Navigating Mental Health, Masculinity, Motorcycle Reflections, & Would You Rather with Joe |

When laughter intertwines with the raw realities of mental health and vulnerability, you know you're in for a profound journey. Grab a seat at the roundtable of life as Joe and I share a spectrum of tales from our heartfelt to the humorously absurd. Our latest episode takes you through the emotional landscapes of photography and faith, where we laugh, learn, and sometimes just embrace the silence that comes with growth.

This time, Joe brings his infectious energy as we tackle the nuances of wearing our hearts on our sleeves in a world that often tells men to do the opposite. We navigate the curves and straightaways of riding motorcycles, the expression of gratitude through simple birthday traditions, and the importance of not just surviving, but thriving amidst the pressures of masculinity. Our dialogue doesn't shy away from the tough stuff, but we promise, the shared laughs will be your lifeline.

To wrap things up, we indulge in the whimsical world of 'would you rather' questions, because who says enlightenment can't have a side of silly? Whether contemplating the ability to converse with animals or facing the comedic dilemma of having alarmingly large front teeth, we find balance in the lighter side of life. This episode is more than just a podcast; it's a testament to the beauty of being unapologetically human.

Transcript

Exploring Photography and Fitbit Use

Speaker 1 0:00

It drove me into a bad headspace, and so, in 2017, I almost committed suicide. Damn yeah we're going deep.

Speaker 2 0:09

We're going deep.

Speaker 1 0:11

Damn. But yeah, and then, like you know, obviously I didn't and luckily, you know, through that situation it kind of forced me to kind of reassess my thoughts and eventually, in the long run it pushed me back towards God and like strengthened my relationship with God.

Speaker 2 0:28

I feel like yeah, Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of the Carlos Granados podcast, and today I have, of course, another special guest. But first of all I want to thank you guys for all the love that you guys have been showing me on my channel, on all my videos, on all my shorts. Don't forget that you can listen to this podcast on Spotify, amazon Music and Apple podcast and, of course, if you want to watch on visuals, you know the 4K watching on 4K. You can watch it on YouTube and it typically comes out every week. So thank you guys for all the love. I really appreciate it. It really means a lot. My channel is growing and, without further ado, let me introduce to my boy, joe, what's going on. Homie, let's do it.

Speaker 1 1:17

What's up, man?

Speaker 2 1:19

I'm so glad you're excited Cause.

Speaker 1 1:21

I'm excited, I'm pumped man. Dude, how you been man. Does anybody ever come on your show and like, oh, I've been doing terrible, Like this has just been the worst day?

Speaker 2 1:29

ever. You know what. I haven't gotten that yet. Everybody that I've brought on, they've been doing good, so are you doing bad?

Speaker 1 1:35

Dude, I'm doing great, dude, I'm doing great. Are you scared bro?

Speaker 2 1:39

I was like wait, wait, wait. Are we about to get in the mix so quickly? I was like I'm in though.

Speaker 1 1:42

Dude, we can go deep today. Man, it's just funny, because every time you ask somebody like, oh, how you doing Like it's always good, I'm like is it really though.

Speaker 2 1:51

Are you really good? Though that's actually a good question, man, Because when you run into people and you're like yo, are you actually good? Because I can tell different.

Speaker 1 1:59

You know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, you feel like that sometimes, you know.

Speaker 2 2:02

No, I feel you on that, man. But how's life, man? What you been up to man, what's up with you? I know we're going to get several different topics today, but tell me what's going on, what's been going on in your life recently, bro.

Speaker 1 2:13

Yeah, man, I mean I've been traveling, that's good, we've been just chilling, working. Yeah, how it is.

Speaker 2 2:25

So with work, I know you do photography on the side right, so how did you ever even get to that? Because I know you took some several pictures For the people that are listening and watching that know me, Joe was the person who took the pictures of me when I got my new job, my new promotion. So this is the man, the myth, the legend.

Speaker 1 2:43

Congrats on that again. By the way, man Appreciate you, homemade the pics are clean, bro, so good. They were so good. Oh, this was push a button, man. That's how you wrote. No, no, no, you did, that's how you man.

Speaker 2 2:53

You did an amazing job, bro.

Speaker 1 2:54

What made you get?

Speaker 2 2:54

into that? What made you get into photography?

Speaker 1 2:56

Dude, that's a crazy story. I don't know if I told you this before. Actually.

Speaker 2 2:59

I don't remember.

Speaker 1 3:00

But this was back when I was working. I was working at a record label, right. And then so I was an intern with them.

Speaker 2 3:09

OK.

Speaker 1 3:09

And then they were like oh, we need someone to do some photos for this music video shoot that we're doing. I didn't know anything about photography at the time, but I wanted to go to the photo shoot, to the music video shoot and I was like, oh, that'd be so cool, like to actually get to work with the rappers and everything like that, right. So I was like, oh, I'll do it. And then I went out and I bought a camera. That night I watched YouTube tutorials on how to use the camera.

Speaker 1 3:33

And then I was like, ok, I can figure this out. And then so I went to the shoot and then I was like, oh, actually I'm pretty good at this, though this is kind of fun, though this is not bad yeah. So then, actually I actually started getting into photography from that and then that kind of sort of became a side hustle and then eventually it turned into a career.

Speaker 2 3:53

Gotcha, Wow. So do we know who was the artist you were doing? Or was this? How did you get even to the internship and then were you going to school for that?

Speaker 1 4:03

No, no, that was I mean. I've done a lot of things, which is crazy. Man, let's talk about it. Man, let's talk about it.

Speaker 2 4:09

Give me one second. So somebody called me on my phone and I don't think I put it on. Oh shoot, yeah, what's that called On silent? But don't worry, I'll be able to edit this.

Speaker 1 4:17

OK, oh, you can tell on your Fitbit If it's someone's calling me. Someone's calling you.

Speaker 2 4:20

Yeah, I felt it, somebody was calling me.

Speaker 1 4:22

Oh, that's crazy. I didn't know your Fitbits could do that.

Speaker 2 4:25

Yeah, fitbit. I mean, we can just see who's calling. Obviously you can decline too. Obviously you can't answer it because it's not an Apple Watch.

Speaker 1 4:34

Would you ever switch over to Team Apple Watch?

Speaker 2 4:38

I don't know, man, I like Apple Watches because they can do so much, but I feel like, for what I need the Fitbit's. Good enough, you get me. So the Fitbit tells me how much I slept, whether I'm sleeping do I go into deep sleep, rem sleep, light sleep. It tells me my heart rate and stuff. I feel like it's very, very accurate to what's going on. So whenever I've had heart-raising episodes or whatever the Fitbit has, I look at the Fitbit. I'm like how high is my heart rate? And I'm like, all right, I need to just like oh no bro this is scary.

Speaker 2 5:14

It can be a blessing and also a curse, because sometimes, when it's really high, I'm just like OK, I need to come down, I need to come down, I need to come down. It's too high, but sometimes it's just. I've been using this for about four years and I'm just like, I really enjoy it.

Speaker 1 5:29

That's cool.

Speaker 2 5:30

Yeah, you have a regular watch.

Speaker 1 5:31

Yeah, yeah, I've never used. I kind of wanted to get into it. Ashley, this girl that I know she introduced me to. It's kind of like a Fitbit, but it's like a ring and you just wear it on a ring but it's got sensors on the inside of the ring. And so it tracks your heart rate and it can track your sleep and stuff like that. I don't know, it's crazy.

Speaker 2 5:49

But you can look at it from your phone, I'm assuming. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's your phone.

Speaker 1 5:51

Yeah, so it's got an app on your phone. You can see all the stats and stuff like that, but it's just a ring. It looks like this Dude. That's crazy.

Speaker 2 5:58

Wait, are you?

Speaker 1 5:59

serious, yeah, serious. I'm going to ask what it was called again. If I send it, I'll send you the link. That's so interesting bro.

Speaker 2 6:05

That's cool. I don't like wearing rings. I never wear jewelry. I never wear anything. It's rare I might wear a chain. That's something that I'm probably where I'm comfortable. With Rings I've never been comfortable, but now that you mention that, that's actually really interesting, bro, and then you can look at your phone and see what's going on.

Speaker 1 6:20

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 6:22

Yeah, this. They had an update here on the Fitbit where you can use something called an ECG. It kind of measures your heart rhythm on the. Fitbit so to see if you have any AFib, what's called atrial fibulation so if you're like, if your heart's beating abnormally, it's able to tell you like it's like a 90% accuracy, and I'm like, damn, that's actually really good, that's pretty good, and it sends you notifications if something's off and stuff, so maybe you can go go check that the moment or whatnot.

Speaker 2 6:51

So this was cool. Apple Watches also have that.

Speaker 1 6:55

OK, OK.

Speaker 2 6:55

Yeah, so it's cool. But getting into what we were talking, about before we got in, we had to go check the phone. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. So what other things have you gotten into, bro? So photography is one of them. I know you drive hey, you drive a motorcycle.

Speaker 1 7:08

I rode it here today. Yeah, yeah, I saw that and I was like bro, I was going to ask you about that.

