An Army of Normal Folks - Russell Butler: The Dancing UPS Man (Pt 1)

Episode Date: July 30, 2024

The story of the UPS driver who almost committed suicide, found healing, and accidentally started a viral ministry of delivering good vibes through dance. Today Russell is better known as “The Dancing UPS Man”, with 1.6 million followers on TikTok and 1.2 million on Instagram.Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And so off the cuff, you go back to the days with your mom and you record yourself doing a little dance. Vanilla ice ice ice baby. Yeah, it was like, I mean, like you said, in the height of COVID, I was like, dude, can we just change the conversation? And again, like I don't discredit how serious that time was, but I was like, can we smile? Can we laugh? Can we just change the conversation a little bit?

So drop my phone down, put on eyesight, baby. Literally, just on a whim. On a whim. Just put your phone down and say, let me see how this recording thing works. That's it. And? Within 24 hours it had 3.5 million views and just comments are comments but you made my

day. Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband. I'm a father. I'm an entrepreneur and I've been a football coach in inner city Memphis. And that last part, it somehow led to an Oscar for the film about our team. That movie is called Undefeated. Y'all, I believe our

country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits using big words that nobody ever uses on CNN and Fox, but rather by an army of normal folks, us, just you and me deciding, hey, I can help. That's what Russell Butler, the voice we just heard, has done. And those 3.5 million views eventually turned into 1.2 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million followers on TikTok and Russell became known as the Dancing UPS Man. But in spite of his fame, he's still a normal dude delivering packages with UPS and delivering on his ministry of sharing good vibes through dance. I cannot wait for you to meet Russell right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors.

It started with a backpack at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, a backpack that contained a bomb. While the authorities focused on the wrong suspect, a serial bomber planned his next attacks. Two abortion clinics and a lesbian bar. But this isn't his story, it's a human story. One that I've become entangled with. I saw as soon as I turned the corner, basically someone bleeding out. The victims of these brutal attacks were left to pick up the pieces, forced to explore the gray areas between right and wrong, life and death.

Their once ordinary lives, and mine, changed forever. It kind of gave me a feeling of pending doom. And all the while, our country found itself facing down a long and ugly reckoning with a growing threat. Far right, homegrown, religious terrorism. Listen to Flashpoint on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the all new podcast, There and Gone. It's a real life story of two people who left a crowded Philadelphia bar, walked to their truck and

vanished. Nobody hears anything. Nobody sees anything. Did they run away? Was it an accident or were they murdered? A truck and two people just don't disappear. The FBI called it murder for hire. It was definitely murder for hire for Danielle, not for Richard. He's your son, and in your eyes he's innocent, but in my eyes he's just some guy my sister was with. In this series, I dig into my own investigation to find answers for the families and get justice for Richard and Danielle. All that they know. Listen to There and Gone South Street on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten.

This month, we're bringing you the stories of athletes. There's the Italian race car driver who courted danger and became the first woman to compete in Formula One. The sprinter who set a world record and protested racism and discrimination in the U.S. and around the world in the 1960s. The diver who was barred from swimming clubs due to her race and went on to become the first Asian-American woman

to win an Olympic medal. She won gold twice. The mountaineer known in the Chinese press as the tallest woman in the world. And the ancient Greek charioteer who exploited a loophole to become the first ever woman to compete at the Olympic games. Listen to Wamanica on the iHeart radio app,

Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. ["Wamanica Theme Song"] Russell Butler! Welcome to Memphis, bro. My man. My man. It's, you know, we're here on a Saturday morning, which that's my off time.

Yes, sir. Mine too. Well, but here's the thing. When we tried to get you down here, it was hilarious. You know, we're an army of normal folks, right? And why you couldn't come down here, you had to shift. You had to deliver packages. Yes, sir.

12 hours a day, baby. It's, I mean, you were working yesterday. I was. I was. I was telling Alex I didn't get off till almost 9 o'clock. Last night. Yes, sir. And caught a plane at four this morning. Yeah, that flight was fun.

