Hey there,
enjoy today’s conversation with John Esteen and Reginald Joseph.
The incredible story of John Esteen and the person he has become will deeply touch you.
A 150 year sentence didn’t make this guy fold and wanting to give up. He fought for the good and helped so many people along the way.
Reginald is a Screenwriter and very successful motivational speaker and so much more. He will share with us a story that will deeply change this world
I have goosebumps still..
thank you for listening and sharing
with love aurora
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Transcript
Hello, and welcome to the Borealis experience. I’m
Unknown:your host Aurora. And I’m very excited to be posting this
Unknown:interview for you with Gianna Steen and Reginald Joseph, a
Unknown:conversation among warriors about guys who are so inspiring
Unknown:and they share just such beautiful stories. You also
Unknown:touched on racism and how Reginald approached a very
Unknown:racist situation back then when he was 17. Enjoy our
Unknown:conversation, and I’ll be out there very soon again for you.
Unknown:Bye.
Unknown:Okay, I’m john Epstein. I am the founder and president of any
Unknown:second wind nonprofit organization. I have served over
Unknown:20 years on 150 centers on nonviolent drug charge. Now that
Unknown:I have my freedom, working towards helping others serve are
Unknown:now and helping them best what I can.
Unknown:My name is Reginald Joseph and I live here in Florida. I, my
Unknown:father of six. Each and every one of them have grown and doing
Unknown:well. I guess I linked up with john esteem through my brother
Unknown:who played football with him in college, he knew that I knew him
Unknown:from college. And I’ve been on this path of motivating and
Unknown:encouraging people for a very long time. It’s I think it’s
Unknown:been my life’s calling to be that type of person. And so I
Unknown:was on a mission to get some things started here. And my
Unknown:brother introduced me to john. I don’t know how the conversation
Unknown:went between himself in john, but he told john that he needed
Unknown:to meet me. So we linked up, I immediately noticed that we had
Unknown:a lot in common, I’d never served time in prison. But I’ve
Unknown:faced many adversities out here in the world. And it seemed to
Unknown:put us on basically the same type of path, wanting to give
Unknown:back wanting to encourage, but also wanted to see people reach
Unknown:the pinnacle of success in whatever form of fashion that
Unknown:may be whether being released from prison or being encouraged
Unknown:and empowered, during their time in prison. As well as out here
Unknown:in the world, being able to maneuver and manipulate
Unknown:situations to the point where it always empowered myself or
Unknown:empower that individual, encourage them to do better and
Unknown:be better. And to be a better example to to the youth. I think
Unknown:that’s very important that we talk about, we always talk a
Unknown:good game about how the world is changing, and what things need
Unknown:to take place. But this world, but we never emphasize or
Unknown:EMPHASIZE ENOUGH importance of education and educating our
Unknown:youth. And that not only goes with classroom education, it’s
Unknown:about our morals, and educating them on having a higher self of
Unknown:self esteem. We’re going to all face adversities through every
Unknown:day of our life, there are things that we go through just
Unknown:to get us to the next point. And I just believe that we
Unknown:encouraged through our, our life experience, I go through things,
Unknown:but you don’t have to know what I’m going through because of how
Unknown:I react, you’ve got to see me encouraged, you got to see me
Unknown:happy. And that there is going to encourage you and give you a
Unknown:sense of empowerment that you can do to no matter what your
Unknown:situation is. And I think that’s how john and I are both kind of
Unknown:motivated to see this thing. And to help as many people as we
Unknown:can.
Unknown:That is so beautiful. And the Borealis experience here is also
Unknown:about showing to the world that there’s such good masculine role
Unknown:models out there. Because I feel there’s a lot of men in power
Unknown:right now that Miss guide their their power, their influence,
Unknown:and they misuse it and use it against women and guys, and this
Unknown:is why I feel it’s so important to have you on my show because
Unknown:especially when it comes to you, john, there is so much judgment
Unknown:when it comes to People who came out of jail that people say no,
Unknown:that person was bad in the past, they will never change, they
Unknown:have no chance in society. And I want to change that image, I
Unknown:want to show people that people deserve second chances, and that
Unknown:there is strong, beautiful masculine role models out there.
Unknown:And we just got to focus more on that we have to take the focus
Unknown:away from these aggressive bullies, and put the focus on
Unknown:guys who have really good intentions and who have learned
Unknown:from their mistakes. So, john, if you want to maybe share a
Unknown:little bit more of your story, and how you got back into
Unknown:society now. And maybe some of the adversity that you have
Unknown:encountered, and maybe beautiful experiences that you went
Unknown:through now that you’ve out there in the world again. Yes.
Unknown:was not an easy gone to prison. made, I think it all stems from
Unknown:me coming back from war. I came back from war couldn’t really
Unknown:find myself, I was lost. And now we’re looking to see what
Unknown:direction to go in. And, unfortunately, I’ve got hooked
Unknown:up with friends that were doing wrong things. And I had got to
Unknown:hip to doing things like that. While I was in war, so I was I
Unknown:did things at war, and Saudi Arabia that I have never done in
Unknown:my life. So it kind of brought me to the kind of transformed me
Unknown:to another person, a person that I wasn’t brought up to be. So
Unknown:when I came home with that same mindset, it was easy for me to
Unknown:fall in a traps of doing things that I don’t supposed to be
Unknown:doing. And it led me to do my first tool in prison. And that
Unknown:was Pensacola, Florida. The softball field is a federal
Unknown:prison camp. My first conviction ever young man, still trying to
Unknown:find myself. And I did three and a half years there, and I came
Unknown:home it kind of like scared me straight for a little while. I
Unknown:was married to my wife and the young lady that I met in
Unknown:college, not playing football. We missed the regionals,
Unknown:brother. So I’m home now and I’m working, everything working out
Unknown:good for me, then that has got that charge and I got the people
Unknown:I met new people that was doing what I did before. So quite
Unknown:naturally, I kind of lean towards that we made extra money
Unknown:is all about me. It was about making extra money is what
Unknown:nothing else is wanted. I guess some people say it was selfish
Unknown:motives. And I do believe that too. But I’m so had good
Unknown:intentions. I want to take care of my family, my son. And now I
Unknown:do have a son. He’s our attorney now. So I’m proud of him.