Speaker 2 7:14

What are the best motorcycles that are out there in the street, like in the street or people can own? Because I've never been into motorcycles. I've always been a little scared of accidents and stuff which can happen to anybody, but it's more of. You can be careful yourself in a motorcycle, but it's about the other person because that's scary. You know what I'm saying. So what made you get a motorcycle? And I want to know what kind of motorcycle you ride. What are maybe your dream motorcycle or anything like that.

Speaker 1 7:44

Yeah, and especially like we live in Atlanta, so you know the Atlanta drivers are you got to watch out for the Nissan Ultimas and the 18-wheelers, Because those things are motorcycles are scary and like for everybody's watching at home, like if you're considering getting a motorcycle, like be careful.

Speaker 2 8:01

Yeah, yeah, it's scary. It's scary sometimes. Good, good, good.

Speaker 1 8:08

Yeah, so the bike that I got, that I'm riding right now, it's a Honda CB500F. It's a street style bike.

Speaker 2 8:18

Sounds fancy. It's nice.

Speaker 1 8:21

It's just a bunch of letters and numbers, but originally like I, so I got into motorcycles like because I've always like watched those, like TV shows, like there's like a Sons of Anarchy and like those shows that like motorcycle clubs, I'm like, oh, that's kind of cool.

Speaker 2 8:36

I was about to say pit my ride. I thought that's what you were talking about.

Speaker 1 8:43

But I mean, there's like so many different like types of bikes, but originally I wanted to get one of those like so there's bikes with like huge like handlebars and you're just like cruising down like that. I don't know if you've ever seen those.

Speaker 2 8:55

I know what you're talking about.

Speaker 1 8:56

But I was like dude those used to look so cool to me yeah. This one's like a street style bike that I got I just found and I got a really good deal on it and I was like it can't pass that up. So I was like I'm just going to get this one.

Speaker 2 9:07

How expensive are bikes? I never got into like the pricing, are they like? I'm sure they're not similar to cars but I'm sure some of them go up there where they're expensive.

Speaker 1 9:17

Yeah, yeah, they can get up there.

Speaker 2 9:19

Yeah.

Speaker 1 9:19

Yeah, you can get one for as cheap as like well, maybe like two, three grand for like a decent one, but then it goes all the way up to like 20, 30 grand, like as much as a car sometimes. So, yeah, I, mean that's wild.

Speaker 2 9:37

How far does like, like, like. So how far does like a full tank of gas take you on a motorcycle?

Speaker 1 9:46

My bike's getting like 60 miles a gallon.

Speaker 2 9:49

That puts it in perspective. Yeah, yeah, so I save a lot of I save a lot of money on gas. Ok, I'm riding this thing for sure, but got you.

Speaker 1 9:55

Yeah, it's kind of just for fun. How I got it, though, was actually kind of a funny story too, so I bought this bike after I was going through a breakup, and then I was like was that your console?

Speaker 2 10:09

A day console, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 10:12

I was just kind of going through a time, you know, and I was like and it was crazy because at that time in my life I was going through a breakup, and I think that was like when I first started hanging out with y'all and stuff like that. At the small small group. Yeah, yeah, at the small group, yeah. And then also my brother was getting married and you know my sister was like celebrating a lot of stuff.

Speaker 2 10:35

Yeah.

Speaker 1 10:35

And so I was like man, I need something for me.

Speaker 2 10:38

I thank you. Everybody's getting my brother's getting married.

Speaker 1 10:40

My sister's celebrating a lot of, like, big wins in her life and I'm like I'm going to do something for me, so I was like you know what I'm going to do, something I've always wanted to do I'm going to go get a motorcycle. So then I just did.

Speaker 2 10:54

Hey man, I respect that bro. Is your brother older or younger than you? He, my brother is younger, OK, so how are you?

Speaker 1 11:04

Then you make that sound bad bro, After like 16, you just kind of.

Speaker 2 11:08

Yeah, I feel you, I feel you.

Speaker 1 11:11

I'm turning 30 this year.

Speaker 2 11:14

Let's go. Oh, we're turning up for the big three zero, or what?

Speaker 1 11:17

Man, I'm not a big birthday guy. To be honest with you, I don't really celebrate my birthday.

Speaker 2 11:21

But we got to go out to eat or something, bro, we got to go you know a little something, you know got to celebrate you, bro. Every every year is a good thing man, that's the way I see it.

Speaker 1 11:29

Yeah, the only thing I really do on my birthday. I always get my mom's flowers on my birthday, though On your birthday? Yeah, Because she's the one that did all the work you know. Oh, I got to pay respects to my moms like that. So I always get my mom's flowers for my birthday every year. Other than that, you know I'm not a big celebrating my birthday.

Speaker 2 11:46

You know, I never looked at it that way, like kind of giving back to your mom. You know, like giving on your birthday doesn't seem like something so logical, but if you think about it I'm like that makes sense.

Speaker 1 11:59

Makes sense, right? That's hey, you're giving my birthday, bro.

Speaker 2 12:02

That's actually very unselfish of you, yeah it looks, joe.

Speaker 1 12:05

But the worst part is I hate when, like you're at, like we go out to dinner or something and then they tell the the wait staff like, oh, it's his birthday and they all come around and sing happy birthday. You know, I don't know what to do. I'm just like staring there like what are you enjoying, Bro?

Speaker 2 12:19

that's.

Speaker 1 12:20

It's so.

Speaker 2 12:21

I feel so awkward. It's awkward. I don't know what to do. I'm just like all right. Now I definitely want to go out of my way and be like yo. It's his birthday today.

Speaker 1 12:31

Can we have a cake or something you know like a?

Speaker 2 12:33

little extra, something so we can get him like do you have? Candles with that. It's supposed to be a little awkward though, like you know, but you got to enjoy it. You got to celebrate, bro, celebrate another year of life. I look at it as an accomplishment. So, yeah, do you have you ever in your eyes or in your birthday, have you ever gotten like a cake and you've gotten your, your head shoved into?

Speaker 2 12:57

Yeah that's the good part. You know that whole piece of cake is yours now because you got the burgers in there, Saliva.

Speaker 1 13:03

I had a my step sister.

Speaker 2 13:05

One time she was on her birthday we got a cake and you know, typically we always push her head. You know everybody, whoever's birthday it is, we try to push her head in. You know you got to be quick with that, but we got her, except this time around the cake was ice cream cake, so it was hard. So it was just a big Bro. Her nose was red.

Speaker 1 13:33

There was ice cream inside inside her nose bro, Hang it out.

Speaker 2 13:37

I was just like, hold me. We forgot about that, we forgot about the, about that fact, man so.

Speaker 1 13:45

Oh, that was, that was a good time. That's hilarious. Yeah, I can just imagine.

Speaker 2 13:52

No, we. I think we almost made a cry because of that, but no, it's. I seen some bloopers online about birthday cakes too. Is it's hilarious, but some of the things that people do is funny. But keep getting into it, bro. So we just you just mentioned that. You know we started in a small group and I guess to get deep into certain topics or whatnot.

Speaker 2 14:13

Why do you feel like it's been the hardest part of you trying to build your relationship with God and getting closer with God? Because you know, as men I've talked with other men here on my podcast too we deal, you know, a lot with a lot of different things, but there are certain things that we deal with more than others. You know. And for you personally, what has been one of the hardest things that you feel like it's been hard? Because it's good that I have always seen you. You know you actually, even when you go by yourself to church, like you actually make yourself go, you know what I mean. I feel like that's someone, someone. That's half the battle. You know, showing up it's half the battle, but again, so what are some of the things that you feel like you struggle with the most when it comes to building that relationship and getting closer. We're getting deep.

Speaker 1 15:01

Oh, we're going to listen.

Men's Struggles With Loneliness and Vulnerability

Speaker 2 15:03

We're getting you know. You know what I call this Waiflings, because it goes like this let's get into it, man.

Speaker 1 15:12

I'm going to be honest with you. Like I think some of my biggest struggles especially if it's like just talking about like church and God and everything like that some of my biggest struggles are some of the biggest things that have pushed me towards God. And what I mean by that is especially like I think and I'm probably not the only dude or man in the world who's dealt with this too but like loneliness is a real thing, man, like being just feeling like no one's got you by yourself and like, especially like for guys I don't know about you, but like I know guys a lot of guys are age like we grew up on, like the whole, like macho man, yeah, we're like you know, no dudes, don't cry.

Speaker 1 15:57

Like you got to be tough, you got to suck it up Like can't show emotions and stuff like that and so like, yeah, I feel like there's a time and a place for all that, Right, but also like you do that too long and you know it starts to feel lonely man.

Speaker 2 16:14

You feel like you're dying inside.

Speaker 1 16:16

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 16:17

I mean, I wouldn't have thought about that, bro, because you are, you look like you're such an outgoing guy and he seems like you know you do have a lot of people in your life, but then again there's a certain, I feel, like mask you have to put up. You know, when you're a man too, yeah, and like the way you carry yourself, so I respect that dude. That's, that's actually deep.

