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Bag member Ft I see. I'm.

0:58

Oprah Winfrey, Welcome to. Super

1:00

so conversations, The Podcast

1:02

I believe that one of the

1:04

most valuable gives you can give

1:06

yourself. Is time taking

1:09

time to be more fully

1:11

present? Your journey to become

1:13

more inspired and connected to

1:16

the deeper world? Around us.

1:18

Starts right now. In.

1:21

Just fifteen years, Divine Franklin is

1:23

climb the ladder from intern at

1:25

Will Smith's production company to vice

1:28

President at Columbia Pictures. His resume

1:30

includes hits like The Karate Kid,

1:32

The Pursuit Of Happiness, and Jumping

1:34

The Broom. That's. When he got

1:36

to know actress Megan good a little better.

1:39

Now they are engaged in about to.

1:41

Jump the broom themselves. Divine.

1:43

Is always put his faith front and

1:45

center. He found solace in the church.

1:47

after his father died suddenly when he

1:50

was just nine, he discovered that's where

1:52

he felt most at home and he

1:54

started preaching. Giving his first sermon

1:56

at Fifteen, using the filmmaking process

1:58

as a metaphor for finding direction,

2:01

meaning and purpose in our allies,

2:03

Divine calls his new book a

2:05

road map for success. What a

2:08

treated was to sit down with

2:10

this dynamo and talk about what's

2:12

it like to be produced by

2:14

face? So this is exciting.

2:16

I think this was such an interesting

2:19

I have read every. Book. Self

2:21

Help book. I have since

2:23

Nineteen Seventy Five Crisis As

2:26

and I have not come

2:28

across one such as this

2:30

reduced by face. Where.

2:33

You're looking at the purpose and intention of

2:35

your life is. Through. Like

2:38

like building the arc of a play

2:40

or a movie. I realized in reading

2:42

your book that ought is that that

2:44

That's exactly what. Wow, I've lived my

2:47

life. I am produced by face. I

2:49

didn't I never thought of it that

2:51

way. The Our which is the classic

2:53

ah had an eye on moment reading

2:55

a book. That else I too am

2:58

produced by say by allowing the vision

3:00

that God holes for your life to

3:02

be the premier direction that you follow.

3:04

Absolutely Because what I began to realize

3:07

is that God. Is our director and a

3:09

move? The movie business people have a hard time

3:11

understanding how movies are made. Yeah, I mean you'd

3:13

I work for a studio and I tell you

3:15

my mom can even tell you exactly what I

3:17

do. You know if I wanted to help people

3:20

understand how films are made of, I use that

3:22

as a parallel to understand that you are the

3:24

star of your own move. So one of the

3:26

things that you say that really struck me. Is

3:29

that if we look at our life

3:31

as a movie? And God as

3:34

the director yes of our movie.

3:36

Yes Then we use our faith

3:38

to help propel us forward. Interesting.

3:40

And the director direct? yes of

3:42

her asshole. Because why realizes that

3:45

sometimes we in the most difficult

3:47

times in our story. We

3:49

began to lose faith. Okay, listen to listen to

3:51

what you said. Okay, I love this part. the

3:54

trouble is is that when you are

3:56

characters story when you are immersed in

3:58

it you can't see things will

4:00

progress in the future, that

4:03

you lack perspective. Let

4:05

me put on my glasses. It's tough to lose

4:07

the job you love. Shrug and say, oh well,

4:09

God is obviously putting me in a position for

4:11

something better to happen in a few weeks. That's

4:13

normally not what we do. We go, oh Lord.

4:15

It's all over. All over. Why didn't it happen

4:17

to me? It becomes

4:19

very easy to assume that things will

4:22

always be the way they are today.

4:24

I was just talking to Sarah Bonbronig

4:26

and she wrote this incredible book called

4:28

Simple Abundance. She wrote on the show, she sold

4:30

five million copies. Five

4:33

million. Five million

4:35

copies. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

4:38

As a result of that success, she

4:40

said to me, she always

4:42

thought it would be that way. I

4:45

said, for God's sake,

4:47

that's a phenomenon. Nobody

4:50

sells five million copies. When

4:54

that happens to you, you have to

4:56

accept that as a phenomenal God

4:58

thing that's happened to you. You

5:00

can't expect that the next book you write is going to

5:02

do the same thing. You can, but that's what you're saying.

5:06

When I read this, I thought of that. When

5:08

things are going well, we sometimes lose perspective and

5:10

start to think we're in control of things. But

5:13

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what I love. Page 12. The

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truth is you and I are in

6:55

control of only two things. How

6:58

we prepare ... Get this, everybody. This is where

7:00

you're going to want to write this down. Tweet,

7:02

tweet. We're in control of only two things. How

7:04

we prepare for what might

7:06

happen and how we respond to

7:09

what just happened. The

7:11

moment when things actually do happen

7:13

belongs to God. Brilliant.