Unknown:Despite my downfall. He’s he persevered and became a fine
Unknown:young man, you know, so I’m proud of that. I’m glad I’m
Unknown:thank God for that. And so now that I’m home came home from the
Unknown:federal penitentiary around, I say 95 and 1998, I caught my
Unknown:second charge, led me to Angola state prison was at one time the
Unknown:most bloodiest prison in the world. And it seemed to calm
Unknown:down a whole lot since we had a pro, a warden, by the name of
Unknown:bro Kane, who would change the face of Angola would would
Unknown:charge you with religion. So that was a good thing. So when I
Unknown:get to Angola, you know, it was kind of shocked to me, it was
Unknown:like it was on a world of his own. And I just couldn’t believe
Unknown:I was in there. But have a lot of distractions while there. And
Unknown:I know I had a son for the years of my head that I don’t do
Unknown:anything about it. My feed would end right there, right there in
Unknown:Angola. And, but what triggered me now we never talked to
Unknown:original. And I realized that I realized that what triggered me
Unknown:to fight the way I did for my freedom. And that’s it. When I
Unknown:was a color God, an angle on what was our head of veteran
Unknown:program. And we would deal with buried out on. You see, and I
Unknown:mentioned that to you before. And but as I reiterate, that is
Unknown:not the thing that came up to my mind was that when that when I
Unknown:seen that man that we bear going ahead and going around that big
Unknown:ol dark hole, and it touched me I like I felt his pain, I felt
Unknown:his family pain, I felt, they just came something came over me
Unknown:that brought tears to my eyes. And I felt also I realized that
Unknown:at that moment, it’s like the old me was dying with that man.
Unknown:And that ground going that ground with him. And that
Unknown:changed me I was prior to that all I was doing was playing
Unknown:sports.
Unknown:The good thing I was doing is getting educated. I gotten a
Unknown:Bible college that they had in Angola. So I got my own
Unknown:bachelor’s degree in Christian ministry. Then I got a
Unknown:horticulture certification. So we’re doing positive things. And
Unknown:I was a leader there in Angola. So I taught a lot of classes,
Unknown:their leadership classes. See.
Unknown:So
Unknown:all that add up to like, what am I going to do, and lay down on
Unknown:my get up and fight and gain my freedom? The best way I know
Unknown:how, and I decided to fight. It was that moment that I saw that
Unknown:guy being buried. It touched me that much to make me grew up at
Unknown:that moment there man and stand up for myself. And I have no
Unknown:pity party and getting them Law Library and learn the law as it
Unknown:pertained to my situation. And put God first half the room had
Unknown:to put I put God first learned that, well, God all things are
Unknown:possible. And I stuck with that. And I believe that my whole
Unknown:heart. And I knew that God worked through us, not for us.
Unknown:So knowing these things, helped me, the owner to stay on the
Unknown:straight and narrow and the focus on my freedom as map
Unknown:eautiful you want to start a podcast, where you encourage and
Unknown:motivate people. And was Reginald, you guys want to want
Unknown:to start a big project? What do you guys would like to share
Unknown:with us?
Unknown:Live resin? We’ll talk about that. Yeah, please help me a lot
Unknown:with my nonprofit filming things cutting, pasting, and he doesn’t
Unknown:beautiful things from me. And I like to him to elaborate on
Unknown:that. Yes.
Unknown:I’ve always been a writer since a kid. But um, I’d like to
Unknown:comment one thing on on what john was saying. As far as
Unknown:laying down or getting up and fighting. I think you have an
Unknown:uncanny ability to block things out. One thing about me when I
Unknown:run, I can run I used to run in a military and I would when I
Unknown:went to Ranger School, I was always the guy out with the guy
Unknown:on I would run up mountains and I was I could run distance. When
Unknown:it came to running laps around a track. I couldn’t do it. I was I
Unknown:was very ineffective, basically, because I would count those laps
Unknown:and how many more I had left, and it would really cancel it
Unknown:out for me. So I was very effective at running. But if I
Unknown:got out and I had to go seven miles out, I didn’t have miles
Unknown:to count I just ran You know, I’m saying and what you did was
Unknown:with 150 use in my opinion, is I’ve never had to experience it
Unknown:at that magnitude. But in my my opinion 150 years most people
Unknown:would just settle would just give up would lay down and say
Unknown:you know what, there’s no fight left in me because what am I
Unknown:gonna fight for 150 communities. This is what I got to do. I’m
Unknown:dying, right? But you failed, you refuse to lay down because
Unknown:you’re able to block that out and I applaud that. And that’s
Unknown:an ability that I hope I can find in me at some point. That
Unknown:extreme but as far as the big project
Unknown:I
Unknown:my my whole I guess makeup has been to help people to give back
Unknown:to do what I could to be a selfless person. Selfish in the
Unknown:sense that I put me first I my happiness is important to me.
