The RealTalk Podcast with Ola

Yes, I love deep conversations. These days, I have refined what I consider a deep conversation: the kind that is interesting enough to engage in and has the capacity to produce change within. Such conversations include those that build me up to be a better version of who I am today, tommorrow.

In this episode, I mention why the KJV, as useful as it is, may not be the best translation of the Bible. I don't say this to drag the version. I want to point out how the translation may be tainted by the culture of the time: androcentric and patriarchal. These may affect interpretations of the original text.

This is an interesting episode, even if I have to say so myself.

Enjoy

You would think that the title is click baiting you, till you listen and then you realise it doesn't do this episode enough justice. But it's just about how much journeying I could go in finding a title for the episode.

Two interesting stories, different characters, different outcomes, and very different attitudes.

Yes, your attitude determines your altitude, and it is more than just an aspire to perspire lingo. Your attitude, well, our attitude is either shooting us up into the sky or shooting holes in the ballon keeping us in the there.

There is a difference between acknowledging that you do stupid things and saying to yourself, 'I am stupid'. The first refers to a behaviour. The other refers to an identity.

The difference in lived experience determines the extent to which a person will move, regardless of the opportunities or even praise they receive in adulthood. Sometimes, some people take on and become one with their illness because they have no recollection of life outside of it. Most of the time, they will go on and act in accordance with the dictates of what they have believed.

Sometimes parents, sometimes a teacher, other times friends, and sometimes even strangers can be the source of labels that have now turned into identities.

What do you say of yourself NOW?

What if the God we know is a version of God that was created through the filters of our past, pain or parents?

As adults, we have the responsibility to pass on the lessons for living a good life to our children and others through intentionally modelling good habits, behaviours, and properly expressing our emotions.

Emotions are neither good nor bad; they are merely signals, indicators of something lurking around. And when we learn how to interact with the emotions appropriately, we will find therein a better life and pass on something quite valuable to the next generations

This is not ragebait; it is about one of the many conversations we will do well to start having.

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The more I pay attention to people, the more I observe myself, the more conversations I have, the more I find myself asking a question that I genuinely do not have a complete answer to.

Why does it seem easier for human beings to bond around negative emotions than positive ones?

Why is gossip so attractive?

Why is it easier to gather people around outrage than around gratitude?

Why does bad news travel faster than good news?

A group of colleagues will bond over a terrible boss. Friends bond over gossip. Families bond over complaints.

And somehow, it all feels normal.

What is not normal is that it is not as common for people to gather with the same intensity around gratitude, kindness, encouragement, goodwill, or love.

Sigh

After I was done recording, I realised one huge thing I had left out: what we say in our heads matters, maybe even more than what we say with our mouths.

I hope that we can begin to tune the monologue, some do dialogues, in our heads to align with the Final version we would love to see of ourselves.

We are built for connection...