Speaker 2 16:39

I wasn't expecting that that's a good one, though when I started I don't know, you weren't part of my mans small group. When I was leading a mans small group, with a step on, and and Brandon, one of the first things that I talked about and this is this is important because you're right, a lot of men we deal with this macho persona. We have to put up this man up. You know, like you just suck it up, type stuff. But deep inside there's a lot of men that suffer, you know, from within, because we don't know how to share things. We don't know how to share our emotions. But it's because you know Society has told us just to man up your man. You know what I mean. That's not what you're supposed to do.

Speaker 2 17:19

But when we started, our small group actually remembered telling the small girl was like listen, guys, yes, we are a bunch of men, we all have flaws here and the reason we're here is because we're trying to get better. We turn up better our relationships and in our lives with God. You know our friendships and you know our families and I told them I was like we are in this group, we're gonna congratulate each other, we're gonna tell each other that we love each other. We're gonna tell each other that we're proud of each other and we're gonna show that to each other. Show that affection, because this is gonna help you In the future build a better relationship, not only with your wife, but with your kids, your parents, your brother, whoever it is, because you're gonna be able to learn how to open up, how to bring your emotions out to other men, because it's hard for us to do that, you know, like telling each other we love you, man. Some people look at all that that's gay.

Speaker 2 18:10

Like you, don't do that, you know you don't hug it out with your boys or like but nah, bro, it's like sometimes that's what we need, you know, because, yeah, nobody understands those like us.

Speaker 2 18:19

So in that moment I made a decision of like, listen, we're gonna carry ourselves a little bit different, because when your wife comes with be full of emotions and she starts speaks to you, at least you have a better understanding how to understand those emotions because you've actually looked within yourself and you've practiced how to do that.

Speaker 2 18:36

You know what I'm saying, mm-hmm, and I think that's an important fact that a lot of men nowadays need to to work on and need to just get a little bit better at trying to Talk about your emotions, trying to figure out what oh, that's my brother's Trying to figure out what's, uh, what, what's a way that you can communicate with other people. You know what I mean, yeah, and I think if you don't work on that, then some of that's where the loneliness comes from. You know what I mean, but have you ever felt like you haven't had anybody to like, share or like Maybe that's close to you, or where is like the lonely? So do you lonely this feels come from, and do you feel like God Fulfills that within you? How does that work within you?

Speaker 1 19:19

Yeah, I mean Just to kind of get into all that. Like I Think for me Going through things that I went through, especially like Just dealing with like I don't know, I feel like it took me a long time to open up to just anybody right about deep stuff and.

Speaker 1 19:41

Now, you know, obviously I'm a little more open about that kind of stuff and it's easier Once you do it more. But, like right, I went through a long time, you know, like my teenage years, college, just like holding everything inside, just like, oh, I gotta figure it out myself. Right and so that kind of like you know, kind of eats up at you a little bit, you know yeah. And so it gets heavy after a while, you know right feels heavy, but going through that, you know it's tough.

Speaker 1 20:08

But also I found that like going through that also pushed me towards God, because it made me realize there's some things that I can't carry, you know right, that's something that I just can't carry on my own, you know right. So it kind of pushed me towards like, well, I need to figure out how to deal with this, otherwise is gonna kill me, you know right so this like and we're gonna get real deep.

Speaker 2 20:39

This is why we do what we do yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 20:41

so back in 2017, I had reached this point in my life where I was just Like it was bad, like I, just I wasn't such a bad place. You were in a dark place. It's a dark place mentally and like I I Don't know I was living a very how do I say this?

Speaker 1 21:06

It was like a double life, almost like I would be out like Doing, you know, partying, doing things like that weren't very Christian right but then also I would also go tell people that I'm Christian and I go to church on Sundays, like there would be some Sunday, so I would go to church hungover, and I was like this doesn't feel right, and it was like that conviction was hitting you. Yeah, but then I just didn't know how to deal with all that conviction either and like it got to a point where it's like it caused me so much pain in my life Just trying to live that double life like right for the world, but also living for God.

Speaker 1 21:52

Yeah, it drove me into a bad headspace and so in 2017, I almost committed suicide. But yeah, and then, like you know, obviously I didn't and luckily, you know, through that situation it kind of forced me to kind of Re-reassess my thoughts and eventually, in the long run, it pushed me back towards God and, like, strengthened my relationship with God.

Speaker 2 22:21

I feel like do you feel like the Thoughts of committing suicide, or were they coming from what you mentioned, the loneliness or what was it from? Like the pressure. You feel like you couldn't handle the things from the outside and maybe live in that double life, or what was it? Do you have you ever thought about where, with this you know feeling of not wanting to live anymore, maybe where it come from, like, or was it just a lot of things at once that accumulated into into those moments, you know?

Speaker 1 22:55

I think for me it was a lot of different things happening at once that I just like it, just Like piled on each other till eventually I was just like I can't carry all this by myself.

Speaker 1 23:08

You know, and so then I was like you know what's the point yeah, but then yeah, it's probably just more like a lot of different aspects of my life and then each like Aspects that you get into. You're just like I can't do this, I'm not good at this either, like this part of my life kind of sucks and just kind of like eventually. You just kind of feels a little hopeless. You know gotcha yeah, so wow, man.

Mental Health and Purpose in Faith

Speaker 2 23:37

No, that's deep, and In different ways I can relate to you. Because of my health issues. I I've also thought about Not wanting to live. I don't think I've ever gone to the point where, like, I thought about how, but I've suffered from so much that Sometimes you just don't want to live. You, you, just you. You asked yourself that same question what's the point, man?

Speaker 2 24:07

Yeah what's the point if I were to live 40 years or 50 years More into my life? But what if I live them the way I'm living them now, which is sick, which is like always going through something, you know, and that that loneliness, that feeling of hopelessness, it's. It's real, bro. I used to think that mental issues were not a thing when I was younger Because, again, the way I guess I was raised and I don't know if it's a Hispanic household things, but I talked to my Hispanic friends before it's like you sleep it off, move it on. You know, like keep, keep moving on, sleep it off. But when you hit this barrier of like, what else do I do? I don't know what else to do, man. So you trying to find an exit out, you know, does that make sense? I recently had these thoughts to again like back because I've been not being I just told you earlier, before we started the park as I've been going through it, bro. So I'm sorry that you went through that better, but I'm glad that you found God back into your life, bro. You know what you also mentioned. What's the point? It's a good question. There's two things.

Speaker 2 25:11

What's the point? Like you ever heard, they talked about this victory, like what are the two most important dates in your life? The day you were born and the day you find out why? So your purpose, and I think Everybody, if you know anybody's out there listening and watching, if they are going through a lot of hardships, and you know Mental issues and you know a lot of things are affecting your life, you can remember that you know there is a purpose as to why you're here, but sometimes it requires getting closer to God so he can either provide that light in you to figure out why, because you know what's the point. Well, you said there's some people that go throughout their life and they never find out what was their purpose in life. Right, I think getting to know that and learning what's the purpose of you being here in this earth is important because you're living not just for yourself, but living for God and other people. So but continue, man, keep going. I just figured I wanted to to share a little bit too.

Speaker 1 26:08

Yeah, no, you're good man. Was there a question?

Speaker 2 26:11

No, it was just just a month you went into the, you know the, you know almost coming into a sudden stuff. So, and that point, what led you to like? Even now, I want to ask you what, what led you to even getting out of that and how were you able to Find God? And also, I see, what were the struggles of like that you deal with in your relationship with Christ? So what other other things do you struggle with?

Speaker 1 26:33

Mm-hmm. Okay, we'll get into how I got out of that mindset and it's just kind of like I really believe that it was God that kind of helped me get out of that bad mentality that I had. Right, because, like when I was about to end everything For some reason and I really believe that, you know, god maybe put this in my head or whatever but before I was about to end everything, like I heard my mom's voice calling my name.

Speaker 2 27:09

Oh man.

Speaker 1 27:09

And then I just pictured like if I did go through with this, like they gonna find the body, you know, like they gonna see and it's just gonna be like worse for everybody else. I'm like I can't, you know, I can't do that to my family.

Speaker 2 27:23

You know a picture of them being hurt. Whoo.

Speaker 1 27:26

Yeah, yeah, that hurt me even more.

Speaker 2 27:28

Yeah.

Speaker 1 27:28

I can't, can't do that. So then, luckily, like it convinced me to kind of not go through with everything, right. But Eventually then I was like, well, I still have all the problems that I have to deal with, like I still have to deal with everything.

Speaker 1 27:43

So then I turned to the Bible and I turned to going back to church and I turned to like stop partying so much and trying to fill that void inside of me like Fill that loneliness with like whatever else I was trying to fill it with, and so that kind of led me to, I guess, like taking my relationship with Jesus more seriously, in a way right but also just like Realizing, kind of like oh, it's not just you go to church on Sundays and you do Whatever, you sing your songs and you read your Bible, but it's really like how you live your life right. That's what matters. Yeah, so yeah.

Speaker 2 28:28

Man, I'm a man. I'm glad that you you got closer bro, because I Think I think you know personally you're a beautiful boy, bro I would have never thought that you know that you were struggling with certain things like that, of that nature, that's a, that's deep.

Speaker 1 28:45

Yeah, every time someone asks you how you doing, you always say good.