Unknown:But to be able to be a value, everything about me must be a
Unknown:value to other people to help them grow, to help them get
Unknown:better to help them see better and to do better. And working
Unknown:with john, I see greater possibilities and everything
Unknown:that I want to do that I need to do or aspire to do. Because we
Unknown:have a we have like mind, we like minded individuals, we have
Unknown:a lot in common as far as a military background. He went to
Unknown:prison, but I, I was I faced adversity in the sense that my
Unknown:father didn’t raise, he went out and he adopted another family
Unknown:and he denied my brothers. And he read, he retired from General
Unknown:Motors 33 years, we never saw any of the benefits. My mother
Unknown:saw not a lick of child support. And it hurt me all the way
Unknown:through my adult life. I was searching for my purpose. When I
Unknown:always knew what my purpose was, it was just hard to grasp what
Unknown:my true purpose. Without that father figure, I had a mother, a
Unknown:single mother raising three boys, and tend to be men, she
Unknown:couldn’t do it. So naturally, as the oldest, I get into trouble,
Unknown:I didn’t have a father there to teach me how not to make certain
Unknown:mistakes. So how to make better decisions. So I had to learn a
Unknown:lot on my own. But one day, I came to a point where I was I
Unknown:was sick and tired of being sick and tired, if that makes any
Unknown:sense to me. If I was 17 years old, and I got kicked out of
Unknown:high school for fighting, and it was a senior year, and I told my
Unknown:mother that I wasn’t going to transfer to another school, I
Unknown:was just gonna get a GED. And I said, You know what, I’m gonna
Unknown:go to the army, forget college, I’m gonna go to the army. And
Unknown:the day I was having that conversation with her, I got the
Unknown:knock on the door. And I knew who it was, but I was
Unknown:surrendered to what I was going to do. I was done with the old
Unknown:stuff. And I was I was on to something better. And so I
Unknown:opened the door and they told me, let’s go man. And I was
Unknown:like, Nope, not doing that anymore. I’m done with it. I’m
Unknown:going into the army. And when I closed the doors last time I saw
Unknown:them, those guys. they wound up they were two brothers, they
Unknown:wound up in Angola, 124 years of peace for what they did that
Unknown:night that they came to get me. That’s right. 124 years with no
Unknown:chance of parole for two counts of armed robbery in the state of
Unknown:Louisiana at the time it was 99 years max sentence and 25 years
Unknown:minimum. So they got two counts. And I went on. And my third day
Unknown:in basic training. I was used in very spiritual way to change a
Unknown:man’s life. He was a racist. He was a professed racist, and he
Unknown:was saying things and everybody wanted to get him. And at 17
Unknown:years old, I didn’t know much about life. I didn’t know much
Unknown:about, you know, scriptures and Bible anything like but
Unknown:something in me rose up and I was able to go over and have a
Unknown:conversation with this man. And he was an older guy. He was like
Unknown:27 years old with a wife and kids and I was just snot nosed
Unknown:kid off the block. I didn’t know anything about anything. But the
Unknown:conversation between the two of us left him in tears. And he
Unknown:became one of my best friends in life changed his life from being
Unknown:a racist to embracing diversity. And that’s what I am I’m drawn
Unknown:to that every time I talk with john St. And I’m drawn to
Unknown:memories of that of my purpose is greater than what I’ve what I
Unknown:could ever imagine. And there’s so many great things that I’m
Unknown:still get to do. And being that we the same age we kind of
Unknown:timetable is really it’s like, we don’t have to race we don’t
Unknown:have to rush we don’t have to fight against it. We just have
Unknown:to relax into the flow of it and just be who and allow things to
Unknown:come together. So the podcast, my podcast is choking on cigar
Unknown:smoke and choking on cigar smoke, you know that the phrase
Unknown:close but no cigar.
Unknown:choking on cigar smoke means that you want it so much that
Unknown:you can’t even handle it. You don’t even learn how to handle
Unknown:so what we need to do is take To time Be patient, and focus our
Unknown:efforts on being positive and happy. And educating ourselves
Unknown:and therefore educating the youth. Therefore, the recidivism
Unknown:rate, which John’s mission is, it’s curbing that recidivism,
Unknown:it’s, it’s kind of bringing the diminishing that where there
Unknown:won’t be as many people going in and out of prison, and things of
Unknown:that nature is really cultivating in saving the family
Unknown:aspect. So that’s what my goal is. And I think we’re gonna make
Unknown:a powerful statement in regards to family in regards to
Unknown:education in regards to a recidivism rate.
Unknown:Yeah, this is such an incredible mission. And I know you guys
Unknown:will make such a big impact and change in society, all around
Unknown:the world. And one thing I wanted to add to that is, when
Unknown:it comes to criminal energy, john Astin, like said, he was
Unknown:very selfish, he wanted to, yeah, earn a little bit of
Unknown:money. But it was to be a provider, you want it to be a
Unknown:provider for your family and help support them. So with a lot
Unknown:of people who commit crimes, I feel they are extremely
Unknown:intelligent, and know how to function and organize and
Unknown:network, and then they get into jail. And most of the time,
Unknown:horrible things happen in jail that so that when they get out
Unknown:of jail, they’re completely lost and don’t know what to do. But
Unknown:if you can now channel that energy, that energy that was
Unknown:misguided, at the start channel into goodness, and helping
Unknown:others, then you can create incredible things. And I feel
Unknown:this is what you guys will be doing, you will pick up guys who
Unknown:are lost, and maybe broken, and give them a purpose and give
Unknown:them a sense of self and make them feel needed in our society
Unknown:again, because that’s what is lacking. Right now people come
Unknown:out, beat up, and then are forced through administration
Unknown:and are being judged by other people. And you guys are kind of
Unknown:the supporting that who can receive them and help them into
Unknown:a new direction. Did I get this right?
