(Ep.82) Everyday Challenges with Guest Tony Morgan...

Chuck: 0:10

Welcome back to a brand new episode of Lets Just Talk About it podcast. I'm your host, chuck, and if you're here for the first time, this platform was created to give genuine people just like you an opportunity to share a portion of your life's journey. So, with that being said, this week I have returning guests, my good friend, antonio Morgan, and we have a great discussion about the everyday challenges that we face from day to day as men and women, such as starting all over again and relationship challenges, just to name a few. So, you don't want to miss out on this amazing conversation today. As a matter of fact, do me a favor go and grab your husband, your wife, your children, or even call a friend and gather around to listen to my conversation with Antonio Morgan on let's Just Talk About it podcast. Hey, let's jump right in. Welcome back to Lets Just Talk About it podcast. I got Tony Morgan back with me to just have a general conversation about life. So how you doing today, man?

Antonio Morgan: 1:10

Got to make it in there, chuck, thanks for having me.

Chuck: 1:12

Yes, sir, man, good to have you back on. So what you been up to lately, tony.

Antonio Morgan: 1:16

What's up? You know I have been trying to keep my head above water. You know Got you. Yeah, I have transitioned from one job, you know, to the next, hopefully, and just trying to maintain my sanity and also the task ahead, you know. So it's challenging coming up into this new year, but you know I have mixed feelings about it. But you know I'm remaining optimistic.

Chuck: 1:40

What are some of the challenges, man, that we face? You know what I mean In this new year that you think men face.

Antonio Morgan: 1:46

That men face. I'm going to tell you, man, you know, speaking from my own personal background, right, you know, I'm a full time convicted thong. Got you and my last conviction was in 2005.

Chuck: 1:59

Right right.

Antonio Morgan: 2:00

And you know, I am going to some jobs and they're doing background checks and I have been in public since 2005. And I've been out of prison now for 12 years and I've gone to college. I went to division one school. I've made the dealings this twice. I pay taxes, I'm a veteran, right, and the challenges that I'm having is getting through some backgrounds on some actual jobs, man, that I work up paying money. You know, in some states they only go back seven years. You know they allowed to go seven years. Right, I've checked my full job. Yeah, I'm not sure. I think it was seven of a day, it might be 10. I'm not sure, right, you can do the research on it, but some states have a law that you can only go back. But so far in some states. And coming to Virginia, I'm like you know, I did a background check and I got a rap sheet so long I said man, I know you people give me a job.

Chuck: 2:53

Right.

Antonio Morgan: 2:56

And it's not a job working for the government or anything like that. It's a job that every day, people need and I'm like going through the stages here in Virginia, man, it's like I wish that you would catch up. Commonwealth has this gray areas, man, which makes it challenging, especially for convicted funders, man. That's the challenge I'm having.

Chuck: 3:13

Just finding a job with the background.

Antonio Morgan: 3:17

You know I am not a violent offender Right, nor have any sexual charges, anything like that. But you know, just it's a reminder, man, when you background check me you're a different person and they pull that rap sheet up so long you know. You got a 23 page report, yeah, and then it's like man, who's going to get me a job.

Chuck: 3:36

You know I had this conversation the other day. Back in a day I'm going to say nineties or probably eighties man People could go to prison, bounce back, you know, and live their life. But the day is hard, you know what I mean To go away and come back to this environment today and try to find a new life, a new beginning, and so I believe that's why the rate of recidivism is so high right now. You know what I mean.

Antonio Morgan: 4:01

Yeah, there's Chuck, and you know I've had the privilege, man, of serving on different committees and serving for the public man to help mental health. You know what's a big thing and we found it challenging, like you know. It's just amazing to me how reentry and votes doesn't seem important until election year, when they want to have or show different things that allow convicted thugs to vote, but not in the same time. You know, doing something that can turn the tide, you know, by getting people back into the workforce man. And it's not like we don't need workers. You know I read a thing in the paper they were doing something about Virginia, about a prison work rate. You know, the workforce man, how unconstitutional man I remember man making 19 cents an hour working man. No one complained then you said 19 cents, 19 cents. Here, I am willing to work for $12 an hour. I got a 23-page background, you know, and I'll tell you, man, it's challenging because I have been a law-abiding citizen, I have my rights to vote, I've been served from public office and it's like you got to run for public office so I can get some change.