7:16

Brilliant. Amen. It's

7:18

true. It's true because what happens is the

7:20

moments when things happen in our life, we have to

7:22

be in control. In a moment, life can

7:24

change for the better or what in the moment may seem

7:26

for the worse. Our job is

7:28

to prepare to read ... For only two

7:30

things. That's right. Prepare for what might

7:32

happen. That's right. Then how we

7:35

respond to what has happened. So many times,

7:37

what keeps us in that valley of depression,

7:39

that keeps us in that valley of frustration

7:41

is our response to a moment and

7:43

not recognizing that it is exactly that. It's a

7:45

moment. In the context of the book, it's

7:47

one scene of your movie. What

7:50

makes a great movie are scenes that are

7:52

put together of great conflict. Okay. It's

7:55

continuing and produced by Faye. The key

7:57

is remembering your story. The

8:00

spiritual career journey parallels the steps involved

8:02

in bringing a movie from the initial

8:04

idea to theatrical release, which is what

8:06

you do. You start with the Colonel

8:09

Vomite. A process known as development and

8:11

production. And don't we know development can

8:13

take forever? Forever. Forever. Literally.

8:16

Literally. I mean, there's some movies I've

8:18

worked on for over 10 years. In

8:21

this process, you are God's writing

8:23

partner. I love this. God is

8:25

the director and each step is

8:27

crucial. No idea becomes a movie.

8:29

This is key without passing through these

8:31

stages. And even though some of these

8:34

stages can be difficult, tedious, even painful,

8:36

each leads to the next and hopefully

8:38

to success. So we're all, aren't we

8:40

always in our development stage? In

8:43

some way, shape or form. Yeah. I would

8:45

argue that not, some of us are actually

8:48

in production and I would say, okay, someone like you is

8:50

probably working on the sequel. Yeah. So you

8:52

have gone through the phases of development, production, you

8:54

had to- That could have been, into the next

8:57

chapter, I could have called it working on the

8:59

sequel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

9:02

Oprah, the sequel. That's good. That's what's

9:04

happening right now. Okay. And so some of us

9:06

are most of the time in development and development,

9:08

as you said, is super hard because we don't

9:10

ever think we're gonna go to that next level

9:13

of our life. So actually what you say in

9:15

the book is that development begins when you have

9:17

the first vision of what you can

9:19

be, correct? Exactly. You can't write

9:21

a movie unless you know what the movie

9:23

is supposed to be about. That's what development

9:25

is. Sometimes we get so frustrated in our lives, but

9:27

we have to go back and say, wait a minute,

9:29

do I understand what the big idea of my life

9:31

is supposed to be? If my life

9:33

is a story, then I have to know the point

9:35

of my story. And sometimes what happens when we

9:37

start developing a movie, the producers may have one vision

9:40

of what the movie's supposed to be, and

9:42

the studio has another version, and then the movie

9:44

becomes nothing because there's not clarity

9:46

of idea. So with our life, we have

9:48

to have clarity of what we're supposed to

9:51

do. What do we believe we're called to

9:53

do in this life? And in that way,

9:55

it gives our whole development process more shape.

9:57

I am getting goosebumps right now. You know

9:59

why? Why? I know. That.

10:02

The. Way that landed with me in

10:04

the way I heard it that anybody

10:06

who's hearing you also can hear that

10:08

can feel the Colonel Love if you

10:10

are not. In control of

10:12

the development of your life, more

10:14

aware that your life needs developing

10:17

and are just waking up every

10:19

morning, going to a jobs, going

10:21

through the motions, getting your paycheck.

10:23

Then you are really it's I

10:25

always say is sort of like

10:28

being the Walking Dead that you're

10:30

not in control. You're not helping

10:32

to calculate your life with the

10:34

ultimate creator. It's so true because

10:36

sometimes you know. You're. Going from

10:39

scene to scene to scene with no idea what

10:41

your intention is. In development. Not

10:43

only do you call write the Script with

10:45

God but you are the star of your

10:47

store. And there's nothing worse than we used

10:49

to our onset. and you see an actor

10:51

in a season doesn't know the intention. Yes,

10:54

Because then the scene goes all over the

10:57

place like wait a minute in our light

10:59

or that's why actors will often say tell

11:01

me what's my motive is actually a good

11:03

and motivations exactly So what's important in life

11:05

to know what our motivation is so it

11:07

gives. He'd seen that were in more purpose

11:10

and otherwise would have find it sad that

11:12

so I mean I see this of obviously

11:14

in the work that I do and you

11:16

see than the work that you do that

11:18

most people are.in recognition. Of

11:20

that fact it is is why I do

11:23

when I do is why one write the

11:25

book is why priests is why I make

11:27

movies to help people get more purpose in

11:29

more awareness. Sometimes people have no perspective so

11:32

you're in a situation going day to day,

11:34

month to month. A year to year without

11:36

say. Wait a minute. What am I doing with my

11:38

life? So if you just get

11:40

people to awaken if in a moment yes

11:42

the have a little bit of perspective. Yeah

11:45

in those moments of inspiration is when changing

11:47

that? yeah. We're

11:49

not. Going to get through every single

11:51

chapter but I just want people to

11:53

get a sense of when you write

11:55

and produce by Say that it's actually

11:58

a step by step plan for how

12:00

you can begin the look at your

12:02

own life as your own personal movie.

