning into yourself. I'm talking a lot.

Speaker 2:

You're talking a lot, but you know what? It's good. Am I okay? You're okay, I'm good, but tell me to keep going.

Speaker 1:

Keep going. Dad, tell me the truth by sitting into our darkness and you said you know what. This happened to me. This happened to me and I realized that my loved one that keep bringing these things up about me they only telling me this because it's hurting them and they love me. Why? Because they love me enough to they want to see me happier. There's time for us to go deeper into self work on our behavior. Look in the mirror. Stop being afraid, stop being ashamed. Don't let me keep going. Come on, big Shea, help me out.

Speaker 2:

Listen, if I have to leave anything with the people today, I absolutely want our community to realize that they need to build up their toolbox. They need to be locked and loaded with tools and arsenal in order to be able to get to the best version of themselves. So everything that you just said, I don't believe in being repetitive. I don't believe in saying things over and over Based off what I just said you don't want to repeat that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, based on which I don't want to repeat that, because everything you said is the arsenal that I'm talking about.

Speaker 2:

On my journey, therapy was absolutely something that was pivotal for me. Pivotal for me really being able to do my shadow work, look at my dark side, but not only look at it, but to accept it, but not allow it to be an excuse for the way that I show up in the world. Exercise for me was super big as one of my tools that I use. Having my support system was a major tool that I use to help me navigate my faith in God and no matter what I go through, god is always there and he's always navigating me, even when it doesn't feel like it and even when things get so bad that I don't know which way to turn. But by keeping these tools in my toolbox and being able to quiet down my world, quiet down my mind, take some walks to get back in tune with myself so that I could know what I needed to do next to be able to continue on this journey towards being the best version of myself.

Speaker 1:

Here's the thing life has altered us all.

Speaker 2:

That's a theme. That's a theme for 2024. We just have to accept that. The reality is that life has altered us all. So what do we do with that?

Speaker 1:

And we have been separated from who we are at the core. I can just say for an example and I've said this before growing up in a hood, that alters your behavior. Growing up in a community where everybody fighting and competing to be the best, respectfully poor person in the neighborhood Yep, meaning all of us, I'm saying that all of us are fighting to compete for scraps that alters the way I behave. Do you know how much I had to unlearn and how much of my belief system I had to let go to get to a place of? Okay, god, I am prepared for prosperity.

Speaker 2:

And to release yourself from being in survival mode.

Speaker 1:

Do you know how much See this podcast is for normal people. It's not for religious folks. It's not for people that it's not. It's not for people that only hear God in one place. It's not for perfect people. This platform is for people that have been broken. This platform is for people that can say you know what Life has altered me and I don't know who I would be if I haven't experienced these things in life. I don't know. I want to get to know who I would be. I want to get to know the best version of me. I had this beautiful soul to tell me life has altered me, but I want to be the best version of this me.

Speaker 2:

Yes this version of me.

Speaker 1:

I want to be the best version of this me. We all should desire to be the best version of this you and what that takes beloved, that takes letting go of some old beliefs that navigated us through life. That takes us rewriting our story and saying you know what? I don't want to look at this story the way I look at it anymore. I want to change the way chapter 12 is in the book. I want to change some things because why?

Speaker 1:

We all have the power to control our own world. We all have it on the inside of us. I know that because I have it. I would be wrong to tell you that you don't have it. Don't depend on big Charles to motivate you and inspire you every week. You have it on the inside of you. This is just a community where we've created a safe space of commonality, of hurt and broken people, where you know what. Yeah, we've been hurt. Yeah, we've been broken, but broken crayons still color beloved. And yes, I've been broken. Yes, I experienced life. I may experience trauma tomorrow, but guess what? I got the power on the inside of me to get through it. What only do I have the power on the inside of me to get through it. I have the weapons on the outside of me to survive it.

Speaker 2:

Let the church say amen.

Speaker 1:

Born and raised in church, sold out to God? I'm sold out to God, but what I'm not sold out to is making people believe that you're not enough on the inside of you and you have to be a victim of your story. I am not sold out to making you feel like I'm more powerful than you. Every single one of you have a supernatural power on the inside of you, regardless of your beliefs, regardless of where you are in life. Every one of us have a supernatural power on the inside of us that leads and guides us, that will take us through and help us overcome any storm.

Speaker 1:

There's a teacher of all teachers. There's a wisdom of all wisdoms that we all have on the inside of us, but we have been separated from it because of the pressures of life, because of our circumstances, because of our experiences, because of these things. But I'm here to tell you, beloved, there's a truth on the inside of you, and you get there by being able to sit in your darkness. You need a therapist sometime for help. You need a church for help. You need your brother and sister for help. You need a lot of things for help, but the help of all helps live on the inside of every one of us. Everything else is icing on the cake, big Charles.

Speaker 2:

God energy.

Speaker 1:

Can we just end it with that?

Speaker 2:

Y'all hear from me next week.

Speaker 1:

Preachers of God.

Speaker 2:

Y'all hear from me next week. Bye y'all.

Exploring Inner Self and Therapy Options
Belief Systems and Church Therapy
Religion, Respect, and Church Culture
Belief Systems and the Role of Church
Finding the Best Version of Yourself
Help and Inner Power