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Trenches 2 Trophies Podcast
Trenches 2 Trophies is a relatable, insightful podcast that blends humor and real-life lessons, aimed at helping urban youth find their path from struggle to success. Hosted by 3 young black men from St. Louis are who have now relocated to Houston, we dive into personal growth, leadership, and navigating life’s toughest challenges.
Trenches 2 Trophies Podcast
Trust, Betrayal, and Forgiveness
This episode explores the nuances of forgiveness, focusing on the balance between forgiving others and ourselves. We share personal anecdotes about everyday conflicts, dissect the importance of communication in healing relationships, and encourage listeners to reflect on their paths to forgiveness, recognizing it as a gradual process that aids personal growth.
• Discussing personal stories of betrayal and forgiveness
• Navigating family dynamics and cultural expectations in forgiveness
• Understanding self-forgiveness as a key component in healing
• Highlighting the significance of setting boundaries
• Exploring the emotional labor involved in forgiving others
• Emphasizing that forgiveness is an ongoing journey, not a destination
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you know who it is? It's mate corleone, you rocking with trenches.
Speaker 2:The trophies podcast, tune in we live all right, so don't mind all these giggling uh, negroids in the background. Y'all welcome back to trenches the trophies. We're so background. Y'all. Welcome back to Trenches, to Trophies. We're so glad that y'all decided to come and listen and press play wherever you're at, on Apple Podcasts, spotify Podcasts or some other random website Maybe Google Podcasts, something like that. Right, we appreciate y'all tuning in with us. Today we're going to talk about some really, really important things and we're going to start with forgiveness. Right Now let's talk about we're going to talk about a few different things on today, y'all, but I want to start it off light. So, like y'all ever had somebody who like ate your food at work and then like pissed you off or some shit like that, yeah.
Speaker 2:Like I want you to think about it Because, bro, I feel like we can get deep real easy.
Speaker 3:I feel like this nigga did a direct shot.
Speaker 2:Let's start with something light bro he did a direct shot. Hey look as a matter of fact, I'm going to start real light.
Speaker 2:It ain't even just at. It is so, and my boy? So I got a particular brother over here who has a son and we used to live together. Right, I remember this one particular night, bro, I had stopped at the gas station and got this 32-ounce slushie. And it was amazing, bro, I had it mixed the right way, had the flavors the way I wanted, and my nephew had jumped up on, linked up on the counter, grabbed my cup, bro, when I got back to it I had all of three swallows left in that thing.
Speaker 2:Bro, I was hurt bro I was hurt, bro, because it was at a time where, boy, it wasn't mobile like that.
Speaker 1:Where was that?
Speaker 2:at? No, I think it was, and it was quick, bro. It was like I think I went outside or something to do something and you might have went to the bathroom. It was like a real quick situation. So, bro, probably was like watching that mug, like as soon as he put it in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, crazy, because he's not even the type to get into nothing. Yeah, and he wasn't the kind of baby he was there. But I think it was a mix of like admiration, right like you, like that's drink that look like it's fire. You know what I'm saying. But then it's also a sugary drink. He probably knew it was a slushy, you know what I'm saying he probably seen all them colors, all them flavors yeah, yeah, he's like I'll get that all the time, let me see what's up.
Speaker 2:But no, that was, that was an easy piece to forgive. I was hurt, though I was like come on, nephew dog, like dang my whole slushy cut like the whole thing with me.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna keep it because y'all already know what happened. I'm gonna, so I ain't gonna do the long end for this. You know what I'm saying for time. But yes, somebody has drunk my stuff before. It's just like the movie Barbershop. I work in the shop and this individual drunk my juice. It's like who drunk my apple juice. He drunk my juice, bro, you know what I'm saying. So he paid me some money. But it was just a principle, the respect thing, that you just thought it was cool for you to go in there and drink my you know what I'm saying juice and just gonna give me some money and thought it was just gonna be sweet. So we had a conversation, he had, we had an understanding and that was it, and I let it go now how to understand.
Speaker 3:It happened right hey, look like I said you trying to get fresh, yeah, fresh, yeah, hey look, I just said come outside, we gonna chop it up. And so he was hesitant To come outside At first, but he came outside. We talked, talked about it as men, that was it. Okay. I broke it down to him In a way that he could Be able to understand, so that's how I gave it to him, that's how I served.
Speaker 2:But get, bro. It's kudos though, bro, cause we live in a time when a lot of men Can't take that type of conversation or that type of confrontation. You know what I'm saying. So, right, he get rich followers, cause a lot of cats Would've got checked like that and needed retribution. You know what I mean Immediately. Immediately Right, would've been on some Some other stuff.
Speaker 3:Over some juice.
Speaker 2:Brut side down Over yo, juice Over, yeah, over something that hey man, it that they do.
Speaker 3:Hey man, it was Calypso man. It was Calypso and my blueberry lemonade. One man and the Henny.
Speaker 2:Hook. You know that's off limits. Don't touch my.
Speaker 3:Calypso, they're in a mystic.
Speaker 2:Especially you, because you can't get that every day. Bro, that ain't no quick little drink. I can go get that ain't no, arizona TV.
Speaker 1:You ain't going, you get chopped in your throat for a.
Speaker 3:Mystic bro, it's just mixes don't even taste the same. No more, Bro. Nothing tastes the same, no more.
Speaker 1:They watered down Bro. Have y'all tasted a Sunny D lately?
Speaker 2:Disgusting. No, bro, I haven't, I ain't gonna lie, I haven't. Oh, my God, bro, I have Hawaiian Punch. I have, though, whew, pretty much the same. Yeah, bro now. Yeah, I mean, but I think it's our taste buds, the regular anyway, Like I feel like the flavor ones is alright, but like the regular the trash. I think it's our taste buds too.
Speaker 1:It's us, you know. We grown, we've tasted better shit and we rather go taste. Oh, I said taste, we rather go drink that shit you Tampico Nigga, but you can Now you can see that it's Very cheap and full of sugar.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what I'm saying, but it's bad, it's bad for you and it's like it's not good, bro. They be trying to Package you different. Now, bro, I got a picture On Facebook From like 12 years ago With the Tampico juice Crazy In the mall, bro, randomly, it's crazy so.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna tell you, has anybody Ate your stuff or Drank your stuff In the workplace or at the crib that you valued?