Chuck: 5:09

See what happens, see what happens, go for it. All they can do is say no, you know what?

Antonio Morgan: 5:14

I mean you got to make you question. You know the fact that you gave them a right to vote. You know to run for public office, but would you use my background against me? But you need to help people with the background. It always amazed me how people are putting positions who are not quality. I'm just the need of the people, man, and I think in the whole system man needs change. You know, in Virginia, especially throughout the nation, you know, because we have a shortage of workers, man, you know it amazed me. I'm one of the people getting money from them because I like to know and not to personalize. You know I have an option to say let me go pick up a pack of drugs while here to make it. I just left the food bank to supplement my groceries. Because grocery's gone so high I have to decide to pay my car insurance, my light bill, my phone bill, either go get groceries. So all these things I need for my job, for, you know, for hopefully to get a job. So I had to go stand in line for an hour and a half to get food at the food bank.

Chuck: 6:11

Wow. So it's different challenges that we face. How do you manage your mental health, tony? You know, with so many things coming at us today, you know, especially as young black men I'm nearing 50 in March, you're in your 50s already, so you know, talk about that how do you balance? Because you never know who's listening man who faces the same challenges right now that you're talking about, but don't know how to. You know, go about having that balance.

Antonio Morgan: 6:39

You know, chuck, I'm going to be honest. You know it's a spiritual link, you know, and I know they have listeners who have different spiritual beliefs, but I've been listening to the living God. I'm not a Bible banger but I believe in the saints of the Bible. You know, I'm telling you, man, it's been times when I thought I would fall apart and I think, god, you know, for a son, jesus Christ, and I'll be excited to Jesus. You know, I got to give him a shout out because, you know, no matter what I'm going through, man, I seem to get strength from somewhere and I'm dealing with a loss of a child, a loss of income opportunities, and I'm on my knees, man, I'm finding myself on my knees, you know, just crying out to my high power, and my father always tells me, man, he says, you know, you don't even do this thing one day at a time, you know. So that's what I'm doing, just one day, one second, one minute. This is what I'm pushing through, just depending on my high power, man, to get me through these tough times. But I'm just finding the joy. You know, at the food bank, you know I was there and I drive a late model luxury vehicle and I know people looking at me like what's this guy coming here to the food bank for? You know what I'm saying? And just humbled me because I was in the midst of people who didn't have anything and there were some people in the similar backgrounds and they had mothers, they had fathers, they had a lot of elderly people, but they had kids serving and that brought me joy. So, you know, doing this hardship, man, it's a pathway of peace, that's part of the serenity prayer. Man, I'm just looking to opportunities you know what I'm saying To serve, and that's where my heart is to serve. You know, I could have a heart and heart and say, you know, the government has a definitely disenfranchised, like many African men, and go out there and justify what I do, to break the law, and I can take the consequences, or I can just bear the storm and just hope for by the days, man, but just being in the midst gave me an opportunity, man, to see what it really means and it just made me hungry. Today, man, just like man, these people need to serve. I need to serve, I need to get out here and serve Just somebody that needs to suffer, and that's my heart to serve man. So hopefully, man, this year, man, my non-property get off the ground and I can get back to a community that I help decimate. You know what I'm saying with my behaviors, man. So that's where I'm at with that.

Chuck: 9:01

Wow, tony, let's go here, man. I know the big talk today is about having a relationship. Can't no woman find a good man? So let's talk about that, man. Why do you feel that women can't find good men out here, when they are good men? What do you think? Some things that they're looking for that there may be wrong, that they can't find a good man? Talk about it, man.

