October 19, 2025 • 68 mins
Elijah gets you caught up on his past weekend, & answers your email questions. Be sure to tune in!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to The Elijah Winfrey Show, a space for inspiration, impact,
and community connection. Each week, Elijah shares the latest on
his work in the community, answers listener questions, and reflects
on the week that was, from acts of kindness to
real conversations that matter. This is where purpose meets positivity.
(00:22):
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Here's your host,
Elijah Winfrey.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello, folks, and welcome to The Elijah Winfrey Show. I'm
in DJA host Elijah Winfrey. I am excited to be
with you today. I hope that you all have had
or are having a great weekend as it winds down.
My weekend has been pretty good. You know. I've spaced
(00:54):
some things out. I've tried to really settle into some
rests this weekend. I got a nice massage yesterday and
boy did I need it. And I did some meditating,
and I did some writing, and I let go of
(01:15):
some things mentally. So my weekend has been pretty, pretty productive,
pretty decent, and I hope that you're enjoying yours as well.
Today on the show, we have some terrific questions, and
I will tell you this, I have not seen any
of the questions as of yet. My amazing producer, Greg Nice,
(01:41):
he has decided to hold on to these questions until
we're ready, and he wanted me to think more off
the cuff, which is something I try to do all
the time. But he's assured me that these are some really,
(02:02):
really good questions and I'm excited to get to those
questions momentarily. My past week was productive as well. You know,
things are slowly but surely rounding in the form at
my elementary school as I continue my role as a
(02:23):
pair of professional. Shout out to all of my teammates
who listen to the show and the teachers. Some of
the teachers and staff who listened to the show really
appreciate that. But things are, you know, starting to take shape.
You know, it's still gonna be a little bit more
time before we really settle into things and see which
(02:48):
direction we are going and what adjustments we need to make.
But you know, I'm pretty comfortable right now, and a
lot of that's due to the teachers and the other
pair of teachers who are putting me in positions to succeed.
So all is good on that front. Nonprofit. You know,
(03:13):
I've said this before, this is the time of year
where you know, we start to pick up steam a
little bit. You know, the holidays will be here before
you know it, and you know, we always try to
stay a couple of steps ahead in that process, and
this year is no different. We will be collaborating with
(03:33):
another great organization, Restoration of the Arts, and we're going
to adopt more families and kids this year, which I'm
excited about. And you know, I'm working on a little
surprise that I hope to announce very soon. I have
(03:54):
to reach out to a friend of mine about this
idea that I have, so I won't reveal it right now,
but I'm working on it. My fingers are crossed that
we can do something for some families in the local
school district. Radio show's doing well, Family's doing well, you know,
(04:20):
physically and mentally. I am still working my way through
a bunch of junk. I call it junk, right like
you know, there are day you know I'm not sleeping
really well. That hasn't changed much. I do have a
sea pat machine. I don't know if any of you
use a sea pat machine. And there are days when
(04:40):
it's very uncomfortable, and there are days where I feel like,
I don't know if it's helping, but I'm going to
trust the process and keep using it. So far, I
haven't had much success, but you know, I'm not going
to give up. I'm gonna try to see it through.
(05:01):
But I'm able to still work out which is which
is good. I think that has really helped me in
this process of not being able to sleep and dealing
with some numbness in my arms, a little bit of
chest discomfort. I will say the last couple of days,
I haven't had any chest discomfort, the tingling in my arms.
(05:24):
It comes and goes, you know, But for the most part,
you know, I'm doing I'm doing okay. I am I
remain upbeat, you know. I don't feel sorry for myself,
and I share this with you as a way of
it being therapy for me. Once I get it out,
I'm good. I feel like I've I've released these toxins
(05:47):
from my body by talking about it right, so it
makes things easier for me to process and move forward.
So I'm doing well. Meditation is helped as well. So
you know, all this all this good and decent for
the most part over here, and I'm very thankful that
I'm able to see another day and continuing to fight on.
(06:10):
So that's my past week. That's a little bit about
my weekend. Now let's get into the show today, and
as always, I encourage you all to send me questions
in at Elijah dot Winfrey at gmail dot com and
you never disappoint We get questions from around the world,
and I am so so fortunate. We are so fortunate
(06:33):
to have the support that we have. And to all
the live listeners today, thank you for being here. We
see you. One day We're gonna open the phone lines.
I don't know when that day is gonna be, but
I'm I'm inching closer to doing it. I'm getting more
(06:54):
comfortable with thinking about doing that. So stay tuned. But
I'm glad you're here, and let's get into some of
your amazing questions. Let's put let's put a couple on
the board here, Greg, there we go, all right. First
question today comes from Ava and London, England. See what
(07:14):
I mean, we get we listen, We get listened to
around the world. I'm so thankful for that. Ava writes, Elijah.
If someone met you for the first time, how would
you describe yourself beyond your titles? And accomplishments. It's a
great question. I think I would just say, I'm a
(07:35):
I'm a I'm a simple, basic dude. I'm a i'm
a I think in my opinion my wife would would disagree,
But I think, in my opinion, i'm a I'm a
boring dude. I don't like to do much. I feel
like I am approachable, although there are people who who
have said to me that when they see me, they
think I'm angry or you know, I'm upset or sad
(07:57):
about something because I look pretty pensive. Uh, And you know,
I'm not. I may be thinking about something that's right.
A lot of times you may see me with my
head down. Right, I'm either thinking about something, just dealt
with something, or I'm trying to process something that's happening
(08:20):
in that moment. But I'm I'm a I'm a positive guy.
You know. I do smile. I don't always flash it,
you know, and and neither do people that I see.
You know, whether it be in school or in the community.
Everybody's not smiling as they're walking towards you. I had
(08:41):
a friend of mine his wife said to me a
few months ago that he find he smiles I don't
think he smiled. And I was taken aback by that,
you know, and I you know, I had done I
had done a golf clinic and and she was there
and she was like, you were very matter of fact
(09:04):
or into your thing, and I'm like, That's how I am.
But at no point was I angry, you know. But
I would say, I'm a basic dude. You know. I
love to listen, I love to talk about life. I
love to laugh. So I think, you know, if someone
(09:25):
were to meet me, if I had to describe myself,
I would say, yeah, basic, decent, boring, but always positive.
I'm always up beat, right. I try not to stay
low and I try not to get too high, so
I'm always in the middle. It's a great one. Great one.
Next up is Marcus in Atlanta, Georgia. Atl is coming
(09:47):
in hot every week. I love that. Marcus writes Elijah,
what's a typical day in your life? Like when the
microphone is off and the community work slows down? So Marcus,
I would say, it's a very it's a it's a
very boring day. And I like it like that, And
(10:07):
I don't mean, I don't mean that in a negative.
Uh In a negative sense. I mean when I'm not
doing my community work, or I'm not writing or or
excuse me if I if I'm not doing work as
a para professional, I'm writing, I'm meditating. I like watching
classic TV shows. The Andy Griffith Show is my favorite
(10:29):
show of all time. I really try to get more
in touch with me the person. You know. I go
into the bedroom, shut the door, and I'm good. Is
it always the best thing to do? Probably not? You know.
(10:51):
I do get out and walk, you know. So I
love walking when I can. I haven't walked in a
couple of weeks now just because of, you know, my
health issues. But a typical day without doing any of
my community things is just being at home. I love
to clean and cook that that that that works for me.
(11:13):
I love doing that. I love doing the dishes, I
love ironing, I love vacuuming the floors. I love taking
out the trash. I love making the bed, I love
folding the laundry. So I love doing basic things when
I'm not actively in the community. You know it. You know,
(11:33):
that's my that's my thing, and I really enjoy it.
I really do it.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
It.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
It centers me right, it gives me time to really recharge.
Even though it seems like on a typical day all that,
all those things I just mentioned, it seems like I'm
still doing a lot. I'm not really doing a lot.
I'm able to try to rest as much as i can.
Next question is from Sophia in Madrid, Spain. Sophia rites Elijah,
(12:05):
what keeps you grounded when life gets noisy or demanding? Meditation?
You know, I, for my my entire life, it's been noisy,
it's been demanding, it's been scary at times. I've learned
(12:25):
how to meditate really well, and I can sit in
that and so when things get hectic for me, I
go to that place when I close my eyes and
I find my piece as quickly as I can. It's
like hugging a tree. I stay there until I feel
(12:45):
safe and comfortable to maneuver in this demanding, noisy and
mean world at times. So that's what I do. It works.
This question is from Tyrone and Detroit. Tyrone writes, Elijah,
(13:05):
who were some of your biggest influences growing up and
what lessons from them still guide you today? Ah, this
is a really good question, Tyrone. I think my influences
(13:30):
growing up with my mom, like it was only it
was really my mom. Like there are people that I
really appreciated being in my life, but I was. I
always looked up to my mom. She's been my hero
from day one, right, That's the only hero in my life,
my mom. So I'd watch her deal with situations and things.
(13:52):
People would yell at my mom, you know, for no
reason and call her really disgusting names, and she be
very calm, very matter of fact, and you know, she
would she she would pivot. You know, my mom's a
very religious person. I've never heard my mom curse. She
(14:15):
always tried to look for the good and everybody, and
when she was treated unfairly or poorly, she was very
calm and she knew how to walk away. And that's
something that I am I'm learning to do. I'm not
great at that, I will say that. But you know,
she's had a heavy influence on me. That's not to
(14:37):
say that other people haven't, but my mom always comes
to mind when, you know, I feel like I'm struggling
and I need to think about, you know, those lessons
that she instilled in me. You know, a lot of
a lot of the things that I do come from
a core value life skill background that she instilled. Now,
I don't always get it right, Believe me, I don't.