Speaker 2:Right, that pissed you off.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that you really you couldn't wait to Dig into, you feel me, they know better.
Speaker 1:At the crib. You know, I don't really trip off Nothing at home. If they eat it, it is what it is.
Speaker 2:But at work things, no, never, never you ain't never had a homie like walking your crib, drink your last vest soda, and then that was in the crib nah bro hey like never bro, like even if it was on accident, bro was like.
Speaker 1:Oh bro, when I think about it, like I can't really picture Uh or remember a specific, that's cause this nigga.
Speaker 3:Had a pack of cookies and somebody ate some Of his cookies. He just didn't even know it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but if I ain't know it, then I ain't trip off of it.
Speaker 2:Y'all been saying, yeah, bro, got gotten, didn't trip.
Speaker 1:But nah, if like say, for instance, like my mom, my mom had a boyfriend and he was literally old dude from Baby Boy bruh. Except he wasn't that, you know, gangster. You know, yeah, he wasn't that street. So check this out, Paint that picture. I can remember, yeah, but it was him, I had him in there.
Speaker 3:Like, oh man Come on.
Speaker 1:Hey, let him go, let him go, nah, nah, nah. Rip to him, though. He passed away, but but, but anyway, I can. Yes, he has, but I was probably in my early my, my late teens, you know what I'm saying. So I had to go to my mom and, like you know, he, taking my stuff, like you know what I'm saying, eat my stuff or whatever you know. But hell, no, not another adult, fuck. No, like my cousin, that nigga used to go down and wear my clothes. Now, that used to piss me off. Not no drink. So if you put it in that category, yes, like, and I caught his ass one time Because, look, I was going out, it was me and my wife.
Speaker 1:We were going to what's his name, wife. We were going to Chrisette Michelle. We went to a Chrisette Michelle show and on the way down there we left something. So I'm like, damn, we're going to be late. So I bust the U-turn and drove all the way back hella fast. So wasn't nobody there at first. But now all these motherfuckers in here, they having a little party and shit, and this nigga got on my pants which ones?
Speaker 3:I say eight, cuz which ones.
Speaker 1:There was probably some Levi's back then. But you know what I'm saying. I was moving. You know what I'm the uh, this the part of my life where I was leaving my dad's house after the little situation and I was staying around the corner at my cousin's house and I packed all my shit up but it was in like a little tote. So you mean to tell me you went through my shit and found my levi's that you like and went put the motherfuckers on. Yeah, hey, cuz, take them off. And he went put them motherfuckers on. Yeah, hey, cuz, take them off. And he went and took them motherfuckers off and didn't say shit. But you already know.
Speaker 2:Damn Like that. Come on cuz. Yeah, you know when a nigga straight dead silent, though it's like all right, yeah, he or what.
Speaker 1:you ain't gonna take my man, I'm gonna take the motherfuckers off because we gonna be banging.
Speaker 2:But I feel like that's a perfect situation though, because because clothes is just as important.
Speaker 3:We gotta talk about it bro. We gotta talk about it bro no he ain't that type bro.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, cuz went and took him off because he would have banged with me about it you know what I'm saying. I was about to say that's my little cousin. It's my little cousin, but I know he would have stood on it. But he know me too, like man. Them my pants, bro. Take them, motherfuckers, out bro.
Speaker 1:Come on, man you know damn well, bro, if you would and he know me, bro, like you know damn well If I would If you would have been like you know what I mean Like come on, bro, but like you said, at the end of the day it's just because he didn't ask.
Speaker 3:Yeah, principal bro, got too comfortable, bro. Respect.
Speaker 2:But I feel like a lot of people do that, like that's usually when People fuck up yeah, right, you know what I'm saying. They get too comfortable in your life. Then they do some dumb shit and, instead of coming to apologize, they either try to sweep it under the rug and keep and keep pushing yeah, or niggas will ghost you and disappear. So whether they owe you some bread, right, mm-hmm? Or they just wronged you in a way you know what I'm saying Messed with your chick, or you know what I'm saying Was messing. Maybe he was messing with the ops, or something like that.
Speaker 3:How long did it take until you forgave him for it? Was it instantly? Until you forgave him for it? Was it instantly?
Speaker 1:Yeah, like instantly. Like it was even a time where his brother, like we was joking back and forth, me and him always joned, and it was his birthday the day after mine, so we close, you know. So we got to argue Well, not arguing, but it kind of went into like play to argue and then bro got mad. So I was walking out the door, bro punched me. I'm like damn, and we that close, he knew that was fucked up, you know what I'm saying. And later he apologized. But those are the type of situations where it's like I didn't immediately forgive him with the pants, I was like that's some petty shit, I don't care about that.
Speaker 2:But and you still went, took him up. Like you know what I'm saying like I even I respected that.
Speaker 1:He respected me enough to go take the motherfuckers off and with no big issue and shit. Um, but my cousin who punched me and shit, I was like like damn, I'm like you know, even though it got a little rad, I didn't even got into it with his daddy that day because he was. I was like nigga, y'all got me fucked up. You know what I'm saying like. But I went back around to my pop's crib and shit, sat there, talked to my other cousins and shit. Like Mason came around there and was like cuz. He said he was he's sorry, cuz, like he. You know, I'm saying like it was in the moment, bro, like. So I went back over there and talked to him but for a while I was like I want my lick back I want to sock the shit out of you, bro like but yeah, now I feel like that's good.
Speaker 1:But now you know what I'm saying I don't know, I don't know how long it took for that to pass, but you know, I forgave him for it because it was once they told me how he felt. Yeah, and he told me because my bad, you know what I'm saying and we shook it up. It's never been a situation like that, ever again. But for that to happen, it was kind of like shocking, you know, and like one of us, we want our lick back. You feel me Like bruh, let me punch you please one time, like nah, bro.