12:05

Development script and putting that into action

12:07

and get greenlit image by the powers

12:09

that be as right by the paradox.

12:11

So my favorite one of my favorite

12:13

things to talk about these days is.

12:15

That we're in a culture. That.

12:17

You say? First line of chapter two: We live

12:20

in a world. Obsessed with

12:22

instant. Success. Obsessed.

12:26

With assess what has happened to us that we

12:28

think you know that by. The time you're

12:30

thirty. I. Know there are other our

12:32

third I though I opposed to me the brethren

12:34

as right, all right Columbia Picture I that I

12:36

know you know reports one thankful that God did

12:38

not give me everything that I wanted. You know

12:41

when I was praying for when I was going

12:43

to cause as a here's what I want to

12:45

do I am I'm thirty. Those are my five

12:47

year plan By yeah oh yeah you oh yeah

12:49

I had everything laid out. You know is go.

12:51

To an extent of the very least you have. A vision that's

12:53

right right right by they would happen is

12:55

that in this pop culture you know through

12:58

various shows you know various music and what

13:00

not. Yeah, I'm there, has been and over

13:02

obsession on you can make it overnight. Yes,

13:04

use. don't wake up one day when American

13:07

Idol. I argue that those who when American

13:09

Idol basically that's a pay off for years

13:11

of suffering into trouble that no one ever

13:13

seen. It's what Malcolm Gladwell talks about. an

13:15

outliers as a ten thousand our absolutely terrible

13:18

really get it. Something you got of without

13:20

putting that much time in thousand hours like

13:22

The Beatles. Before we saw them on, Ed

13:24

Sullivan had already put in the Tesla has

13:26

an hour that's right. So what happened to

13:28

them in a world was just exactly that

13:30

he has already. They had already put in

13:32

the time and would happen in the world

13:34

which is more eliza Things that are you

13:36

done for what I see in writing is

13:38

you know I talk about the book was

13:40

is unfortunate is that what is same people

13:42

aspire to stain. Without any means to

13:44

an intimate what? Okay, so you're famous Now

13:47

What? Would. You things for.

13:49

When. You're trying to aspire to what to do in the

13:51

world I argued don't put same as your in game. You.

13:54

Know what is your purpose If you become famous

13:56

because you are rarefied or what you do and

13:58

you operate the see your purpose and there's no

14:01

one else in the world does it. And because

14:03

of that same as a part of it's fantastic.

14:05

Fantastic. But I argue that if you shoot for

14:07

playing. Without any understanding of what

14:09

you're supposed to do when you're there will

14:12

be disruptive to be destructive, will be to

14:14

so there's no question then eventually does his

14:16

own. It's just physical law says that it

14:18

has the new vast work that way. So

14:20

how do you define. Success.

14:23

You have to define success. One, I

14:25

define success as peace. Do.

14:28

You like me? After

14:30

my cousin a guy says riders nothing Without

14:32

that know Okay got Alice You finish the

14:35

who you who looks back at you in

14:37

the mirror and do you like that person?

14:39

Are you at peace? Are you at peace

14:41

with that person? Are you content? Yeah That

14:43

is the foundation of success as you can

14:45

be the most famous person in the world.

14:47

Yeah and not have peace And I we

14:49

know what you have in her for we

14:52

do. We do a thing and I would

14:54

argue and you're you're not successful. You.

14:56

Know we cannot allow external forces to tell

14:58

us we are assessed so so I would

15:00

add one. What other things are that I

15:03

would say it's a sense of peace. Or

15:05

contentment and a full film It fulfilled.

15:07

Yes a full hell Yes Yes you

15:09

are for sale by what you do.

15:11

Yes you are for feel Would you

15:13

give up in the morning You know

15:15

so many times with up in the

15:17

morning would depress, would down, were angry,

15:19

frustrated or you can wake up say

15:21

i'm glad to be a lot There

15:23

is purpose of this day to me

15:25

that a success and I would argue

15:27

that once you have that internal success

15:30

Yeah then externally is just a manifestation

15:32

what happens internally in the best possible.

15:34

One of my favorite. Thought Leaders

15:36

are spirit teachers, Gary's you cough

15:38

who's been on a Super So

15:40

several times and kids definition of

15:43

authentic power. He says is when

15:45

you are allowed the personality to

15:47

serve the energy of the soul

15:50

or the spirit is when that

15:52

and and in I interpret that

15:54

to me that when you use

15:56

your personality to serve the higher

15:59

energy of. The earth so you

16:01

just letting their personality work for the

16:03

spirit. Yeah in you yeah and in

16:05

in that's me is is why like

16:07

to talk about and call that is

16:10

embracing your true self. Yeah because sometimes

16:12

we we all have different language stealing

16:14

reaching for yet But we're saying the

16:16

same. That because we don't believe people.