(15:00):
I take a lot of risks and I fall down
a lot. But I know that those lessons are there,
and I really use those lessons to guide me, and
they still work today, right, And they're very basic. Right,
They're not, you know, lessons that will overwhelm you. They're
just simply core value lessons. Right. Who are you as
(15:22):
a person stay rooted than that no matter what? So
my mom is D one D one. Next question is
from Naya and Johannesburg, South Africa. Wow, Nia rights Eli,
how do you how do you define success for yourself
(15:42):
at this stage in your life? I'm waking up every morning, right,
given things that I'm able to do, the things that
I do, that's success. I'm able to wake up, look
in the mirror, have an honest conversation and do my
best to attack the day. That's success for me. You know,
(16:05):
I know there's going to come a time when that
you know, that doesn't happen for all of us, but
you know, I'm very I'm grateful that I'm able to
see another day that to me, that success at this
point in my life. Great question. Next question is from
Jamal in Brooklyn. Jamal rights Elijah, what's up? My brother?
(16:30):
As a black man in America? How do you view
the current state of race relations in this country? So
this is a wow, This is a deep question. And
I'm not going to say you caught me off guard
(16:51):
because you didn't. But when I think about race in
this country, I can go a lot of ways and
answering this question, h but I'm gonna I'm gonna be
honest and raw and real with you right now. We
(17:15):
haven't evolved as people. We just haven't. And I know
there'd be people who listen to the show will disagree
with that, and that's fine, that's your opinion. I'm telling
you the world that I see through my lens, we
have not evolved as a people. We haven't we mass
things better regarding race and how we treat each other.
(17:36):
It's being masked. But as soon as someone gets mad,
things start seeping out, leaking, and then it bursts and
then and then you find out how people really see you.
And I've seen that my entire life. So Jamal, I
(17:57):
I I'm an optimist, So I always think we're gonna
get to where we need to get to for peace,
for love and tranquility and you know, equality. I think
we're gonna get there, but we're still fighting the fight
that doctor King was fighting. We are. Don't let anybody
tell you different we are. The divide has always been deep.
(18:26):
I think the main difference right now is everybody has
a phone, and you do. You just see more of
it on video. Didn't have that back then. You had
that back then, I'm sure you'd see some some really
dangerous stuff. You'd really see how how bad it was
(18:47):
and is still. But I think the the invention of
the cell phone and social media, like you just see
it now, it's everywhere. So I do hope that you know,
(19:09):
we get to where we need to go. I just
probably won't see that, but I hope my son does.
But the current state is we're very deeply divided. It
has always been a it has always been dangerous to
be black. And again these are my opinions. This is
the world that I see through my lens, and I'm
(19:37):
optimistic that we'll eventually get there. Great question, almost winning
my bag this morning. You know I have a lot
I can I can go on this question I can,
you know, but I'd rather talk to people in person.
(19:58):
You know, I don't. I don't really like talking about
things like this over social media. I'd rather we sit
down in a setting and really talk about it. Next
question is from Isabella in Toronto, Canada, Go MS by
the Way. Isabella writes, Eli, what gives you hope about
(20:22):
the direction we're heading when it comes to equality and understanding?
I just said, I'm an optimist, like, I think we're
gonna get there. I do. I think we just have
to have an honest conversation, Isabella about where we are
in the world. You know, I'm gonna go in my
(20:47):
bag a little bit and just kind of share some
things with you from my perspective, from my opinion being
black in America. You know, we are the only people
to come to America and voluntarily we came here and
chained in shackle, right. We didn't come here with our
language intact. We didn't come here with our beliefs or
(21:08):
our spiritual beliefs intact, we didn't. All those things were
stripped from us, our names, all of our culture, and
our resources. We didn't come to this country with the
things that other people had. We didn't. So when some
(21:30):
people say to me, hey, Eli, you know slavery is over, brother,
why are you still complaining? Why you're still mad about it?
Our people came here and they worked their butts off,
and that's true. They did. Immigrants came from all over
the world, Europe, Asia, all over. And yes, they did
(21:57):
lace up their footstraps. We didn't have boot straps right
to lace up. But yes, some people did come here
and lace up their bootstraps and they did what they
had to do. There's no debating that. But they came
with all things intact. They came voluntarily. You're picking up
(22:23):
what I'm putting down. And those who did come came
with resources that were set up by people who were
in servitude. That's just facts. I'm just giving you facts.
Look it up, do your homework. And again these are
(22:44):
my opinions. But I've done my homework. So we're already
at a disadvantage. We don't have that legacy as other
people because our legacy what slavery, and we had to
endure and pass it on. Right, But when we did
(23:12):
start to move forward a little bit, and we talk
about the Tulsa, Oklahomas, right, Bronzeville, Harlem. Right, we found
our thing and what happened? It was torn down, burned
to the ground. See I can. I can talk about this,
(23:33):
but I only talk about this stuff to people that
hear me. I'm not going to waste my time talking
to people that don't hear me. I just won't do it.
(23:57):
So there's a lot of things you know that that
that I've seen that I feel like it gives me hope.
I do think we'll get there in time, right, And
I know that's the one thing that you know, none
of us really have, is the time. I get it.
(24:23):
But I'm an optimist by heart, and I truly believe
that we're gonna get there. It's gonna be different, it's
gonna look different, it's gonna be beautiful. Right. Change has
always been you know, hard at first, messy in the middle,
and in the end it's beautiful. I still believe we're
gonna get there, But we've got to be honest about
the conversations that we're having, in the conversations that we're
(24:47):
not having. We have to quit masking, and you know,
I think that's something that we continue to do, and
we have to do a better job of calling it out.
(25:08):
So I hope that answers your question, Isabella. I really
feel like, I really feel like we're gonna get there.
It's just gonna take a bit more time and patience
(25:29):
and a lot of love. That's another thing, right, we
need a lot of love in that department. We'll get there.
We'll get there. Next question is from Andrea in Seattle.
Andre writes, Elijah, how do you navigate conversations about racing
(25:51):
your community work and on your show? So again, you know,
these are my thoughts on my show that I'm willing
to share. I'm comfortable sharing. I will not engage with
anybody who wants to argue and go back and forth
in a negative, mean spirited way. I just won't do it.
(26:13):
Fifteen twenty years ago, sure I will. I'd go back
and forth, I'd yell, I'd probably say some a few
cuss words. You know. But you know, as I've evolved
into the person that I am continuing to become. Again,
you talk to the people that can hear you. And
when people tell me they want to sit in it,
you some will, some won't. It gets too uncomfortable and
(26:36):
then they start cutting you off or they tell you
all the reasons why you're wrong, or as I just said,
they tell you, you know why you're talking about slavery,
or you're always talking about the disadvantages. How come you're
not talking about the advantages that you have, right, So
they try to they try to move you because they're uncomfortable.
(27:01):
So I navigated by talking to the people that hear
me and that are willing to sit in the discomfort.
I've been sitting in the discomfort my entire life, you know.
So I'm very cautious when I talk to people about
race and how I see the world because some people
(27:22):
will never understand, and it's not my job to continue
to try and get them to understand. They either get
it or they don't. And I don't have time for hate.
I'd rather pivot and move towards people who love the
(27:42):
message that I'm sending out and they're receptive to that.
But I don't do social media things talking about race again.
I want to see you face to face. I want
to feel your energy. I don't know what your energy
is if you're typing or you're texting about this, because
(28:04):
I don't know you like that, you know, I don't
know what you will say to me out of out
of anger when things don't go your way or you
disagree with something I've said or someone else has said.
I don't know, but I want to see that reaction
as opposed to reading it on a text that makes sense.
(28:25):
If that makes sense to you. Next question is from
Layla in Birmingham, Birmingham, England. Wow. Layla writes, Eli, I
really love your show. Thank you for all that you do.
My question is do you think true unity is possible
without first acknowledging pain in history. You gotta acknowledge the
(28:48):
pain in history. I think that's part of the problem,
that's the bigger issue. Like some won't, so they try
to steer the conversation because they get uncomfortable. They try
to say, okay, okay, can we quit talking about slavery?
I'm done. You know why they do that because they
feel the pain. They know how bad it is or
bad it was. So I I think you have to
(29:13):
acknowledge the pain in the history, and you've got to
be honest about it, and you've got to teach it.
If you're not willing to take that risk, then I
I don't know how you can talk about race or
(29:34):
I don't know how serious to take you personally, if
you're not willing to take that risk. I'm always told
take the risk, Eli, and I always take the risk.
But I know people I will say this, I know
people personally who won't take the risk. I know people personally,
(29:54):
and some look like me, some do not. A lot
of them do not look like me, and they won't
acknowledge the pain. They'll tell me to get over it
and move forward. I didn't do it to you. I
didn't do it to your people. I have some black friends.
(30:20):
I don't see color. So I think we have to
acknowledge the pain, and we do have to sit in it, unfortunately,
or they have to sit in it. And until that
happens in a genuine, honest way, we're going to continue
to repeat this cycle, this vicious cycle that we're repeating
(30:42):
right every generation. Right, We're gonna repeat it, and nothing
ever gets solved. There's just more tragedies, more defacing of properties.
So yes, we have to acknowledge the pain and the history.
(31:03):
First you have to next question is from Carlos in
Los Angeles. Carlos writes, Eli, what role do you do
you think personal accountability plays and healing racial device. I
think it's it's a big deal. It's a big It's
big because it starts with you. It starts with you.
(31:28):
You set the tone for those conversations with yourself, especially
when you know you're going to be talking about this issue.
You set the tone. Where are you? Where are you
(31:48):
regarding the world that you see? Have you sat down
and sat in it? Have you dealt with what's happening
past and present? What role did you play or do
you play in healing the divide? Have you had a
hard conversation with someone that doesn't look like you about it?
(32:11):
Have you dared yourself to get uncomfortable? That's the question.