Unknown:I think so. I also the point where john, his son, becoming a
Unknown:responsible individual, despite his father being sentenced to
Unknown:150 years in penitentiary, it was because of your refusal to
Unknown:lay down your work ethic, your constant aggression towards
Unknown:doing something proactive, yes, that would constantly teaching
Unknown:your son, he couldn’t give up because he wasn’t being taught
Unknown:to give up. He was watching you, and being empowered. So he can’t
Unknown:give up and he’ll pass that on to his, his offspring. And all
Unknown:of those around them, they’ll, that energy will, will transfer
Unknown:into their lives if if they so desire, but I believe that it’s
Unknown:just like I said, my values, not only for me, but more
Unknown:importantly for those around me, especially my offspring, and my.
Unknown:And that’s why I believe you and I attract so strongly because
Unknown:we’ve shared that share that same sentiment of positive
Unknown:strong work ethic, work ethic, and the refusal to quit. I just,
Unknown:I just can’t quit at 53 years old man, I just I got I got more
Unknown:energy than I did at 29. That’s really, I truly do not thoughts,
Unknown:and I get so many wonderful thoughts on how to I mean,
Unknown:business and just everything I got into a PhD program because I
Unknown:couldn’t stop learning. I was just, I finished my master’s and
Unknown:I was like, Okay, I’m done with learn. And then I went got a
Unknown:master’s in screenwriting. And I said, Okay, I gotta do something
Unknown:with this. So I thought I’d get the PhD in psychology to kind of
Unknown:change the way things work in Hollywood. And I met john St.
Unknown:Then my purpose was was reborn, it seems, you know, yes, this is
Unknown:what it’s about. So yeah, I agree with everything you said,
Unknown:or, and I agree with everything John’s and I’m just more than
Unknown:happy to be on this journey.
Unknown:So beautiful
Unknown:and rich.
Unknown:And you did The same good thing like john esteem did for his son
Unknown:you did for your children and making that huge decision that
Unknown:night that you’re not going to go out and commit a crime,
Unknown:right? You had to say, No, I made my decision, and I’m going
Unknown:to the army, and it’s gonna give me structure. And that was such
Unknown:a huge, huge decision that you’re gonna look at and feel so
Unknown:inspired by to.
Unknown:And it was only it was only a three and a half years later
Unknown:that I had my first job three and a half years later. So I
Unknown:mean, things work out the way they’re supposed to, I believe,
Unknown:but you have a specific responsive ability to ensure
Unknown:that it does go through at the moment that it’s supposed to go
Unknown:through. If not, I mean, it’s not to say that it won’t happen.
Unknown:But it’s gonna take some time to get back to. And I feel like the
Unknown:obstacles on either side. Yeah, obstacles on either side, there,
Unknown:my focus should be on my goal, line, my purpose in my path with
Unknown:the goal, and those obstacles won’t be a distraction to me,
Unknown:because I don’t focus my attention on those obstacles, I
Unknown:focus on my goal, because those obstacles are going to be there.
Unknown:Regardless. If I put time into studying and being depressed and
Unknown:being sad and angry, I’m wasting time, time is something you can
Unknown:never ever, ever get back. So I’m going to put my time on
Unknown:realizing my goals and, and focusing on my purpose, and then
Unknown:things will be fine as what I believe.
Unknown:And I just got really good news that our zoom meeting can be
Unknown:extended a little bit, so we don’t have to stop in five
Unknown:minutes. That’s awesome. Maybe content is so great.
Unknown:Yes, yes. Nothing, um, I like to express two is the guys that I
Unknown:was in Costa Rica with. They all need some type of positive
Unknown:influence, leadership. And I thank God that He allowed to use
Unknown:me for part of that. And when my case hit nhc guy, these guys see
Unknown:my whole walk for 18 plus years in Angola. And to see the end
Unknown:result of it, the end positively. It changed. It
Unknown:changed many of their lives. And I’m and I’m thankful for that.
Unknown:And I give God glory. Because it wasn’t for him. I wouldn’t be
Unknown:here talking to either one of you today. I know this, because
Unknown:I know I’d be stuck in that trap, knowing what Jonathan
Unknown:wants to do. But I can do what john Astin wanted to do. I had
Unknown:to put what john has been wanting to do and put what’s
Unknown:more important is what does says alone. You see, and I learned
Unknown:that and and you benefit more, of course. Um, but it’s one
Unknown:thing that stuck out to me one inmate because a lot of inmates
Unknown:went home on my, on my case. Before I did, I never went home
Unknown:on my case. So I will clear that up, too. I never did go home my
Unknown:case ever. I’m still on parole. Right now. I have 80 years of
Unknown:parole because I have 80 years left to serve, because I left 80
Unknown:years early because they brought me out. I had 150 years. I did
Unknown:20 so I don’t even know what the rest. See, you know, and that’s
Unknown:crazy. I know. And I’m still fighting that but it’s one me
Unknown:out on them. They went home before me. They’re really his
Unknown:name was Cushing. Nellie is Italian that oh my guess even my
Unknown:age but he just wasn’t in he wasn’t healthy condition. He was
Unknown:in a wheelchair. And I never knew my case affected him. He
Unknown:was on he shot. And that was on a West show. So we don’t really
Unknown:see each other. Okay, even though we’re in the same area,
Unknown:but is separated. I was going to see my lawyer just particular
Unknown:day by my situation. I was waiting in line. And I’m it’s
Unknown:close to where we visited and connected to the visit is a
Unknown:medical everybody has to go to the medical before they go home.