Speaker 2 28:47

Yeah, but in reality, there's things that you're going through, bro, and that's just that truth. It's true, though, you know I there are a lot of people that do that too. You know how you doing, bro. I'm alright, you're doing good. Yeah, all right, cool.

Speaker 1 29:01

Yeah.

Speaker 2 29:02

I feel you know that, bro. So what are, what are the other things that you feel like you've dealt with as a man, that you feel like you've struggled with when it comes to getting your relationship closer? Is that a? Is there anything specific? Or do you feel like that was one of the hardest thing you've dealt with?

Speaker 2 29:19

And you know, because if we always, always go through something, you know when, when you want to get closer to, to to the Lord, the enemy always attacks you because there's an under like people think that we looking from the outside, in that we Try to go to church and we try to build a relationship with God because we just want to be better. Yes, in some instances we do, but at the same time we actually going through harder trials To keep that relationship, because the enemy doesn't want to let you go from where you're at. He wants to keep you where you're at because I see you belong to the world, you know you belong to, to his doing, and when you try to leave that he was like oh no, my brother.

Speaker 2 30:03

Try to pull you back and tries he sends everything at you to To to make you fall and make you come back to what you were doing. You know what I'm saying and there's a lack of understanding sometimes, and I had to learn that myself. Where I'm like, why am I suffering or going through even more trials when I'm trying to get closer to God? Well, that's because now God is fighting for you and so is the enemy trying to bring your ass back.

Speaker 1 30:31

You know what?

Speaker 2 30:32

I mean Like that's an important mindset that you need to have and it's like, okay, I am gonna face more trials, but at least now you're fighting from a place of victory. Fight from victory and not for victory. You get me? I don't know. I'm talking about the chart either.

Speaker 1 30:47

You like what I did there. I see what you did there, you see what I did there. All right, bad bet.

Speaker 2 30:52

So yeah, man, so anything else that you feel like you've dealt with, or is that like your biggest thing?

Speaker 1 31:00

Yeah, I mean, I think also it kind of goes hand in hand. And you know, I'm by no means a perfect Christian. I'm like I don't have it all together. I don't know what I'm doing sometimes, yeah, and that's okay.

Speaker 2 31:14

Yeah, that's okay, man, that's life, that's all right.

Speaker 1 31:18

But yeah, I mean just kind of going hand in hand with that, Like I think right now I'm still like even going through finding purpose and just kind of like what you were saying before like just trying to figure out why I'm here on this earth, or whatever.

Speaker 2 31:34

Right.

Speaker 1 31:35

And it's. I mean, do you feel like you know what your purpose is?

Speaker 2 31:38

Yeah, yeah, I think that's one of the blessings as to why I live the way I do, and I appreciate you asking and I don't know if a lot of people do but obviously having when I got saved, oh, my mic went out. Sorry guys, my bad, my bad, I'm moving like this. So when I got saved Back in 2019 and the way I got saved, we can get into that. You know story, but essentially, you know I was told that because of myself, my health issues and because of my testimony and the way I live for God, you know I would be able to change and affect so many lives in this earth. And that's when I started not finding out my purpose. You know, my purpose is Sharing my testimony with people while I'm alive, even though I'm dealing with so much. You know I'm dealing with this 24 seven. I don't know if you know this, but it's 24 seven, 365 days out of the year. I don't rest from this Like I sleep, but I don't rest Like it's. It's a struggle, it's a whole fight. So me, you know, sharing my experiences, sharing how I live, sharing how hard things are with the world and being vulnerable, it's a gift that I've been given from God because I'm very vulnerable. I talk about anything and everything and I'm not afraid of being judged or being made fun of, because as long as I help one person with what I said, that's worth for me, because one person can make the difference.

Speaker 2 33:06

But when you change somebody's life in any sense of the word, but obviously if you change them to a point where they want to live for God now, you never know what they can do and what God has a plan for them. You know what I mean. Like you never know what it, what that person can do for it's like a domino effect. You know, if you change my life and I go out there and affect you know 10 people, what about those people with another 10? And it just keeps that. You never know, bro, that one person that you changed could be the difference in so many things in life. And when you look at it that way, you're like maybe my life does have a purpose even more than I think, because you never know it might not be in your lifetime that person you change. It might be their grandkids that made that difference, but it was because it started with you.

Speaker 2 33:50

You know, and when you look at life that way it's, it's a blessing bro, like every day you can affect people. Oh, it's going on in a certain way, every day you can affect somebody and I look at that as a as a blessing bro. So I feel like that's been my purpose now in life, you know, trying with the, with the YouTube channel, trying to do whatever the best I can to and this is another part. And remember I told you the content game is crazy, it's hard. Well, I try to reply to every comment that comes across my YouTube channel. I literally make time for people when they share their stories like hey, carlos, I'm going through this, what do you think? But I literally say in the morning and just reply Take time on that, because you never know, you know yeah.

Speaker 2 34:36

I've always told myself that so all right, everybody listening at home.

Speaker 1 34:39

You heard him. Keep this man coming on these videos.

Speaker 2 34:44

Keep it busy. Don't keep me more busy, bro. It's been. It's been a lot already.

Speaker 1 34:47

So everybody comment on the video. Give him something. They give you something to do.

Speaker 2 34:52

I got you, I got you I always take my time, bro, Whether it's in the day, whether it's at night, it doesn't matter. You know I'm always there. Yeah, bro.

Speaker 1 35:00

I will tell you this, though like for sure you like, even when you explain your purpose, like, and just telling me like what you feel, like you're here to do, and like I will say you're really good at doing all that, because I remember the is like one of the first times that we started hanging out. Um, so I started, you know, hanging out with all you guys at church and then. I think either like Esteban or Brandon, somebody invited me to the men's group.

Speaker 2 35:30

Okay.

Speaker 1 35:31

Um, and I remember the first. I think it was the first time I showed up to one of the men's group and then we were just all chatting. And then I remember when it was time to go and I was tapping everybody up you know we'll even and then you were the one that told me oh, take it easy, man. You said I love you bro, and I was like that's crazy. I just met this dude, he loves me, that's crazy yeah, but I remember it like.

Speaker 1 35:57

it made me just feel like so welcome, and I was like oh, this guy's cool. Thank you, man.

The Power of Vulnerability and Faith

Speaker 2 36:04

I appreciate that, bro, Um, and to be honest I'm glad that it meant a lot to you, even though at the moment I didn't know. But but it's true, you know, you never know what you can do in a person's life and something simple like, bro, you're welcome, You're, you know, you're loved here, and you saw how much flaws we all have in that group.

Speaker 2 36:22

You know what I mean how can you not feel comfortable when there is a group of men telling you like, bro, I'm suffering in the same things that you are, and some of us are going through even more than you thought we were. But though, just the fact that we're, you know, honest and sharing things like that as men makes you even more comfortable, knowing that there's people like you, that you know, hey, there are more men like me, and there are more men out there trying to strive to do just a little bit better. We're not perfect, but we try to do a little bit better. So I'm proud of you, man. You've come a long way, bro, there's times that I see you at church, going by yourself, and sometimes that I'm like, hey, I was like, joe was here, he was here, it's good, bro, cause you show up man.

Speaker 2 37:07

I always tell people I think half the fight is showing up bro, showing up and uh, cause you never know, even to small group, even when you try showing up bro. So you know what I'm saying but wow, joe dude, we're getting in the mix. We're getting in the mix, man.

Speaker 1 37:23

We're getting into it, man, but I love it though. I love it. I love these kinds of conversations. I think it's healthy.

Speaker 2 37:27

See, sharing like this and now you putting yourself out to the world, brother, that says a lot about you, man, like, believe it or not, not a lot of people can do that. Not a lot of people can feel comfortable, Comfortable and being vulnerable, and I think, if I'm honest with you, I think you know just you doing that, it will be a blessing to your future relationships and, um, whenever you know you get married or have a wife, you will be able to share things and understand things that are more emotional, Cause we're not as emotional beings as we need to be, but the more you practice it, the more you get better at it. You know it's tough man, it's hard, Hard bro.

Speaker 1 38:07

It took a long time to learn how to get to this point, right For sure, but isn't that the beautiful?

Speaker 2 38:13

isn't that the beautiful part about life, though? Like, imagine if you had all the answers right away. Then you'll be bored, but sometimes you want it easy, but that's the beautiful part about life. Like the learning process, like and this is a thing man like, perspective is to me sometimes is everything the way you look at life and your outlook on things. Yeah, we always look at certain things, and we do. We try to find the worst in it, or the do we look at the best? Right, having a mentality of always trying to find the purpose in that, or maybe a reason as to why that's good. You know cause, even God, right, the Bible talks to us all the time where God, maybe you messed up and maybe you stuck that something, and maybe you really messed up with something, but God can always turn that bad into good. You know that teaching moment, that lesson, because that's where our faith and our is built, through your heart. Lessons through the tough moments. Faith is not built when you're good, because when I'm good I believe baby, oh, yeah, praise Jesus.

Speaker 1 39:15

But what about when you're down?