But personal accountability absolutely plays a role. It is a
huge role in healing these divides. And again, we can
(32:35):
get there, but we got to have honest conversations. And
what are you doing as part of that healing process
to bring us all together? What are you doing? It's
as simple as that. Whoa these questions blowing me away today? Greg? Alright,
(32:58):
woof my goodness. Next question is from Hannah in Sydney, Australia.
Shout out Australia. They listened to the show a lot.
We got a ton of listeners in Australia. Hannah writes, Elijah,
you do so much writing children's books, running a nonprofit, coaching, mentoring, podcasting.
(33:22):
How do you balance all of that? Well, Hannah, thanks
for the question. I've been able to really balance my
schedule a bit better this year over the summer. I
really needed to do that. I hit a brick wall
in May and it took me a while to recover,
(33:46):
and I knew I've been going NonStop, you know, up
until that point, and I needed to really find a
way to pull back and light my schedule and unfortunately
take some things off of my schedule that I really
(34:07):
wanted to do and participate in. But for the betterment
of my health, both physically and mentally, I knew it'd
be best that I like my schedule heading into like
right now, being in school and running my business and
getting ready for the holidays and interacting with more families,
I needed to space things out. So I've done a
(34:29):
better job of spacing things out and it's working now. Again.
The flip side of that is I'm still not sleeping,
you know. I still struggle to get out of bed
in morning. But once I'm up and I'm moving about.
You know, my schedules set up in a way that
(34:50):
I can be pretty successful, So that's how I do that.
Next question is from Malik in Chicago. My league writes, Elijah,
what inspired you to start Team Win Free and what
impact has it had on you personally? So, my niece
and nephew are very vital in me starting my nonprofit.
(35:11):
I've said that before, and in doing that, you know,
opened the door to helping more families, which has been great.
The impact on me personally is, you know, I have
my own business right as a black man. It's a
small business, but I've created something that is impactful in
(35:36):
the community that I am in, and I have the
support of a few friends, which means a lot to
me personally, and that's where a lot of the impact is.
You know, some of the people that see my work
and some of the families that I've interacted with, It's
(35:57):
helped me personally grow and get better at some of
the things that I've been lacking in in my life.
You know, you always need more patience and understanding, and
so personally it has taught me more about that. Next
question is from Grace in Dublin, Ireland. Grace writes, Elijah,
(36:19):
when you write for children, what's the one message you
hope every kid takes away from your stories? One of
the things that I hope they take away from from
my stories thus far as you know, it's okay to
make a mistake, as long as you're honest about the
(36:41):
mistake that you made. It's okay to do It's okay
to make a mistake. We're all gonna make mistakes. But
it's how you respond to the mistakes in an honest way,
in a genuine way. You know this, this next story
that this next book that I've written, it will definitely
(37:04):
shed light on that, you know. I I hope they
continue to learn more about core values, right, that's the
That's the one message, you know. I hope that they
learn more about core values and life skills. If if
they take that away from reading the book, then you
know it's been worth it. Next question is from Ethan
(37:30):
and Portland. Ethan rights Elijah, what's been your proudest moment
in your community work so far? Ethan? All of it.
I can't pinpoint one specific thing that that it's been
the proudest. All of it is, from starting my nonprofit
to working with a few families to now building it
(37:51):
to uh you know, uh, five six, seven, eight families,
and each interaction is has been great. That's it's the
everything that I'm doing with my nonprofit is it's always
inspiring to me. So all of it, I'm proud of
(38:16):
all of it. Next question is from Renee in Kingston, Jamaica.
Renee writes, Eli, how do you measure success not in
numbers but in lives touched? I think that I try
to measure it from the responses that I get from
(38:37):
the families and from the kids. Whenever we work with
a family, we try to maintain those relationships. That's success
for us. So you're right, it's it's not so much
in the numbers. You know, what's in people that you
(39:01):
talk to, that you try to help you that you
try your best to provide resources too. That's where you
hit those home runs, you know. And I feel like
we're doing that and I feel like it makes us
(39:21):
a better group of people when we do that. It's
a great question, and you know a lot of these
questions today, you know, they speak to why I do
what I do. I'm not doing it to be popular.
I don't care how many likes I have or followers
I have on social media. It's not for that. It's
(39:42):
not about the fame. It's about the impact. And no
matter how big or how small it is, it's moving
for me and I'm i'm I'm, I'm grateful many times
over that people take time to listen to my mess
six they want to interact to my nonprofit. You know,
(40:03):
they believe in in the vision that we have and
and the things that we're doing in the community. It's
about impact. Next question, Well, we got a ton of
questions today. Wow. Next question is from Keisha and New Orleans.
Keisha Wrights Eli. You often speak about kindness and community.
(40:28):
What does being a good friend mean to you? A
good friend is there for you in the in in
the tough times. You're gonna always have people with you
when you're winning and you're doing well, right, they're gonna
have people who are following you on that journeys when
you hit that brick walls, when you when you fall
(40:51):
down and you're you're you're struggling to get up, You're
trying to get up, but it's hard, you know, having
that friend there to see you go through those things
and to extend their hand is everything to me. That's
a good friend. You know. I make mistakes every day.
I fall down all the time. But I do have
(41:14):
a few friends who extend their hands consistently to help
me get up, and to help me brush myself off
and to help me move forward. That's the sign of
a good friend, right. It's not always when you're riding
high and and everybody's screaming your name, and you know,
(41:35):
when all that stops and the smoke clears and you've fallen,
you know, you see how many people scatter right. Some
are or are with you to see you fail, some
are with you to see you succeed. But when the
smoke clears and you've fallen down and you see a
couple of hands extend to you to help you get up,
(41:56):
those are your friends. Those are the people you can
count on through tough And that's how I define it.
Next question is from Matteo and buaynous Aris, Argentina Tail Rights. Hi, Eli,
I love your show. How do you maintain genuine connections
(42:19):
in a world that often values image over authenticity? Just
by being myself? I said at the top of the show,
I am a boring, decent guy, and I really am
and I don't try to change that. H. You know,
(42:39):
I I don't care so much about image. You know,
being authentic is where I'm at. You know, I dress
the way I want to dress. You know, I do
the things that that that make me happy. I don't
change up on people, you know. I I consider myself
(43:05):
a really decent guy, and so I've been able to
connect with people who live that lifestyle to some degree. Right,
everybody's not boring that I that I talk to, but
in a lot of ways, they live that lifestyle and
I'm able to connect quickly with them. I don't care
(43:27):
about the spotlight. I lived that life a long time ago.
You know, I'm at a point in my life now where,
you know, I love the small circle of people that
I have in my life. They get me, they understand me,
and they're not trying to change me. And you know,
(43:52):
I know what's out there on the flip side of that.
I see it every day, and I just choose not
to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
M H.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
Next question is from Tanya and Vancouver, Canada. Tanya rights Elijah.
What's a moment when a friend's support truly changed your life? Gosh,
(44:21):
there are there are a few, Like, it's hard to
pick one, Tanya, I'd have to let me think about that,
because there are a few, and I don't I don't
want to share one because I feel like there have
(44:44):
been quite a few that have steered me in the
right direction and have changed my life to a degree,
and I'd be doing them a disservice if I just
picked one. So I think there there have been a
multitude of moments where I've had you know, true friends
(45:06):
support me, uh and in a really tough time and
check in on me, and it's changed my thinking not
just about them, but about, you know, my path in life.
So I can't just pick one. I wish I could,
but I can't. Next question is from Omar and Cairo, Egypt.
(45:34):
Omar writes, Eli, how do you show up for other
people who are struggling even when you're going through something yourself? Well, again,
I think there have been a handful of people who've
always been there for me, and I always try to
(45:56):
pay it forward, right, So I'm always open and willing
to listen to someone else that I know that I
care about, that that's going through something. And while I
may not always be able to relate. I do open
myself up to listen with the intent on understanding where
(46:19):
they are in their life right, how far they've fallen.
But I'm always going to extend my hand even when
I'm dealing with things like we all are going through something.
I'm not the only person. We're all dealing with some
type of trauma or you know, a setback. But because
(46:45):
i know I'm not alone in that, it helps me
show up for other people. Right, I'm not isolated on
an island going through this by myself. I know there
are other people who are doing it. So we get
together and we can talk about our struggles and find solutions.
No matter how big or how small those solutions are.
(47:06):
You know, we're able to lock hands and and bond
and grow and we get out of that dark place
and back into the sunshine. Next question is from Danielle
in Houston, Texas. Danielle writes, Eli, what role has forgiveness
(47:28):
played in your friendships and personal growth? They've played a lot. Look,
I've I've shed a lot of people in my life
who were only meant to be in my life for
a short amount of time, and I've come to grips
with that I'm okay with that. There have been some
(47:49):
some people who who said that they were friends with
me and and and said that they were very close
to me who've hurt me pretty badly. You know, I've
been able to forgive them as well. Now on the
flip side of that, I'm a very petty person, you know,
I'm I'm I'm working on being better at that. But
(48:12):
I forgive, but I don't forget how you made me
feel in those times when I needed you and instead
of helping me, you kicked me. So I don't forget.
I don't forget, I forgive, I move forward. But I
never look at those people the same way. And and
(48:33):
I and I often say that a lot. I'll do
anything for anybody, friend, stranger, I'll do anything for you
because it helps me grow personally. All I've ever asked is,
don't don't hurt me right, because I am the type
(48:54):
of person who will say to you, before you say
anything reckless or do anything you know malicious to me,
make sure you never need me again. And I know,
having talked about things earlier in the show that we
talked about you know, your love and all this, all
these things that you know, I shouldn't say that, but uh,
(49:17):
that's that's where I am. That's where I am in
my with my life and how I see people and
and and and friends. You know, I'm all about personal growth,
but I am going to protect myself at all times.
