Good evening everyone and welcome to a brand
new episode of live with dr. Andre Jerry You
know, it seems like it's been forever since we
were last on the air. But it's only been a month
since our last show, which was our boat and water
safety episode that featured survivors of that
horrific boating accident that happened on Lake
Oconee this summer and claimed the life of a
four -year -old little girl. Again, I want to
say our condolences are with the family as they
grieve their loss. And I want to say thank you
to the participants that joined the panel for
that show. You know, we received a ton of of
feedback from that episode and no doubt that
show went a long way in helping to prevent a
similar tragedy from happening on the water so
thank you again to the panel and to my friend
Jason Timothy for trusting me and the Artist
First Radio Network with that sensitive but important
topic. All right so you guys this year is flying
right on by. We're already well into October
which is my favorite month by the way but Not
just because it's my birthday month, it's also
because pretty much no matter where you are in
the world, October is known for having some really
gorgeous weather. The temperature is just right.
It's not too hot. It's not too cold. Even here
in San Juan, the weather is perfect right now.
You still get enough sun to get a great tan and
enjoy the beach without frying. And you're also
getting this really nice cool breeze that sort
of Refreshes you throughout the day and I bet
wherever you're listening in from that you've
been enjoying this weather, too And you know,
by the way, thank you so much for tuning in for
tonight. So I promise I'm gonna make it worth
your while All right Okay, so Tonight's episode
was supposed to talk about the rising unemployment
rate of college graduates But I thought about
it and I was like, you know what? No, no, no,
no, no, forget all of that I'm not going to regurgitate
the news to you guys. We all know that the economy
and the jobs market is really messed up right
now. You know, whenever you have college graduates
begging for work, that's when you know stuff
is really messed up. You know, everybody already
knows the state of our union right now. We don't
need to watch the news or listen to the news
to figure it out. We're all living this, right?
So as you No, I'm sure you know right now. We're
in the middle of a government shutdown And I
decided to talk about this a little bit on the
show. I really want to break this down in simple
terms of what Exactly a government shutdown means,
you know in terms of its impact because I think
there's a lot of people out there who don't fully
Understand how a government shut shut down impacts
all of us It doesn't just impact federal workers.
So I'm going to break that down a little bit.
So bear with me if you already know this stuff.
But basically, a government shutdown happens
whenever Congress can't come to an agreement
on how to fund federal agencies ahead of the
new fiscal year. No funding means that there's
no operations. And that means that hundreds of
thousands of federal workers get furloughed.
They're basically told, all right, you guys stay
home, don't work. By the way, you're not going
to get paid, at least not right now. So it's
really dicey for a lot of people, my former colleagues.
Meanwhile, if you're considered, if you're fortunate
enough to be considered an essential employee,
those are your people like your TSA officers
that work at the airport, air traffic controllers.
or a patrol, they still have to show up to work.
But guess what? They're not getting paid. So
they're showing up to work without pay because
they have the benefit of being classified as
an essential employee. Now, here's where it gets
a little tricky. And this is the part that's
been making headlines lately. And speaking of
that, I want to shout out, again, my friend Jason
Timothy in Macon, Georgia, who sent me this article
because you guys know how I feel about the news.
I don't keep up with the news. I don't watch
the news. As I've mentioned on this show before,
I have carefully curated my timeline and my news
feed across my socials to weed out anything related
to politics, government, economy, this current
administration. I don't want to hear it. You
know, the only reason why I even heard about
the government shutdown is because someone within
earshot of me had on the news briefly before
I made them turn it off. So that's how I even
found out about the shutdown. But like I was
saying before, this is the tricky part about
this current shutdown. The OMB, also known as
the Office of Management and Budget, they recently
updated their shutdown guidance. And they quietly,
on the low, deleted the key line that used to
guarantee that all furloughed federal employees
will get back pay once the shutdown ends. You
see what I mean? And just a little background
on that. That guarantee came from a law that
was enacted back in 2019. It's called GEFTA,
which stands for the Government Employee Fair
Treatment Act. GEFTA was passed after that record
-breaking 35 -day shutdown that we had under
Trump the first time. This was geared and put
in place. It was geared towards making sure Congress
once they reopen the government, that everyone,
whether they were furloughed or not, would eventually
get their back pay. But now the OMB has taken
that reassurance out of their official documents.