Speaker 2 39:16

where you're. You know you're about to call it a day and you're just like, bro, I can't believe this. That's when your faith and character is built, bro. But people need to have another outlook on things in life and when they look back in life, it's like that's a beautiful part of our life, bro, the learning process, the struggles. Or else, if everything was given, everything is easy, then everybody would have faith, you know. Or maybe some people wouldn't at all because they're like oh no, I can do no wrong. But I think if you look at life in a different light, it's like oh man, it's a beautiful thing, bro. Do you see that perspective in like?

Speaker 1 39:51

your health issues. Yeah, yeah, listen, I go through it.

Speaker 2 39:53

so much, but I look at it that way too. I'm like, who knows if this is the reason why maybe I needed to get to this point for me to get saved. Because let me tell you something I don't know if people know this, but and I don't know if you know this so back in 2016, I went to church and I was living in the world full of lust. I mean, I was, if you know my story, like I was. You know left and right, you know I was like I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, you know, just the. The dating apps were popular back then and even more popular than they are now. I mean Tinder, like it was. Just you know what Tinder was for man, you know what I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 40:34

So I was just you know, way in the left field, bro, like on the spectrum, and I went to church. When my parents church one day and I went to and I went to church and we were praying and I went and I started speaking to God and I said, lord, I was like I know I've been living in the world full of sin. You know lust, I, you know I can't, it's getting out of control. And I could feel, bro, the emptiness, like believe it or not, the emptiness and like the guilt of how far I was. But I said I made a prayer, and it's a deep prayer because I started learning what this prayer meant later on in the future, I started getting closer to God and I said, lord, do whatever it takes for me to one day be with you and your kingdom, like whatever it takes for me to get to this point and for me to be saved and for me to one day go to heaven and be with you. Do whatever it takes in my life.

Speaker 1 41:36

That's a dangerous prayer, bro.

Speaker 2 41:38

That's a dangerous prayer, bro, and listen Because he will do it, because he will do it, because, because this, that was one of the first times in my life where I opened up my heart to him and.

Speaker 2 41:46

I let him in, I gave him the keys to my life, right Cause it's free will. I went to him and I said here you go this, do whatever you want, whatever it needs to happen, so I can one day be saved and then obviously serve you. And a month later I started suffering from health issues and and, and people think that that. You know, it's that prayer. It's not like, maybe not as meaningful, but it's meaningful when you come to God and you open up, you know, and for people that always tell me like, hey, you know, how do I get closer to God? I'm struggling this and that. And I'm like, look, if you really want to get close to Him, pray to Him and open your heart to Him, right, let Him in, because when you give Him the keys to the Ferrari, you know, give the keys to your life.

Speaker 2 42:39

He will come in and do something. You know what I'm saying. He will come in and make it, because now you gave Him permission to take over, right? Because what does it say? God is a gentleman, he will knock at the door, but you have to let Him in. And that's exactly.

Speaker 2 42:52

I felt like after that, bro, I started going through all of this and eventually I ended up getting I mean, look at it and look at now like I went from that to what I was telling you to now getting into church, getting into a small group, leading men small group and serving at church, becoming a leader at church. And I'm not saying I still don't struggle with those things, because I do. If anything, I struggle a lot with them. But again, like I told you, now we're fighting from a place of victory and not to try to win, to try to get that victory, because you already won, you know, you already paid the price for that to happen, and God knew, when you got saved and when you let Him into your life, what the struggle was about to be, because it's a fight and that's, again, the beautiful part about life.

Speaker 1 43:39

That's life baby. That's life baby.

Speaker 1 43:41

Dang, we just got into the whoo child, I will say, especially just being able to see certain aspects of your life too, like I think that also, after you've gone through all those things and you did those prayers and like God's put you all through all those trials, like definitely made you a stronger leader, because I can see those leadership qualities in you. Thank you, man. Even when you're just talking to people in general, like on Sundays, when we're hanging out, and you're just talking to people like I just see those leadership qualities of you. Like I don't know, Thank you, brother. It's cool man, it's cool I appreciate you, man.

Speaker 2 44:15

I appreciate you. I take pride in uplifting other people because I know what it means to them right.

Speaker 2 44:23

And again, it's part of a purpose, right, it's part of you never know what you can do. Even when I served in the parking lot, I was telling another man that's just recently got put in the spot to start serving, bro the first time, and I was like, look, one of the most important parts about you serving is when somebody comes in, make sure you have good energy, make sure you uplift them, make sure you have this energy. When they come into church, they see you're the first person they see when they come into church. You never know if this is that, this one person, this is their last chance that they're giving God into their life and you're gonna be the first person they see when they come into church.

Laughter and Relationship Struggles

Speaker 2 45:02

So you better be happy, you know, be uplifting, let them know that this is a good place to be. Make them feel comfortable. You know what I mean. Even if they don't say hi back to you, even they're gonna respond. But let them know that when they came into church, the first person they saw was joyful and you never know what you can do in their life and that's you know, that's deep, like it's important to have. So that's why, when you see me, like that it's. That's why it's always been like that Cause. First of all, god made me joyful all the time in a clown. I'm always trying to laugh.

Speaker 1 45:32

You know this bro.

Speaker 2 45:34

I've always trying to laugh. I never take things too serious, but it's part of it, bro, and I appreciate you man, see, and that right there, joe, is you showing some love. You feel me. That's beautiful bro. I appreciate you, man.

Speaker 1 45:49

Were you always like the class clown, like growing up as a kid?

Speaker 2 45:53

You know what I was. You know what I was. A lot of people consider me immature when I was younger. Rightly so. But at the same time it wasn't because I was just immature, it was just because I never wanted to take little things too serious. You know, people in ninth grade are trying to take relationship so serious, like, oh my God, you know I can't or like fights and I'm like bro, like dude, relax, I'm trying to go home and play card when I get home. You know.

Speaker 2 46:23

Like we're trying to just play, you know, sports with my homies. Like life is not that serious, bro, like you know just, and that's the reason I would just laugh all the time or just make jokes. You know, it was just because I was always a clown and I still have some of that now. Obviously, you know, with age you matured, but Nah, you still like that.

Speaker 1 46:44

You still like that I got.

Speaker 2 46:48

I have a clown. People know I'm a clown.

Speaker 1 46:50

We love it, though. That's why we love you, bro, I appreciate it, man, you got it.

Speaker 2 46:53

Yeah, you got to laugh or something. You know you can't just always be serious, True?

Speaker 1 46:59

true.

Speaker 2 46:59

Yeah, people always take life too serious. I'm like I get it, bro, I get it, but come on, you know, come on. Let me turn me up a little bit. But talking to the subject of relationships, bro, how has that been going with you? What do you feel like some of the struggles you've dealt with, even in that sense, in your life, because I don't know if you're single or you're I haven't asked you when you came in, but you're single. Are you talking to somebody? What's the mix?

Speaker 1 47:28

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I, right now I, I'm, I'm, we're talking to somebody we're talking to somebody.

Speaker 2 47:33

OK, we're talking to somebody.

Speaker 1 47:34

We'll get too much into that right now. But yeah, relationships I feel like have been I don't know it's been a big part of my, my life, or I guess like through my character development, just because of like I don't know, I feel like relationships for me like have been very up and down, like I've experienced a lot in it, but I've also like gone through years of like being single.

Speaker 2 48:06

Right.

Speaker 1 48:06

And it's just like, and it's done a lot for my character development. I mean just even getting into it. Like I remember a lot of who I am today. I remember why I decided to become like this. Like you see me, I got like tattoos.

Speaker 2 48:22

Yeah.

Speaker 1 48:23

You know I wear jewelry and everything like I remember there was this one girl that I this was 11th grade 2011. There was this one girl that I really, really I just the biggest crush on her.

Speaker 2 48:37

Oh, I've been there. I've been there. I've been there. I feel like you.

Speaker 1 48:40

But I had the biggest crush on her. For like maybe like two years or something like that, I've just been like trying to be with this person and then eventually, like I got the balls to be like OK, let me just say it, like let me just tell her how I feel, and I did it. And then I got hit with the. I think we should just be friends.

Speaker 2 49:01

Oh, you got the friend zone, the friend zone.

Speaker 1 49:06

That hurt me, bro. Let me tell you, that hurt me. I remember I was like man. What is it about me that like? Am I just not good enough?

Speaker 2 49:17

Oh, you started going questioning yourself.

Speaker 1 49:19

I went down that rabbit hole but I was like, OK, you know what, I'm going to be good enough. So I started hitting the gym. I started like caring about fashion and how I looked and I started like, oh, like trying to be, a better person overall, and it's just like honestly shout outs to you. You know who you are, but it made me a better person. It made me a better person. I'm cool now, so now, joe is sexy. Thank you.

Personal Growth and Relationships

Speaker 2 49:46

Thank you, thank you yeah.

Speaker 1 49:48

But I mean just going through stuff like that and then I went through like a seven year period where I was just single and living the single life like bachelor party to the max, right, and then getting into a longer term relationship, going through a long distance relationship, and it's been a ride.

Speaker 2 50:13

Right, it's been a ride. It's been a ride, it's been a whole.