I do have boundaries up. Uh so I have Forgiveness
plays a big role for me, but I don't forget
(49:40):
how you made me feel. And I have to remember
you know, we're all human and we're all trying to
show up with one another. I just don't need you
to kick me when I'm down. Just move right. If
I don't, you don't rock with me, That's fine. All right.
(50:01):
Let's take a let's take a few more questions. We
still have a long list of questions. Let's let's say
if we can let's say if we can keep going
here for a little bit. Next question is from Cato
Cato and Tokyo, Japan. Cato writes, Elijah, what inspires you
(50:23):
when you're one? When you're the one everyone else turns
to for motivation? I I think what inspires me about
that is people are willing to come to me and
(50:47):
either the event or they feel like I'm a place
of comfort. That's inspiring to me, whether it having a
good day or bad day. You know, I think they
know that I'm gonna listen and try to understand. I
may not have an answer, you know, most times I don't,
but they know that I'm willing to listen in a
(51:09):
genuine way, and I do my best to understand that
that inspires me to have people come come to me
and consider me a source of a source of good,
I should say. Next question is from Jasmine in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jasmine writes, Elijah, what's one failure or setback that actually
(51:32):
propelled you forward? Okay, I'll share this one because I've
mentioned this on the show. So I don't know if
you can really really call it a failure or set back,
but a friend did, and so I'm going to share it.
(51:53):
So when I started my radio show, I had a
friend who it was really critical of my career choices
or my dreams and my goals. Right, I would share
things with him, and you know, you're not always you
shouldn't do that, per se because it's your dream and
(52:14):
people will try to rob you of your dream or
tell you all the reasons why you can't. But again,
it's it's it's a learning experience. So I you know,
I talked about wanting to be a radio host and
thought that I'd be pretty good at and so I started.
When I started the show, my very first show was
was he said, really poor, really bad. He told me
(52:37):
I should I should seek something else. I didn't have
a radio voice, and he said he was uncomfortable listening
to me on radio. And you know, I said, I
hear you, right, it was his opinion, and I was like,
I hear you. I got you. And that's all I said,
(52:58):
and we pivoted to something else in our phone conversation.
But when I hung up with him, I started to
think to myself, Well, if I let him kill this dream,
then he might as well take everything else that I've
dreamed about and wanted to succeed at. You can take
the nonprofit, you can take whatever, because I you know,
there are times I struggle with that too. But I
(53:21):
thought about it for a little while. You know, was
I really that bad or was it just his opinion
of and not really giving giving me or the show
a chance to succeed. And I decided to continue to
(53:43):
move forward with the show. Look where I am. It's
propelled me, and it's taken me to places that I
didn't think i'd be able to go to. I'm listened
to by folks from around the world. You know, right
now we have I don't know what the number is,
(54:05):
but the switchboard here is lighting up of the amount
of people who are listening to the show. I get
tons of positive feedback, So that that experience propelled me.
I think to continue to take the risks, but be
careful in sharing your dream with people who don't see
(54:26):
it the way you see it. So that's it, Jasmine.
That's the one story I'm willing to share it today,
and there are others, and maybe at some point I'll
share a few more stories about, you know, those setbacks
that I've had, and I've had plenty. Next question is
(54:50):
from Lucas in Brazil. Lucas writes, Elijah, how do you
stay positive when the world feels heavy again? I meditate,
I go to I go to a special place mentally,
and I'm able to gather myself. And because I've always
(55:13):
seen the world one way through my lens, you know,
nothing surprises me. I'm never caught off guard by how
cruel this world can be. I'm not I know where
the love is. But I'm never caught off guard by
the heaviness of the world and the division that I see.
(55:35):
And you know, I do my best to be aliked,
to focus more on the positive things I know. To
some that may come off as corny or or or
as if to say, you know, I am naive on
what's happening, I promise you I am not naive. I
(55:59):
promise you. I know what's going on in the world.
Guarantee you I see it. I live it when I
step out my door. I know what it is. My
job is to stay positive, to spread light, to be
a voice as much as I can, but do it
(56:19):
in a way that's reflective of my goals and my values.
But always take the risk. And I feel like I've
done that. Next question is from Aliyah in Philadelphia. Alia writes, Eli,
what keeps your fire lit, what makes you tick, is
(56:42):
doing good things in the community, making people smile, spreading kindness,
with with with gratitude, loving people as hard as I
can in those moments where they need it, where I
(57:03):
need it. Watching my family succeed and a few friends
that I have watching them be successful. You know, when
people are winning, I feel good. It's like my fuel
and I I love it that that that makes me go,
(57:29):
makes me take. Next question is from Noah and Paris.
Noah writes, Eli, when you think about your legacy, what
do you want people to remember most about you? Okay, Noah,
this is this is a good one. And gosh, what
(57:54):
do I want people to so? I don't. I don't
really think much about legacy. I don't, but I will
say this if so, I would let my legacy be
(58:14):
this is that I listened when someone needed to speak right,
that I gave without asking for anything in return, and
that I left gentleness in places that wants hell pain
(58:37):
like I'm not gonna I know, I'm not gonna save
the world or anything. And I would also add, mate,
I would love my kindness to people, my genuine, true
(58:59):
kindness and love the only footprint that I leave behind.
Forget all the accolades and the things that made me successful.
If I can leave kindness as a footprint, the one
thing people say, Man, he was a kind like he
was a kind dude. If he had it, you had it.
(59:19):
If that's the footprint that I leave to chin, I'm good.
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (59:28):
I just want to remember it as a decent person,
someone who cared about people, who did his best to
leave his mark on the world, because at the end
of the day, it's about persistence, it's about purpose, and
it's about peace and love, and it's not about perfection
(59:54):
all right. Next question is from Priya and Mumbai, India.
Prior writes, Eli, you often talk about being intentional and kind.
Where does that come from? Comes from my mom? All
of it comes from my mom. I see her spread
(01:00:17):
kindness in the neighborhood, even when we didn't have much
of anything. She was always kind, She was always thoughtful,
She always went above and beyond. Even if it was
our last and she knew somebody in the neighborhood needed it,
she would go give it to them and we would
either do without or we would she would come up
with something else for us to have. So that's where
I get it from my mom. Next question is from
(01:00:44):
George and Nairobi, Kenya. George writes, Elijah, why do you
care so deeply about doing good and giving back? Because
it's in me. It's always been in me. It was
placed in me by my mom, and I do it
because I don't need anything from anybody. It's just the
(01:01:06):
right thing to do, and if we did more of it,
the country would be or the world would be in
a much better place. So that's why I care. That's
why I love doing good things and giving back because
(01:01:27):
I know we can all do it, and at some
point I know it'll spark someone somewhere to come along
and clean up the world and really leave with love
and kindness. Next question is for Monica in Sacramento, California.
Monica writes, Eli, how do you stay true to your
values in a world that sometimes rewards the opposite? Well,
(01:01:51):
listen again, I'm not surprised by anything. The world leads
with negativity a lot of the time. Right, it's breaking news.
This happened in a negative way, and I'm understand that.
I'm not saying that they these news outlets shouldn't cover
the news. They should, Right, You talk about the things
(01:02:11):
that are that are pressing and happening, that are a danger,
But you know, sometimes it's okay to leave with love too.
It is. So I try to stay true to my
values by doing the things that bring me happiness and
(01:02:32):
bring me peace, and I try to lead with that
that helps me stay rooted in my values, in my
life skills, because I know the world has consistently tried
to change that thought pattern for me every day, every day,
(01:02:53):
and I do my very best not to give in
to that. And I have doesn't mean that I don't
get upset or frustrated, but you know I still try
to lead with love. Next question is from Zoe in
New Zealand. Zoe writes, Eli, what's the most powerful lesson
(01:03:13):
life has taught you about being human? It is the
most powerful lesson life continues to teach me is that
(01:03:33):
love will always drown out hate. We just have to
do more loving. Those are the lessons that I've learned
that I'm still learning, and they're powerful lessons because when
I see it happen, I'm blown away. I truly am
(01:03:59):
all right. Last question before we close the show. It's
from Andrea Andrea and Portugal and your Rights, Eli. If
you could leave one message for listeners everywhere about what
it means to be a good person, what would it be.
(01:04:28):
Being a good person is sometimes thinking less about yourself
and more about others around you, doing things with purpose
(01:04:50):
without expecting anything in return, being there in the dark
times for a friend when you're struggling yourself, supporting someone
and giving them your last knowing that you may not
know where you're gonna get, you know the things that
(01:05:10):
you need to make sure that you're you, you're at peace.
Being a good person is listening with the intent on understanding.
Being a good person, I think it's spreading your peace,
(01:05:34):
sharing your peace. I know we protected, but you know,
sometimes you bring people into the fold and you know,
you get them to that that point where you are
in your life regarding peace and love, and you get
them there and you share it with them. Being a
good person is loving folks as hard as you can,
(01:06:00):
just in the good moments, but in the tough moments,
knowing when to give distance. Being a good person is
making someone or something better and doing what they say
you can't. That's the message I would leave to with
(01:06:27):
you today. I want to thank everyone who's sent in
questions incredible questions today, deep questions, and I want to
say that you all remind me of why I do
(01:06:51):
the work that I do. You remind me of why kindness, empathy,
and intentional living matter. So to all the live listeners today,
thank you for being here. Really appreciate it. I want
(01:07:11):
all of you to continue to send your questions in
to me at Elijah dot Winfrey at gmail dot com,
and we will do our very best to get them on.
This has been a great show, great show, one of
the best, I must say that I've done in a while.
Do me a favor as you navigate and get ready
(01:07:37):
for next week, be sure you're getting out in your
communities and you're checking in on your family and friends.
All right, put a smile on someone's face. Remember it
doesn't take a lot of energy to do that at all.