And like I said, they did this on the low, or
at least tried to. And according to a report
by GovExec, that change signals a possible new
interpretation of Gefta. And it's one that says
that, you know what? Actually, back pay isn't
automatic, guys. Congress might have to explicitly
approve it each time. And that's huge, because
if this interpretation holds, if it holds up,
that means that roughly 620 ,000 -plus workers
who are furloughed right now might not get paid
for the time that they've already missed from
work. that is unless Congress specifically writes
it into law later. And you have, you know, lawmakers
who are, you know, making a fuss about this.
Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, he's
calling foul. He said basically that, look, this
is the law. There's nothing that this current
administration can do to change that. Senator
Tim Kaine from, what state is he? Virginia. He
even spoke out. He hinted that there'd be some
possible legal action if OMB continues with this
new stance that they're taking and that, you
know, if that continues to stand. So the good
thing is that there are at least some lawmakers
out there who are advocating for federal workers
in this environment. And kudos to them because
this is a difficult environment to speak out
and hold truth to power. So definitely appreciate
Tim Kaine speaking out, Senator Van Hollen. Now,
I wanted to say this too, for the everyday citizen,
I know you guys may think, well, listen, I hate
that, you know, we're in a shutdown, I get it,
but I'm not a federal employee, so this really
doesn't impact me. Oh, but it does. And let me
explain to you why, because all those federal
employees, they're the same people who are processing
your passport. your social security claims, your
federal loans. All these people are stuck at
home waiting. They're just waiting. They're sitting
this out. And when they stop working, it slows
down everything for everybody. And think about
all of the local businesses that are near military
bases and federal offices. They're taking a hit
too. The restaurants, the dry cleaners, the coffee
shops. Because fewer people are around, you know,
they're not at work There's no one around to
spend money to go to lunch to run errands on
their lunch break So local businesses are feeling
the pinch for this too And the longer this shutdown
drags on The more is going to chip away at people's
trust We're already have basically lost trust
in the government. Anyway, we lost trust in the
government. We've lost trust in democracy And,
you know, in this system as a whole, you know,
so even if you're playing by the rules, trying
to do the right thing, things just don't seem
to be really fair anymore. So the bottom line
about all this government shutdown stuff is this
just isn't about politics. This is about people's
lives. Real families are trying to figure out
how are we going to pay the rent? How are we
going to pay our mortgage? How are we going to
keep groceries in the refrigerator? while Washington
argues over all this mess and over all this budget
stuff. And now, even the guarantee and the promise
that the federal employees will eventually get
their back pay for all of their lost time, now
that's on shaky ground. So it's just, there's
a lot going on, and here's the real question.
If government workers can't count on getting
paid for doing their jobs, And they're being
forced to stay home without pay until all this
stuff is sorted out. What does that really say
about how we value public service in this country?
Do y 'all understand now why I got the hill on
and why I retire early? Who has time for this?
Playing these types of political games, messing
with people's livelihoods and families. Nobody
has time for that. It's crazy. Y 'all re - Okay,
so do y 'all remember the show from back in the
70s, Good Times? I know my people do. I don't
know of white folks and Hispanic people who watched
Good Times, but that was my show. It was one
of my favorite shows growing up. Okay, so America
as a whole now is Good Times. There's a lot of
people who are scratching and surviving right
now. There's a lot of people who are experiencing
temporary layoffs. There's a lot of people who
are hanging in a child line. I'm serious. Thanks
to this billionaire's economy that we're in currently.
And you know that's what they're calling it,
right? They're calling it a billionaire's economy
because that's about the only class of people
who are really thriving right now. The elite
and the ultra wealthy, they have an advocate
in the White House. So they're good. Trust me,
they're good. even better. But if you're an average
family, an average middle class family, maybe
even upper middle class in some cases, you're
really feeling the pinch right now. You're probably
struggling a little bit right now. And I hate
to sound pessimistic, but things are probably
going to get much worse before they get better.