Antonio Morgan: 9:28

You know, I often define what is a good man. You know, that's number one, the first definition, because everybody good is different. You know, some people will have instantaneous relationships, so long-term romantic.

Chuck: 9:41

Hold up, hold up. You said everybody good is different, so it's not going to be the same.

Antonio Morgan: 9:47

No, it's not going to be the same. You know, I think it's where it starts, at your definition of what a good man is, what's good for you. You know I'm talking. This is a guy who has been married, divorced, been in multiple relationships, three kids by three different mothers and um.

Chuck: 10:05

Hold on. You can get in trouble now. You can get in trouble now. You said you've been in multiple relationships, multiple relationships. You better talk right, because women listen to it. Go ahead.

Antonio Morgan: 10:16

Same time I'm talking about, you know this is a span for 30 years. You know I've had different relationships and the relationship I'm going to speak about, the relationship that I have. You know I can only speak for a man, that you know we can be who we are and I think that a lot of men can't be who they are. I think sometimes women have unrealistic expectations about men and when they're disappointed, I think that some of them are just thrown away, you know, just thrown away. Some of us, you know, and sometimes as men, man, we just want to be understood, nurtured, you know, at the same time not saying you have to take care of them, you know, financially or just emotionally. But you want to add to that and I think self-healing and self-love is number one Because you know if you have a broken you know picture of how you see a man, you're going to get fragmented people, you know saying, you know get a little here, a little there and never find satisfaction. But that goes back and finding satisfaction in yourself and I come out. I'm a survivor of childhood abuse and I have a partner who understands that because she's been through some traumatic things herself and it's been a challenge because sometimes we have to view our actions and our emotions through healthy lenses instead of broken lenses, and that's a challenge, you know. So you know, speaking to myself, you know, because when you get 40, 40 something, 50 something man, a lot of us are broken and some of us have not spent time enough to work on those issues that are broken in order to prepare for healthy relationships.

Chuck: 11:47

That's good. Right there, man, you're right. Everybody has been through some type of traumatic situation. You know what I mean. So everybody's fighting, they're growing through something. So when you know you come to the table looking for a relationship, you know always expect not perfection but to expect some type of brokenness. But I think through conversation we can find that you know what that problem is before we jump in emotionally and get, you know, attached to the point that we can't let go and now you're living miserable. But I believe that we have a conversation about things that we've gone through in life. You know, when we come to the table and talk and conversate, then we're better understand why a person is the way they are.

Antonio Morgan: 12:33

Go ahead, no you're right, but you know, and it takes the right person because some people might hear some things and run, you know that's their right to do that, man, but you know, you look at the number of violent, you know, relationships like domestic abuse, and the rise is going up, man, people getting unhealthy relationships and, like I said, go back to start with self. I mean, I spent the last decade in therapy, you know. So I still continue to see a therapist to work on my issues and I think working on your issues can help prepare you to be, you know, prepared to have that someone in your life that can understand you or that can add to the person who you are. I think that when you have expectations that people are going to solve that or be the epitome of a dream, then that's not a real expectation of people, because people will fail you, you know. And I just think that in these relationships that you got to have grace and space. Man, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, grace for failure is space to grow, you know, and if you have two people who are willing to do that, I think that the possibilities are endless, you know, Because, speaking as an African-American man, you know the number of African-American women, you know, is married, you know is very low and the reality is that people are not coming together in marriage for just instantaneous relationship, you know, just instant gratification. That's what is becoming a surprise man. It's about instant, what you have, what you can do, you know. I listen to the songs and music. You know it doesn't talk about family a lot and that's the unit that's breaking down man. Our society deteriorates because of that. Man and relationships are important, especially healthy ones. Man.

Chuck: 14:10

Wow, that's powerful. You said that the songs now are not talking about family. The unity of a family is, yeah, having multiple whatever.

Antonio Morgan: 14:21

Yeah, it's crazy, you know. Then we look and we see the dualism that happens between the music of producers' children and also broken relationships, you know. I mean the welfare lines are steadily going up, single parents' homes are steadily rising and people are steadily, you know, finding themselves with our partner and multiple partners that the years continue to warrant. So I believe in self-care, number one, you know, and someone who can, who can help you understand that and have that grace and space man.