Thank you for listening to The Elijah Winfrey Show. Please
be sure to download this show whatever you download your
favorite podcast to next week. Take care, God, let
Speaker 1 (01:08:30):
The
You're listening to The Elijah Winfrey Show, a space for inspiration, impact,
and community connection. Each week, Elijah shares the latest on
his work in the community, answers listener questions, and reflects
on the week that was, from acts of kindness to
real conversations that matter. This is where purpose meets positivity.
(00:22):
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Here's your host,
Elijah Winfrey.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello, folks, and welcome to The Elijah Winfrey Show. I'm
in DJA host Elijah Winfrey. I am excited to be
with you today. I hope that you all have had
or are having a great weekend as it winds down.
My weekend has been pretty good. You know. I've spaced
(00:54):
some things out. I've tried to really settle into some
rests this weekend. I got a nice massage yesterday and
boy did I need it. And I did some meditating,
and I did some writing, and I let go of
(01:15):
some things mentally. So my weekend has been pretty, pretty productive,
pretty decent, and I hope that you're enjoying yours as well.
Today on the show, we have some terrific questions, and
I will tell you this, I have not seen any
of the questions as of yet. My amazing producer, Greg Nice,
(01:41):
he has decided to hold on to these questions until
we're ready, and he wanted me to think more off
the cuff, which is something I try to do all
the time. But he's assured me that these are some really,
(02:02):
really good questions and I'm excited to get to those
questions momentarily. My past week was productive as well. You know,
things are slowly but surely rounding in the form at
my elementary school as I continue my role as a
(02:23):
pair of professional. Shout out to all of my teammates
who listen to the show and the teachers. Some of
the teachers and staff who listened to the show really
appreciate that. But things are, you know, starting to take shape.
You know, it's still gonna be a little bit more
time before we really settle into things and see which
(02:48):
direction we are going and what adjustments we need to make.
But you know, I'm pretty comfortable right now, and a
lot of that's due to the teachers and the other
pair of teachers who are putting me in positions to succeed.
So all is good on that front. Nonprofit. You know,
(03:13):
I've said this before, this is the time of year
where you know, we start to pick up steam a
little bit. You know, the holidays will be here before
you know it, and you know, we always try to
stay a couple of steps ahead in that process, and
this year is no different. We will be collaborating with
(03:33):
another great organization, Restoration of the Arts, and we're going
to adopt more families and kids this year, which I'm
excited about. And you know, I'm working on a little
surprise that I hope to announce very soon. I have
(03:54):
to reach out to a friend of mine about this
idea that I have, so I won't reveal it right now,
but I'm working on it. My fingers are crossed that
we can do something for some families in the local
school district. Radio show's doing well, Family's doing well, you know,
(04:20):
physically and mentally. I am still working my way through
a bunch of junk. I call it junk, right like
you know, there are day you know I'm not sleeping
really well. That hasn't changed much. I do have a
sea pat machine. I don't know if any of you
use a sea pat machine. And there are days when
(04:40):
it's very uncomfortable, and there are days where I feel like,
I don't know if it's helping, but I'm going to
trust the process and keep using it. So far, I
haven't had much success, but you know, I'm not going
to give up. I'm gonna try to see it through.
(05:01):
But I'm able to still work out which is which
is good. I think that has really helped me in
this process of not being able to sleep and dealing
with some numbness in my arms, a little bit of
chest discomfort. I will say the last couple of days,
I haven't had any chest discomfort, the tingling in my arms.
(05:24):
It comes and goes, you know, But for the most part,
you know, I'm doing I'm doing okay. I am I
remain upbeat, you know. I don't feel sorry for myself,
and I share this with you as a way of
it being therapy for me. Once I get it out,
I'm good. I feel like I've I've released these toxins
(05:47):
from my body by talking about it right, so it
makes things easier for me to process and move forward.
So I'm doing well. Meditation is helped as well. So
you know, all this all this good and decent for
the most part over here, and I'm very thankful that
I'm able to see another day and continuing to fight on.
(06:10):
So that's my past week. That's a little bit about
my weekend. Now let's get into the show today, and
as always, I encourage you all to send me questions
in at Elijah dot Winfrey at gmail dot com and
you never disappoint We get questions from around the world,
and I am so so fortunate. We are so fortunate
(06:33):
to have the support that we have. And to all
the live listeners today, thank you for being here. We
see you. One day We're gonna open the phone lines.
I don't know when that day is gonna be, but
I'm I'm inching closer to doing it. I'm getting more
(06:54):
comfortable with thinking about doing that. So stay tuned. But
I'm glad you're here, and let's get into some of
your amazing questions. Let's put let's put a couple on
the board here, Greg, there we go, all right. First
question today comes from Ava and London, England. See what
(07:14):
I mean, we get we listen, We get listened to
around the world. I'm so thankful for that. Ava writes, Elijah.
If someone met you for the first time, how would
you describe yourself beyond your titles? And accomplishments. It's a
great question. I think I would just say, I'm a
(07:35):
I'm a I'm a simple, basic dude. I'm a i'm
a I think in my opinion my wife would would disagree,
But I think, in my opinion, i'm a I'm a
boring dude. I don't like to do much. I feel
like I am approachable, although there are people who who
have said to me that when they see me, they
think I'm angry or you know, I'm upset or sad
(07:57):
about something because I look pretty pensive. Uh, And you know,
I'm not. I may be thinking about something that's right.
A lot of times you may see me with my
head down. Right, I'm either thinking about something, just dealt
with something, or I'm trying to process something that's happening
(08:20):
in that moment. But I'm I'm a I'm a positive guy.
You know. I do smile. I don't always flash it,
you know, and and neither do people that I see.
You know, whether it be in school or in the community.
Everybody's not smiling as they're walking towards you. I had
(08:41):
a friend of mine his wife said to me a
few months ago that he find he smiles I don't
think he smiled. And I was taken aback by that,
you know, and I you know, I had done I
had done a golf clinic and and she was there
and she was like, you were very matter of fact
(09:04):
or into your thing, and I'm like, That's how I am.
But at no point was I angry, you know. But
I would say, I'm a basic dude. You know. I
love to listen, I love to talk about life. I
love to laugh. So I think, you know, if someone
(09:25):
were to meet me, if I had to describe myself,
I would say, yeah, basic, decent, boring, but always positive.
I'm always up beat, right. I try not to stay
low and I try not to get too high, so
I'm always in the middle. It's a great one. Great one.
Next up is Marcus in Atlanta, Georgia. Atl is coming
(09:47):
in hot every week. I love that. Marcus writes Elijah,
what's a typical day in your life? Like when the
microphone is off and the community work slows down? So Marcus,
I would say, it's a very it's a it's a
very boring day. And I like it like that, And
(10:07):
I don't mean, I don't mean that in a negative.
Uh In a negative sense. I mean when I'm not
doing my community work, or I'm not writing or or
excuse me if I if I'm not doing work as
a para professional, I'm writing, I'm meditating. I like watching
classic TV shows. The Andy Griffith Show is my favorite
(10:29):
show of all time. I really try to get more
in touch with me the person. You know. I go
into the bedroom, shut the door, and I'm good. Is
it always the best thing to do? Probably not? You know.
(10:51):
I do get out and walk, you know. So I
love walking when I can. I haven't walked in a
couple of weeks now just because of, you know, my
health issues. But a typical day without doing any of
my community things is just being at home. I love
to clean and cook that that that that works for me.
(11:13):
I love doing that. I love doing the dishes, I
love ironing, I love vacuuming the floors. I love taking
out the trash. I love making the bed, I love
folding the laundry. So I love doing basic things when
I'm not actively in the community. You know it. You know,
(11:33):
that's my that's my thing, and I really enjoy it.
I really do it.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
It.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
It centers me right, it gives me time to really recharge.
Even though it seems like on a typical day all that,
all those things I just mentioned, it seems like I'm
still doing a lot. I'm not really doing a lot.
I'm able to try to rest as much as i can.
Next question is from Sophia in Madrid, Spain. Sophia rites Elijah,
(12:05):
what keeps you grounded when life gets noisy or demanding? Meditation?
You know, I, for my my entire life, it's been noisy,
it's been demanding, it's been scary at times. I've learned
(12:25):
how to meditate really well, and I can sit in
that and so when things get hectic for me, I
go to that place when I close my eyes and
I find my piece as quickly as I can. It's
like hugging a tree. I stay there until I feel
(12:45):
safe and comfortable to maneuver in this demanding, noisy and
mean world at times. So that's what I do. It works.
This question is from Tyrone and Detroit. Tyrone writes, Elijah,
(13:05):
who were some of your biggest influences growing up and
what lessons from them still guide you today? Ah, this
is a really good question, Tyrone. I think my influences
(13:30):
growing up with my mom, like it was only it
was really my mom. Like there are people that I
really appreciated being in my life, but I was. I
always looked up to my mom. She's been my hero
from day one, right, That's the only hero in my life,
my mom. So I'd watch her deal with situations and things.
(13:52):
People would yell at my mom, you know, for no
reason and call her really disgusting names, and she be
very calm, very matter of fact, and you know, she
would she she would pivot. You know, my mom's a
very religious person. I've never heard my mom curse. She
(14:15):
always tried to look for the good and everybody, and
when she was treated unfairly or poorly, she was very
calm and she knew how to walk away. And that's
something that I am I'm learning to do. I'm not
great at that, I will say that. But you know,
she's had a heavy influence on me. That's not to
(14:37):
say that other people haven't, but my mom always comes
to mind when, you know, I feel like I'm struggling
and I need to think about, you know, those lessons
that she instilled in me. You know, a lot of
a lot of the things that I do come from
a core value life skill background that she instilled. Now,
I don't always get it right, Believe me, I don't.