If you read your Bible, you know what I'm talking
about. If these aren't the last days, I don't
know what is. Let me tell you something. I was
on a walk last week with my friend. This is right
here in San Juan. And we saw on our way back
home where there was one of those pop -up vaccination
centers. that had been erected. It was near one
of the hospitals in the neighborhood. You know,
it's like those popular centers are like a big
white tent. You know that they have the a bunch
of tables inside and stuff like that chairs,
but this one was still empty and you could tell
that they had just put it up. And my friend said,
you know, these are the same kinds of vaccination
centers that were around during COVID. When the
the vaccine started to come out. And I remember
seeing some of those same type of, you know,
pop -up vaccination centers in Saudi when the
Moderna vaccines were being made available. I
don't want this to be true, but I really feel
like there's another pandemic on the horizon.
And if that's true, it's likely going to be much
worse than it was last time. Because think about
it, there's not exactly, and I'm trying to be
kind here, there's not exactly a great history
of this current administration's coordination
as it relates to disaster preparedness. So what
I would offer to you is to make sure that you
and your family and your household have your
own disaster plan in place. You know, right now
while everyone is distracted with other things
and other stuff, right now where everything is
okay, relatively, go ahead and make sure you
guys are stocked up on things that you know you're
gonna need in the event of a shortage. Bottle
water, radios, batteries, canned goods, non -perishable,
stuff like that. First aid kits, toilet paper,
ammunition. You know, all the things that you
think you're going to need if there's some type
of shortage. Just remember, just re -jog in your
mind what happened last time and what you could
have done better because we're likely going to
face that type of situation again. Have a plan
in place in the event of a sudden emergency and
loss of communication. The cell phone towers
are down or something like that and you're separated
from your loved ones. You know, your spouse may
be at work. Your children may be at school. Have
a plan in place. For you, heads of household,
have a conversation with your family about contingency
plans and what stance you're going to take about
the vaccine in the wake of, you know, another
pandemic. Are you in your household going to
take the vaccine? Are you going to not take the
vaccine? Go ahead and have those conversations
now. I'll be honest with you. If it comes down
to that, I likely will not accept any more vaccinations.
The only reason why I took the vaccination the
first time was because I had just lost my mother
to COVID. And this was early in the pandemic.
She wasn't able to get the vaccine because it
was still in development. And also because I
was a federal employee. And I was gearing up,
at that time I was gearing up for my very first
diplomatic assignment to Saudi Arabia. And by
not getting the vaccine, I would be putting my
career and everything I had worked for up to
that point at risk. So I made a calculated decision
to get the jab as my friend Craig would say.
I need to call Craig too, I haven't talked to
him in a while. But yeah, if - If I'm being honest,
I also took that vaccine because back then, at
that phase, COVID was still so new. No one knew
what was really going on. There wasn't a lot
of credible resources for solid data and information.
We were all scared of being infected, especially
those of us who lost loved ones. So it was just
a lot going on. I don't regret it, but like I
said, I seriously doubt that I'll be taking another
vaccine if it comes to that. I'm just gonna pass
on that. So anyway, if you recall in one of my
previous episodes, I'm pivoting. In one of my
previous episodes, I encouraged people to apply
for their passports. if they don't already have
one. And if you do have one, definitely make
sure it's good for, I would say at least the
next two or three years. Really two years, now
that I think about it, two years is kind of pushing
it. You know, passports are good for 10 years
when you get them. So if your current passport
expires before 2028, I would go ahead and get
that renewed ASAP. Hopefully you're not in that
situation, but you see how things are trending
just 10 months into this new administration.
So I would strongly recommend making sure that
you're squared away in all your documents and
your passports for yourself and for your household.