Chuck: 14:54

I love that man. So back to that original question. You know women be asking where are the good men? They are good men, but you know, like you said, we need grace and space to grow. We have imperfections. So you know, and I think sometimes people, like you say, people look at what's a good man and oftentimes it's the one who has the most money or drives the best car, the best job or whatever, but we fail to always. You know what's on their minds, you know what I mean, like the character of a person.

Antonio Morgan: 15:26

It's a character man, because you got a lot of great guys, you know, working on the triads truck right now. You know you got a lot of great guys working at the grocery store. You know you got a lot of. They've been consistent and that's what makes me for a great guy, just being consistent, you know, not saying he has to be perfect, but he's consistently working on himself, making it better, something he can attribute to your family. Because you know you look at single family households. If you look at a man, he has these cars and homes and this money. You know you start thinking like, why would a man take on a responsibility to take care of two or three kids that is not his own? You know you look at men who are broken families. Man, you know I got this thing, you got to get in where you fit in and I think you know realistic expectations. I think when you have realistic expectations, you can overlook some things and some things you worked on, you know. You know so I think that's important. I mean, how we're growing for today's society, how we view relationships, is definitely out of order and this is what we get. You know that's the insincer thing. You're doing the same thing, expecting the different results. You're going to continue to get what you're going to get, and the trend continues to go on and on, chuck. So here I am. I'm 51 years old and divorced once. I have not been married in 20 some years, 20 years. You know, I'm 51 years old and I have a significant other, but I'm not married. I'm hoping to get married soon, but there's some things that has to be worked out and that's the grace of space, and just take it at a time man, One day at a time.

Chuck: 16:52

So let me ask you this. I'm going to get on the man side right quick. Why do you think women are so, so upset right now, man? They just mean sometimes Go ahead.

Antonio Morgan: 17:06

Man. I'll tell you what man I am. In my experience it's from past hurt and emotional trauma and I think that sometimes, like I said, the expectation of what you view a person in that grace and space, if you, if you get to the point like sometimes I've heard someone tell me every time that she hoped that something bring her happiness, something happened you know what I'm saying and you start having self-defeated thoughts about things. And if you see things that bring up things from the past, it might remind you of some things you know and sometimes we have these jaded opinions about things that can come. You know, I'm not going to say why a woman is upset because a man could have done something. He could have came in the house at four o'clock in the morning. I don't know why she might be upset. But a lot of women are bitter, you know. A lot of them are bitter for some of the screens and as a man I find it challenging because you want to be there to provide for their needs, not just financially but emotionally. But sometimes it gets to the point that you start saying, am I enough? And that's when it becomes overwhelming. That's why I think a lot of men like my age you stay single. You know what I'm saying? Because of emotional trauma that women have gone through, that we just don't have time for grace and space and self-measures. There's a lot of men 50 years old. I talk to men 50 years old and they tell me get to a young girl If you marry, get you a side piece.

Chuck: 18:24

Hold on. Why is that?

Antonio Morgan: 18:26

Well, you know, when he told me that, he told me about his own experience. But I disagreed with him because I believe in monogamous relationships. You know what I'm saying. So I disagreed with him. But I hear a lot of men that's the new thing in their 50s, late 40s and 50s, you know multiple women Side piece, side piece. Yeah, get a side piece. And I disagreed with him. You know what I'm saying. I disagreed with what. It was working for you. It was working for you. People get hurt. You know People get hurt and if you really care about somebody, you really don't want to take them through. That you know Absolutely. Yeah, you don't want to do that. That's for your own self-gratification, right there, you know.

Chuck: 19:02

So I'm going to jump on the lady side, as men, I know definitely, you know we got to do better. You know what I'm saying. We got to do better in terms of, like you said, being with and I know I probably catch flag for this being with one woman. You know what I'm saying. That's how it's supposed to be. And not having multiple, multiple women. You know what I mean, yeah.