16:18

That people don't believe that their verna. Yeah,

16:21

they don't believe they have what it takes.

16:23

But when you embrace who you want. And

16:25

not worry about living in anybody's via will

16:28

you if they don't believe they have what

16:30

it takes? I think a lot of people

16:32

don't believe they have what it takes because

16:34

they're comparing themselves yet everybody else instead of

16:36

looking at themselves, I sail people say in your

16:39

own movie. We're. Over here I'm looking

16:41

the other people's movie yes and you have no idea.

16:43

You look at someone else, a movie and in one

16:45

scene and looks like they're on the top. Where

16:47

are you a young no idea what can

16:50

read happened? Annexing? Yeah. So you say your

16:52

movie, you focus on your see you become

16:54

the best that you can be. Yes and

16:56

you'll be surprised at how great your own

16:59

story will continue to refine. I develop your

17:01

own script absolutely N N and you're on

17:03

fire under Under the Circus and stay in

17:05

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18:34

Supercell. So.

18:37

The book is called produced by Failure

18:40

and you know I highly recommend it

18:42

to who's looking for a way to

18:44

fulfill their purpose in life which who

18:46

is in everybody's this is an everybody.

18:49

Of so what does face.

18:51

Mean to you. What Is it being defined

18:53

That our faith primarily you know first form

18:55

of me believes in God. You know and

18:58

trust in God and I have faith in

19:00

his will. I have faith in his love

19:02

for me. Some when you say as well,

19:04

what does that mean Our means The reason

19:06

why was created. It means that there was

19:09

an understanding of what he wanted me to

19:11

do on the world. So do you believe

19:13

that for every single human being on the

19:15

planet, seven billion of us, that. The.

19:19

Fulfillment of that person's

19:21

manifestation as a human

19:23

being means that the

19:25

creator. God. Had

19:28

a plan for each of those. A

19:30

do you do at. Absolutely.

19:32

The. Been. I believe that

19:34

we have to faith faith in God

19:36

were I also think that faith in

19:38

yourself. You know faith in believing that

19:40

you have a you all that you

19:42

need to be successful. So many times

19:44

we look to other people's a oh

19:46

if I was just them more oh

19:48

if I had their opportunities not realizing

19:51

it's all in right and what you

19:53

go through brings was already eve out.

19:55

Okay so what. Path. Or

19:57

religion are you in your

19:59

purse? of perfection

20:01

with God. What were you? I

20:03

was raised seven-year-veinice. Okay. And what

20:06

does that mean? Seven-year-veinice is a Christian denomination, and

20:08

one of the things that we believe is observing

20:10

the Sabbath. So from a young child, you know,

20:12

being brought up, I was always brought up with

20:14

Sabbath observance. So Friday night sundown and Saturday night

20:16

sundown, as mentioned in the Ten Commandments, I remember

20:18

the seventh day to keep it holy. And

20:21

then also Jesus observed Sabbath as

20:23

well. Yeah. One day where

20:26

I don't check my emails, I

20:29

don't respond to work calls, I don't

20:31

read me scripts. From Friday night sundown.

20:33

From Friday night sundown to Saturday night

20:35

sundown. Yeah. No work. You

20:38

don't check your emails. No. That's

20:40

like against the commandment of Hollywood that

20:42

thou shalt carry thy blackberry at all

20:44

times. But you know what? Here's

20:47

the thing. When you set boundaries. Yeah.

20:49

Yeah, yeah. Up front. Up

20:51

front. Here's what my commitment is. So we all

20:54

agree. We all even take the job

20:56

or go down the road. Yeah. Here's

20:58

the commitment. Yeah. Are we all agreeing

21:00

this is okay? So then all I have to do is just make sure I

21:02

keep the commitment. Yeah. Because the moment I break

21:04

it. Yes. Is the moment they realize, oh, well, he

21:06

wasn't that serious. But for me, Sabbath

21:09

is a time to recharge. It's a time to

21:11

rest. It's a time to spend time with my

21:13

family. It's a time to spiritually reconnect. Yeah. It's

21:16

incredible. What is interesting is that

21:18

you allow your faith, your

21:20

belief in God to be

21:22

at the forefront of

21:25

who you are in a place where

21:28

most of us, and you even say in the book, I remember

21:30

when I said to my father, I was

21:32

like 13, 14, that I'm going

21:34

to be an actress. No daughter of mine

21:37

is going to be going out to Sodom and

21:39

Gomorrah. Oh boy. Sodom and Gomorrah.

21:41

Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah. Right.

21:44

So you're living in what a lot of certainly

21:47

traditional Christian people see Hollywood

21:49

as the land of everything

21:51

but following the path of

21:53

your faith. How do you make it

21:55

out there? Well, you

21:57

make it by being true to yourself.