Yeah, I bet. You're welcome. So when you were landing in the Memphis airport and you flew over those massive, beautiful white with a red FedEx tail coming in and you're flying over the world headquarters of FedEx in the hub, did you feel like you'd crossed over into enemy territory? Enemy territory, exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

Hey, but I don't know if you saw one of my recent posts was, so that's the deal, much love and much respect to all delivery drivers. We're all in it together, we're all doing the same job, but I danced in front of a FedEx truck and the dude was like, go for it, bro, go for it. The FedEx dude was, were you UPS'd up? I was UPS'd up. You were brown, dancing in front of a FedEx truck,

and the FedEx driver's like, rock and roll. I called out UPS and FedEx and said, who's better? That's awesome. So, welcome to Memphis and you're staying the night. Thank you for having me. Well, we will do something tonight. We will have to get Memphis barbecue in you. So you will finally be able to understand

that y'all's Texas barbecue is not barbecue. Doesn't cut it. No you grill beef, you barbecue pork. There you go. Folks in Texas have had that wrong for decades. So we'll prove that up to you. Awesome. I look forward to it. All right cool. Last thing for our listeners, this is a attended event. There's probably 30 or 40 people who've come. And I wanna say to everybody that's here, thank you for joining us. Thank you for being here. I have one really cool shout out on that.

There's a dude named Mitch with his dad named Steve that last night drove from Ohio to be here for this and a turnaround of going home. Applause on that. Where are you guys? There they are. So welcome. Thank you for being a great supporter of the show.

And Russell told me how honored he was that you guys did that. Means a lot, man. So friends, family, fans, thank you for being here. It means the world to me and I know it means a lot to Russell. So with that, where'd you grow up, dude? Born and raised Lubbock, Texas, man. So getting into mom and dad, Lubbock, Texas, poor as could be to the point of being homeless at one point. Dad got

fired, moved to Sweetwater, Texas for almost a year, came back to Lubbock. We were living in our car, calling friends, calling family. Siblings with you in the car? Correct, yeah. Calling friends, well my oldest brother was, he moved to St. Louis at the time, but my older brother, Cory, me, Cory, mom, dad, and our dog had all our belongings in a Buick Regal,

raining, and mom's on the phone calling friends, calling family, finally gets a hold of my aunt. And we had a home for a couple of months until dad found another job. So that was, I mean, that was my upbringing, man. By no means privileged. By no means privileged. By no means. No, I, you know, and that's the thing, Bill,

is like what I want to pass on to my kids is what my dad passed on to me is hard work, being a good man, character, integrity. That's what I want to instill in my boys. So you went to high school in Lubbock or? Yes sir. So junior high, high school. If you say yes sir again, I'm going to wrestle you.

You ain't that much younger than me, dog. You know what's funny? Texas thing, I say it to everybody, anybody. And I mean. I respect it, all right? Right. But we got a beer in front of us. We're Grind City Brewing in Memphis, Tennessee

with 30 or 40 people out here. Cheers, baby. No yes sirs today, all right? Just yeah, bills, all right? All right. So you went to high school in Lubbock. You play sports, do all that? I did.

So I grew up playing ball, baseball, football. Baseball was my jam. Baseball is your jam. Yeah. Okay, cool. Baseball is my jam. You're a pretty good golfer too, aren't you? I play a little bit.

I dabble. You play a little bit. So. You were almost pro, right? I tried, little bit. I dabble. You play a little bit. So you were almost pro, right? I tried, I tried. Yeah, I was in the golf business for about 10 years. Tried to qualify for the Texas Open two different times, shot 71, 68.

And the- It's pretty good. The guy who took it though, 63, 62. So that showed me really quick. I wasn't quite there, but yeah. But you're still pretty good. So you're athletic is the point. Yes.