Now, here's a question a lot of folks are wondering
and asking about right now. Can I still get a
passport during the government shutdown right
now? The short answer to that is yes. Yes, you
can. Passport services are still running, and
that's because they're mostly funded by fees,
not by this regular federal budget that Congress
failed to pass. In other words, like, when you
pay for your passport and you pay those fees
or what have you, that money is what's keeping
that system moving. So the State Department has
said that both passport and visa operations are
still going here in the U .S., at the embassies,
overseas. All of those operations are continuing
as long as there's enough fee money in the reserve.
But here's the catch, though. There are some
locations that may face more delays than others
because of reduced staffing or some type of limited
building access, especially if those particular
offices are inside federal facilities that are
closed down by the shutdown. So it just depends
on the location. But largely, if you're traveling
soon, you don't have to panic. routine application
of the steel beam process, you just have to plan
ahead and just expect a lower turnaround time
than normal. All right? So the bottom line is
passport offices are still open, but, you know,
like I said, things might move a little slower
until Washington gets back, you know, solid and
get their act together. All right. What else?
I'm pivoting from that. Oh, I want to tell you
guys, I have a theory about something. This one
might give me a little trouble, but you know
me. I tend to connect dots that folks just, you
know, make folks just a little bit uncomfortable.
So I have a theory that the main reason why the
United States still doesn't have universal healthcare
or free healthcare, despite being one of the
wealthiest nations on earth, I feel like that
has less to do with politics and more to do with
control. Think about the U .S. labor market.
They need workers. And nothing keeps people tied
to a job quite like the fear of losing their
healthcare. Because think about it, there are
millions of Americans who are out there working,
a job they can't stand, and they're not doing
it for the paycheck. They're doing it for the
insurance card. They're clocking in every day,
not out of passion, but out of necessity, and
it's not even about the paycheck, really, because
heaven forbid that they have a child that needs
an ER visit or, you know, even worse, around
a chemo or something like that, and trying to...
Deal with that without any type of medical coverage
could be detrimental to a family's finances Now
imagine if health care were free Imagine if it
were free and it was universal and available
to everyone Like it is in most industrialized
nations. I Think you'd have a massive wave of
people just quitting their jobs quitting their
jobs and starting businesses, launching non -profits,
writing books, painting murals, actually pursuing
things that they love. That's what I think. I
think you see an explosion of innovation, creativity,
a lot of small business growth. I really do,
but that's too much like, right, we couldn't
have that. We couldn't have that, could we? No,
no, no. That's just too much. That would disrupt
our status quo that we're used to. Because that
would mean fewer people are depending on these
corporate jobs. There are fewer people to fill
these cubicles. And you got a lot more people
empowered to work for themselves. And if the
people are empowered, That just might threaten
the big guys all the corporations the pharmaceuticals
Even a lot of government structures all that
stuff that the thrives on dependency So that's
my theory I just call it like it is I think the
system needs workers. I think it needs consumers.
I think it needs patients like hospital patients
I This economy the way it is it Runs on people
just being comfortable enough to survive but
too afraid to leave the safety net of employer
provided health care benefits That's what I think
that's my opinion Now I'm not saying be a revolutionary
and then you know quit your jobs and all of that.
That's not what I'm saying I'm just asking you
to think about who really benefits from keeping
healthcare locked behind employment. The closest
we ever got to something even resembling universal
healthcare was the Affordable Care Act, which
they love to call Obamacare, to scare people
and to, you know, just be fucked up. And, you
know, people still act a fool about the Affordable
Care Act today. I think it's on its last leg.
I think it's still in place. I don't know how
much longer it will be. I hope it continues.
There's a lot of people that's relying on that
coverage. But yeah, a lot of people still act
a fool about Obamacare to this day. And whenever
I reference it, I try to make a point to call
it the Affordable Care Act. Yes, it was enacted
into law when President Obama was president,
but I think to call it Obamacare is to just make
people feel some type of way, unnecessarily.
if you happen to not support him and all of that.
Anyway, I'm gonna move on. This is why I shouldn't
watch the news. This is why I don't watch the
news. It gets me started. It gets me on these
tangents. And the next thing you know, I'm just
talking shit about the whole system on live radio.