22:00

And literally for your first job, I mean,

22:03

I'm sorry to interrupt. For your first job

22:06

working as an intern with Will Smith, you

22:08

say to them, look, I have

22:11

to have the Sabbath off,

22:13

which may I just confess that I learned in

22:16

my first meeting with Devon, all these years I

22:18

thought the Sabbath was Sunday. I've

22:20

been going to church, we say worship on

22:22

the Sabbath, worship on the Sabbath in the

22:25

Baptist church. And you corrected me, you said,

22:27

no, Sunday is the first day of the

22:29

week. Sabbath is Friday sundown to Saturday Sunday.

22:31

That's right, that's right. I stand corrected. Amen.

22:35

So you go to your first

22:37

job with Will Smith and say,

22:40

look, I'm really excited to be here, but

22:42

I have to have Friday. Friday night sundown,

22:44

Saturday night sundown off. And

22:46

what happened was it was- Were you scared to

22:49

say that? Yeah, I was scared. It

22:51

wasn't intentional. Like you, it wasn't intentional. It wasn't

22:53

intentional, but I'm there in the interview. Yes.

22:56

And God starts to, literally, he feels like he's speaking

22:58

to me, because everything goes great. I

23:00

feel like, okay, yeah, I got this in the bag. You

23:02

know how you just go in and you lay in your

23:05

hands. But at the end of the

23:07

interview, it was like God was saying, tell

23:09

her about the Sabbath. And I'm like, no,

23:12

I'll tell her after I get the internship. After I

23:14

get the job- After I get what I want. I'll

23:16

tell her. Right. But he said, no, be obedient. And

23:18

so I said, man, all right. Well, here's the thing.

23:21

I can't take this internship if I have to work

23:23

Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown, because I observed

23:25

the Sabbath and she was quiet. And

23:27

then after a moment, she said, don't worry. Work

23:29

around that. And I said, hallelujah. And what it

23:32

did was it gave me confidence that if I

23:34

embrace who I am, it

23:36

will open doors, not shut them.

23:38

Also- That's really big. Hold that

23:40

a moment. Pause, tweet, tweet. Okay,

23:42

good. Go ahead. But

23:45

also, think about doors, right? Yeah. If

23:48

your faith won't fit

23:50

in the door that opens, then

23:53

I argue, do not walk through that door. The

23:55

door that God has opened for you will

23:58

fit your faith. So- What you say on

24:00

page 58, you

24:02

are collaborating with God on the script of your

24:04

life. Just as a screenwriter

24:06

sweats through multiple drafts to perfect

24:08

his characters, God is working

24:11

to help you perfect your character.

24:14

Your ability, this is I love, I get

24:16

tears when I think of this, your ability

24:18

to manage people, create relationship, help others based

24:20

on integrity and so on. To achieve this,

24:23

this is a moment he will always steer

24:26

you into conflict. Hallelujah.

24:30

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I

24:33

know because there is

24:35

no story without conflict. There is

24:37

no story without conflict and

24:40

that is the hardest lesson for us to realize

24:42

and accept that

24:44

conflict is not always punitive and it's not because

24:46

he's angry with us, it's because he loves us

24:48

so much he knows that we will not grow

24:50

if we don't have it. Conflict

24:53

is the key to everything in drama whether it's

24:55

film, life, theater, fiction or television. And

24:57

so without our own conflict in

24:59

life, you really wouldn't be building

25:02

the character and integrity

25:05

required to finish the story.

25:07

Absolutely. And also manage

25:09

what you aspire to achieve. Conflict

25:13

helps prepare us. So let's say you want

25:15

to be president of the company. The conflict

25:17

you face along the way gives you lessons

25:19

so that when you are president, you have

25:21

the ability to manage because you go back

25:23

and you remember all the situations you've been

25:25

through. So when things are brought to you,

25:28

you refer to that conflict as a way

25:30

to understand how to manage whatever is coming to

25:32

you. Well, let's get

25:34

down to basics now because you say God

25:36

is the director of your life. So

25:39

if you're a person who is seeking to

25:41

be connected to that which is the creator,

25:44

that is the source of all things, how

25:46

do you begin to surrender

25:48

yourself to that energy? I

25:51

think you begin with one remembering that when

25:54

you look at the context of film, a

25:56

director wants the best out of

25:58

your performance. The

26:00

movie is most successful when your

26:03

performance is at its best level.

26:05

So when we think about God as our director,

26:07

you have to remember that God loves you and

26:10

he wants the best out of you. The idea

26:12

and those tapes that were put into your head

26:14

that God is a punitive God, he's a negative

26:16

God, he's an angry God, get rid

26:18

of that. The God that you

26:20

have to then begin to accept is a loving God

26:23

who is trying to direct you into success, who wants

26:25

the very best out of your story. So when did

26:27

you finally get that? Did you have to go through

26:29

a lot of conflict to get to

26:32

that relationship with God?