Unknown:You had to do checkup not everything blood work the whole
Unknown:night. Everything. So just particularly this guy was going
Unknown:home on an SDN case. And as he was being pushed up past me, I
Unknown:know a couple of guys also waiting for the lawyers acts
Unknown:Cuccinelli. Man where you’ve gone. He said, Man, I’m going
Unknown:home. And they asked him how are you? Going on what happened
Unknown:which case you use what what was going on? He said man st in case
Unknown:he asked me in case with SDN sitting right there. He say
Unknown:what? So he turned got the guy push him turn his wheelchair
Unknown:around and catch on once I got up to walk towards him, it will
Unknown:hit his, he can loot chunky little white guy, you know,
Unknown:little talion guy had a little ball cap on his head. And he
Unknown:said, st come here. So I walked toward him. And I say, Man,
Unknown:look, go enjoy your life, man. That is good. He said, Can I
Unknown:shake your hand? I said, Yeah, sure. So he grabbed my hand and
Unknown:put it place it down here on his chest by his heart. And it’s put
Unknown:his head down and I felt number of materials of water on my
Unknown:hand. And tears coming my eyes because it was a moment touching
Unknown:to me, you know, to see a grown man cry, you know, or something
Unknown:that God gave me the wisdom to overcome. You see, and I never
Unknown:forget that moment. And that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing
Unknown:today is because of a moments like that. You know, you know
Unknown:people are showing how they appreciate him. And man is blow
Unknown:it blows my mind I got chills right now just telling you
Unknown:because it’s so real to me. So real. You know, it’s like also
Unknown:when I come out the gate, get my freedom my mom and dad they’re
Unknown:waiting on me to see me seeming cross that threshold. from
Unknown:bondage to freedom.
Unknown:Freedom. Can I say something right quick? Yes, I don’t want
Unknown:to cut you off jam but my stance on things man is just just given
Unknown:me energy man. Um, yes. You said that you wanted to do if it
Unknown:wasn’t for God, you would do what john wanted to do. Just
Unknown:because of God that john is doing what john wants to john
Unknown:wanted to be this way all his life. JOHN had to go through
Unknown:trials and tribulations and places and a man to get to where
Unknown:you are right now. Tell me about your mom saying what she said to
Unknown:you in court that day.
Unknown:man that was that was
Unknown:that moment. with with with the Italian guy. Goshen said the
Unknown:same? Cush, personality, nearly, you’ll never forget that moment.
Unknown:Right? You’ll never forget the moment when they told you, you
Unknown:were going home, you’ll never forget the day you got home,
Unknown:you’ll never forget those moments, because they are going
Unknown:to keep you in subjection to your purpose. And that’s what
Unknown:that’s what that’s the kind of stuff I’m telling you that I
Unknown:feed off those types of moments that I never forget, that did
Unknown:still draw me up. Look at you, man, you got tears in your eyes
Unknown:right now. Because of those moments, you’ll never get them.
Unknown:They’re gonna keep driving you to fulfill your purpose, to
Unknown:fulfill your purpose every single day. And that’s not the
Unknown:right thing. And it’s not because not you’re doing what
Unknown:you want to do. Everything that we go through with the Bible
Unknown:says that all things work together for good, right? Yes,
Unknown:right. Everything you’ve ever experienced, is working out the
Unknown:way it’s supposed to some of the things that some of the
Unknown:decisions you made cause you to have to endure certain other
Unknown:aspects. But you are right where you supposed to be. And you’ve
Unknown:gone through everything that you were supposed to go through for
Unknown:that particular purpose. And some of it we don’t even we
Unknown:haven’t even realized yet is greater graders come greatest
Unknown:coming. And all these moments are preparing you for those
Unknown:greater moments leveling up. So, Zack,
Unknown:I appreciate that. Man, I see why it’s my encouragement right
Unknown:here. You see that?
Unknown:Yeah.
Unknown:so beautifully said. And if I can add this, there’s tree seeds
Unknown:out here. We have pine trees, where the seeds have to go
Unknown:through fire in order to ignite in order to grow a new tree. And
Unknown:I feel there’s people out there. And I think all three of us are
Unknown:those those kind of people. We had to go through health through
Unknown:fire in order to unlock our purpose and to be the people
Unknown:around us to be here. And it’s so incredibly precious to have
Unknown:you guys here. Like I have goosebumps all over
Unknown:them. And I feel for all three of us. Again, the moment we
Unknown:realized that if we don’t fight for ourselves, we’re going to
Unknown:let so many people down. We’re not going to live our purpose
Unknown:and In not doing so, we’re not going to be able to support
Unknown:others. And the moment we realized, oh my god, we can help
Unknown:someone else to freedom and happiness is so empowering and
Unknown:you feel like you cannot give up. You have to fight not only
Unknown:for yourself, but for others too.