Yeah. I will say that. I won't to my own horn, but yes, I'm athletic. All right, so you came up, athletic kid, not a privileged life, but a mother and father who loved you and cared for you and taught you the basic tenets and fundamentals of what it is to be a hardworking,

character-driven good man. I'll tell you what, Bill. My mom and dad, they're my world, man, they're my world, man. They're my world. Sorry. Yeah, so lost both of them within, fast forward, lost both of them within a month of each other in 2016.

Which was, we are jumping ahead, and we're gonna go back before we get there, but people need to know that was a triggering moment for you in your life. 100%, man, 100%. We had, sorry, rewind, I mean, mom and dad, dad's showing me work ethic, mom, mom was there for everything because Dad couldn't be because of work.

That's typical. But yeah, I mean, two of the most phenomenal human beings to ever grace this planet. So growing up, you told me that your parents loved music. Yeah. And your dad was a country dude. Growing up, you told me that your parents loved music. Yeah. And your dad was a country dude. In your words, your dad loved country, full country was cool.

That's right. That's what mom always said about dad. And your mom, her jam was like Elvis and Marvin Gaye and all of that. And then you had a brother who was all into 80s music And then you had a brother who was all in the 80s music, and then you had another brother who was a hip hop dog. That's right. So I mean, you're surrounded by genre.

I mean, I'm smack dab in the middle of every genre of music you can imagine. And I read that, like when you were a kid, your mom would be cooking and she'd be jamming out on Marvin Gaye or Elvis or something, and you and her would just dance in the kitchen. Man, I'll never forget, especially Saturday morning,

she'd be doing biscuits, gravy, eggs, the whole deal, but music was always going in our house, and mom would be in the kitchen doing her thing, but always dancing while doing it. And she would grab my hand, pull me in there, and we would go to town, dude. That's beautiful. But it's also awesome because the minute

you start talking about that, your facial expression changes. Yeah. You get, you can see the happiness and the chill just come over you the minute you say anything about that. And what's so cool, man, is like as I grew up, I mean, both of them, but mom especially, she always encouraged it.

She was like, I see it in you, I love it. Put on some music, let's go, always. I love it. So that's kind of how you came up. And a couple of really rough things happened in your life. One, you've alluded to, which I do want you to go into a little more. Not for the sake of,

you know, I'm not trying to sensationalize your story, it's just your main to your story. And then also the captain of the football team, the president of the student council, the alpha dog, who is your bro, committed suicide. Tell us about those. Yeah, man, so Heath Stewart, so we met in algebra in high school and automatically hit it off, best friend vibe from the get-go, baseball, football, shared so much in common. And yeah, man, so after high school,

I just remember, golly, we were 26. I mean, I lived with the dude for about two or three years. I was going through my rough patch, depression, anxiety. My suicidal thoughts started around 21, 22. And by the grace of God, I overcame that. But you fast forward 26 years old, the last time I saw Heath alive

was at our friend Zach's wedding. And I just remember looking at him and his eyes, everything, he just looked dark. And I mean, I could feel and sense that what he was going through and what I went through when I went through it was so parallel. and what I went through when I went through it was so parallel. And yeah, man, I'll never forget. I got home from work or I was taking a nap,

and my now ex-wife woke me up and said, Heath's gone, committed suicide. And his dad, Robert Stewart, he is like my second daddy. And now a few messages from our gender sponsors. But first, I hope you'll consider signing up to join the army at normalfolks.us. By signing up you'll receive a weekly email with short episode summaries in case you happen to miss an episode or if you prefer reading about our incredible guests. We'll be right back. It started with a backpack at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

A backpack that contained a bomb. While the authorities focused on the wrong suspect, a serial bomber planned his next attacks. Two abortion clinics. And a lesbian bar. But this isn't his story. It's a human story. One that I've become entangled with.

I saw as soon as I turned the corner, basically someone bleeding out. The victims of these brutal attacks were left to pick up the pieces. Forced to explore the gray areas between right and wrong. Life and death. Their once ordinary between right and wrong, life and death. Their once ordinary lives, and mine, changed forever.