(15:00):
I take a lot of risks and I fall down
a lot. But I know that those lessons are there,
and I really use those lessons to guide me, and
they still work today, right, And they're very basic. Right,
They're not, you know, lessons that will overwhelm you. They're
just simply core value lessons. Right. Who are you as
(15:22):
a person stay rooted than that no matter what? So
my mom is D one D one. Next question is
from Naya and Johannesburg, South Africa. Wow, Nia rights Eli,
how do you how do you define success for yourself
(15:42):
at this stage in your life? I'm waking up every morning, right,
given things that I'm able to do, the things that
I do, that's success. I'm able to wake up, look
in the mirror, have an honest conversation and do my
best to attack the day. That's success for me. You know,
(16:05):
I know there's going to come a time when that
you know, that doesn't happen for all of us, but
you know, I'm very I'm grateful that I'm able to
see another day that to me, that success at this
point in my life. Great question. Next question is from
Jamal in Brooklyn. Jamal rights Elijah, what's up? My brother?
(16:30):
As a black man in America? How do you view
the current state of race relations in this country? So
this is a wow, This is a deep question. And
I'm not going to say you caught me off guard
(16:51):
because you didn't. But when I think about race in
this country, I can go a lot of ways and
answering this question, h but I'm gonna I'm gonna be
honest and raw and real with you right now. We
(17:15):
haven't evolved as people. We just haven't. And I know
there'd be people who listen to the show will disagree
with that, and that's fine, that's your opinion. I'm telling
you the world that I see through my lens, we
have not evolved as a people. We haven't we mass
things better regarding race and how we treat each other.
(17:36):
It's being masked. But as soon as someone gets mad,
things start seeping out, leaking, and then it bursts and
then and then you find out how people really see you.
And I've seen that my entire life. So Jamal, I
(17:57):
I I'm an optimist, So I always think we're gonna
get to where we need to get to for peace,
for love and tranquility and you know, equality. I think
we're gonna get there, but we're still fighting the fight
that doctor King was fighting. We are. Don't let anybody
tell you different we are. The divide has always been deep.
(18:26):
I think the main difference right now is everybody has
a phone, and you do. You just see more of
it on video. Didn't have that back then. You had
that back then, I'm sure you'd see some some really
dangerous stuff. You'd really see how how bad it was
(18:47):
and is still. But I think the the invention of
the cell phone and social media, like you just see
it now, it's everywhere. So I do hope that you know,
(19:09):
we get to where we need to go. I just
probably won't see that, but I hope my son does.
But the current state is we're very deeply divided. It
has always been a it has always been dangerous to
be black. And again these are my opinions. This is
the world that I see through my lens, and I'm
(19:37):
optimistic that we'll eventually get there. Great question, almost winning
my bag this morning. You know I have a lot
I can I can go on this question I can,
you know, but I'd rather talk to people in person.
(19:58):
You know, I don't. I don't really like talking about
things like this over social media. I'd rather we sit
down in a setting and really talk about it. Next
question is from Isabella in Toronto, Canada, Go MS by
the Way. Isabella writes, Eli, what gives you hope about
(20:22):
the direction we're heading when it comes to equality and understanding?
I just said, I'm an optimist, like, I think we're
gonna get there. I do. I think we just have
to have an honest conversation, Isabella about where we are
in the world. You know, I'm gonna go in my
(20:47):
bag a little bit and just kind of share some
things with you from my perspective, from my opinion being
black in America. You know, we are the only people
to come to America and voluntarily we came here and
chained in shackle, right. We didn't come here with our
language intact. We didn't come here with our beliefs or
(21:08):
our spiritual beliefs intact, we didn't. All those things were
stripped from us, our names, all of our culture, and
our resources. We didn't come to this country with the
things that other people had. We didn't. So when some
(21:30):
people say to me, hey, Eli, you know slavery is over, brother,
why are you still complaining? Why you're still mad about it?
Our people came here and they worked their butts off,
and that's true. They did. Immigrants came from all over
the world, Europe, Asia, all over. And yes, they did
(21:57):
lace up their footstraps. We didn't have boot straps right
to lace up. But yes, some people did come here
and lace up their bootstraps and they did what they
had to do. There's no debating that. But they came
with all things intact. They came voluntarily. You're picking up
(22:23):
what I'm putting down. And those who did come came
with resources that were set up by people who were
in servitude. That's just facts. I'm just giving you facts.
Look it up, do your homework. And again these are
(22:44):
my opinions. But I've done my homework. So we're already
at a disadvantage. We don't have that legacy as other
people because our legacy what slavery, and we had to
endure and pass it on. Right, But when we did
(23:12):
start to move forward a little bit, and we talk
about the Tulsa, Oklahomas, right, Bronzeville, Harlem. Right, we found
our thing and what happened? It was torn down, burned
to the ground. See I can. I can talk about this,
(23:33):
but I only talk about this stuff to people that
hear me. I'm not going to waste my time talking
to people that don't hear me. I just won't do it.
(23:57):
So there's a lot of things you know that that
that I've seen that I feel like it gives me hope.
I do think we'll get there in time, right, And
I know that's the one thing that you know, none
of us really have, is the time. I get it.
(24:23):
But I'm an optimist by heart, and I truly believe
that we're gonna get there. It's gonna be different, it's
gonna look different, it's gonna be beautiful. Right. Change has
always been you know, hard at first, messy in the middle,
and in the end it's beautiful. I still believe we're
gonna get there, But we've got to be honest about
the conversations that we're having, in the conversations that we're
(24:47):
not having. We have to quit masking, and you know,
I think that's something that we continue to do, and
we have to do a better job of calling it out.
(25:08):
So I hope that answers your question, Isabella. I really
feel like, I really feel like we're gonna get there.
It's just gonna take a bit more time and patience
(25:29):
and a lot of love. That's another thing, right, we
need a lot of love in that department. We'll get there.
We'll get there. Next question is from Andrea in Seattle.
Andre writes, Elijah, how do you navigate conversations about racing
(25:51):
your community work and on your show? So again, you know,
these are my thoughts on my show that I'm willing
to share. I'm comfortable sharing. I will not engage with
anybody who wants to argue and go back and forth
in a negative, mean spirited way. I just won't do it.
(26:13):
Fifteen twenty years ago, sure I will. I'd go back
and forth, I'd yell, I'd probably say some a few
cuss words. You know. But you know, as I've evolved
into the person that I am continuing to become. Again,
you talk to the people that can hear you. And
when people tell me they want to sit in it,
you some will, some won't. It gets too uncomfortable and
(26:36):
then they start cutting you off or they tell you
all the reasons why you're wrong, or as I just said,
they tell you, you know why you're talking about slavery,
or you're always talking about the disadvantages. How come you're
not talking about the advantages that you have, right, So
they try to they try to move you because they're uncomfortable.
(27:01):
So I navigated by talking to the people that hear
me and that are willing to sit in the discomfort.
I've been sitting in the discomfort my entire life, you know.
So I'm very cautious when I talk to people about
race and how I see the world because some people
(27:22):
will never understand, and it's not my job to continue
to try and get them to understand. They either get
it or they don't. And I don't have time for hate.
I'd rather pivot and move towards people who love the
(27:42):
message that I'm sending out and they're receptive to that.
But I don't do social media things talking about race again.
I want to see you face to face. I want
to feel your energy. I don't know what your energy
is if you're typing or you're texting about this, because
(28:04):
I don't know you like that, you know, I don't
know what you will say to me out of out
of anger when things don't go your way or you
disagree with something I've said or someone else has said.
I don't know, but I want to see that reaction
as opposed to reading it on a text that makes sense.
(28:25):
If that makes sense to you. Next question is from
Layla in Birmingham, Birmingham, England. Wow. Layla writes, Eli, I
really love your show. Thank you for all that you do.
My question is do you think true unity is possible
without first acknowledging pain in history. You gotta acknowledge the
(28:48):
pain in history. I think that's part of the problem,
that's the bigger issue. Like some won't, so they try
to steer the conversation because they get uncomfortable. They try
to say, okay, okay, can we quit talking about slavery?
I'm done. You know why they do that because they
feel the pain. They know how bad it is or
bad it was. So I I think you have to
(29:13):
acknowledge the pain in the history, and you've got to
be honest about it, and you've got to teach it.
If you're not willing to take that risk, then I
I don't know how you can talk about race or
(29:34):
I don't know how serious to take you personally, if
you're not willing to take that risk. I'm always told
take the risk, Eli, and I always take the risk.
But I know people I will say this, I know
people personally who won't take the risk. I know people personally,
(29:54):
and some look like me, some do not. A lot
of them do not look like me, and they won't
acknowledge the pain. They'll tell me to get over it
and move forward. I didn't do it to you. I
didn't do it to your people. I have some black friends.
(30:20):
I don't see color. So I think we have to
acknowledge the pain, and we do have to sit in it, unfortunately,
or they have to sit in it. And until that
happens in a genuine, honest way, we're going to continue
to repeat this cycle, this vicious cycle that we're repeating
(30:42):
right every generation. Right, We're gonna repeat it, and nothing
ever gets solved. There's just more tragedies, more defacing of properties.
So yes, we have to acknowledge the pain and the history.
(31:03):
First you have to next question is from Carlos in
Los Angeles. Carlos writes, Eli, what role do you do
you think personal accountability plays and healing racial device. I
think it's it's a big deal. It's a big It's
big because it starts with you. It starts with you.
(31:28):
You set the tone for those conversations with yourself, especially
when you know you're going to be talking about this issue.
You set the tone. Where are you? Where are you
(31:48):
regarding the world that you see? Have you sat down
and sat in it? Have you dealt with what's happening
past and present? What role did you play or do
you play in healing the divide? Have you had a
hard conversation with someone that doesn't look like you about it?
(32:11):
Have you dared yourself to get uncomfortable? That's the question.