Speaker 2:Fuck, you got going on, bro. I feel like, but what you think that's? You think it's just a disrespect, or you feel like it's deeper than that.
Speaker 1:You feel like it's like sadness or heartbreak.
Speaker 2:You know what you mean. Because like what, what leads you to the point where you feel like you gotta hold on to that shit for a minute? Like what makes you feel like you gotta get your lick back. Is it because you feel like that nigga one-upped you, or is it just because? You feel like a nigga hurt you.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying so you feel like you want to hurt that motherfucker? Nah, okay for me. For me and and bruh said, Unique said this before it depends on how bad you cut me, and for me it's how close you are to me and how you cut me.
Speaker 3:I was just going to ask you that because do you think it hurt more when your family do something?
Speaker 1:more disrespectful than your close partner. You know what I'm saying? Yes, it cut deeper. Yes, absolutely, and I don't want to keep going on these stories, bro, but my y'all know my cousin that I just had got into a situation with bro. It hurt. But this is a question that I would ask both of y'all now, when somebody do something to you that you already feel like they done hurt you before, does it hurt a little less afterwards? You?
Speaker 2:feel me like I think it depends, bro like there are definitely people in my life who have patterns, who I recognize like they gonna do shit like that yeah you know, I'm saying like it's also depend on how deep it is.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm saying like you didn't put a pass on.
Speaker 2:You expected a kind of yeah, yeah, like, because some people they teach you who they are, bro, you gotta watch what they do so you put trust in them, or you, you know you expect them to be different than what they are. Yeah, that's on you. But for other people who, like, act out of character in a way, that's where it fucked me up. It's like that ain't even like you, like I ain't expect that from you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I see my cousins the type that I kind of expected it. But you know, I put it in perspective. Where you have a person that did all this shit but has now grown it shows that they've grown, you know what I'm saying Like damn bro, like I'm fucking with you bro, like yeah, you know what I'm saying, and then they go revert back to that person again. That's the type of shit. It hurt a little bit.
Speaker 3:It's almost betrayal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Now that I ain't going to say it hurt, but it kind of pissed me off Because you feel like it's malicious. Yeah, and so I can't forgive that. You know what I'm saying. I ain't going to lie.
Speaker 2:That's one of them situations that you got to be real specific with, because for me, when you were talking, I heard they betrayed themselves more than they betrayed you. They came from a point where they said I'm gonna grow to this point that take dedication, that take intentionality, that take focus. So they grew from one point to another point to be able to convince you that they was a different, a different person. Yeah, so for them to go back to some shit. What happened? Because that's what I want to know what was the triggering incident that would have led to them going back to that decision?
Speaker 1:um you know some shit, some shit. That's always separated all of us.
Speaker 1:That it's, it's entitlement, bro yeah like he feels like that his house should be like an airbnb or something. But you know situations in our family ain't gonna let that happen. You know what I'm saying and my mom has dealt with a lot. I don't really think he really taking that into account, yeah, and then so he lashed out at my mom. But I wanted from my perspective yeah, I talked to him maybe a week before. I said, hey, cuz man, we cuz man. We was talking about trust and stuff like that. And he was like man, do you trust me? I was like damn right. I said, man, you one of the ones that never disrespected my mom, you ain't never did this blah, blah, blah, blah blah. And for you to go disrespect my mom like two weeks later, bro, you owe me a fade, bro, like seriously, bro.
Speaker 2:I feel that, though I agree with that.
Speaker 1:So can I forgive that Hell? Nah, like I really can't, like I can't, even when I get my lick back and I don't even feel like I don't even feel like I really wanna, even Like I be talking a lot of shit, right, yeah, I wanna throw hands on all this shit, but really, bruh, I don't want no dealings with you For the rest of my life. Bruh, that's it bro.
Speaker 2:Different bro. Peace is the goal. You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't really want to throw hands when I see you and blah, blah, blah, because what my mom, my mom, she said I can forgive him, I can move forward. So if that's the case, it's just like if your mom had a boyfriend and he beating her up and she keep putting them out but keep letting them back in. You don't want to keep dealing with that. So okay, if you want to deal with that, that's cool. But me, fuck, no, I'm done with that shit. You feel?
Speaker 2:me. I mean, it's a position you got to take in life. But I agree with that right, because eventually you're going to get to forgiveness and I different people got different paths to take, because there's certain people who you may forgive a hell of a lot easier for the same action, just because of who they are, right, like the character that they have. You know what I'm saying. But my question to y'all is how do you get to that point, regardless of who it is or what it is that they do to you? What's your process of forgiveness like? What do you need to have? What's in your recipe book? Like, like for me, real quick, you gotta it's gotta be acknowledgement. That's one thing for me I know.
Speaker 2:Gotta be there we gotta acknowledge what the fuck happened yeah, like you can't be dancing around it like but I love you, I promise I'm gonna like, yeah, all that's cool, but we need to acknowledge what the fuck happened so we know what the recipe is, what, what triggered this, what made you go here, what made you do this, and then then we could dance around the rest of that shit a little bit later. Like that's for me, what about y'all?
Speaker 3:I was gonna say, like, I think it depends on if the goal is to reconcile, um, but that's a good question. It's circumstantial. For me, man, like I've said, it depends on how deep you cut me. So, me personally, if somebody do something dirt to me you know what I'm saying it's certain lines that I can't let it be crossed. Yeah, yeah, but for me personally, but if you hurt somebody that's closer to me, it's static like forever. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So I'm real territorial with my peoples, you know I'm saying so.
Speaker 3:I'm very protected in that, in that realm.
Speaker 2:So if you hurt one of them, it's it's, it's what hurt or remotely even threat both man the exact I think it's the legitimacy of the threat too, though, like if you feel like somebody really gonna try to do something, or you feel like they capable of actually doing something, it's like, alright, no, I gots to, I gots to put hands on you, cause you out of line.
Speaker 1:Alright, now I'm just gonna challenge you. Now I'm gonna challenge you. What if this person is not in their right mind, even if you solely believe that they were in their right mind?