26:34

Yes. You know, as

26:36

a child, when I was nine years old, my father

26:38

died of a heart attack at 36. He

26:40

was 36. And that

26:43

experience was traumatic. Because you couldn't

26:45

understand why your father who was

26:47

trying to reconstruct his life, why

26:50

now that he's trying to do better, did this

26:52

happen? Absolutely. Have you ever been able to

26:54

resolve that question for yourself? You

26:57

know, it's only resolved

26:59

in the context of, you know, my life is

27:01

a story. And I understand that

27:03

that conflict that I faced has made me stronger

27:05

and it has informed the man that I've become.

27:08

Do I fully get exactly why it happened when it

27:10

did? I do not. And I can't

27:12

wait to find out, you know, when we meet

27:14

Jesus, tell me what happened and why. But

27:17

that conflict was so difficult. It was so traumatic

27:20

because as a young man, you know, being a

27:22

middle child of three boys, you know, I always

27:24

felt alone. I never felt like I was a

27:26

part of the crowd. And then

27:28

so how'd you get to know God so well? How'd you get

27:30

to hang out? Because this is out. When

27:33

my father passed away, it was the

27:35

same year that my uncle started our church

27:37

in Oakland. And that year is

27:40

when I really threw myself into church. And

27:42

you know, instead of rebelling and getting angry,

27:44

I got angry, but decided I'm going to

27:46

make something of myself became a reverse rebel.

27:48

That's right. A rebel in reverse. Exactly.

27:51

And So I Think that's the basis of,

27:53

you know, sweeping floors, vacuuming the church, showing

27:56

up, ushering, deaconing, directing the choir, all of

27:58

these things that laid the foundation. For.

28:00

My relationship with got that I really didn't come

28:02

to know who got was until college when I

28:05

was a you know freshman year you not as

28:07

you leave for college and you never been out

28:09

in the world before you buy okay hands hey

28:11

exactly exactly body over year you know? I've

28:14

way, I didn't play that in through that

28:17

process Freshman year. Is. When I began

28:19

to question every single thing that I believe to that

28:21

point. Of the into question who was

28:23

got, what does he want? Why do I

28:25

serve him? what is is all about and

28:27

that process. You know that freshman year of

28:29

college is what really gave me the foundation

28:31

and for me to have the personal relationship

28:33

with God where I began to steal and

28:35

says okay yeah he really is formed. I

28:37

do live for him because I believe in

28:39

him. I believe in his work. So.

28:41

When you're making decisions about what to

28:43

do more, not do or the path

28:45

to take or not six do you

28:47

think? what would Jesus do all the

28:49

time? All the time and and sometimes

28:51

I'm I'm a shame because the decisions

28:53

I make, I'm like yo Jesus when

28:55

I'm done It years ago did the

28:57

right. And when you get yourself in

29:00

trouble isn't it always will you have

29:02

less the center of that Christ consciousness

29:04

all the time. Yeah, he says that

29:06

ambition and then drive and determination sometimes

29:08

gets the best. And okay. okay okay.

29:10

this is what was interesting because. You

29:12

could see through reading produced by

29:14

face that there certainly is a

29:16

great level of ambition in New

29:18

Orleans. Sometimes when you're describing that

29:20

and speak of it's I said

29:22

that feels like ego to me.

29:24

Oh yeah, yeah. so some title

29:26

your ego gets in the way.

29:28

My better that best. Actually a

29:30

definition of ego was weighing Dire

29:32

was also on some So Sunday

29:34

who said his definition of ego

29:36

is edging God out has good

29:38

good. I. Think

29:41

that. Is true. Is. True because you

29:43

as got out you move got out of the

29:45

directorship. And. Then use it.

29:49

And he's a I know best. And.

29:51

The mama, we do that. We. Are ourselves

29:53

up for biggest failure? And.

29:55

We have to remember that. and we do

29:57

have God's Grace that we do have. Hello

30:00

and in those valleys in those scenes that

30:02

are really difficult we don't know how we're

30:04

going to get out of them. Those are

30:06

the moments when in hindsight we will see

30:08

his grace was the strong Like when I

30:10

talk about pursuit of happiness in the book.

30:12

I'm in the moment where we know wills

30:14

in the bathroom with the sun. Get our

30:16

which is in the bathroom Moments: Yeah yeah

30:18

Oh yeah Oh yeah. Five. After a series

30:20

of You Our Pursuit of Happiness member One

30:22

Will Smith is in the bathroom. Homeless sports

30:24

on the door so people can come through

30:26

and he's in the bathroom with his son.

30:28

That's where your has that transformational. Moma yes and

30:30

when I realize in my bathroom moments and so you

30:32

don't meet our when the book about is clear by

30:35

to us about movies and of. But

30:38

I was. You know I was working as

30:40

an assistant I Will Smith Company and I

30:43

was an assistant for his producing partner or

30:45

in manager And things change. You know things

30:47

are in the industry. Things of the company

30:49

began to change and I realize that my

30:51

promotion probably wasn't coming. And so

30:54

once I understood that it wasn't coming months I

30:56

would go into the office depressed and one day

30:58

I turn on my computer my cubicle and I

31:00

said i can do this and more. Oh and

31:02

I when the bathroom I saw the stall door

31:04

and I had an apple.i said lower I believe

31:06

in your word you said anything i us when

31:09

the name of Jesus you would do so lord

31:11

I need you to move on this job today.