It kind of gave me a feeling of pending doom. And all the while, our country found itself facing down a long and ugly reckoning with a growing threat. Far right, homegrown, religious terrorism. Listen to Flashpoint on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the all-new podcast, There and Gone.

It's a real-life story of two people who left a crowded Philadelphia bar, walked to their truck, and vanished. Nobody hears anything, Nobody sees anything. Did they run away? Was it an accident or were they murdered? A truck and two people just don't disappear. The FBI called it murder for hire.

It was definitely murder for hire for Danielle, not for Richard. He's your son, and in your eyes he's innocent, but in my eyes he's just some guy my sister was with. In this series, I dig into my own investigation to find answers for the families and get justice for Richard and Danielle. Listen to There and Gone South Street on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever

you get your podcasts. Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten. This month, we're bringing you the stories of athletes. There's the Italian race car driver who courted danger and became the first woman to compete in Formula One. The sprinter who set a world record and protested racism and discrimination

in the US and around the world in the 1960s. The diver who was barred from swimming clubs due to her race and went on to become the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic medal. She won gold twice. The Mountaineer, known in the Chinese press as the tallest woman in the world. And the ancient Greek charioteer,

who exploited a loophole to become the first ever woman to compete at the Olympic Games. Listen to Wamanica on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So tell me about your depression and your anxiety and your suicidal thoughts. Y'all, we're going to get to the redemption. And this is the dad gum dancing UPS man I'm hanging out with over here. Yes sir.

And. Oh yeah, sorry, no sirs today. No sirs today. That's right. He is the guy that puts smiles on faces of people just by his actions and we're gonna get into all that. But his story is not about being able to dance while he's delivering packages and shooting out stuff.

That's the top line of the story. His story is much deeper than that. And what he does with his ability to dance, what you do with your ability to dance is the redemption and the beauty of who you are as a human being and what you spread. But to get to that, to fully understand it, at 22, every single day,

you thought about killing yourself. I did. At 21, I mean, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was living with mom and dad in Big Spring. Dad got transferred to Big Spring with Rip Griffin. And I wasn't working at the time. I mean, honestly, dad was working his tail off

and he was like, I'll tell you what, mom is super depressed. If you want to stay home and be with her, keep her company, that's good with me. So that's what I did. Me and mom, and that's the coolest part about, you know, bittersweet, right? Life's yin and yang. But just being there with mom and developing that friendship with her

and dad when he came home. But it got to me after a while. I realized at the time, like, I'm aimless, I'm hopeless, like, so it just accumulates and accumulates. And that's where drugs started coming in, all the addictions started coming in. And yeah, man, 21, 22 years old, addiction and suicidal thoughts were a daily thing.

And it got to the point it was like, if this is my life, I don't wanna do it. If this is what it's gonna be from now on, I don't wanna do it. How close? Gun in hand, locked and loaded, on the edge of the bed, ready to go. on the edge of the bed, ready to go.

So, for those of y'all who kind of know my story a little bit about me, in that moment, I literally cried out to God, if this is it, I can't do it. And I can't even explain what happened in that moment as far as my faith, as far as my belief, but there was a light that just went off inside of me that said you were worth so much more than where you are right now.

And you're gonna get through this. And when you get through this, you're gonna show millions of people how to get through this. So did you find a purpose with that gun in your hand? Absolutely. And that is my mission as of today. If you're in that place, you have a purpose. And that is why I'm using what God has given me

and using this platform to tell people you have a purpose. And you are worth so much more than what you know. So how long after that moment did your buddy commit suicide and then your parents pass? So again, I was 21, 22 when I went through that and Heath committed suicide at 26. Dude, if you, you know depression and anxiety because you've lived it.

You were on the edge of the bed. When you saw him at 26 and saw the darkness and everything else, you had to have known. And you know what's crazy about that Bill is, like I said, his dad is like my second dad. And we've talked about this several times. And it's one of those things you kind of kick yourself in the butt.