Antonio Morgan: 19:29

No, I agree man.

Chuck: 19:32

Did I say that right?

Antonio Morgan: 19:34

Yeah, you said it right, You're multiple women man. Okay, I know we always got the bro code stuff have men talking, women talking. But you know a lot of men might see that as a good thing and women might demonize that. But you know, as you know, like who was. He said more money, more problems, more women, more problems.

Chuck: 19:53

Yeah, so the reason why I say that is I said we got to do better. And I know people, you know people talking about you know they can have multiple but at the same time that's another reason women are so, you know, protective and aggressive because they're protecting their heart. They don't want to be hurt, you know. Yeah, and that's another thing you know they may be nice, but they had to put on this persona that they're tough just to keep the negative back. You know they're not mean, but it's just sometimes they're protecting themselves. You know, that's why I say we got to do better, because they don't, they don't, they don't trust, you know.

Antonio Morgan: 20:30

They don't, man. That's why, for me, my challenge is the vulnerability because, you know, learning what I'm learning about love, man, you know, and I think about love, I think about the biblical terms that love, you know, love does not, is not puffed up, does not think on its own. And I started thinking about those attributes of love, not the romantic love that we have come to epitomize as love, you know, far as romance TV, these sitcoms and things like that, but from our biblical love. And that's hard, you know what I'm saying, but it's worth it. You know, and I think, the biggest thing for me, my challenge and I'm learning how to be as more vulnerable, because when I see the hurt, just the vulnerability, that's my guard down, you know, start not thinking on its own, so I can be there for her, understand her and be patient with her and to to tarry with her, because she is the weaker vessel, even though a lot of women are on prominent positions and things like that, but they're equal to us, but they are the weaker vessel and, as a man, that vulnerability plays a big role because you have to empathize with them and it doesn't be vulnerable to let them be vulnerable. Man, you know the manliness, the masculinity. You understand that masculinity does not change, even though you're being vulnerable. I love it, man. Yeah, that's all. That's a makeup of masculinity, of vulnerability. You know what I'm saying. As men, I think that we've lost that. You know I'm sitting here thinking like you. Don't see a lot of black families pushing and spending family holidays unless it's a big congregation. But how many times, unless you live in a predominantly black area, that you see African American people on guidance? They're family being vulnerable, men being vulnerable.

Chuck: 22:04

When you say vulnerable, talk about that, make that playing. When you say vulnerable, being vulnerable, what do you mean?

Antonio Morgan: 22:09

Being gentle with their wives, you know, being gentle with their children, not saying let them run over, but with the vulnerability to understand that your wife might be upset but you can coerce her to help her. You know what I'm saying, got you? You know what I'm saying? Just those things like I watch these shows on YouTube and all these places on social media and you see the men walking out, they chest out muscles out and they hand out wives and cats and women and saying these things like that, but going to the point that can you do life with them? Because they are very emotional creatures and we've built differently. Man, the ability comes at a point of empathizing with them. I don't know, man. We just in America, man, we just got things mixed up. You know what I'm saying about what we see about relationships, male and female. Man, it's just crazy when I started to think about it, man, yeah, it's dwindling.

Chuck: 22:57

The original place of man and woman is, like you know, it's out of order. So communication is a big thing, man. You know having that conversation, just talk about it. You know, yeah, communicating.

Antonio Morgan: 23:10

And that's the challenge, you know, especially when you don't have a language to communicate in and you got men who have a bottle of emotion, women who have heard and just communicate. Nothing can come out like a waterfall, you know.

Chuck: 23:21

Oh, that's good man. So we don't know how to communicate our emotions. We don't know how to communicate how we feel. You know, a lot of men don't yeah, and ask those questions, those vulnerable questions. They'll be open. So we got to show the hard side versus saying you know, I might be insecure, I might be a little more intimidated. You know what I mean Opening up, just sharing our true emotions, you know.