Speaker 2:What if they weren't?
Speaker 1:What if they were, what if they just were?
Speaker 3:you know, because some people just be wigging out and be out of their minds If they did something to me and at that time they weren't in their right mind, and that's going off my perception Of. If I perceive it that way, I gotta be able to interpret it. You know what I'm saying In the moment.
Speaker 1:So and also it depends on Can't nobody just tell you that shit Like he's, huh, like. Can't nobody just tell you Like oh, he's.
Speaker 3:Nah hell nah Boy nah. Cause you Nah Like can't nobody just tell you like oh, he's, he's Nah hell nah Boy nah, because you nah what, you get them to print it out.
Speaker 2:Nigga, nigga like no, no, look, I got. I got. The doctor said I'm fucked up.
Speaker 3:The doctor said I'm fucked up.
Speaker 2:Look, no wait, let me pull up my chart. Nigga, why you putting up my chart? You getting smacked. I'm a holler Bro, see, I need verification.
Speaker 3:Do you?
Speaker 1:got a blue check, nigga.
Speaker 2:Do you got a blue check?
Speaker 1:And don't bring no truck, because he's probably going to think you got a weapon You're going to beat your ass.
Speaker 2:Nigga triggered.
Speaker 3:Yes, bro, don't get to tweet you like that, bro. But no, go ahead, go ahead. Like I said, for me it could be circumstantial man and I have honestly selective forgiveness. Yeah, you can call it is what it is. Yeah, yeah, but I'm working on all that. I'm getting to a place where I'm trying to be more forgiving, be more empathetic with everybody, so, but just please stay over there with the BS. You know what I'm saying? I'm cool PSA.
Speaker 2:PSA.
Speaker 1:Stay over there with the BS. That goes for all people and all things.
Speaker 2:Stay over there.
Speaker 3:With the BS? Yeah, but why?
Speaker 1:So I'm going to go into this Real shit. Like why is it so hard to forgive someone who hurt you though? Like because even when I go back and talk to my Talk about my cousin or my dad or anything Like that, it took me a long time To forgive my dad, yeah, but for my cousin Bruh, I am throwing up barriers, like I don't wanna Forgive him, bruh. Like so why is it so hard For For People you know To forgive people?
Speaker 3:That hurt them.
Speaker 1:You tell me this.
Speaker 3:Do you think people you know to forgive people that hurt them? You tell me this. Do you think it hurt worse because of the fact that him saying did he say he never put hands on your mother, or you identified that?
Speaker 1:No, he never put you talking about my cousin. No, he never put hands on her.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, no. I'm saying, but you brought that up, or you brought that up committing him like Never disrespecting your mom, stuff like that, yeah. So I think it's because you brought that up and y'all talked about it and then in a short period of time it done happening.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So that's where the betrayal lie for you, because yeah, it's ultimate betrayal. It's just what was talked about.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I think If he would've done it before and y'all didn't talk about it, it wouldn't be to this level, I think, because y'all spoke on it and then it turned around and it just happened like that. Yeah, it's like we just talked about this, bro. Yeah, you know what. I'm saying so. I think that's what it is With you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause I feel like if we wouldn't have talked about it before, I feel like a fade would have justified it and we would have moved on type of shit.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. Like, yeah, you're disrespecting my mom, but that's what all it be taking for me. Yeah, nigga, look, I ain't gonna lie. I what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:But that's what all it would have been, and that was it, but I think that I think you should take it deeper than that, though, cause I don't think it has to do with the exchange of that. It's the release of that shit. You know what I'm saying? Like that's what it really is. You needed to release it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause I mean. But but see, when I explained it to him, it like I felt like I was being and I don't like being especially on crew, you know, and I'm like wait a minute. And that's kind of why I was like, look, if this was street like, this is what I would have done. And he was like, okay, I get it you know, it makes more sense. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:But we were playing monopoly and monopoly gets a little intense all the time, but I think y'all dancing around to answer to your question, though, and, like you, literally, y'all literally just answered it. It's the reason why it's so hard for us to forgive people is because it makes it seem like that's okay, like what they did was okay to us. Yeah, and we won't. Hey, this was a violation. Yeah, no, like we won't. That's what I was saying about acknowledgement.
Speaker 3:Like you got to sit down with me and let me know what's going on Like you ain't finna, just skirt pass If it's a conversation, if it's a level of understanding at the end of the day, two men can sit down and we could disagree. As long as I can identify. Oh, that's what you was thinking, you understand what. I was thinking oh, now you understand what I was thinking. Okay, all right, but now that we know that this is the way we think, we can't do that no more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he wanted to talk to me about it. I just I'm not willing to, because you owe my mom a conversation, not me. You feel me and then like you also for giving, like for giving a motherfucker, like sometimes you have to get it out, like y'all saying you got to get it out, like y'all saying you gotta get it out to them, but I ain't, I ain't there, bro, yeah, I ain't there.
Speaker 3:It's cool, cause that's the answer Ant's question that he have for us earlier. That's one of my things too. It's time. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? It's gonna take time times. You know they had'm saying it's going to take time. Times. You know they had the saying times heal our wounds. I'm a little iffy with that Right. I think time can break down the wounds to be able to heal. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:It gives you the opportunity to do it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I get you.
Speaker 2:What about you, though? I agree with that stuff, man. I like everything that y'all said. I think for me, um, forgiveness has always been about like me, like I ain't never been one of the people like when it comes to relationships and shit, like they're like, maintaining them has always been a struggle for me, like I'm real good at starting them like I'm a real good first impression guy like you know what I'm saying like.
Speaker 2:but as far as like maintaining relationships over time because I never really like understood the inner workings of that Even with my wife, she'd be on these calls with her family and everybody talking about their day and there'd be too much going on. They'd be overstimulated, bro. I'd be like, all right, I can't deal with it. But I think when it comes to when I've been wronged, I don't let people close to me like that. So if I feel like you wronged me, I feel like like that hit me real deep, you know, I mean because it's already in the circle.