Speaker 1 50:16

But yeah, I'd say, if anything, that kind of stuff, relationship wise, has really developed a lot of my character. I don't know why, but it just, it just has. I don't know.

Speaker 2 50:26

Yeah, I know those crushes hit different too when you were back, when you're younger, and you feel like this girl is like the best you've ever seen. You know what? I mean when we're young, we're so dumb man, but I I've told some of my crushes when I was younger, like you know, you were my crush, right Like no. I was like bro, you don't understand. I feel like I was in love with your ass.

Speaker 1 50:49

Dude, real man, and back then it's like you don't even know what love is, but you just feel. You just feel something, bro, you feel something towards that girl, you're just like, but because of that we're better meant today. True.

Speaker 2 51:02

Because we went, we hit the gym, we hit the gym.

Speaker 1 51:05

True.

Speaker 2 51:06

We try to get better you know swag or we try to. Just, it's a part of process, bro, so process.

Speaker 1 51:11

You talking to somebody right now, or yeah, I'm talking to you with the situation ship.

Speaker 2 51:17

Yeah, I'm so, I'm talking, man. I actually recently I decided to take more steps into not only being intentional but trying to let myself be open more into feelings because, like I mentioned earlier, bro, my health issues is 24, seven is something that it's I deal with a lot. So, putting that aside, you know, I want to bring something, you know, you know, good to the other person and kind of just be myself 100%. So I decided to open myself a little bit more where, open up my emotions towards them and, you know, be more emotional, emotionally available. But I had couple Things happen to me recently where, you know, things went south and I was like, hmm, maybe that's why I'm not, I'm not decided, that's that's why maybe that's the reason I was keeping myself Unemotionally unavailable, bro.

Speaker 2 52:14

Like I was, like I'm not maybe this is why cuz now it's hurting a little bit. Now what's bothering?

Speaker 2 52:20

So but I'm, I'm open man, I'm. I've been talking and Anything though I've been, I've been concentrating a lot of on on myself, on my career, the people around me, the people who have been for me. You know the podcast, you know, having this hobby, I feel like it's a, it's something, it's a blessing to, so things like that keep me busy. So if it comes, it comes. It doesn't, doesn't. I'm not really to worry about that. I do one day, though, definitely want to have kids and be married and stuff, and it's a beautiful life.

Speaker 1 52:54

Yeah and yeah. Okay question for you then, cuz I know you just mentioned like you've been spending a lot of time focusing on yourself and stuff like that. So when I was going through Some tough times, you know, especially like with relationships and stuff like that people always tell me like, oh, just focus on yourself. Like put yourself first, like do things for yourself, like. But then I was like I don't know what that even looks like. Like. How do you start? Like, what do you do?

Speaker 2 53:23

like when it comes to that.

Speaker 1 53:24

Get any advice from me.

Speaker 2 53:26

I got you. So, yeah, I'm gonna tell you from my experience, right.

Speaker 2 53:29

Yeah you take whatever you want from there. I think, when it comes to focusing yourself, it's always working on the things that because you have to look back and look at yourself in a mirror and say, hey, carlos, or your situation, joe, what is it that you're looking at? That needs to work on, you know. Is it how you handle things sometimes? Is it your emotional state? Is it your mental health? Is your spiritual? Is it your Relationship with God? Is your relationship with your family? How can you become a better man that one day you'll be that better man for Not your just yourself, your family, but for your future spouse? You know, those are important questions you have to ask yourself. What are some things that you can work on? Suck, for example, with me.

Speaker 2 54:10

I've been working on being patient Because I, when people started coming with BS, I already caught it and I'm like dude, get out, I don't want to deal with this like, and that was used to be be, but now I'd be. I'm being more graceful, learning on being more patient, learning on communicating Right. Sometimes, when I started reading the Bible more, I started learning. You know, learning that listening is more important sometimes in talking right and and, and it's important to listen, because you, you know some sometimes I would you know I would listen to, like, respond and not listen to understand, and that's something that I'm still working on to just whenever I get into arguments or conflicts Like how do I resolve them, how do I become a better person?

Speaker 2 54:58

And I remind myself so working on those things makes you a better person, bro, right, and little things that you feel in your life you feel like lacking. You got to look at yourself and say hey, or maybe ask people in your life that are close to you what is that you feel like I'm lacking on? Like what do you think I could get better? I, you know, like, when you experience with me and it helps you learn, it humbles you, right, you humbling yourself to learn, it's important because you become a better person. And that's how I feel, like with me. I work at certain things. You know, I always try to put my, the people around me, you know, always lighten them up. I always made a case of like dude, whenever something happens to you in life, that's a success or whatever, like we're gonna celebrate, like we're gonna, and things of that nature. I want to know that the people are like I loved you know, they love me and it's just.

Speaker 2 55:42

It's a whole Psycho but, things, similar things like that. Even talking to my family, learning how to talk to my mom, even though with parents, is hard sometimes. I had to, you know, over time, be like look, listen.

Speaker 2 55:56

I know you want to yell as soon as you know you don't like something. But I was like I'm gonna need you to communicate with me. I can't do this forever. You know, having those deep conversations with my mom was was tough. Because it was hard for it? Because all she knew was yelling, yelling, yelling, and we never had a conversation. I'm like no, I was like you need to have a conversation because you're gonna learn that you can't treat me the same way you're doing my siblings, because you raise me a different way, where I can handle all the screaming You're doing, but they can't because, they were raised in a different situation and that was important.

Speaker 2 56:26

You know like learn. I was like learn how to communicate. I was like you know, you're 50. It's like it's never too late to learn, like it's never too late to get better. And when I, when you look at it that way, you're just like you know, you always continue to grow a little bit in in yourself.

Speaker 1 56:42

Dude, how do you like? How did you tell your mom's that? I don't know how it is in Hispanic cultures, but, like in Asian cultures, like you know, talk back to your parents.

Speaker 2 56:51

You don't teach your parents nothing, they teach you everything and and this is where I Important things, when you pray about it, you pray about God. Give me the opportunity To one day be able to say so my mom can see, or whoever you're talking about, right, can see. How can I talk to them? How can I, you know, give me the opportunity so one day we can have that conversation and, when it does happen, give me the words and wisdom to say so she can understand a little bit better from my perspective, right, mm-hmm? Because you know what's important, what I've learned as well. Now you're talking about growth, delivery and things are is important.

Speaker 2 57:30

The way you deliver things to people Can make a whole difference as to how you approach them and whether they decided let you in or not, because sometimes you can come in and be condescending, even though you mean good, even though you want to be good for them, but you're like, but the way you deliver it could have been different and I've learned to try to deliver and Maybe to learn the person and deliver. So, with my mom, I used the examples when it comes to like situations with my siblings or something. I was like listen, I know you don't want to hear this, but when I tell you that you need to learn how to you know, communicate with them. So you need to take it seriously, because then they will Shut out what you're trying to tell them, even though you mean good, but all you do is yell, all you do is think you're right. That's like, that's not how you, that's not how it works. You know, even if you carry your own relationship like that, you can't do that to them.

Speaker 2 58:25

I was like learn, listen to me. I'm trying to give you feedback from what I would have wanted from you when I was younger and things of that nature hit you different. You're like damn, like you got to think about that and be like yo, you, you know you have you got a point a little bit. You know there are some people that are hard to talk to, bro, and I get you, but Learning how to approach them delivery, pray about it. Whenever I fast the beginning of the year, I was prayed about my certain goals and like what I want things to get better and when you, when God sees you making a sacrifice, he'll open those doors for you. It might not be everything you wanted, but he knows what you need. You know you can want everything, but he knows what you need and things that get better. Bro, it's part of life. Welcome to the therapy session, bro Did feel like a therapy session kind of but it is, though.

Speaker 2 59:13

No, no, no, joe, and this is why I'm telling you, man, every time you have Conversations like this and you're gonna go in your bike ride back home, you're gonna be like I feel better. Right now I feel a little bit better, but that's because we're able to open up, we're able to share feelings, we're able to talk about something real in life and people when people come on the podcast you know, I do that too and and it's like a therapy session that late afterward just was like Damn, but a bro, and this is beautiful man.

Exploring "Would You Rather" Questions

Speaker 2 59:47

Then, hey, anything else you want to add bro, anything else you want to share with us Before we get into, we're gonna talk about. Would you rather questions, ladies and gentlemen?

Speaker 1 59:56

because oh yeah.

Speaker 2 59:57

Yeah, they're interesting. They get to people, get to know you, and then they pop out on the short. So let's jump into it, man Get into the mix, baby, all right, I love would you rather questions. I love some too, because you're actually get to know you a little bit better, or at least like the way you think you know what I mean. Okay, okay, this is a list is cute, this is cute. Let's start with I haven't gone over these, so I'm just Alright, shoot.

Speaker 1 1:00:25

Are you ready?

Speaker 2 1:00:25

Go Alright would you rather be stuck in a romantic comedy with your worst enemy or in a horror movie with your best friend? Oh, you're mine. Just went somewhere. I already know you're my.

Speaker 1 1:00:42

All right. Here's the thing, though, because I hate horror movies like I.

Speaker 2 1:00:50

Check, my check, my check. Oh, it's the thing, here we go.