31:13

I don't care what you do, anchor how you

31:15

do it but I can't come in here depressed

31:17

anymore. You have to open a door to death.

31:19

I go out of the bathroom go back to

31:22

my cubicle later on at night. Something happening

31:24

never happened before. My boss brings me into

31:26

his office. He says me down he says

31:28

ah Yvonne Will and I we love you.

31:31

Your fantastic! We know you have a big career,

31:33

but we also know you hit a wall here.

31:35

We wish we could promote you, but we can't.

31:38

So. We want to help you find new job. So.

31:40

I walk out of the office thinking okay, wait a minute. God

31:42

you heard me. But. I'm I'm I gotta

31:44

find a new job. Comply

31:48

Or something. Like

31:50

that I said it's a library as

31:52

he did exactly what I prayed for.

31:54

but then now you know The bible

31:56

speaks about safe without works as this

31:58

so had a favor. The to put some

32:01

works behind it I go out on interview

32:03

after interview on that my with same would

32:05

I do just so happened I wish I'd

32:07

known you the answer is a separate set

32:09

of is just so happens that I've always

32:11

been a fan of Td Jakes and always

32:13

been a fan of Be Subjects Zones and

32:15

he was preaching in Los Angeles around this

32:17

time. of course he was a course of

32:19

that's right yeah and so I go. He's

32:21

preserve the form with a Lakers is to

32:23

play and I guess they're so late I

32:25

in the rafters Yeah and he's like A.on

32:27

the states what he preaches this sermon that

32:29

it was directed. To you Read me. I

32:31

really. do. You know hottest I know. Yes,

32:33

Yes. Exactly As so. This message he preached

32:36

was called Turn the Page at the end

32:38

of Due to Run Me Moses has died,

32:40

the Israelites a morning his death. When you

32:42

turn the pace to the next chapter, God

32:45

tells jostle, get up his time for you

32:47

to go into the promised land. Your morning

32:49

time is up and I realized I was

32:51

crying over a job that wasn't. It's.

32:54

Time to turn turn the page. So I

32:56

go in on Monday, this on Friday night.

32:58

Yeah and I put in my two week

33:00

notice. I quit that stepping out on faith

33:03

man we're going to quit the job when

33:05

I realize though was my intention was wrong

33:07

and isn't what was it? Because all I

33:09

wanted was a job. That.

33:11

Is unless sitting you do this for a job.

33:13

I got jobs I have one. I. Have those

33:15

things Do you think I will send you to all? just

33:17

as I can give you a job as a temporary thing

33:19

right now I want a better relationship with you. I

33:22

want to walk close with you. I want you

33:24

to let me direct your life. And when I

33:26

realized that is why this whole thing was happening,

33:29

I changed my prayer. I. Leave

33:31

that day they throw me going away party but

33:33

I leave that day with my boxes unemployed. And

33:35

I said wow. So this is was tagged

33:37

as all about Wow. I'm like I'm flying

33:39

out of the plane. I'm hopeless. Pearson said

33:41

award cause that's how you get a closer

33:43

walk with the. How you get a

33:46

closer walk with the is to walk right in in

33:48

in in say absolutely that's right as he doesn't come

33:50

when you're the top of the mountain. Because

33:52

you on the top of the northern leaving. A

33:54

little. Wonderful

33:56

up right? Yeah, Ryan and

33:59

some Monday. Those around my first day

34:01

unemployment my mom calls the off with the that

34:03

intel is what was going on. Oh boy say

34:05

to i'm no longer working there She calls me

34:07

frantic. Devour you don't want. As a

34:09

my don't worry everything's going to be okay.

34:11

as I got the phone started watching tv.

34:13

That. Afternoon or five o'clock I got

34:15

a call from an interview I had

34:18

done about a month prior. He said

34:20

a divine we would like to offer

34:22

using own executive position. Do you still

34:24

want it. I. Said Hallelujah!

34:26

Hallelujah! And

34:30

I said yes, yes, I'll take the jobs yes and

34:32

we negotiate the salary And I got off the phone

34:34

and I immediately fell to my knees. And. As

34:36

a thank you she's because when I he

34:38

wanted me to understand was that success in

34:40

my life was not going to be because

34:42

I knew the biggest movie star in the

34:44

world. It wasn't gonna be because I knew

34:46

the biggest producers in the world or the

34:48

biggest agents, but if I would just keep

34:51

my relationship with the God of the Universe

34:53

first. And I would seek

34:55

him and everything I did. He will

34:57

work everything else and that has been

34:59

the key to my success from that

35:01

day to this putting him first trusting

35:03

and him and having to face to

35:05

let him guide me even when I

35:07

couldn't see what he was don't. Know.