Unknown:Yeah,
Unknown:I agree, every everything, everything, even the things that
Unknown:you said about how my Facebook messages encourage you, the
Unknown:things that john said, that is just more seems like ammunition
Unknown:in put into my, into my weapon, more strength, more power, to go
Unknown:out and combat and fight against the adversities that people
Unknown:experience every day, the systemic racism, the in
Unknown:justices, all these things. It’s like, you can’t push my button
Unknown:unless I put it out.
Unknown:exam.
Unknown:I’m not going to ever when I wake up in the morning, my first
Unknown:thoughts are positive. My last thoughts before I go to bed are
Unknown:positive thoughts. And that reinforces when I wake up in the
Unknown:morning, I’m waking up with positive thoughts. I get up, I
Unknown:do my exercise, I get myself cleaned up, and I’m ready to go
Unknown:for the day. And it’s non stop until I’m going to sleep. And
Unknown:I’m having fun and loving every moment of it. Because I feel
Unknown:like I’m fulfilling my life’s purpose. There have been times
Unknown:and I’m sure you both have experienced this. It’s not easy
Unknown:every day. Sometimes I get to the point where I say man, I’m
Unknown:so sick of people and their their selfishness and they their
Unknown:carelessness. And they set these bad examples for one another,
Unknown:and they hate on each other. And then next moment said, but
Unknown:that’s where I come in to set the good examples and to
Unknown:encourage people. And it may not be a million people saying I
Unknown:like what you’re doing or saying giving good comments. But I’ve
Unknown:gotten messages through Facebook Messenger. I’ve gotten text
Unknown:messages where people who won’t comment on Facebook for whatever
Unknown:reason. They give me words of encouragement said please keep
Unknown:doing what you’re doing. If I go a day without posting a message,
Unknown:or I’m late posting it, for whatever reason, I get a message
Unknown:saying Hey, man, what’s up with the message because I didn’t
Unknown:know that message. And so those type of things. That’s the ammo
Unknown:being put into my weapon. Yeah, keep firing, keep firing and
Unknown:keep fighting. Because I can’t stop. I won’t stop. And the
Unknown:thing is, I don’t want to stop. I’m looking for ways I’m looking
Unknown:for connections with other like minded individuals to make this
Unknown:thing work. Because people need help. People need help. And it
Unknown:takes people like us to be willing, not just able, but
Unknown:willing to continue to fight. There’s a talk about the Bible.
Unknown:And Jesus says Jesus chose 12 ordinary men to be his apostles.
Unknown:Right? 12 ordinary men, no, they weren’t scholars and people of
Unknown:great stature. They were just ordinary men. And the difference
Unknown:in those guys were they were willing to follow Him and to do
Unknown:what he said to do and interpret it. How you will, that’s the way
Unknown:I interpret it. I’m willing to go I’m not the smartest
Unknown:individual, I’m not the strongest. I’m not the most
Unknown:skill that this or that. But I am very willing to learn and I’m
Unknown:very willing to put forth 100% effort to make it work. And
Unknown:that’s what counts. That’s what gets me by every single day. And
Unknown:Lincoln with people like that. My energy goes from, am I gonna
Unknown:say zero to 100 and say 100 to 1000? Because I know then, you
Unknown:know, it’s like being in in a group of people, group of
Unknown:friends, right? And you go out and you experience some trouble,
Unknown:say some, some some crazy person is wanting to fight, right,
Unknown:whatever. And if you’re alone, this group of guys come over,
Unknown:they want to hurt you. You’re vulnerable. But if you’ve got
Unknown:your team with you, you feel empowered. And that’s what I
Unknown:feel. Being around like minded minded individuals. I have a
Unknown:team strength to help fortify what my goal is. Yeah.
Unknown:Yeah. One thing I didn’t forget, that you mentioned earlier, is
Unknown:that you had a conversation with that guy and the military You
Unknown:changed him from being a racist to being an open, open minded
Unknown:person. Can you share with us what you talk with him? Do you
Unknown:remember the words or?
Unknown:Absolutely, yeah, I mean, this is a story. Like I said, you’ll
Unknown:never forget those moments. I was sitting on my bunk I was
Unknown:raised by, like I said, my mother and my grandmother,
Unknown:right? So one thing was very, very clear to once you get up in
Unknown:the morning, and you make your bed, never sit on the bed. So I
Unknown:didn’t sit on my bed, and I didn’t want anybody else sitting
Unknown:on my bed. So when we make our bunks in an army, you know
Unknown:yourself, john, we make them Chris about a quarter of those
Unknown:things, right? And so I’m there by my Warlock, and I hear this,
Unknown:everybody’s really getting angry. I’m, I’m clueless, like,
Unknown:what is going on. And I hear this guy yelling out his racist
Unknown:comments and statements and calling people names. And I take
Unknown:a peek around, and I look. And I see this little sawed off white
Unknown:guy, nice little tank looking at. But he’s not afraid that we
Unknown:got I got a guy my bunk buddy was a guy by the name of Tim
Unknown:Jones from Columbus, Georgia, he was a big country boy football
Unknown:player. So he’s probably like, six, four, he was a big man. And
Unknown:this little sort of guys over Italian like he me afraid and
Unknown:nothing, and he must really be full of hate, is what I’m
Unknown:thinking. But being 17 years old, straight off the block. I
Unknown:didn’t know much of anything. I stopped going to church years
Unknown:before that. So I couldn’t quote scriptures or anything like
Unknown:that. The only scripture that I was familiar with basically, the
Unknown:roll off my tongue was For God so loved the world that He gave
Unknown:His only begotten son and the shortest scripture in the Bible,
Unknown:Jesus wept. And I wasn’t over there trying to say those things
Unknown:to him. Something rose up in me. And I went around the wall
Unknown:locker, and I sat on that guy’s bed, this racist guy, I sat on
Unknown:his bed. And I said, Man, sit down and talk to me said, What?