It's like, I see it and didn't say anything. You know what I mean? Is that because mental health is so taboo? I believe so. Like, seriously, like, 26 years old, like, what do I say to this guy? Like, I know I went through it. Like, what do I tell him?

And it's, you know, it's life. It's like everybody goes through their own journey. And you just assume that he's gonna come out of it and that's that's the issue. Taboo. You said it. You know if somebody's got cancer we rally around them. Yeah. You know we will we will shave our heads. We will wear pink ribbons. We will raise money. We will do all kinds of things about cancer. If somebody's got, I mean, I think about St. Jude,

which I know you're involved in, and the money you've helped to raise St. Jude, and the smiles you put on those kids' faces. Yes, sir. Mental health kills people daily, yet it's almost a whisper that we talk about mental health with rather than a attack that we attack other ailments with. 100%.

And that's the thing, Bill, is like, I know when I was going through what I was going through, I didn't know how to talk about it, I didn't know who to talk to. And that's the issue, is like, if you're going through that, and that's where I'm at in life now, is like, I see a counselor, if you're- through that, and that's where I'm at in life now, is like I see a counselor. If you're-

Even today. Even today. If you start recognizing those symptoms, or if you see somebody with those, yes, you're exactly right. It's time to talk about it. I've read, we're jumping ahead, and we're're gonna get back but like a squirrel up a tree. I'm gonna chase I've read that even today

You have a largely rule route delivering your UPS packages Yeah, and some of those long drives between spots on certain days Your anxiety will start kicking you hard. So even today, even today, I mean, that's the thing, dude. It's a, it's a daily grind. Like if you, and that's my family history of depression. I mean, dude, bipolar, manic, all of it, it's a family thing. And for me, it's a daily thing.

So you know, what I'm trying to get across to people through what I do is how do you manage it? And again, between seeing my counselor and I'm like, if you're to the point that it's gotten so dark that you feel you need medication, by all means, do what you have to do to take care of yourself. What do you do? What's the Russell personal thing? Because I've read it.

I think some of it's hilarious, and I want read it. I think some of it's hilarious. And I want you to tell, and some of it's profound. So, I mean, dude, you could put my daily routine down to the minute. Wake up at 5.30, I do three rounds of breath work, I take a cold shower, I work out, and then I start my day. But it's like, if I didn't do those things, but I mean, if you look at the effect on mental health

with just doing that, it has a huge impact on your mental health. Taking in quality food, I mean, just the basics. But like I say, and of course I dance. Of course, of course I dance. But, you know, just doing, doing the things that I feel God has given us to do, to work, to be outside, to nature, right? But if you've gone, if your mental health has gone beyond that point, like I say, seek help.

We'll be right back. It started with a backpack at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. A backpack that contained a bomb. While the authorities focused on the wrong suspect, a serial bomber planned his next attacks. Two abortion clinics and a lesbian bar. But this isn't his story, it's a human story. One that I've become entangled with. I saw as soon as I turned the corner, basically someone bleeding out.

The victims of these brutal attacks were left to pick up the pieces, forced to explore the gray areas between right and wrong, life and death. Their once ordinary lives, and mine, changed forever. It kind of gave me a feeling of pending doom. And all the while, our country found itself facing down a long and ugly reckoning with a growing threat. Far right, homegrown, religious terrorism. Listen to Flashpoint on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the all new podcast, There and Gone.

It's a real life story of two people who left a crowded Philadelphia bar, walked to their truck, and vanished. Nobody hears anything. Nobody sees anything. Did they run away? Was it an accident or were they murdered? A truck and two people just don't disappear. The FBI called it murder for hire. It was definitely murder for hire for Danielle, not for Richard. He's your son.