Speaker 2:I'm all. I'm like. You already made it past all these other things. You know what I'm saying. So for me it kind of that. That pains me in a way, but not even that like I'm real vocal to people I care about as far as like my boundaries and I got a lot of them, so it's like you know mean. So it's like when you hit on one they strike a chord with me because I'm like we had this conversation. You know what I mean. So I be feeling like it's intentional, not necessarily malicious, like you were saying earlier, but just like did you just not give a fuck? Or like what were you doing? You know what I mean. Like where was you at? But I think that's the whole point of forgiveness. For me it's just letting go of like the anger part of it. We don't necessarily have to reconcile, which I think is a whole other step, but I'm just, I'm not mad, no more, and that's how I know like I'm there.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. You mean to be able to move forward. Yeah, you don't be resentful? Yeah for sure. The goal is to move forward. Going to prevent you from moving forward? I ain't got time for that bro, that shit heavy bro.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like that's the thing, like you think about it, because we could also talk about, like what happens in a situation where you choose not to, because there's also situations I don't know about y'all. There's situations where there are people unfortunately and it's been you know years where they just it's when I think about it. That ain't necessarily the most comfortable situation I want to be in when I think about said person or said situation. So, like how y'all deal with that? Because that's a weight too right, because every time something reminds you of it that could bring back emotions or you know I'm saying thoughts.
Speaker 3:I'm not gonna let nobody dictate how I like move, because I feel like that's gonna be giving them power over me you feel?
Speaker 2:do you honestly feel like that, though? Do you feel like there's nobody in the world who could like do something and they like put you in that mode because I, I can't? I could be honest, like when it come to my wife, when it come to like I got a lot of females in my family. When it come to certain things, those are triggering incidents where it's like I have to literally weigh in my head whether I'm gonna let my crazy out and go to jail or, like, let this play out like.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. I'm not in a place. I'm not in a place anymore If I enter the room and I see you and I crash out. Yeah, yeah, I'm not in a place anymore To do that. Like I said, I'm going to see you Analyze the situation. Can we come outside, or I'm going to catch you again. You know what I'm saying, but what you mean by come outside.
Speaker 2:You mean Like. You mean like square up with them. They got to go, all right, but that's what I guess that's what I mean too. I don't mean like necessarily, like trip out, but I mean like it's going to be a problem, like because, even if it's a calm, problem.
Speaker 3:It's a problem. You know what I'm saying. Like I said, it depends what it is.
Speaker 2:Because I'm going to sit there and probably try to talk at in your life that you don't rock with and you ain't rock with them for five, ten years. Whatever the case is, how you deal with that like because you carrying it around because obviously something may remind you of you, might see a facebook post, somebody might be like, oh, they asked about you. Whatever the case is, however, you might have been tied to them, or it could be a situation with somebody you ain't rock with a long time, and then you see them or they around, or somebody tell you that they coming to kick it at your crib and you it just that instant fire, y'all don't have nobody like that. Like that's that it's literally that instant fire they talking about. Oh, this, this person, finna, come over, or this person, finna, pull up. You know what I'm saying. Think about, think about those situations. Are there like because those are people who need to be forgiven on the front end?
Speaker 2:absolutely but obviously that's something you carrying around. But how do you carry that shit around or do you just compartmentalize? You took that shit in the back pocket, yeah or is it? Something you stew on from time to time, like, yeah, if I catch that motherfucker, it's a wrap.
Speaker 1:I tell, I usually tell people and and I don't want to, you know, make it like I'm crazy or anything but I, I, I envision a little door in my, in my, the basement of my brain, where I keep all my shit. You know what I'm saying, the shit that I don't really want to address until it's time. I mean that's where I put the shit, because my kids don't deserve the energy that I need to give somebody else. So you got a little red door type shit.
Speaker 2:You got a little like yeah.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? I'm dead ass. That's what people say. Like you got a little. Like you know what I'm saying A little dough down there, I'm dead ass. I mean that's what people say, like psychology they be like.
Speaker 2:they got a little, like a little red door or a little black door where, like they hide shit away, they just popping up.
Speaker 1:Hey, it just might be that.
Speaker 2:That's how my shit is. You know, it's just raw.
Speaker 1:Like it's kind of like, when the time comes and I need to address that, yeah, yeah, I'm going to go down that motherfucker quietly, I'm going to unlock that motherfucker and I'm going to bring that shit with me. That's all it's going to take. Like, of course I have, I ain't going to say I have that many people that you know, I have that type of feeling for Right, right, right. But yeah, you know, I, I can actually say, yeah, that and I and I and I put that away until the time comes because, like you told me before that I've already forgiven this person. But in my mind, like when I did forgive this person and I went in for that hug and they didn't hug me back, I kind of went back again like oh, okay you realize.
Speaker 2:But like, I think that's a part of like, I think that's the whole reconciliation, part of it, right, like that's that's when we start getting into like trying to repair the relationship and trying to like get back on good terms. I don't think everybody deserves that. I think everybody deserves forgiveness because technically, that affects you. You know what I'm saying. It's really for you and your sanity and your peace, but I think everybody deserves forgiveness. Everybody don't deserve to be a part of your life after that though.
Speaker 2:Okay, you know what I'm saying like, I feel like personally, like you could let it go and be like all right, because there's a bunch of people in my life like that. I let it go, we good, I ain't got no issues with you, but will I trust you, will? I want you around me, will we go kick it? Will you get any type of invite from me? Hell, no, so that's just, that's just how I'm moving. But there's only one person in my life that's like that's got that fire and just there's a particular individual who touched my mama in a particular type of way. That's the only person. I'm reserving anything for. Everybody else in my life I ain't got nothing, nothing for. But that's.
Speaker 2:That's the one thing they, like you've pretty much forgiven everybody bro, I've matured to a point where I understand that everything that happened happened to me for a reason, like especially for my development to be where I'm at. Whether it's a story, I could tell somebody else to help them out, or just help me figure some shit out in my own life. You know, know what I'm saying. It just I realized that now, like it's just, I don't really trip up that.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. At what point can you get to be ready to reconcile with an individual that you have forgave for something they've done to you?