But personal accountability absolutely plays a role. It is a
huge role in healing these divides. And again, we can
(32:35):
get there, but we got to have honest conversations. And
what are you doing as part of that healing process
to bring us all together? What are you doing? It's
as simple as that. Whoa these questions blowing me away today? Greg? Alright,
(32:58):
woof my goodness. Next question is from Hannah in Sydney, Australia.
Shout out Australia. They listened to the show a lot.
We got a ton of listeners in Australia. Hannah writes, Elijah,
you do so much writing children's books, running a nonprofit, coaching, mentoring, podcasting.
(33:22):
How do you balance all of that? Well, Hannah, thanks
for the question. I've been able to really balance my
schedule a bit better this year over the summer. I
really needed to do that. I hit a brick wall
in May and it took me a while to recover,
(33:46):
and I knew I've been going NonStop, you know, up
until that point, and I needed to really find a
way to pull back and light my schedule and unfortunately
take some things off of my schedule that I really
(34:07):
wanted to do and participate in. But for the betterment
of my health, both physically and mentally, I knew it'd
be best that I like my schedule heading into like
right now, being in school and running my business and
getting ready for the holidays and interacting with more families,
I needed to space things out. So I've done a
(34:29):
better job of spacing things out and it's working now. Again.
The flip side of that is I'm still not sleeping,
you know. I still struggle to get out of bed
in morning. But once I'm up and I'm moving about.
You know, my schedules set up in a way that
(34:50):
I can be pretty successful, So that's how I do that.
Next question is from Malik in Chicago. My league writes, Elijah,
what inspired you to start Team Win Free and what
impact has it had on you personally? So, my niece
and nephew are very vital in me starting my nonprofit.
(35:11):
I've said that before, and in doing that, you know,
opened the door to helping more families, which has been great.
The impact on me personally is, you know, I have
my own business right as a black man. It's a
small business, but I've created something that is impactful in
(35:36):
the community that I am in, and I have the
support of a few friends, which means a lot to
me personally, and that's where a lot of the impact is.
You know, some of the people that see my work
and some of the families that I've interacted with, It's
(35:57):
helped me personally grow and get better at some of
the things that I've been lacking in in my life.
You know, you always need more patience and understanding, and
so personally it has taught me more about that. Next
question is from Grace in Dublin, Ireland. Grace writes, Elijah,
(36:19):
when you write for children, what's the one message you
hope every kid takes away from your stories? One of
the things that I hope they take away from from
my stories thus far as you know, it's okay to
make a mistake, as long as you're honest about the
(36:41):
mistake that you made. It's okay to do It's okay
to make a mistake. We're all gonna make mistakes. But
it's how you respond to the mistakes in an honest way,
in a genuine way. You know this, this next story
that this next book that I've written, it will definitely
(37:04):
shed light on that, you know. I I hope they
continue to learn more about core values, right, that's the
That's the one message, you know. I hope that they
learn more about core values and life skills. If if
they take that away from reading the book, then you
know it's been worth it. Next question is from Ethan
(37:30):
and Portland. Ethan rights Elijah, what's been your proudest moment
in your community work so far? Ethan? All of it.
I can't pinpoint one specific thing that that it's been
the proudest. All of it is, from starting my nonprofit
to working with a few families to now building it
(37:51):
to uh you know, uh, five six, seven, eight families,
and each interaction is has been great. That's it's the
everything that I'm doing with my nonprofit is it's always
inspiring to me. So all of it, I'm proud of
(38:16):
all of it. Next question is from Renee in Kingston, Jamaica.
Renee writes, Eli, how do you measure success not in
numbers but in lives touched? I think that I try
to measure it from the responses that I get from
(38:37):
the families and from the kids. Whenever we work with
a family, we try to maintain those relationships. That's success
for us. So you're right, it's it's not so much
in the numbers. You know, what's in people that you
(39:01):
talk to, that you try to help you that you
try your best to provide resources too. That's where you
hit those home runs, you know. And I feel like
we're doing that and I feel like it makes us
(39:21):
a better group of people when we do that. It's
a great question, and you know a lot of these
questions today, you know, they speak to why I do
what I do. I'm not doing it to be popular.
I don't care how many likes I have or followers
I have on social media. It's not for that. It's
(39:42):
not about the fame. It's about the impact. And no
matter how big or how small it is, it's moving
for me and I'm i'm I'm, I'm grateful many times
over that people take time to listen to my mess
six they want to interact to my nonprofit. You know,
(40:03):
they believe in in the vision that we have and
and the things that we're doing in the community. It's
about impact. Next question, Well, we got a ton of
questions today. Wow. Next question is from Keisha and New Orleans.
Keisha Wrights Eli. You often speak about kindness and community.
(40:28):
What does being a good friend mean to you? A
good friend is there for you in the in in
the tough times. You're gonna always have people with you
when you're winning and you're doing well, right, they're gonna
have people who are following you on that journeys when
you hit that brick walls, when you when you fall
(40:51):
down and you're you're you're struggling to get up, You're
trying to get up, but it's hard, you know, having
that friend there to see you go through those things
and to extend their hand is everything to me. That's
a good friend. You know. I make mistakes every day.
I fall down all the time. But I do have
(41:14):
a few friends who extend their hands consistently to help
me get up, and to help me brush myself off
and to help me move forward. That's the sign of
a good friend, right. It's not always when you're riding
high and and everybody's screaming your name, and you know,
(41:35):
when all that stops and the smoke clears and you've fallen,
you know, you see how many people scatter right. Some
are or are with you to see you fail, some
are with you to see you succeed. But when the
smoke clears and you've fallen down and you see a
couple of hands extend to you to help you get up,
(41:56):
those are your friends. Those are the people you can
count on through tough And that's how I define it.
Next question is from Matteo and buaynous Aris, Argentina Tail Rights. Hi, Eli,
I love your show. How do you maintain genuine connections
(42:19):
in a world that often values image over authenticity? Just
by being myself? I said at the top of the show,
I am a boring, decent guy, and I really am
and I don't try to change that. H. You know,
(42:39):
I I don't care so much about image. You know,
being authentic is where I'm at. You know, I dress
the way I want to dress. You know, I do
the things that that that make me happy. I don't
change up on people, you know. I I consider myself
(43:05):
a really decent guy, and so I've been able to
connect with people who live that lifestyle to some degree. Right,
everybody's not boring that I that I talk to, but
in a lot of ways, they live that lifestyle and
I'm able to connect quickly with them. I don't care
(43:27):
about the spotlight. I lived that life a long time ago.
You know, I'm at a point in my life now where,
you know, I love the small circle of people that
I have in my life. They get me, they understand me,
and they're not trying to change me. And you know,
(43:52):
I know what's out there on the flip side of that.
I see it every day, and I just choose not
to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
M H.
Speaker 2 (44:00):
Next question is from Tanya and Vancouver, Canada. Tanya rights Elijah.
What's a moment when a friend's support truly changed your life? Gosh,
(44:21):
there are there are a few, Like, it's hard to
pick one, Tanya, I'd have to let me think about that,
because there are a few, and I don't I don't
want to share one because I feel like there have
(44:44):
been quite a few that have steered me in the
right direction and have changed my life to a degree,
and I'd be doing them a disservice if I just
picked one. So I think there there have been a
multitude of moments where I've had you know, true friends
(45:06):
support me, uh and in a really tough time and
check in on me, and it's changed my thinking not
just about them, but about, you know, my path in life.
So I can't just pick one. I wish I could,
but I can't. Next question is from Omar and Cairo, Egypt.
(45:34):
Omar writes, Eli, how do you show up for other
people who are struggling even when you're going through something yourself? Well, again,
I think there have been a handful of people who've
always been there for me, and I always try to
(45:56):
pay it forward, right, So I'm always open and willing
to listen to someone else that I know that I
care about, that that's going through something. And while I
may not always be able to relate. I do open
myself up to listen with the intent on understanding where
(46:19):
they are in their life right, how far they've fallen.
But I'm always going to extend my hand even when
I'm dealing with things like we all are going through something.
I'm not the only person. We're all dealing with some
type of trauma or you know, a setback. But because
(46:45):
i know I'm not alone in that, it helps me
show up for other people. Right, I'm not isolated on
an island going through this by myself. I know there
are other people who are doing it. So we get
together and we can talk about our struggles and find solutions.
No matter how big or how small those solutions are.
(47:06):
You know, we're able to lock hands and and bond
and grow and we get out of that dark place
and back into the sunshine. Next question is from Danielle
in Houston, Texas. Danielle writes, Eli, what role has forgiveness
(47:28):
played in your friendships and personal growth? They've played a lot. Look,
I've I've shed a lot of people in my life
who were only meant to be in my life for
a short amount of time, and I've come to grips
with that I'm okay with that. There have been some
(47:49):
some people who who said that they were friends with
me and and and said that they were very close
to me who've hurt me pretty badly. You know, I've
been able to forgive them as well. Now on the
flip side of that, I'm a very petty person, you know,
I'm I'm I'm working on being better at that. But
(48:12):
I forgive, but I don't forget how you made me
feel in those times when I needed you and instead
of helping me, you kicked me. So I don't forget.
I don't forget, I forgive, I move forward. But I
never look at those people the same way. And and
(48:33):
I and I often say that a lot. I'll do
anything for anybody, friend, stranger, I'll do anything for you
because it helps me grow personally. All I've ever asked is,
don't don't hurt me right, because I am the type
(48:54):
of person who will say to you, before you say
anything reckless or do anything you know malicious to me,
make sure you never need me again. And I know,
having talked about things earlier in the show that we
talked about you know, your love and all this, all
these things that you know, I shouldn't say that, but uh,
(49:17):
that's that's where I am. That's where I am in
my with my life and how I see people and
and and and friends. You know, I'm all about personal growth,
but I am going to protect myself at all times.