And in your eyes, he's innocent. But in my eyes, he's just some guy my sister was with. In this series, I dig into my own investigation to find answers for the families and get justice for Richard and Danielle. All that they know. and get justice for Richard and Danielle. Listen to There and Gone South Street on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten. This month we're bringing you the stories of athletes. There's the Italian race car driver who courted danger and became the first woman to compete in Formula One. The sprinter who set a world record and protested racism and discrimination in the US and around the world in the 1960s. The diver who was barred from swimming clubs due to her race and went on to become the

first Asian-American woman to win an Olympic medal. She won gold twice. The mountaineer known in the Chinese press as the tallest woman in the world. And the ancient Greek charioteer who exploited a loophole to become the first ever woman to compete at the Olympic Games. Listen to Wamanica on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I've read where you've been driving down this rural route

and your anxiety hits, and you describe it as your mind going 90 different directions and bouncing around in your head where you can't even collect faults because your anxiety's got you so worked up and you pray. God, not right now, I'm on my route. Give me a break. You know, it's funny, Bill, Give me a break. You know, it's funny, Bill.

Just yesterday, on my route, heavy as could be, I had 350 packages to get delivered. It was a 12 hour day, right? I walk in, I see my truck, I look at my supervisor, I'm like, really, bro? 350, dude, come on. I could show you pictures, I'm like, really bro? It's really... 350 dude, come on. Like, I could show you pictures, like back to front, you can't see light through the truck.

And I'm out there in the middle of nowhere. Yes, I was cussing up a storm, like this is not happening today. But in that moment, it's mindset. I had the choice in that moment to be defeated and let that get to me. And I called my son because in that moment, I just started praying. because in that moment I just started praying. I said, God give me the strength to do this job for my kids, for myself, just give me strength. Prayed, breathe, and like after about 10 minutes I was coasting. I was actually, we're not supposed to run. I was getting my workout in for the day, running these packages door to door.

But it's so funny, man. Like, you know, my oldest, well, all my boys, but my oldest in my middle, you know, you watch them in sports or in school, in life. And there's those moments where you just feel defeated. And that's where you have to get in here and get in here. I mean, mind over matter. Head and heart.

Head and heart, dude, all day. So knowing that this is just your life, your parents pass. And like you said, I think 41 days between the passing of them. And at the top of this, we saw your emotion with regard to what your parents are to you. Still, even in death. You kind of fell off the wagon a little after that, right?

I did, man. So like I say, if you suffer with mental health, especially the way me and my family do, it's a daily thing. So, you know, went through losing Heath. But I tell you when I lost mom and dad within a month of each other, it changed my life. Completely changed my life. So yeah, I mean, you know, that's the thing is like, I'm at a place in my life where I can balance having a beer, you know, balance is finding balance. But at the time, I didn't want to deal with it. So I turned to all the addictions I turned to when I was 21 and then some. And-

Heavy stuff? Time to time. Not good. Not good. And I gotta believe it's kind of a depression, anxiety, drugs. Drugs are self-medicating, but then when you lose that high,

now you're more depressed. It's gotta be this just concentric circle of misery. It, 1,000%, that's exactly what it is. You feel this anxiety. to relieve the anxiety, I'm gonna do this drug, or I'm gonna do that, or I'm gonna do this to relieve the anxiety. And guess what? That problem, or that problem you didn't deal with,

still there tomorrow. So when the drug or alcohol or whatever your substance of choice is when it wears off, guess what? The anxiety's right back there. And now when you're sober, you add the anxiety of knowing that you're doing destructive crap to self-medicate, and now you have shame and guilt on top of everything else, so it continues to ratchet up. I've heard this story from other guests.

Yeah. Is that right? 100% accurate. And I wanna give a special shout out to my ex-wife. She's an amazing human being. She's an amazing mother to our three boys. I'm at a place in life, I own it all. It's on me.

I couldn't and wouldn't deal and cope. So again, that's what I'm saying. If you know you're in a place where you need help, get the help. Don't turn to that pill. Don't turn to that drug of choice. Because like you said said all it does is create this cycle and in the middle of that cycle are the people you love.

