In this episode, I share my thoughts about one of the most influential artists who ever lived - Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr who would have been 84 years old on April 2nd. I share the roots of my love of his music, and my appreciation of his life. I talk about some of the aspects of his life that were documented after his untimely passing on April 1st 1984.

From his early hits with Motown like Stubborn Kind of Fellow and I'll Be Doggone, to his successful but short-lived partnership with Tammi Terrell, to his search for identity and independence with the classic concept album What's Goin' On and his self-imposed exile in Europe, Marvin's life was complex, triumphant, and tragic.

I also delve in to an aspect of Marvin's life that isn't well-known, his search for love from his father who ended up being the person who ended his life on that fateful day. Marvin represented many things to many people - Prince of Motown, voice of social justice, sex symbol, legend, and renegade. Marvin was also a man who struggled with his own self-image which led to destructive behaviour.

I choose to see Marvin as a man who shared his art with the world despite his personal pain. He lives on!

In this episode, I share my thoughts on my relationship with my mom during a season of challenge and change.  I remark on the lessons that she has taught and what I have learned about myself.  The impact of my faith on my relationship is the foundation.

Hello everyone,

Recording this episode on February 11th had an added meaning as it is the 33rd anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release from Robben Island prison after 27 years.  He became a global figure through his own example of leadership, forgiveness, reconciliation, and compassion.  From prisoner to South Africa's first Black president, Mr. Mandela remains one of the most influential people the world has ever known.

I share my personal reflections from watching him walk out of the prison to how the world embraced him as a world leader and advocate for peace and social justice.

Hello friends,

It's been a long time since the last episode - 49 days to be exact! It's good to be back!  The Gems For Your Soul podcast now has an Instagram page!  Please be sure to follow the podcast at www.instagram.com/gemsforyoursoul.

Which place or side do your rep?  Why is is the best?  Are you a long-time resident of Mississauga and you only talk about the "West Side"?  Do you live in Durham Region or in another city/region and you tell everyone you know that you have the best of everything?  I am an "East Sider",  and the East Side is truly the best side!

In the coming days you will have the opportunity share your comments and opinions!  Let's do this!

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In this episode I share my experience with suicide and my struggle with mental health.  I have been dealing with depression for several years and thankfully I am at a place in my life where I have experienced healing and success thanks to the support of professionals who have partnered with me.  Earlier this week, the news of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss's passing put into focus mental health in the Black community.   In this episode I am careful to focus on telling my story only.

If you are thinking of suicide please access the following resources:

Call 911

Talk Suicide Canada - 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645  from 4pm to midnight 24/7/365

Black Health Alliance: https://www.instagram.com/blackhealthcan/

Toronto For All:  Anti-Black Racism and Mental Health Resources:  https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/96a4-t4a-abr-bmh-resources.pdf

Black Mental Health Matters:  https://www.blackmentalhealthmatters.ca/

When Drake's Her Loss album dropped, one of the most talked about songs on it was Circo Loco because of a lyric that was seen as referencing the shooting involving Torey Lanez and Meghan Thee Stallion.  Recently articles have been written about Drake and the common themes in his music.  One theme has been his view of women as people and objects to be controlled.  Hudda Hassan has written an interesting article on this - https://www.cbc.ca/arts/drake-s-megan-thee-stallion-lyric-is-just-the-latest-in-a-long-pattern-of-misogyny-1.6669462.

In this episode I explore toxic masculinity within the context of the Drake-Megan situation, and the larger context in our culture and its impacts.

On the heels of the Washington Post story published about Jerry Jones, who is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and his role in hiring Black people in positions of power, I started to think about media in Canada and who has the power.   It's worth mentioning that Jones has not put Black men in many positions of power other than as scouts and position coaches.  Jones has also sought to stifle the voices of the Black athletes who have played for him when it came to protests, specifically when Colin Kaepernick was speaking out about racial injustice.  The Washington Post story was accompanied by a 65 year old photo of a 14 year old Jones standing among a group of white teenagers who were blocking six Black students from desegregating his Arkansas high school.  When interviewed about the phot by the Post, Jones said that he was there because he was 'curious' and that he did not know what this incident was about.  The fallout from the phot and  Jones' comments was swift and provoked a 'two-sides' debate.  On one side, there are people, black and white, who have defended Jones because of the fact that he was 14 at the time and now at the age of 80, does not deserve to be held to account for it.  On the other side are those that point to Jones' track record and make the connection to the photo as evidence for his lack of accountability when it comes to hiring practices.

Lebron James, at a recent press conference after a game, asked the assembled media why he hadn't been asked by them about the Jerry Jones photo but was asked regularly about his former teammate Kyrie Irving and the controversy around him about a movie that he linked on his social media platform that has beend deemed by the Anti-Defamation League as antisemitic.  James basically scolded reporters for not keeping the same energy when it came to the Jones situation.

In watching all of this unfold I immediately thought about media in Canada and the power structure that currently exists and who has control over it.  The media conglomerates in Canada do not wholly reflect the diversity of our country.  More specifically there is a need for Black voices to be amplified more often in these spaces.  For every Ginella Massa or Dwight Drummond, we need to see presidents and executives from the Black community who can pull the levers of power and exercise the decision-making power that bring out real change.  

Welcome to Episode #2 .  For this episode I am talking about the relationship between emotional intelligence and motivation.  Emotional intelligence was coined and introduced in 1990 by Peter Salovey and John Mayer.  It was then popularized by Daniel Goleman.  Psychology Today defines emotional intelligence as "...the ability to identify and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.  Emotional intelligence includes emotional awareness, the ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one's own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same."  

Psychology Today defines motivation as "..the desire to act in service of a goal. It's the crucial element in setting and attaining our objectives.  Motivation is one of the driving forces behind human behavior. It fuels competition and sparks social connection. Its absence can lead to mental illnesses such as depression. Motivation encompasses the desire to continue striving toward meaning, purpose, and a life worth living.

I hope that by sharing parts of my journey, this will be inspiring to others

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the first episode of my podcast called Gems For Your Soul.  I am your host Richard.  In this episode I start off with a short introduction on who I am, what I am hoping to achieve with this platform, and my aspirations for it.  I then transition to the first topic:  dating and relationships with my personal journey as the backdrop.

Enjoy!