I do have boundaries up. Uh so I have Forgiveness
plays a big role for me, but I don't forget
(49:40):
how you made me feel. And I have to remember
you know, we're all human and we're all trying to
show up with one another. I just don't need you
to kick me when I'm down. Just move right. If
I don't, you don't rock with me, That's fine. All right.
(50:01):
Let's take a let's take a few more questions. We
still have a long list of questions. Let's let's say
if we can let's say if we can keep going
here for a little bit. Next question is from Cato
Cato and Tokyo, Japan. Cato writes, Elijah, what inspires you
(50:23):
when you're one? When you're the one everyone else turns
to for motivation? I I think what inspires me about
that is people are willing to come to me and
(50:47):
either the event or they feel like I'm a place
of comfort. That's inspiring to me, whether it having a
good day or bad day. You know, I think they
know that I'm gonna listen and try to understand. I
may not have an answer, you know, most times I don't,
but they know that I'm willing to listen in a
(51:09):
genuine way, and I do my best to understand that
that inspires me to have people come come to me
and consider me a source of a source of good,
I should say. Next question is from Jasmine in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jasmine writes, Elijah, what's one failure or setback that actually
(51:32):
propelled you forward? Okay, I'll share this one because I've
mentioned this on the show. So I don't know if
you can really really call it a failure or set back,
but a friend did, and so I'm going to share it.
(51:53):
So when I started my radio show, I had a
friend who it was really critical of my career choices
or my dreams and my goals. Right, I would share
things with him, and you know, you're not always you
shouldn't do that, per se because it's your dream and
(52:14):
people will try to rob you of your dream or
tell you all the reasons why you can't. But again,
it's it's it's a learning experience. So I you know,
I talked about wanting to be a radio host and
thought that I'd be pretty good at and so I started.
When I started the show, my very first show was
was he said, really poor, really bad. He told me
(52:37):
I should I should seek something else. I didn't have
a radio voice, and he said he was uncomfortable listening
to me on radio. And you know, I said, I
hear you, right, it was his opinion, and I was like,
I hear you. I got you. And that's all I said,
(52:58):
and we pivoted to something else in our phone conversation.
But when I hung up with him, I started to
think to myself, Well, if I let him kill this dream,
then he might as well take everything else that I've
dreamed about and wanted to succeed at. You can take
the nonprofit, you can take whatever, because I you know,
there are times I struggle with that too. But I
(53:21):
thought about it for a little while. You know, was
I really that bad or was it just his opinion
of and not really giving giving me or the show
a chance to succeed. And I decided to continue to
(53:43):
move forward with the show. Look where I am. It's
propelled me, and it's taken me to places that I
didn't think i'd be able to go to. I'm listened
to by folks from around the world. You know, right
now we have I don't know what the number is,
(54:05):
but the switchboard here is lighting up of the amount
of people who are listening to the show. I get
tons of positive feedback, So that that experience propelled me.
I think to continue to take the risks, but be
careful in sharing your dream with people who don't see
(54:26):
it the way you see it. So that's it, Jasmine.
That's the one story I'm willing to share it today,
and there are others, and maybe at some point I'll
share a few more stories about, you know, those setbacks
that I've had, and I've had plenty. Next question is
(54:50):
from Lucas in Brazil. Lucas writes, Elijah, how do you
stay positive when the world feels heavy again? I meditate,
I go to I go to a special place mentally,
and I'm able to gather myself. And because I've always
(55:13):
seen the world one way through my lens, you know,
nothing surprises me. I'm never caught off guard by how
cruel this world can be. I'm not I know where
the love is. But I'm never caught off guard by
the heaviness of the world and the division that I see.
(55:35):
And you know, I do my best to be aliked,
to focus more on the positive things I know. To
some that may come off as corny or or or
as if to say, you know, I am naive on
what's happening, I promise you I am not naive. I
(55:59):
promise you. I know what's going on in the world.
Guarantee you I see it. I live it when I
step out my door. I know what it is. My
job is to stay positive, to spread light, to be
a voice as much as I can, but do it
(56:19):
in a way that's reflective of my goals and my values.
But always take the risk. And I feel like I've
done that. Next question is from Aliyah in Philadelphia. Alia writes, Eli,
what keeps your fire lit, what makes you tick, is
(56:42):
doing good things in the community, making people smile, spreading kindness,
with with with gratitude, loving people as hard as I
can in those moments where they need it, where I
(57:03):
need it. Watching my family succeed and a few friends
that I have watching them be successful. You know, when
people are winning, I feel good. It's like my fuel
and I I love it that that that makes me go,
(57:29):
makes me take. Next question is from Noah and Paris.
Noah writes, Eli, when you think about your legacy, what
do you want people to remember most about you? Okay, Noah,
this is this is a good one. And gosh, what
(57:54):
do I want people to so? I don't. I don't
really think much about legacy. I don't, but I will
say this if so, I would let my legacy be
(58:14):
this is that I listened when someone needed to speak right,
that I gave without asking for anything in return, and
that I left gentleness in places that wants hell pain
(58:37):
like I'm not gonna I know, I'm not gonna save
the world or anything. And I would also add, mate,
I would love my kindness to people, my genuine, true
(58:59):
kindness and love the only footprint that I leave behind.
Forget all the accolades and the things that made me successful.
If I can leave kindness as a footprint, the one
thing people say, Man, he was a kind like he
was a kind dude. If he had it, you had it.
(59:19):
If that's the footprint that I leave to chin, I'm good.
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (59:28):
I just want to remember it as a decent person,
someone who cared about people, who did his best to
leave his mark on the world, because at the end
of the day, it's about persistence, it's about purpose, and
it's about peace and love, and it's not about perfection
(59:54):
all right. Next question is from Priya and Mumbai, India.
Prior writes, Eli, you often talk about being intentional and kind.
Where does that come from? Comes from my mom? All
of it comes from my mom. I see her spread
(01:00:17):
kindness in the neighborhood, even when we didn't have much
of anything. She was always kind, She was always thoughtful,
She always went above and beyond. Even if it was
our last and she knew somebody in the neighborhood needed it,
she would go give it to them and we would
either do without or we would she would come up
with something else for us to have. So that's where
I get it from my mom. Next question is from
(01:00:44):
George and Nairobi, Kenya. George writes, Elijah, why do you
care so deeply about doing good and giving back? Because
it's in me. It's always been in me. It was
placed in me by my mom, and I do it
because I don't need anything from anybody. It's just the
(01:01:06):
right thing to do, and if we did more of it,
the country would be or the world would be in
a much better place. So that's why I care. That's
why I love doing good things and giving back because
(01:01:27):
I know we can all do it, and at some
point I know it'll spark someone somewhere to come along
and clean up the world and really leave with love
and kindness. Next question is for Monica in Sacramento, California.
Monica writes, Eli, how do you stay true to your
values in a world that sometimes rewards the opposite? Well,
(01:01:51):
listen again, I'm not surprised by anything. The world leads
with negativity a lot of the time. Right, it's breaking news.
This happened in a negative way, and I'm understand that.
I'm not saying that they these news outlets shouldn't cover
the news. They should, Right, You talk about the things
(01:02:11):
that are that are pressing and happening, that are a danger,
But you know, sometimes it's okay to leave with love too.
It is. So I try to stay true to my
values by doing the things that bring me happiness and
(01:02:32):
bring me peace, and I try to lead with that
that helps me stay rooted in my values, in my
life skills, because I know the world has consistently tried
to change that thought pattern for me every day, every day,
(01:02:53):
and I do my very best not to give in
to that. And I have doesn't mean that I don't
get upset or frustrated, but you know I still try
to lead with love. Next question is from Zoe in
New Zealand. Zoe writes, Eli, what's the most powerful lesson
(01:03:13):
life has taught you about being human? It is the
most powerful lesson life continues to teach me is that
(01:03:33):
love will always drown out hate. We just have to
do more loving. Those are the lessons that I've learned
that I'm still learning, and they're powerful lessons because when
I see it happen, I'm blown away. I truly am
(01:03:59):
all right. Last question before we close the show. It's
from Andrea Andrea and Portugal and your Rights, Eli. If
you could leave one message for listeners everywhere about what
it means to be a good person, what would it be.
(01:04:28):
Being a good person is sometimes thinking less about yourself
and more about others around you, doing things with purpose
(01:04:50):
without expecting anything in return, being there in the dark
times for a friend when you're struggling yourself, supporting someone
and giving them your last knowing that you may not
know where you're gonna get, you know the things that
(01:05:10):
you need to make sure that you're you, you're at peace.
Being a good person is listening with the intent on understanding.
Being a good person, I think it's spreading your peace,
(01:05:34):
sharing your peace. I know we protected, but you know,
sometimes you bring people into the fold and you know,
you get them to that that point where you are
in your life regarding peace and love, and you get
them there and you share it with them. Being a
good person is loving folks as hard as you can,
(01:06:00):
just in the good moments, but in the tough moments,
knowing when to give distance. Being a good person is
making someone or something better and doing what they say
you can't. That's the message I would leave to with
(01:06:27):
you today. I want to thank everyone who's sent in
questions incredible questions today, deep questions, and I want to
say that you all remind me of why I do
(01:06:51):
the work that I do. You remind me of why kindness, empathy,
and intentional living matter. So to all the live listeners today,
thank you for being here. Really appreciate it. I want
(01:07:11):
all of you to continue to send your questions in
to me at Elijah dot Winfrey at gmail dot com,
and we will do our very best to get them on.
This has been a great show, great show, one of
the best, I must say that I've done in a while.
Do me a favor as you navigate and get ready
(01:07:37):
for next week, be sure you're getting out in your
communities and you're checking in on your family and friends.
All right, put a smile on someone's face. Remember it
doesn't take a lot of energy to do that at all.
Thank you for listening to The Elijah Winfrey Show. Please
be sure to download this show whatever you download your
favorite podcast to next week. Take care, God, let
Speaker 1 (01:08:30):
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