And you gobble them up too. And after so long they've had enough. They've had enough. Which leads to more anxiety and depression on your part because now you're destroying the people you love the most. Correct. It is, it is a cycle of misery. I'm just, I am super thankful and super grateful to still have her in my life in a respect because she's a prayer warrior in my life.

And I'm fortunate enough to have those few people in my life to be where I'm at today. Good news after about three years of that, somehow you broke loose. How? Man, I'm dead serious, dude. Hitting my knees. And like I say, doing,

doing the things that I know I need to do. When I tell myself to wake up at 5.30, I wake up at 5.30. When I have a Bible study, I have a Bible study. When I, again, cold shower, eat the right foods, go for a run, all the crap you don't wanna do in the moment, that's exactly what you need to do

to get across the other side. So you disciplined yourself out of it. 1000%. Do you know how much temerity and intestinal strength it takes to do that? That says so much about who you are as a human being. And it goes back to probably your dad. You know, Bill, I'll never forget, dad would work, so he was a diesel driver,

would drive 14 hours a day, sometimes up to 16, but if he knew I had a baseball game that day. One of my fondest memories, I'm about to get up to the plate to bat and I see the tanker roll up in center field. That is one of the fondest memories of my pop to this day. So yeah, exactly dude. He loved his kid. My folks loved all three of us beyond measure. So coming out of this thing, Russell wrote a book y'all, Battling Depression, Winning the War in Our Minds. This published in 2015, right?

Yes sir. Battling Depression, got it. Winning the War in Our Minds. What's that war in your mind? So you know, for me, and I think a lot of people who battle mental health, I think it's a 50-50 split between body, well, body, mind and spirit is the way I like to quote it. If one of those body, mind or spirit is out of tune,

out of sync, this is gonna mess with you. So it's a matter of, for me, getting the spirit right, then getting the body right and getting the mind right. And I think mind and body go hand in hand. So you're saying if you get your spiritual life in order and you take care of your body, that you're aiding your mind to fight off the war that is depression and anxiety.

Correct, yep, yep. Do you believe that there's an added element of evil in that battle? So I don't know if you saw, I also did a podcast with Maurice Bernard. I wish I had, I didn't, but I will check it out, as will everybody else. Yes, so Maurice and I were having this conversation. So Maurice's story is also remarkable. Maurice, if you're watching, much love brother, keep up the fight. But I mean, he hit the nail on the head. When he was going through his and same with me,

I mean, it literally feels like God and the devil are just going to war, just going to war. And it's like, for your soul, I believe there is a battle of good and evil so it's a matter of choosing daily to do I mean really the basic right things in life, like good and evil. Because it's easy, it's so easy to turn to addiction. It's easy. I don't feel like doing this. I don't feel like dealing with this.

I'm going to take a pill. I don't feel like dealing with this. I'm just going to get a pill. I don't feel like dealing with this. I'm just going to get high out of my mind. So it's a matter of physically and mentally making that choice to do the things you know you need to do to take care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit. And that concludes part one of my conversation with Russell Butler. And trust me, you don't want to miss part two that's now available to listen to where he puts smiles on everyone's faces.

Together guys, we can change this country. It starts with you. I'll see you in part two. Back in 96, Atlanta was booming with excitement around hosting the Centennial Olympic Games. And then, a deranged zealot willing to kill for a cause lit a fuse that would change my life and so many others forever. Rippling out for generations. Listen to Flashpoint on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the all-new podcast There and Gone. It's a real-life story of two people who left a crowded Philadelphia bar, walked to their truck, and vanished. A truck and two people just don't disappear. The FBI called it murder for hire. But which victim was the intended target and why? Listen to There and Gone South Street on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenni Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast

that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten. Who doesn't love a sports story? The rivalries, the feats of strength and stamina. But these tales go beyond the podium. There's the teen table tennis champ, the ice skater who earned a medal and a medical degree, and the sprinter fighting for Aboriginal rights. Listen to a manica on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.