Speaker 2:or somebody else. That's easy, that's the easy part. All you got to do is do an analysis, bro. You got easy, that's the easy part. All you gotta do is do an analysis, bro. You gotta look and see if y'all are aligned. Be something that, uh monte, then we've talked about before.
Speaker 2:When you talk about like people, especially people that's been in your life for a long time, or like people that you knew from way back when, and you reconnect with them, y'all are different people than y'all were at that particular point in time. So you gotta reassess to see are y'all still aligned? Do y'all still have things in common? Do you still? You know, I'm saying, can you benefit from this relationship in any type of way? And then you could think about moving forward. For me, there's people I had to do that with and there's people I no longer talk to, who I love. You know, I'm saying I got love, for I want their kids to be great, I want all of that for them, but I can't interact with them on a daily basis because it didn't bring any fruits to my life and I knew for their development they needed to be away from me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I'm saying, that's just so you feel?
Speaker 3:like go ahead, go ahead montay.
Speaker 1:no, I was saying I feel that because, like, like kind of reverse, yeah, one of my partners, you know, he really kind of got to forgive himself. You know I've done so much for him to where it's like I don't, I don't feel bad, but he think that he did something wrong. So, you know, when people stop talking to you, because the last time I remember I gave him some little, like I cashed up on him some little amount of money, it wasn't nothing, life changing.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Nothing, it was a little nothing. It was to help him get home. You know what I'm saying. Nothing, it was a little nothing. It was to help him get home. You know what I'm saying. But he was in a situation that somebody that I used to fuck with, that I was real close with I used to fuck with bro a lot, you know what I'm saying. But he got into a situation with him and he was end up walking, you know what I'm saying. So he asked me for some cash or whatever to get him home and then, um, he was like I'm gonna pay you back. I was like, bro, you don't have to pay me back, pay me back by not putting yourself in them situations anymore, all right. So I don't think he's ever forgiven himself to that point where he like, damn, like I think he gonna pop back up when he doing better in life I was just gonna say that, bro.
Speaker 2:It's the shame of life, bro, especially when somebody check you like that. They, they, you put boundaries in place. That's exactly what it was. You put a boundary in place to let cat know this ain't okay and he he stayed away instead of coming around to keep fucking up and keep. You know, I'm saying stepping over your boundary. He respected that. You set that motherfucker and decided not to deal with you. Yeah, I rock with people like that because you knew you wasn't going to be able to respect what I got going on. So, instead of being like a rebellious force in my life and I always got to come check you in and put my hands out you just going to dismiss yourself. You know what I ain't bringing shit to, bro, life right now. Let me stay the fuck over here. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I fuck with that, that's my nigga. And that's my nigga dog.
Speaker 2:Like he's solid but he also was one of the people who depleted the homie fund the first time, which is a side note, which is exactly why we got to put some parameters on that bitch. That's why I'm saying like because I would want to do it like a lottery. You know what I'm saying. Have people write in or say why they would need it, or put their reasons in, and then we pull some shit from a hat or spin a wheel or some shit. You know what I'm?
Speaker 1:saying Cause, then that way it's like some stipulations and shit to it.
Speaker 2:Just a shameless plug. Niggas love our podcast name brought to you by no, I'm just playing Nah, but I had to. I had to cut the tension, bro, we was getting dark and I I want to appreciate the fact that all of us have had situations where we've had to forgive people or may still be. You know what I'm saying, working through some forgiveness, because the whole point of this podcast is to tell people like, yeah, we may have been in the trenches, shit, but some of us still are in certain situations in our life and we trying to work through that. You know what I mean. So I want to make sure that we was talking through our process because, a nigga like me, I definitely be having an issue with forgiving people at some times, but at the same time, I think I have a pretty good concept in my brain of what the fuck is supposed to happen during that process. Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 1:I'm saying it's hard though, bro, it's hard as hell it's a difference between knowledge and wisdom, bro.
Speaker 2:Knowledge is knowing what to do, wisdom is knowing when to apply it. So you gotta you know what I'm saying, you gotta be in that situation I mean okay, so this could be a fun self-forgiveness.
Speaker 1:bro, have you felt like you've forgiven yourself Because?
Speaker 2:look, I told y'all I don't feel like.
Speaker 1:I did anything wrong.
Speaker 2:And I think that's a beautiful outlook on life to have. But I also think that has a lot to do with how you grew up and the weights that you normally carried around life. If you normally felt like you were a pretty free person growing up, then you probably gonna feel like that into adulthood. I carried unnecessary weights throughout childhood. So growing up as a man, I'm I'm carrying around unnecessary weights.
Speaker 2:There's I was talking to a boy, uh, bro, earlier and we was talking about how, like how cats elevated, coming from where we come from, and you know, I mean messing up opportunities and being able to flip stuff on his head. But, bro, a lot of that is like just perseverance, bro, we just had to get up and keep doing it. I didn't have an option. I didn't have no like role model to look at and like model myself after. I just had to like keep doing it until I figured out something that worked. And then I found something that worked and I kept pressing it from there. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:So when it comes to self-forgiveness, I think about like pressures I put on myself and I just had to keep like, think about, all right, put yourself in a different situation, learn something new. Learn something new and y'all know I didn't have 18 different types of job pathways and then I finally landed in somewhere. I'm like all right, all right, this gonna work. So for me it was just like keep, keep going, keep trying something until you figure it out. As far as like self-forgiveness goes, just figuring it out bro.
Speaker 2:Hey, but I was telling somebody else that bro, that's how I learned, like trial and error has always been how I learned. So when it kind of forgiving myself, like I said, I credit everything to being able to learn from it like I learned. I learned something from every failure I've ever had. Every situation where I feel like I was down, bad I, I was like, yep, all right, don't do this, don't do this, don't interact with them type of people, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then I'm at where I'm at now.