35:11

What is the sole? What

35:14

is the sole? The soul is the

35:16

spirit. It. Is the connecting lines

35:18

or to God I believe the soul is

35:20

where the Holy Spirit reside. I believe that

35:23

is literally You know when you pick up

35:25

the phone in there you have your you

35:27

know your forging network. The soldiers the forging

35:30

apples to right to happen to me. While.

35:33

What is your definition of?

35:37

My definition of god oh God is

35:39

not only the Alpha, the omega, A

35:42

friend. Is a confidant, He's

35:44

a buddy. He's a lover

35:46

of my soul. As my definition,

35:49

have you always considered yourself a

35:51

spiritual person? or did you have

35:53

and ah ha moment when you

35:55

recognize your connection to. something

35:57

bigger than yourself to all night

36:00

Probably when I was right after my father's

36:02

death, is when I really began to experience

36:04

who God really was. You know, before

36:07

then I felt like, you know, I was just going to church. But

36:09

when that, you know, literally was just

36:12

happened and that trauma happened, is when

36:14

I really began to understand that there

36:16

was a force larger than myself that

36:18

was consoling me, that was healing me,

36:20

that was helping me navigate a

36:22

period of time that I don't think I could have gotten through

36:24

without him. Yeah. I love that you call,

36:26

because that's what I call it, a force. Yeah.

36:30

Yeah. Is there a

36:33

difference in your mind or

36:35

life between spirituality and

36:37

religion? Yes, I

36:39

think that religion sometimes is the

36:43

structure for spirituality. I

36:45

think the spirituality can exist even

36:47

outside of religion. But I

36:50

do believe that most religions came to be

36:52

because they wanted to help people understand how

36:54

to navigate this life from a spiritual standpoint.

36:56

Can you be spiritual and not religious? Can

36:59

you be religious and not spiritual? Absolutely.

37:03

Unfortunately. Yes. So what does,

37:05

okay, this is you're going to love this. What

37:07

does prayer mean to you? Oh

37:10

man, prayer is a lifeline. Prayer

37:13

is, it means everything because there

37:15

are moments when I have to

37:18

express what's on my heart. And

37:20

so many times, you know, when we can't

37:23

express and we hold all this stuff in,

37:25

it begins to come out in other ways.

37:27

So for me, prayer is therapeutic. It's

37:29

an opportunity to communicate. And there are times, you

37:31

know, like I talked about earlier, it's like, God,

37:34

I don't understand what you're doing. And

37:36

it lets me feel the communication

37:38

and the power of our relationship.

37:40

And it allows me the opportunity

37:43

to not only express, but

37:45

to also listen for answers. Where

37:48

do you feel most at home or at peace?

37:52

Hmm. I have a couple of answers to that. I

37:55

feel very much at home on set, you

37:58

know, very much, you know, like, okay. This

38:00

is good, you know watching what the shots go up and

38:02

all of that. I feel very at home in a pulpit

38:05

You know, I feel very at home preaching, you

38:07

know being able to instruct people being on

38:09

a stage I feels very very like okay.

38:12

This is what I was created to do

38:16

What do you know for sure? What

38:19

I know for sure God is real and faith works Okay,

38:23

finish these sentences the world

38:25

needs the world needs more love

38:27

and a lot more peace I

38:30

believe in I believe in God.

38:33

I believe in Jesus. I believe in love Love

38:37

is love is the most powerful

38:39

force in the universe. The person I most

38:41

want to be proud of me is my father I'm

38:46

ready to forgive myself.

38:49

I want my legacy to be one

38:52

of An incredible

38:55

demonstration of the divine power of

38:57

faith and cast that's it

39:00

I love it, so good That's

39:04

good, really good I'm

39:07

Oprah Winfrey and you've been listening

39:09

to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast

39:12

You can follow Super Soul on

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Instagram, Twitter and Facebook If

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you haven't yet go to Apple

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Podcasts and subscribe, rate and

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review this podcast Join

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me next week for another Super Soul

39:25

Conversation. Thank you for listening Have

39:30

you ever told a friend? Oh, I'm

39:32

fine when you really felt

39:35

just so overwhelmed or sent

39:37

a text Can't

39:39

sleep. Are you awake when

39:42

you couldn't find the words to say? I'm

39:44

scared to be alone with my thoughts right

39:46

now Then this is your sign to

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reach out to the 988 lifeline for 24 7 free

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confidential support You

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don't have to hide how you feel text

39:57

call or chat anytime Time

40:02

for a quick break to talk about McDonald's.

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Mornings are for mixing and matching at McDonald's.

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For just $3, mix and match two of

40:08

your favorite breakfast items, including a sausage

40:11

McMuffin. Price

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and participation may vary, cannot be combined with

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any other offer or combo meal. Single item

40:24

at regular price.