Okay, so before I say something that makes me
just kinda like mysteriously disappear, I'm just
gonna hush. We're gonna take a quick break. When
we come back, I'm going to tell you what life's
really been like since early retirement. So stay
tuned. You're listening to Live with Dr. Andre
Jerry. Hi, I'm James Baller of Artists First
Radio, and I would like to tell you about a fascinating
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Welcome to another broadcast of Spiritual Concerns,
the Deborah Ruffini Show on Artists First Radio
Network. We're live from England on Saturdays
and Sundays, 3pm New York, 8pm London. All past
shows or podcasts, find them at artistsfirst
.com. I'll be your host where issues relating
to the spiritual matters of concern will be largely
examined and discussed. Enjoy the show. You're
back live with Dr. Andre Jerry. All right, welcome
back, guys. Just still tuned in to Live with
Dr. Andre Jerry, broadcasting worldwide on the
Artists First Radio Network. Hey, thanks for
sticking with us through the break. If you're
just joining us before the break, I share my
little theory, and I use that word loosely, but
I share my little theory about why Universal
Healthcare in America is still sitting in the
Maybe one day pile and let's just say I may have
rough with a few corporate feathers with that
one, but I don't care. Hey, you look somebody's
got to tell the truth, right? Alright, so we're
going to shift gears a bit and dive into what's
life been like since I stepped away from the
nine to five grind. We're talking early retirement
freedom and. what it really means to wake up
on your own terms. So I want to share some lessons,
a few surprises, and talk about some of the things
that no one warns you about when you make this
type of move. So earlier, I talked about how
a lot of people stay in jobs primarily for the
health care benefits, but people also stay in
jobs for many other reasons. You know, I I never
dreamed about being a logistician or working
for the federal government. I didn't. I'm a creative
person. I love to write. I love to sing. I love
to perform. I love to take ideas from an intangible
form, like in your thoughts, and bring it to
life on a page. as a script, as a story, as a
poem, as a song. I love to make people laugh.
I like to entertain. I used to indulge in these
passions of mine when I was younger. Somewhere
along the way, growing up and dating, being a
young adult, finding my way, I just eventually
stopped. pursuing my passions, my gifts. And
I started doing other things. And those other
things weren't necessarily passions of mine,
but looking back, they were things that were
necessary as part of my growth and development.
I remember how the federal job came about. I
remember how that all worked out. I was... Working
on my MBA at Mercer University and I was like
just a few months shy of graduating I was almost
done and By that time in my life I had become
pretty good at Networking and I had a pretty
extensive social network The assistant director
I think she was either the assistant director
or the director She reached out to me and she
told me that some hiring managers from the Department
of Defense, they were planning to come to the
campus soon and they wanted to set up interviews
with a few of Mercer's top students in the MBA
program. So, you know, given my reputation and
my GPA, she encouraged me to interview. I'll
be honest, at first I wasn't really excited about
it. I remember it. I was like, I don't want no
federal job. And at that time, I remember I had
aspirations to be a corporate executive at a
Fortune 500 company. I just didn't see working
a federal job. That never crossed my mind. It
was never an aspiration. So I was kind of a snob
about it at first. But the director... She was
like, no, look, you definitely want to interview
with them. This is for a three -year internship
with tiered promotions and raises. And this is
something that's going to set you up for a great
career with the DOD. So I listened to her. I
had a sense. I was very opinionated, but I had
some sense. And I told her I'd interview. And
ever since that interview, Jehovah has blessed
my career. They loved me at the interview. They
said, we definitely want to hire you. Let us
know when you'll be graduating with your MBA.
We can't bring you on until you have your MBA
degree conferred. So that was like two, three
months away. But yeah, I had a blessed career.