Speaker 1 1:00:53

Oh, they're gonna yeah, oh it was falling off.

Speaker 2 1:00:55

That's why, bro, it was oh, you're, you have plugged.

Speaker 1 1:00:56

I was half plug.

Speaker 2 1:00:59

I said, no wonder it was struggling.

Speaker 1 1:01:00

I was like why are you telling now we're chilling? Yeah, yeah, I'm a, I'm a little bitch, I guess scared too easily. But I don't know, if I had to pick one, I Would say Horror movie with my best friend, because at least I got somebody that's got my back.

Speaker 2 1:01:18

Though you know I'm saying you know how those movies turn out with oh, yeah, oh if I'm gonna freak out, I got freaked out with somebody I like yeah, what's uh. What's uh the scariest movie you've watched, or like you.

Speaker 1 1:01:36

Probably okay, so I watched this movie. Have you seen hereditary?

Speaker 2 1:01:40

Oh, hereditary is One of the worst movies I've, oh my god. And the worst in the sense of like, how scary it was, how creepy. Listen, guys. If you had, guys haven't seen. I'm not recommending it. It's freaky because you know your eyes are the the door to your soul. But listen, that movie, bro, freaky, freaky dog the ending Child.

Speaker 1 1:02:06

I went to bed that night with a Bible on my night. Hey, it was bro.

Speaker 2 1:02:21

No, and you know what's funny? I had to learn how to pronounce hereditary. I still struggle with row. I still gotta make sure that I'm pronouncing that right Dude, no, no, no, that that was a freaking woman. That was a. That was wild. That was a. That was a scary movie. You know what movie scared me when I was younger? The grudge.

Speaker 1 1:02:43

Oh, I never watched that one dude. The grudge when I was younger bro it and that's the one where she's like coming out of the TV, right, no, no, that's the ring.

Speaker 2 1:02:52

So the grudge is something similar, though, but she. There was a scene where, like, she's going up to the attic right to look what's going on and like the grudge, this is just a, what is that? Pop up like a, you know, the scary face is like I. When I was out the first time I saw it, my friends did it on purpose. They turned the volume all the way up cuz I know the scene that was coming. Oh, so, so I'm watching.

Speaker 2 1:03:18

I'm like oh, Damn you know that the scary scene comes out and I fall back on my like. I was on a chair and I fall back. I was so scared, I got so freaked out and ever since then I've been traumatized. Yeah, I know, it's, it's, it's wild, bro, that's a. I didn't know you were yeah, I need, I need someone to cut it with when I watch movies. Yeah, all right. Would you rather be able to speak every language in the world or be able to talk to animals?

Speaker 1 1:03:46

Oh, that's a good one Would want to speak to animals Cuz I talked to people before.

Speaker 2 1:04:02

Some people just I mean, it's a matter of what it is.

Speaker 1 1:04:07

Animals. I feel it would be more interesting conversations.

Speaker 2 1:04:09

Yeah, yeah you know what? Yeah, cuz I feel like you can learn languages, but you can't learn how to speak to animals. You know, like I think I will choose speaking to animals like what, if one day you like going to the ocean and you learn and you're like you talked to a sure.

Speaker 1 1:04:23

Hey bro.

Speaker 2 1:04:23

No, no, no, I'm not food. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1 1:04:25

Save yourself.

Speaker 2 1:04:30

Hey, check to not. Yeah, bro, no, I'll be interesting. What animal would you talk to you though?

Speaker 1 1:04:38

That's a good line that's good one. Maybe like squirrels yeah well, cuz squirrels are everywhere this, they see everything. Maybe like they know stuff that I don't, I don't know that's cute.

Speaker 2 1:04:54

I'm gonna lie, that was cute, a little squirrel.

Speaker 1 1:04:57

That's a girl, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:04:58

Okay, I respect that nice nice. Would you rather always feel hungry or always feel tired, tired, tired?

Speaker 1 1:05:13

Yeah, me too, I'm just like feeling, the feeling of hunger.

Speaker 2 1:05:15

We eat, bro, I see you eat.

Speaker 1 1:05:17

Oh, we, I see you you tear it up.

Speaker 2 1:05:20

I don't blame you on that one. I would definitely. I feel tired all the time anyways.

Speaker 1 1:05:26

But the feeling you get after you get a good meal and you feel satisfied, that is different, bro.

Speaker 2 1:05:31

Yeah, food when it won't food when it hits its laps. Man, that's a good feeling and you look forward to it again. Yes, better than sex, all right, all right. So would you rather have the ability to be invisible or read people's minds? This is more about a you question. Yeah, this is more.

Speaker 1 1:05:55

I'd rather be able to read people's minds.

Speaker 2 1:06:01

I think so too. I wouldn't know what I would use the inviolability factor for like nothing legal.

Speaker 1 1:06:08

That's what I'm saying. Yeah, that's what I'm saying Nothing legal like facts.

Speaker 2 1:06:13

Yeah, read people's mind and you're at least like oh you talking shit Girls like I know I think so too.

Speaker 1 1:06:22

Yeah, you're on a date with a hot girl and your shoes, thinking like I wish he would kiss me right now. Yo, to know when to make the move. That's actually important, I wish you would do this and all of a sudden you do it. Oh yeah, no.

Speaker 2 1:06:36

I wish he would have brought me flowers, but you have the flowers in the car. Come here, I'll show you.

Speaker 1 1:06:43

Here you go. You know people's minds. That's the one we go I respect that.

Speaker 2 1:06:48

Um, all right. Would you rather have a knife when you need a spoon or a spoon when you need a knife? What, hello Well, would you rather have a knife when you need a spoon or a spoon when you need a knife? Hey, I don't know. That's a little confusing to me. Um, so if you need a knife, I don't know that one bro.

Speaker 1 1:07:19

I think we should talk that one. Yeah, that's a little bit. Yeah cute, All right.

Speaker 2 1:07:27

Would you rather have too long front teeth like a beaver, or no teeth at all?

Speaker 1 1:07:34

That's what. Oh yeah, I've heard this one before. I'd rather have too long teeth.

Speaker 2 1:07:44

Yeah, well, think about this. What if you have no teeth at all? You can actually get like implants and have regular teeth.

Speaker 1 1:07:53

Oh, you can get implants, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 1:07:54

Or you can get. I'm thinking I'm out of me. I don't know if that's a you know option, but I'm putting it out there. But I'll probably if it's no teeth at all and no matter how.

Speaker 1 1:08:04

Yeah, I was thinking like if you had to live your whole life was just like empty space right there. That might be weird.

Speaker 2 1:08:09

No, yeah, not you. The teeth to 100%, yeah, yeah, all right. Would you rather have to use shrimp flavored toothpaste or deodorant that smells like cheese Dang? Bro that's a tough one. No, no, what. Oh man, I would go with the order in. That smells like cheese Really.

Speaker 1 1:08:32

Yes, I would go. Shrimp flavored toothpaste.

Speaker 2 1:08:35

Yeah, yeah why. It just the time a chick kisses you bro, oh man.

Speaker 1 1:08:43

You're about to be what she hugs you, bro, smells like cheese.

Speaker 2 1:08:47

No, but if you add extra layers, you know it's cold Sometimes it won't be kissing you.

Speaker 1 1:08:54

You be kissing a chicken, but that ain't gonna work bro.

Speaker 2 1:08:58

You know that's not gonna work.

Speaker 1 1:09:00

I'm just thinking about your wife. I'll tell you that you put your daughter on and then you're sweating at the gym. It makes it 10 times worse.

Speaker 2 1:09:09

Yeah, that's bad, I ain't gonna lie.

Speaker 1 1:09:11

That's bad yeah.

Speaker 2 1:09:13

I don't know.

Speaker 1 1:09:13

Both are bad. Both are bad. I'll go with cheese still, okay. I don't know I'll go with the shrimp man.

Speaker 2 1:09:19

All right, bet I respect that. I respect that. All right, just keep your mouth closed all the time. Be like what'd you say? Okay, would you rather listen to an annoying laugh for a whole day or get tickled for an one hour?

Speaker 1 1:09:37

Oh laugh, I can't do tickle.

Speaker 2 1:09:41

Yo, I think I'll die of laughter. If I get tickled for or annoyed, I'll probably beat that person up, dude that would be tough Now a whole hour, a whole hour two that would be.

Speaker 1 1:09:51

That's like torture.

Speaker 2 1:09:52

No, that's actually torture, though. That's right. Yeah, I think I'll annoy and laugh for a whole day. I mean, my life is annoying already, so I don't know. Yo all right, All right. A couple more here.

Speaker 1 1:10:07

Let's do it.

Speaker 2 1:10:08

Yeah, Okay. Would you rather be a kid your whole life or an adult your whole life?

Speaker 1 1:10:16

Oh, kid size too.

Speaker 2 1:10:19

I'm assuming, because if you're a kid, yeah, not just from mentality. So yeah, okay, kid. Would you be a kid your whole life?

Speaker 1 1:10:28

Yeah, dude, we all grew up too fast.