Antonio Morgan: 23:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of men like that, A lot of men are like that, and women, though, man you know, because they know, especially with the jealousy and insecurities and different things like that. And sometimes men, we don't like to show tips on the armor which you should show everybody, but you got that close person there with you that can understand it and if they come to a place that there's a place of healing and that accusations or place for hurt you know what I saying. It could be a healthy place to grow and it's nothing like wonderful having a partner to do that with. Man, put all of them down.

Chuck: 24:20

And fear. Fear is another big one. We don't like to say I don't know, I don't have the answer. You know what I'm saying? We don't know everything. We can't you know. It takes time to figure it out. So yeah, fear is a big one.

Antonio Morgan: 24:37

Yeah, it is, and that's why I'm loving about this challenge of 2024 about love, because it's challenging me, man, you know what I'm saying. It's challenging me to let go of me, let go of my own bravado, finding sources that I can link up with, that I can explain what I want to say, you know, and and have an emotional side and to let go of the hardness, man, sometimes you know, as men, even through prison, even through the streets and different things like that, man, your heart is hard. You know what I'm saying. It's hard, you know. You get that point about love. And it's not just a sexual thing, man, it's a so it's not all about sex, though.

Chuck: 25:15

Even that a relationship, marriage that plays a part, but it's just not about that. It's not about sex man.

Antonio Morgan: 25:21

It's not about sex. So we lost that man. I know people today, you know getting married man, but people get married for their own reasons and the institutions in the marriage were there for a union of a man and woman. It might be those who disagree, but hey, that's another show. But it was meant, man, for two people to share a bond, to grow, to build a family, to live life, to go through the different challenges. Man, you know, on a leaner, I want another man and, personally, one day I'll be married again. You know so the characters. You know where it needs to be when God says so. But my hopes is to have some of my partner, that I can go through life with man, up, some downs and the growth. And that's what I'm learning in 2020, chuck, because I've been stretched, you know I'm also losing myself, and that's a good thing, chuck.

Chuck: 26:15

Wow, Losing like shedding the old.

Antonio Morgan: 26:19

Yeah, shedding the old, and it's something you can't manufacture. You know what I'm saying, because you know it's like old people say you're gonna get exposed. You know you can manufacture love and give them to yourself that you really care about. When they really hit the fan. Where are you really gonna be? Bottle relationships crumble.

Chuck: 26:36

Oh, so the problems are really exposed, the motive of why you came together in the first place.

Antonio Morgan: 26:43

Yeah, it sounds good. I'm seeing people go out there, man, with three-carat rings. That's nice. You know what I'm saying? All these big fancy ones. They only stay married six months or a year and they get divorced, you know, Wow, Because they can't ride the storms.

Chuck: 26:55

That's why I guess the vows say for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, you know, Because problems gonna come.

Antonio Morgan: 27:00

The challenge the vows you know it's gonna come.

Chuck: 27:04

Wow, sometimes people look at you know what's going on across the street, thinking that the grass is green on the other side, but that hasn't been proven. That could be astroturf. You know what I mean. It could be mud underneath the ground. So what you see is not always tried and true. You know what I mean. So, yeah, you, yeah, no, no.

Antonio Morgan: 27:27

You know and I think it goes back to your question about finding a good man or a good woman you know you find somebody good for you to go through what you need to go through and what you need to go through together, you know, and to help each other man.

Chuck: 27:39

Being compatible.

Antonio Morgan: 27:41

Being compatible, man, yeah, being compatible, you know.

Chuck: 27:46

Yeah, what glitter ain't gold. You know what I'm saying? It may, just because it looked good. It may not be real, you know.