I was fast -tracked. I out -promoted all of my
peers, all of whom were more knowledgeable than
me. Seriously, they were more knowledgeable to
me about logistics and about program management
to this day But I was the one that went up the
ladder and You know, I was grateful for that
You know A lot of black folks Kind of viewed
their ethnicity as an obstacle or hurdle And
I understand why. I really do. Just because of
the way the country is set up. So I get it, but
I had parents who didn't raise me to have that
point of view. I was always taught to embrace
my difference and to make it work for me, not
against me. I remember with my mom, always said
to me she said they want to make you a token
in she said they want to make your token in make
sure you get paid damn good for it and um so
that was you know that was just my approach and
uh honestly i think my ethnicity had a lot to
do with my promotions and you know that and my
ability to navigate politically um how i present
myself You know, I looked the part. Being handsome
and looking good in the suit certainly didn't
hurt. You know, how I conduct myself in meetings
and in board rooms. I remember something else
my mom said. My mom was a very wise woman, just
very, very common sage wise sense. She said,
and the way I say this is gonna sound, this is
just how she said it, but I know what she meant
and I... But I know how it could sound to other
people. But anyway, she said, no one will ever
know how stupid you are if you learn how to shut
up and just smile. And that took me a long way
because there were many a times I was in board
rooms. I didn't know what the hell was going
on. I just looked the part and I sat there and
I looked handsome in my suit and I smiled and
nodded. And sometimes you have to do that. until
you can get your bearings, until you can prove
yourself and get up to par with the things you
need to be up to par on. But yeah, so I had a
lot working for me in my career. And I was able
to enjoy a lot of success. But despite all of
that, there was always this one thing that followed
me in every position. every promotion, every
pay raise. And that was the fact that I was not
happy. Not really, I wasn't really happy. I wasn't
happy because I didn't really enjoy my work.
I wasn't even always the best at it, but I knew
how to maneuver corporate terrain. It doesn't
matter if it was domestically here in the states
or internationally. I knew how to maneuver that
corporate terrain You could place me anywhere
and I could just adapt Remember at heart I'm
a performer. I know how to look the part. I know
how to act the part Even when I don't know what
the hell is going on There's a scripture in Proverbs
that says your gift will make room for you Your
gift will place you in front of great people
something to that effect So all this time While
I was progressing in my career Doing work that
Didn't really move me. It was important work,
but it didn't move me But nonetheless, I was
progressing I just kept progressing I didn't
know it but I was operating in my gift. I didn't
even realize it Excuse me. I didn't even realize
it But I always felt empty and always felt like
an imposter and I Didn't really fully understand
why I felt that way At the time in retrospect
that you know things become clearer, but I had
the status I had the lifestyle I Made the six
figures. I had all of that. Why wasn't I happy?
I thought maybe the imposter syndrome was the
culprit. Maybe it was some sort of success guilt
from knowing that there were other people much
more knowledgeable, not more qualified, more
knowledgeable than I was in these positions.
But looking back, it wasn't that. It was that
creative side of me that authentic part of me.
It just, it wasn't being nurtured. I had kind
of sidelined it. Not even kind of. I did sideline
it. I wasn't writing my poems. I wasn't writing
music. I wasn't writing my stories. I used to
write these really intense erotic short stories.
I wasn't doing any of my artistry. I just sort
of subverted all of that. creativity to become
this corporate person. And my goals had started
to become centered around career progression.
You know, it started to become an addiction.
Like, how high can I go? Like, I want to go to
the top. I remember one of my last goals, and
this is a goal I had at the start of this year.
I wanted to make it to senior executive service.
highest civilian level in federal employment.
And I was about two, two and a half, three steps
away from achieving that. And I wasn't going
to stop until I got it. All in the name of ambition
and chasing titles and more promotions and all
that stuff. Meanwhile, I'm noticing my stress
level changing. Looking at my body. I always
had a hot body. I was a little skinny when I
was younger, but you know once I got 24 25 hot
body and So I just became accustomed to that
was starting to lose my toneness. Where is this?