Speaker 3:And that's the thing I was getting ready to say, because I think at our age we're at the point where we're getting very good at identifying who's for us in our life, who's supposed to probably remain. That's real, you know what I'm saying. And even if they did something to us, we know they probably were still having a round, so we trying to fix it. You know what I'm saying. So it's worth fixing and forgiving and reconciling.
Speaker 1:You know, I like that thought. What thought? The thought that he just had? Because I'm not like that. That thought, what thought the thought that he just had Because I'm not like that, I don't. I feel like Forgiveness got a lot to do with Loyalty.
Speaker 2:Does it? Yeah, what about if it's somebody?
Speaker 1:Cause it's my brother, but you don't know nothing. You don't know nothing about him, like, like a cat that run up on you at Walgreens and stay at your parking spot right when you was finna pull in or something I can forgive that that's nothing to forgive, because I ain't going to hop out and whoop your ass. What if he almost hit your?
Speaker 2:car, or your daughter, was like right there and he pulled into a parking spot too close. You're going to get a. I'm putting you into a scenario where, like, because people are going to test you, bro, you know what I'm saying? That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 1:That's fine, that's fine.
Speaker 3:All those situations. You know he getting popped, Stop playing. Man, look he playing Like Nah nigga. You know we poppin' him, bro.
Speaker 2:We poppin' him Car ain't even all the way in the park, nigga, as soon as you said, kill involved and almost hit bro I ain't gonna shoot him.
Speaker 1:I ain't gonna shoot him, but look, I ain't gonna shoot him, though I would do just this Okay. Kill that as soon as he park. As soon as he parked. As soon as he parked I ain't gonna shoot him though, nigga. As soon as he parked I'm parking right behind that, motherfucker, like if. Okay, so every situation that you said Got a different outcome.
Speaker 2:You hear me Like. You almost hit my car.
Speaker 1:Alright, i'ma walk behind your ass the whole time in Walmart Until you walk out that motherfucker Mugging your ass Now, now. Hey, it is what it is, I'm just shopping in Walmart until you walk out that motherfucker mugging your ass. Now, hey, it is what it is. I'm just shopping in Walmart. You see what I'm? Saying I'm not even finished, just because. I walk down every aisle he did.
Speaker 2:I still hey look, we got a similar shopping list. What you want me to say, but no you almost hit my kid bro.
Speaker 1:You almost hit my kid. I deserve an explanation, and if you don't give me one, I'm beating that ass Like flat the fuck out. I don't play about my kids All right back to forgiveness. Yeah, back to forgiveness, because I ain't forgiving that. Yeah, he going to get that ass whooped and I ain't going to have to forgive him, and that's one thing about it, bro. Like I really don't care about forgiveness when it comes to people that I don't know I probably will never see again.
Speaker 2:I don't need to forgive you, bro, but yeah, but um, but we was talking about self-forgiveness, bro, and I want to get back on that subject because I feel like that's the hardest thing for us to be able to do. Like, when we talk about self-forgiveness, it's something that like for me, I live in my head, right, so it's I know what I fuck up on. I know when I don't necessarily like give it my all. I know when I'm about her like bullshit and they're like holding back. You know what I'm saying. Or like I, I recognize all that shit.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry bro, this nigga said I live in my head. The song that popped in my head was nelly. It's all in my head.
Speaker 1:It was Nelly. It's all in my head.
Speaker 2:I hate you niggas Over and over again. Why, nelly Of all places, nigga Of?
Speaker 1:all people You're so bad. I mean, look, he wear a St Louis jersey Once a month Go.
Speaker 3:Rams.
Speaker 2:Go Rams.
Speaker 3:They in California. I'm still loyal man Nigga they born.
Speaker 2:They was originally.
Speaker 3:They came from Cali, right? So all you niggas, that's why they're St Louis fans.
Speaker 1:I don't give a fuck. They was in St Louis. Niggas was impactful. They was in St Louis Since I was born and they traded. They were traders To me. Oh my bad, I cut the whole thing. I'm and they traded. They were traders to me.
Speaker 2:My bad, I cut the whole thing.
Speaker 2:I'm like I had a good segue getting back into it too, nigga, but I just wanted to be able to like talk through that, because for me personally, I do feel like forgiving yourself is difficult.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of shit for like that I've done in my past that I like sometimes I recount to her, like compare myself to in my past, that I like sometimes I recount to. I like compare myself to, and I have to remember that there are certain people in my life who knew me 15 years ago where I wasn't maybe the best person, and they may still have that outlook on life, and I gotta learn to be okay with that, because sometimes I do recognize that, mike, if I'm trying to achieve something, I have to step back and ask myself, like, am I doing this for me, or am I doing this because, like, I want people to be like, oh, that nigga got a good job, or he, oh, he came from a long way? Like, is that what I'm trying to get people to see, or is it because I legitimately want to be at this level in life? You know what I'm saying. I think that that's part of that self-forgiveness, because I'm like who I'm doing this for. Is it for me, or is it for other folk?
Speaker 3:I think, I think that mindset too Is being, like you said, happy. Yeah, at the end of the day, if you happy with yourself and where you at in life, you wouldn't be worried about Other people.
Speaker 1:The perception of others.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what I'm saying. I'm not worried about. I know I've accomplished a lot At a young age. You know what I'm saying and where I'm at. At this point I've done a lot. So I'm hungry still, but I'm content with what I've done you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:Same, bro, I understand. Life, life be life in this shit, what?
Speaker 1:about your journey of self-forgiveness like what that look like.
Speaker 3:Oh, I mean, it's certain things I haven't forgiven myself, and the reason why I say that is because y'all know how I used to be, you know, really into fitness and all that type of stuff. So y'all know, I was in a situation a few years ago, man. I got depressed, you know what I'm saying. So it showed and I'm getting to the point where I'm getting back into that mode and that mindset. Hence why I mean I'm doing this, uh, isolation, man. I'm on day seven, so I'm just fasting and praying and staying focused and into my fitness. But, to answer your question, bro, I'm still working on self-forgiveness in that aspect, bro, slowly but surely I think that's a.