Unknown:Yeah. And I said, Man, please just sit down and talk to him.
Unknown:And we talked for maybe 45 minutes, people would pass by
Unknown:looking and snarling. And we don’t get you a nice things. But
Unknown:I was able to hold his attention because I listened to what he
Unknown:was saying. And the thing that I said to him that I think really
Unknown:made a difference was you’re white, and I’m black. This
Unknown:Hispanic here, there’s a couple of Asian guys here, some guys
Unknown:from Puerto Rico, said, but we’re all the same man. Because
Unknown:look at the uniform we’re wearing. We’re all the same,
Unknown:we’re fighting for the same purpose. And he stopped. And he
Unknown:looked at me, and it was a weird look. I didn’t know what he was
Unknown:gonna say. But he’s just burnt out crying. And I think that was
Unknown:the turning point for him. Yeah. And like I said, he became one
Unknown:of my best friends in life. We stayed together, I was in a
Unknown:cohort unit. So we all stayed together, through basic nit, and
Unknown:for three years of my first duty station. So when I needed money
Unknown:to send home, this guy would lend me money. When I needed to
Unknown:borrow his truck, he would lend me his truck. And this is and
Unknown:people could not believe it. What did you say to him? I said,
Unknown:I didn’t say anything, man. I didn’t say anything. Because I
Unknown:didn’t know anything to say it was just being present showing
Unknown:up. And being a friend being someone maybe like, I guess you
Unknown:could consider it to be like a listening device where he poured
Unknown:out and I was able to really listen and hear him. And then
Unknown:when he when he stopped talking, I was able to give him just a
Unknown:few words of encouragement, a few words. And maybe he looked
Unknown:at it as this little guy, this young guy is telling me that
Unknown:I’ve never heard before that didn’t really make sense. So
Unknown:that basically without using a bunch of profanity, that’s
Unknown:basically how it went. We were I was I couldn’t tell him about
Unknown:marriage. I couldn’t tell him about kids because I had none of
Unknown:that. I couldn’t tell him about much of life because I was only
Unknown:17 years old. Only thing I knew was coming out of high school
Unknown:what I did in high school and what I aspired to be that was
Unknown:the only things that I could say, that would probably be
Unknown:meaningful, but whatever it was, it worked. And I don’t say I
Unknown:changed his life. I was used in such a spiritual way to
Unknown:institute change in his life. In his heart, I believe that what
Unknown:you think
Unknown:flows to your heart. Then, once you begin to feel it, it becomes
Unknown:it comes out of your mouth and out of your actions. So, believe
Unknown:you think positive, you’d say some things you can say the
Unknown:things that you think. So think positive. They say, Take your
Unknown:time. Patience is a virtue. So think before you speak. Think
Unknown:about it. Think about the ramifications. If there’ll be,
Unknown:think about the benefits of there’ll be think about how this
Unknown:person’s feelings may be impacted, if you say what you’re
Unknown:going to say, and how you’re going to say and things of that
Unknown:nature. So at a young age, I was able to, I don’t know where I
Unknown:got it from, but no, I think I do know where I got it from my
Unknown:grandmother. Yeah, I said something once my mom spanked me
Unknown:for doing something I definitely shouldn’t have been doing. And I
Unknown:was probably about seven years old. And I said, I hate myself.
Unknown:I was crying. I said on the basement steps. I said, I hate
Unknown:myself. My grandmother said, What did you say? I said, I hate
Unknown:myself. She says come here. She took me down into the basement.
Unknown:And if you think my mother spank me, my grandmother destroyed me
Unknown:in that basement. She said, I’m doing this because you never,
Unknown:ever, ever will ever say that again. You’d never say you hate
Unknown:yourself. And I begin to see things differently. I was able
Unknown:to tell a child that. years ago, a child said that in front of me
Unknown:that they hated themselves. And I was able to use that same
Unknown:logic that that my grandmother gave me passed on to me to that
Unknown:child. And so it’s all about loving yourself. How can I love
Unknown:you? If I don’t love myself? How can I be have any type of
Unknown:support or happiness for you if I don’t have happiness, and
Unknown:genuine happiness in my own heart? So it starts with what I
Unknown:think. So when I got to that particular point, I was at a low
Unknown:I was at a real low because my father was there I was just a
Unknown:teenage boy, I didn’t know a whole lot. Other guys knew
Unknown:things that father taught him. I didn’t have those those moments,
Unknown:but I did have deep inside of me a will to do good to do better.
Unknown:That’s what stopped stopped me from going out with those guys
Unknown:that because I was going to the army. I said I’m going to go to
Unknown:the army, but I made a decision to stop to to put all my energy
Unknown:towards making that a reality. So when they knocked on the
Unknown:door, I said no, I’m done with that. Head I went out just one
Unknown:last time. I could probably won’t I’ve kind of probably met
Unknown:john esteem in prison. So it’s things like that, that. That
Unknown:bring me back to the moment where three days, or it was
Unknown:actually two months later from that particular point two months
Unknown:later when I told the guy No, I’m not going with you. Two
Unknown:months later, I was being used to change that guy’s life. Yes.