Speaker 2 1:10:31

Man, we're good, I mean you're an adult for longer than you're a kid. So you know, yeah, I think I'll choose to stay in the door, bro. I just feel like it's I don't know, just being a kid your whole life and being I'm not depending on which. You can be good, you know, but all the time you're a kid, because when you're a kid you always want to be older.

Speaker 1 1:10:54

Yeah, but now that we're older, we messed up, we messed up, we chose the wrong guy, you gotta pay bills your whole life. I know that's tough to me.

Speaker 2 1:11:07

I feel you. No, I feel you that that's a All right. Oh, this is cool. Would you rather hear a ding sound every time you wink, or a pow pow sound every time you make a finger, a finger gun, ding ding. That's cute, though.

Speaker 1 1:11:31

That's cute, I'll do the ding.

Speaker 2 1:11:33

You do the ding, you do the ding Bow bow. Actually, my people might scare people, I'll go with the ding too.

Speaker 1 1:11:41

I go with the ding too.

Speaker 2 1:11:42

I might scare people.

Speaker 1 1:11:43

My Lordies, man Dangerous rest.

Speaker 2 1:11:45

Hey, imagine that time somebody actually gets shot. No, you're a singer, okay, all right, here we go. Joe, joe, joe, I hear you Listen to this one. Would you rather kiss everyone you meet or never kiss anyone again?

Speaker 1 1:12:08

Oh bro.

Speaker 2 1:12:08

Oh man, that's crazy oh gotta be on the lips.

Speaker 1 1:12:22

Can it be like a cheeky?

Speaker 2 1:12:23

I'm assuming it's on the lips. I know who I'm not seeing again.

Speaker 1 1:12:30

Yeah, cause I love you, bro, but I don't think we're at that level.

Speaker 2 1:12:34

We're at that level, yeah Dang.

Speaker 1 1:12:36

I might have to go no never kiss anyone again.

Speaker 2 1:12:39

Never kiss anyone again. Hey, if Jesus can do it, I could do it. True, you never kiss anybody, True? I mean like why I'm assuming on the lips when it thinks so True. So you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 1:12:51

Yeah, yeah, I can do it.

Speaker 2 1:12:59

Would you rather have a head the size of a small grapefruit or the size of a giant watermelon? That's a wrong time to drink your water. I wasn't ready.

Speaker 1 1:13:12

I wasn't ready for that Dude. That's weird man.

Speaker 2 1:13:22

You look like Beetlejuice, or look with a watermelon.

Speaker 1 1:13:27

I might have to go watermelon head.

Speaker 2 1:13:30

I think so too.

Speaker 1 1:13:31

I have to go, yeah it's better to be.

Speaker 2 1:13:34

I wouldn't say no it's better, but I think I will go with the giant watermelon.

Speaker 1 1:13:37

If you're playing soccer, you get advantage. Head button.

Speaker 2 1:13:40

Yeah, well, what if you're? You don't have the like, your neck is not strong enough to hold your neck, and you're like this all the time.

Speaker 1 1:13:47

Oh, true, true.

Speaker 2 1:13:48

Like walking like this bro.

Speaker 1 1:13:50

That would be weird. Yeah it's tough, oh it's tough.

Speaker 2 1:13:53

Yeah, or what if you had you need to help? Know to walk around like this because your bag is. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1 1:13:59

You'd have to get custom headphones to facts. You can't do by drain.

Speaker 2 1:14:03

Yeah, we can't use these right here, Sorry, but no headphones for you, oh, okay. So I still think, though the yeah, 100%, all right, couple more Joe, these are fun. I know this is what I started doing with people, because these are fun. Would you rather be the cowboy riding the bull or the clown who distracts it? Hmm, I think the writing, because if I'm already riding a bull is for a reason, I probably know how to write. Okay, that sounded bad, but hey, in the context, of writing I'll be a cowboy, that's all I'm saying.

Speaker 2 1:14:53

So I don't know how you feel about that.

Speaker 1 1:14:54

Me too. Yeah, cowboy, because, like, if you're on the bull, like the horns are facing that way, so you'll be alright.

Speaker 2 1:15:02

So how are you on the bull?

Speaker 1 1:15:04

Like the horns are facing that way, right, so you're on the bull like the clown.

Speaker 2 1:15:08

The clown's the one like yeah, yeah, but remember they do this when they go like this on the bull, so you can.

Speaker 1 1:15:16

That's true.

Speaker 2 1:15:17

You seen that right.

Speaker 1 1:15:18

Yeah, yeah, I'm still a cowboy. Yeah, cowboy, cowboy. Yeah, you're a rider cooler yeah.

Speaker 2 1:15:24

Yeah, you look like a G.

Speaker 1 1:15:27

I look like a rider, you look like a true professional Only fan.

Speaker 2 1:15:31

You better start over Only fans, that's okay, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:15:35

At the end of the video. I'm a plug in my only fan.

Speaker 2 1:15:36

I got you. I plug my only fan. What is it, joe Ho, but with the E at the end. Oh, I'll give you ideas.

Speaker 1 1:15:49

I go right down yeah.

Speaker 2 1:15:51

So for those of you guys that don't know, his last name is Ho, like H? O. So that's the reason. If you had an E Gang, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:16:00

It do be like sometimes low key offensive, though, like some people will be like, oh, what's your last name? And I was like, oh, what'd you call me?

Speaker 2 1:16:07

Yeah, what'd you say What'd you say? Oh, I just got that. Yeah, like, my last name is H O.

Speaker 1 1:16:15

It's funny though. Yeah, we love it.

Speaker 2 1:16:18

I love to see it All right. Would you rather get $1 every time you compliment a stranger, or 100 every time you want to be a stranger? Oh, 100. Yeah, I'm in so many, your ass.

Speaker 1 1:16:31

We be like you dumbass.

Speaker 2 1:16:35

Look at that watermelon head. Look at that beaver teeth having that. But yeah, I think, yeah.

Speaker 1 1:16:45

Yeah, all right, we're.

Speaker 2 1:16:47

Dang. To be honest, that's a little selfish, but we got you know times are difficult. You gotta get paid. All right, I'll give you. I'll give you the last one, so we can let me find a good one, though. All right?

Speaker 1 1:17:06

What if we made like an only fans, but people subscribe and we just roast them.

Speaker 2 1:17:11

Dang, that sounds like we have simps in our only. What would you charge?

Speaker 1 1:17:18

Oh man, a hundred dollars for subscription. Oh damn, they're good roasts, though, like they'll be creative, also use. Oh okay, that just gonna be like you ugly, but yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:17:34

Actual and only fans, don't they have only fans for everything? It's not just like cooking and stuff and all that stuff, probably. Yeah, I don't know how they're successful. They are, but it'd be like that sometimes. All right, here we go. Last one Do you either have every meal you eat for the rest of your life be too spicy or too sweet?

Speaker 1 1:17:55

Oh, I have to go sweet, my spice tolerance is high low. Oh, I can't If everything is too spicy. I'm going to cry every time.

Speaker 2 1:18:08

Oh, that's a tough one for me because I like well, I like sweet, I like sweet. I think I'll probably choose sweet because I already have Gert issues. And too spicy, oh, that would be tough for me. Yeah, that would be tough on my acid reflux. I'll be dying. Yeah, no, no, too, too sweet, because then I'll just get like a I don't know eliminate or water. So just kind of balance it out, you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 1:18:30

Do you have a sweet?

Speaker 2 1:18:30

too 100%.

Speaker 1 1:18:32

I love sweet things bro.

Speaker 2 1:18:34

I love sweet things. On me, I mean anything sweet, yeah, like after I eat. I love to have sweet things. Oh yeah, Do you have sweet too?

Speaker 1 1:18:42

Or are you on certain certain days? Okay, Depends on the time of the month.

Speaker 2 1:18:48

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. How long is it? Last seven days? I get.

Speaker 1 1:18:54

I get like little spurts of like oh, I'm craving the sweets here and there, but like overall not really a sweet guy.

Speaker 2 1:19:00

You sure you're not pregnant? Oh geez, Is that what you're emotional today, bro? You trying to tell me something.

Speaker 1 1:19:06

I've been gaining weight.

Speaker 2 1:19:09

We're about to get canceled.

Speaker 1 1:19:11

Thank, you, joe, hey, man, hey, thank you, man, appreciate you.

Speaker 2 1:19:14

Hey, ladies and gentlemen, Thank you guys for watching. We were an actual roller coaster today. We were all lower the place with our emotions, but I hope that you guys enjoy the vulnerability, the realness you know. We were keeping it a stack of pancakes with you guys today. Thank you guys for listening. Thank you guys for watching. Don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel and obviously you can find me and you can find the podcast in Spotify, apple Music, apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. I always struggle with those. And don't forget to subscribe. Turn on the notifications and whenever I post a video or share anything with you guys, you will be able to get notifications. And, joe, I appreciate you coming here. Homie.

Speaker 1 1:20:01

Thank you, man. You had a great time. Bro, that's a good time I need to have you back.

Speaker 2 1:20:04

I'm gonna have you back, we'll do it. Thank you, brother, thank you guys, take care of each other. Peace and love baby. See you guys in the next one. Peace, bye.