Antonio Morgan: 27:53

That'd be good, yeah, but I'd say what, just like me, man, getting older and wiser man, you know, I used to be like a dog chased behind the mail truck. Now I just sitting there watching the mail, you know, I'd ran behind the mail truck man. It was nothing, man. So now I'm learning how to sit back and just enjoy my own mail, you know, and let the mail man come. You know, and this is taking it day by day. I like that, yeah, yeah. That's just keep the positive outlook, man, trying to balance everything else. It's tough man. You know I'm a recovering addict man and maintaining this sobriety and relationships and bills, and it's just, it's real. It's challenging, man. It is challenging, but it's so worth it, man. It's so worth it because you know I'm living and that's what life is about experiencing ups and downs, good and bad, you know, sadness and happiness. It's all about life and just having a perspective of everything that happens in life, man.

Chuck: 28:52

Yeah, I think problems just are inevitable. You can't escape them, but you know they make you stronger, you know they make you a better person when you come out on the other side. You know what I mean.

Antonio Morgan: 29:06

Yeah, and I'm glad you say the other side. You know that there is a side to come out of the storm.

Chuck: 29:12

Right, just like going through the tunnel. You know what I'm saying. There's another side to that, so keep going. Yeah, Gotta keep going. Gotta keep going, Right. So what's your plans? I know you talk about a non-profit. You know what I'm saying. I think we all have to find our purpose. If not, we'll just be sporadic, We'll be aiming at everything. So you know what's your purpose. What do you think you're supposed to be doing right now?

Antonio Morgan: 29:40

You know, I am in a learning season, man. I have opportunities to serve, but I'm learning. I'm learning how to do life with people, especially people that don't look like me. You know, I'm learning how to do life. I'm learning how to form relationships. I'm learning how to build character. I'm learning how to build, I'm learning how to wait in a season. I'm learning how to be, just to learn how to sit in Terry. Wow, that's what I'm learning, because there's so many things like I could be doing and like some things that have to do with it. I'm just saying no, I'm just going to wait until it's my turn and just be a part of God's plan, whatever he has. You know what I'm saying. It's a big picture of life, man, just be a blessing to someone you know, and that's what I'm playing. I'm just being honest, man. I can go out tomorrow and start learning how to practice. But understanding the purpose is coming from a higher place and that's what I'm striving for to connect to the one who created me, to find my purpose. I don't want to find my purpose in things, I want to find my purpose in Him. And, yeah, I want to find my purpose in Him, because that's when I find my greatest satisfaction, because I know it's not all about me. I wasn't created for just me, you know. So that's where I'm at right now, chuck, in 2024, just waiting to turn it into an opportunity, character building, learning lessons and doing life for others man.

Chuck: 31:06

Wow, amazing, yeah, amazing Character building. So you're just growing and just walking and hopefully you're running to what you're supposed to be doing.

Antonio Morgan: 31:19

Exactly Because, chuck, I know our time is limited, man, but so many times and so instantaneously that we feel like we have opportunities that are always good things for us on this purpose. Our purpose is for opportunities, not opportunities of our purpose. So when we start learning how to get that dialogue together, to start saying, ok, let me get my mind focused on that, and the only way you can do that is to go back and you ask me in the beginning man, it's just too spiritual, too high power man, and it could be something simple as walking the dog or just helping somebody do something I don't know.

Chuck: 31:57

So purpose is not just a spotlight, it's not just. You know, sometimes we think purpose is being known by a lot of people, followers, views. You know, yeah, yeah. So you said walking the dog could be purpose, or loving your wife, or raising your children, raising your children could be purpose, you know, because those are all blessings, man.

Antonio Morgan: 32:19

Running the daycare yeah, yeah, running the daycare man. Yeah, you know, I know our time is limited, but I sat there at the food bank, man, and it was interesting to see the elderly how they were talking about who passed away, who did this again, they get the proportion of the older you get to start seeing people just drop off like flies. But it was amazing to see all those elderly people still going on. It's like no matter what shake they were in, they still had. They were jovial, they were inspirational and just for them being there had a purpose in my life. It's something so manoeuvrable, man, how we can instantly be placed in life to help someone else, man. So that's what I'm looking at. That's purpose, man. So if you get a million followers or you get the spotlight, let it not be about you you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a good segue into this one too.