Unknown:Yeah. Have two beautiful story. And thank you so so much for
Unknown:sharing this because I feel it’s so important nowadays. And it’s
Unknown:the only way to approach racism. If you see that those people are
Unknown:fear driven. They are scared and they don’t trust. And if you
Unknown:approach them with love, if you give them the presence, without
Unknown:getting involved with their thoughts, and then you know
Unknown:sucked in. But if you like you did at 17, cut through the BS
Unknown:with your heart, then you can change people, you have to break
Unknown:them open with your kind presence. And this is the only
Unknown:way we can conquer that ugly thing called racism. That is
Unknown:such a precious story to share. JOHN, is there anything you
Unknown:would like to add?
Unknown:Yes, I’m here on Veterans Day some earlier spoke, you know
Unknown:about concern. be used, you know, my god stuff. And that was
Unknown:my thing to learn that, you know, my prayer life. This was
Unknown:my prayer. You know, if you can use anyone, you can use me. So
Unknown:that was my moment of submission right now. You know, when I made
Unknown:that prayer, then my prayer, it might grew to this. God give me
Unknown:wisdom, knowledge, understanding that I may walk up rightly. In
Unknown:liggio people In a righteous path, that was my prayer
Unknown:throughout doing time in Angola. And as a result all that I see
Unknown:doors opening. And as we all know that a lot of people went
Unknown:home on the SDN case, which God orchestrated, I believe,
Unknown:wholeheartedly. And it was a reason why they went home before
Unknown:me, because he wasn’t finished with me yet. And when that
Unknown:moment came, when God completed everything, he wanted to
Unknown:complete my life, they’re the one to bring me to bigger and
Unknown:better things. And that was that time. And guess what went on
Unknown:upon parole board? So therefore, my case wasn’t for me, it was
Unknown:for everybody else. It was guys doing and my freedom is guys
Unknown:doing to the point rule board, and as I’m not hitting still not
Unknown:finished with me yet to have any years of parole left. Also, yes.
Unknown:And my end of my message, I want to say is that, like rescue
Unknown:reiterated is to never give up. Continue doing what you’re doing
Unknown:in your heart that you feel is right, and is and is your
Unknown:purpose, continue doing that until you are comfortable and
Unknown:happy, like my boy rational is happy everyday doing what he
Unknown:doing? Yes, that’s why that’s my word for the day.
Unknown:Thank you so much. reginal, would you like to close our
Unknown:conversation here
Unknown:would love to I am. Like I said, it makes it’s easy. When I
Unknown:connect with like minded individuals, people with high
Unknown:energy and focus. I contacted john today because I was so
Unknown:anticipating this interview, I didn’t think I was gonna say
Unknown:much I was just gonna listen in. But I’m always ready. Always
Unknown:ready to add to be included. And that’s important, I think. Not
Unknown:just not giving up, but staying ready, staying prepared,
Unknown:staying, I guess fulfilled with information, paying attention to
Unknown:what’s going on around you. That’s that’s one thing that I
Unknown:always told my kids pay attention to every single moment
Unknown:of your life, everything that you go through pay attention,
Unknown:because you’ll be able to use it down the road, at some point to
Unknown:either take yourself to another level, or to keep yourself from
Unknown:falling to a level you don’t need to be or to encourage
Unknown:others based off of your journey. Not just running your
Unknown:mouth, but your lifestyle is going to be one of the most
Unknown:important aspects of of helping someone else reach the pinnacle
Unknown:of what it is they’re trying to reach and realize their goals.
Unknown:So today, this has been a blessing to me, this has been
Unknown:really encouraging and it gives me a bit more of an insight of
Unknown:what my purpose is. I know now that I’m not alone in this
Unknown:fight, and on this journey, and it helps going forward to know
Unknown:that you’re in Alberta, Canada and john Astin is in Louisiana,
Unknown:I’m hearing water intersecting like a triangle. And we’re gonna
Unknown:spread out and canvass this entire world based off of our
Unknown:particular purpose. We have aligned together. So thank you
Unknown:for having me.
Unknown:Yes. Thank you so much for taking the time and being here
Unknown:with us. And, john, you are incredible. You are such an
Unknown:enrichment of my life. And it’s been so wonderful to connect
Unknown:with you. And thank you for introducing me to Raj. Not that.
Unknown:I think it was wonderful. It was you
Unknown:know, you enjoy him. It’s great guy, you know, I felt him. He
Unknown:encouraged me and encouraged me and encouraged me anymore. And I
Unknown:know I needed him on this. I wanted people I want the world
Unknown:to hear reginal Joseph, I wanted him here. He’s a great guy. Yes,
Unknown:he is.
Unknown:Thank you, john. Appreciate that now, so appreciate you or I look
Unknown:forward to many more many more of you.
Unknown:Yeah, yeah, I feel not the last time. Thank you so so much.
Unknown:Yeah, I really hope you enjoyed our conversation and feel
Unknown:inspired and yeah, never give up. As hopeless as some
Unknown:situation may seem. Know that. Sometimes we just have to fight
Unknown:through the situation and inspire other people afterwards
Unknown:to do the same. You’re never alone. Take good care of
Unknown:yourself. And I’m sure we will be back out there for you very
Unknown:soon. Again. Thank you very much for listening.
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