Dead by coming from why is my stomach doing this
when I sit down? I don't understand what's happening
Clothes are starting to get tighter And I'm starting
to get these weird aches in my body out of nowhere
Not to mention this was around the time Trump
got re -elected the second time and he started
with his bullshit with doge and all the layoffs
and all I just Remember taking a long look at
myself in the mirror now. I was like Andre first
of all Fix your body because this is not gonna
work fix your body We don't do this And then
second of all, what are you even doing? All money
ain't good money. So I made a decision to walk
away and pursue a more purpose driven life. Now
only do what my spirit leads me to do. I've been
joined being a radio host of an international
radio show. I've written two books. Since retiring,
I'm now working on my fifth book, my fifth publication,
and some accompanying digital content to go along
with that, which should be available before the
end of the year, if I don't procrastinate. So
I'm really enjoying all of this. You know, I
enjoy being a recording artist. I've released
two albums and numerous singles. And I'm working
on a comedy album about my life that will probably
be out sometime next year And I'm quietly and
stealthily becoming a YouTube sensation don't
kill anybody But I don't say any of that to boast
I really don't it's just to make the point that
it took me 46 years But I'm finally living in
my purpose And in my passion, and I'm enjoying
the journey along the way. I've chased the vain
ambitions like promotions and paycheck. None
of that stuff moves me anymore. What I chase
now is impact. What impact am I having on people's
lives? Who am I inspiring? Whose lives am I improving?
That's the stuff that's important to me now Now
Don't get me wrong. It's not all glamorous and
I miss the six -figure check I do And it can
get a little scary at times in this climate not
having the security of a six -figure income and
being responsible for making your own six -figure
living and using your own ingenuity and manage
your own healthcare insurance options and your
own retirement strategy options. But like anything
else, you make adjustments and you adapt accordingly.
Even before I retired, I was slowly adopting
a minimalist lifestyle. I was slowly starting
to purge myself of unnecessary material things
and plus you know once you've had all the things
the cars the condos the name brand this the name
brand that it's all nice to have I'm not gonna
lie it's nice to have it but none of it really
at the end of the day makes you happy not really
what really makes you happy is peace and stability
having your health Having a sound mind Having
people in your life, even if it's just one or
two Who truly care about you who love you unconditionally?
They want the best for you. They want to see
you happy Doing what you love every day waking
up and being excited To get your day started
not waking up in me. Oh You know this shit, you
know who wants to wake up dealing with okay?
How much money you make who wants to wake up?
Saying I don't feel like dealing with this shit
who wants to wake up saying that? You know um,
but yeah, just Having people in your life that
truly care about you and want the best for you
They want to see you happy and doing the things
you love and being excited when you wake up being
in love Whatever form that takes for you that
makes sense for you and feels good to you Being
kind to other people being kind to yourself Being
able to say I'm sorry to someone without it tasting
like poison in your mouth Having enough humility
to say to someone that you hurt that Look I wish
I had handled that better. I'm sorry. I hurt
you You know when you're having a disagreement
or a breakdown in communication with someone
and you say some really awful things to them
but then somehow you come to your senses and
you realize that you really hurt the other person
by what you said. A lot of times we end up saying
something like oh I was really upset I didn't
mean what I said or I was really drunk I didn't
mean that or I was in a really dark place back
then I don't know why I said that I didn't mean
it. What I've learned over the years is that
regardless of what emotional state We may have
been in at the time. We did mean it we did When
it comes to our families and people who we are
intimately connected with a Lot of times we know
exactly What to say to bring them to their knees?
We know their weakness. We know their kryptonite
True love is being able to disagree with someone
vehemiently to have a knockdown drag out and
still not go there to not exploit their vulnerable
places or Go for the juggler all in the name
of trying to win an argument That's when you
know you really truly love someone. That's when
you know you love yourself, because really it
takes a level of self -mastery to refrain from
that type of emotional warfare. This is all stuff
I wish I knew earlier in life, but you know that's
just not how life goes. We're here to learn,
we're here to grow, we're here to evolve spiritually.
And the way we do that is by going through some
really harsh and difficult things sometimes.