Chuck: 33:14

You know you talk about the older people. You know, as you get older man, you tend to think about. To be honest, you tend to think about death a little bit more. You tend to think about. You know you got more time behind you than you do in front of you. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I think living every day on purpose is big. You know it may not be the spotlight, but living every day on purpose, making those 24 hours count, you know for something. You know what I mean, whether it be calling your mother, your father, just you know, talking to you is, you know, a part of that 24 hours. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, yes, sir.

Antonio Morgan: 33:57

Yeah, you got it.

Chuck: 33:58

Yeah, because we don't know how long, we don't know how long, so it's just enjoying the moment. And if you do find purpose, if you do find something that makes you come alive you know what I mean. Yeah, do it with joy. You know what I mean. Don't do it as like it's a job. Have fun doing it. Whatever it is, have fun doing it. Enjoy, yeah, enjoy.

Antonio Morgan: 34:20

Yeah.

Chuck: 34:21

Yeah, but yeah, man, yeah, go ahead.

Antonio Morgan: 34:25

I love the old folks saying my dad. He always says, son, you ain't gonna come back this way, but one time he ain't coming back to you.

Chuck: 34:34

See, once you get off the exit, you can't find another one, another one. You come this way one time You'll never get tomorrow again, but you got to say that one more time.

Antonio Morgan: 34:46

You'll never get tomorrow again, but you got to that and that's why we have to look at purpose. Man is just being alive and look for opportunities and that's our purpose. Our purpose is another opportunities. Our purpose is to be an opportunity, be an opportunity. Be an opportunity man. I was there today just to share. I'm at a food bank, just to encourage young men out there serving. It's raining outside. They got these teenagers out there carrying groceries in the rain for the elderly people. They got people coming out on Saturday in the rain serving people, getting people out of the rain. No one yelled at anybody. Everybody was there. Nobody had to head up high, but people were just grateful for the opportunity to be able to get food and people had the opportunity to serve. And if we had that mindset man, start looking at purpose. You know what I'm saying To receive opportunities, man, instead of opportunities about purpose man, we'll get a long way. I truly believe that Wow.

Chuck: 35:55

Wow, becoming an opportunity.

Antonio Morgan: 35:58

Becoming an opportunity. Yeah, wow, you can be a blessing to somebody out here, man, especially in the 20th and this year. Oh my goodness, everything that's going on in the world. We need each other, man. We need each other more than anything, whether we like it or not. Man.

Chuck: 36:15

So living on purpose? Yeah, living on purpose, man. Hey bro it's always good talking to you, man. Is there anything else you want to say?

Antonio Morgan: 36:25

Well, I want to thank you for having me Absolutely and I want to thank you for creating opportunities for me to have purpose today. So I want to thank you for that man and shout out to all the listeners and shout out to you, chuck.

Chuck: 36:39

Absolutely, man. It's always good to have a conversation, a genuine conversation, an organic conversation about life, man, just having it. You know, never know who's listening, never know who's going through those challenges that we talk about, about relationships, jobs and just life finding purpose. You never know who may need to hear what you got to say. Yeah, absolutely, chuck, yeah. So once again, shout out to you and I appreciate you being a guest. You know, until next time, tony Morgan, appreciate you, love you bro, love you too, man. Wow, what an amazing conversation. Shout out to my friend, antonio Morgan, for having this dialogue with me. You know, one of the things that stuck out to me about this conversation, amongst many other things, is the fact that all of us bring some type of trauma or issue to the table and that we all need grace and space to heal and to grow out of our insecurities, low self-esteem or even our fears or whatever it is. So let's face it none of us have life figured out, so we need each other to help navigate through those rough challenges of life that we all have. Again, thank you so much for tuning in to let's Just Talk About it podcast, and please check out my website. Just Google let's Just Talk About it, podcastcom, and then hit that subscribe button to receive all the new episodes every Friday. You can also find me on Facebook. Just type in Chuck LJTAI, which means let's Just Talk About it. So, as always, until next time, don't hold it in, but let's just talk about it. Talk to you soon.