Speaker 2:So because for me, bro, is there. Is there anything that you are like I don't know? Is there like a, a moment in your life that you are trying to combat? Is there anything that you like you trying to make sure you don't identify with? Because there are moments in my life, like I said, like I was somebody who didn't necessarily take school seriously, even though I had the intelligence to be able to do so. I didn't, and so because of that, I had to work a lot harder later on in life, and now I'm at a point where I'm in education technically you know what I'm saying as a trainer.
Speaker 2:So it's kind of crazy, like for me I was working so hard to prove that I actually am smart, that I actually do have the ability to like you know I'm saying be at the same level as some of my other folks who went to got their bachelors and got their masters, even doctors. You know what I'm saying. I'm like, all right, I could, I could rock with cats at that level too, even though I didn't take the same route. So internally it was kind of like that, that little force inside of me like all right, you know, you can do this, like be get to that level, like get there. You know what I'm saying, whatever it takes. So is there anything y'all like, that's like driving you is there like some a mistake you made or a image that somebody was trying to hold you to, that you're trying to like bury? I mean?
Speaker 2:I have like before I left st louis, my cousin them used to be kind of skinny and shit.
Speaker 1:So I kind of you know, not kind of but I started going to the gym and eating right Well, not eating right, but eating period. You know what I'm saying. Like when I was in St Louis, bro. You think about it, man, like you start working jobs, you only only get maybe three, four hundred dollars every two weeks. There's nothing to live off of. You know what I'm saying. So when you trying to look good and you know, trying to maintain at the same time like no, it don't work. So I wasn't really eating. So when I started eating and started going to the gym, I started getting a little bigger. And now I'll be making fun of my cousin. Like hey, dude, they got skinny in here. Boy, what you talking about? What you talking?
Speaker 3:about boy Get older. We that age. We lose some weight when we get older.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, yeah, but for me like Metabolism, slow down too.
Speaker 2:You don't eat as much.
Speaker 1:But nothing that I've really needed to forgive myself for, though you know myself, for though you know, like I really don't, I don't know man, like I, like it's little shit, like oh, I was talking back, talking back to my mom. You know what I mean, like when I mean when I was young and I mean, I feel like that's a good perspective.
Speaker 2:I don't want you to feel like you gotta be in that position. I'd like people like me. You know I got a very unique situation and story. You know what I mean. But like if you feel like you lived a life with no regrets, I think that's a dope life to live.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of jealous of it because a nigga like me be in my head way too much well, I mean, like my brother said in the song man shout out to trino, but like he said if, um, if it happened, it was written contract for the soul. Like you know it, it was meant, bro. You know he probably didn't say it in those exact words. No, I mean, I get it.
Speaker 2:I think I like the sentiment all together, but I mean I feel like those are good keys, like we dropped some good information on this episode to be able to like say this is how you forgive, or, if you're struggling with forgiveness, this is how you can go through the process of forgiving one another. Is there anything like y'all would want to say to the fans now that we're like coming to the end of the episode to make sure that they are forgiving people in their life, or like that they take a step back and look at what they can do to forgive that person?
Speaker 1:I mean, you know, like we we've talked about forgiveness before and and kind of what it means to us. For me forgiveness overall like kind of means moving forward. When I say I have no regrets, it's because I kind of forgive people and kind of move forward, but I break my rearview mirror off Meaning that.
Speaker 1:I don't look back, I don't dwell in the past. I don't live there, so I don't really. I just move forward, and that's what you need to do for, like yourself, when forgiving people. That's what you doing. It for is to move forward. Like y'all both said in this episode here, the goal is to move forward, move on from the situation. Yeah, you can't forget. You know what I'm saying. Sometimes you may want to forget. Yeah, you can't forget.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. Sometimes you may want to forget, but you can't forget. So that's my advice. How about that Unique you?
Speaker 3:got a gem for the people. Just short and sweet, man, you got to be able to forgive yourself, love yourself. That's the only way you're going to be able to move forward. You can't worry about the other people and wanting their forgiveness, because then you're going to be just running around in a circle and then some people are going to be intensely trying to put you in this mental space to where they can like pull back their want and show you that they're forgiving you. So they're like dangling in front of your face. You know what I'm saying. So you got to love, love yourself, forgive yourself. You can't get them people piled over you. Man, stay on your pivot I rock with that.
Speaker 2:I rock with that, for sure. Appreciate both of y'all for saying that, man. And just for me, man, like, what I would say is forgiveness is a journey. You know, I'm saying like it's. It's not something you gotta do all at one time. You ain't gotta forgive everybody in your life all at once. But I would say, start on that journey. You know, I'm saying maybe pick something small, pick something easy. Maybe work on your anger, work on maybe developing a forgiveness uh process, whether that's to sit back and write down shit that's happened to you and then figure out from there who you want to forgive in order. You know what I'm saying. I think it just just take it one day at a time. That's what. That's what I would say. Make it a lifestyle instead of something that you're trying to get done real quick right you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So that's definitely something I would say um, and then stay tuned, man, I think we're gonna. We're gonna definitely touch on this subject again. I feel like it's gonna be a lot of things in life where people might try to do some some whack shit and we're gonna have to touch back on it in the situation. So, uh, yeah, appreciate y'all listening. Make sure y'all subscribe. We got profiles on Spotify, apple, google. Wherever you listen to your favorite podcast, make sure you check us out.
Speaker 1:Tune into the website.
Speaker 2:Tune into the website. Make sure you guys are following us on all platforms. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Shit, what else we got going on? Y'all Anything coming up? Stay tuned for the homie fun. Yes, sir, working on those visuals too.
Speaker 3:So we have a YouTube, youtube is up.
Speaker 2:Though right YouTube page is up, so if y'all wanna subscribe, we could. You could get on the YouTube, it's just.
Speaker 3:We just gotta get the. You know what I'm saying? Visuals for everything. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So y'all can do is, as long as y'all subscribe and you hit that bell right as soon as we drop our first episode, or even a teaser for the first episode, y'all gonna get notified. Hell yeah, all right, y'all Appreciate, y'all listening, love y'all. This has been Triggered to Trophies. I'm Ant out.