Yes, God puts us here to enjoy life and have
life and all of that. But in this journey, we
also got to learn what it is to suffer and to
be broken and to be hurt by people we love and
to feel the sting of betrayal, to experience
loss. the struggle sometimes and a want to give
up and to be tested as far as we could bear and
have our faith tested beyond comprehension and
at the end of the day and at the end of it all
still give glory to god and still be able to
say god is good still be able to say god i trust
you though he slay me i would still wait i will
argue my case before his face He would then become
my salvation for no godless person may come in
before him Y 'all remember the story of Job?
All the things that befell him he lost his children
lost his livelihood. He lost his health Even
his wife was acting a fool he went through it
and He went through his moments where he was
bitter and he was angry just like anyone else
would be he went through all of those changes
But at the end of it, he humbled himself before
the Lord He praised him in the middle of his
suffering with balls all over his body after
having lost his children his wife packing the
food And remember when his wife told him? His
wife said Are you still holding firmly to your
integrity? curse God and die And I love what
Joe said to her he said you were talking like
one of the senseless women Should we accept only
what is good from the true God and not also accept
what is bad? And in all of this, Job did not
sin with his lips. Now, I know it may not be
to the extent that Job was tested. That's a lot.
I don't know many people who could withstand
those type of blows that Job took, but we all
have to face our own unique trials and tribulations.
That saying what God has for you People always
try to attribute that to just material stuff
and worldly things and accomplishments But it
also means trials and challenges, too. We all
have to come here with something Some people
it may be cancer some people it may Be really
really really really challenging parents or no
parents One of mine is being gay I So wish I
was not gay. I don't want to be gay. I think
the lifestyle is stupid but that was what God
sent me here to bear and to make peace with and
to embrace and learn to love myself even though
That's not what I want to be. We all have to
come here with something. Thank God It was just
being gay you imagine if I was an amputee or
had cancer or leukemia or just it could have
been a whole lot of stuff and i'm gonna complain
about being gay is my cross to bear please i'll
bear it all day long all day it could have been
a number of things you know so it wasn't my intention
it wasn't my intention to preach today you know
but uh with that scripture out of the out of
the heart flow of the issues of life you have
to be obedient to the spirit you know um god's
word never returns So, you know, just let God
have his way. He's the one who gave me this platform
in the first place. Let him have his way. And
just be kind to people, even the assholes. We're
all carrying something. You just never know how
far a little bit of kindness or a little smile
can, you know how far they can go in someone's
life. It doesn't cost anything. We're living
in a time right now where being mean and being
involved, you know, being mean is just like regular
now. It's just like, yeah, be mean, be a dick.
You know, it's looked upon as strength, but it's
not really strength, it's weakness. It's weakness,
so don't fall for that. There's one more thing
I wanna say before I end tonight's show. If there's
someone in your life that you've not forgiven
for hurting you, let the shit go. Seriously,
let it go. It's been long enough. How has holding
on to all of that served you? Do you feel better?
Your health is good? Let it go. Let the shit
go. I promise you, you're gonna feel so much
better once you let all that go. And that don't
mean you have to call them and say, I forgive
you, and da da da. You don't even have to talk
to them. Forgive them in your heart. Forgive
them in your mind and in your body. Talk to God
about it saying Lord. I don't want to carry this
no more here. You take it You you carry my burdens.
It says that in your word. So here I'm giving
this to you. I don't want it I'm not gonna get
cancer for nobody. I'm not gonna get all these
illnesses for nobody for holding on to grudges
and Unforgiveness and all of that. It's not worth
it. It's just toxic emotions If you leave toxic
emotions in your body for too long, it is going
to turn into sickness Do you understand that?
So I really hope you hear me on that. All right,
listen. That's our show for tonight. I'm not
gonna go on and on. I appreciate you guys spending
some time with me this evening. I really do.
I told you I was gonna make it worth your while.
Be sure to tune into our next episode of Live
with Dr. Andre Jerry. My show airs every second
Wednesday of the month at 6 p .m. Eastern, okay?
Right here on the Artist First Radio Network.
So thank you for listening and good night, everybody.