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Hello and welcome to this episode of Keep It Positive, sweetie.
I'm Crystal Renee Hazlett.
And if you cannot tell, I'm not at home.
I'm in Los Angeles catching up with some of my favorite people right here in LA.
We are at 13 Loon in Los Angeles.
It is a black founded store by Nikaio Graco and 90% of the products sold here are BIPOC
founded.
Thank you so much 13 Loom. Today I have with me none other than Major,
also known as the Hope Dealer, my brother.
I'm so excited to have you on the couch today.
I'm super honored to finally be on the couch.
We've been working this out.
Because the way I shoot, it's very unorthodox.
A lot of people just shoot whenever I shoot mine in blocks.
So I'm glad we were able to make this.
It's called organization.
Yes.
Yes, you got you got intention to it all and I'm on it.
First things first.
I want you to know that I'm extremely proud of you.
You're impacting in more ways than one.
And as I share right before we started shooting,
I was saying that it's an effortless relatability
that you represent.
You give people permission to just show up,
show up fully, dream big, and keep it positive.
So that's what it is.
That's what it is. So congrats.
Thank you so much.
For those of you who may have been under a rock,
Major is also known as the Hope Healer,
but he is also a platinum American.
Hope dealer.
I said Hope Healer.
But I'll go with Hope Healer.
That works.
A few folks have said that before,
because I do believe a hope mindset does heal,
but we'll get into that.
Keep going. keep going.
Come on, prophet.
Come on.
He is the hope dealer.
He's a Platinum American soul singer and an actor.
So just in case you don't know, that's who he is.
Major, you and I first met, I feel like it was through Instagram.
Yeah, it could be.
Through IG.
And then we ran into each other at the NAACP Awards dinner, and I was like,
wait, your father's like, I get to actually meet you.
And you've always been such a beautiful light and spirit,
and just amazing.
A lot of people know you from your songs and your music
and the joy that you bring into our homes,
but meeting you, I was like, I see,
it translates through, yeah, for sure.
You realize it's real?
Yeah. Because I wanna's real? Yeah.
Cause I want to make sure that people know
that this ain't some front.
Right.
Like I really choose joy.
You do.
Like hope is literally my fuel.
And it doesn't mean everything's perfect,
but it is very much who I am and who I've always been.
Yeah.
I love it.
So for the people who don't know, just tell us a little bit about yourself.
So I'm originally from Houston, Texas.
Yeah, H-town.
I went to performing arts schools all my life.
I'm one of 13 siblings.
Grew up in a household, a family of, it was 10 of us, a blended family, 10 siblings.
And yeah, I was very, very close to family,
have always been.
The church is where it all started for me.
The church is where it ends for me.
You know, it's the kingdom assignment
that is something that I've embraced early on.
I went on to do some work in music
and did an intensive at Juilliard
before going to the Berklee College of Music in Boston
where I graduated.
Was very active at Berklee with Student Body President.
You know what I mean?
Because I believe our voices should be heard.
That was my slogan.
Let your voice be heard.
But I then fast forwarded, moved to Los Angeles
to pursue this dream of singing and acting
and voiceover work. It's been a
disrespectful yet rewarding adventure. Yeah, a lot of lessons
along the way. I'm married now, three and a half years married.
I call her doctor wife, you know, and yeah, so we're here.
I was a worship leader for a very long time
with one church, you know it for Tori Roberts
and Sarah Jakes Roberts, and I'm still, you know,
just a church boy living out a soul singer. Yeah.
You know, dream.
I love that.
Let's talk about some of the disrespect and rewards
along your journey, because a lot of people see you
and feel like, oh man, he's made it.
Like, I'm trying to get there, you know,
but as artists, we feel like we have so far to go.
Let's speak to that.
Well, you said it.
As artists, we feel like we have so far to go. And I think to that. Well, you said it as artists. We feel like we have so far to go.
And I think really the word is as humans
because I think once we step into some of these seats
of opportunity people forget that we're human first.
Yeah.
And so I I try to live in a way to bring people back to
I'm human.
I'm human first and
rejection probably was my greatest disrespected,
but my greatest teacher,
I have a new relationship with rejection,
but rejection is very much a part of this journey
that I've lived pursuing entertainment
as a career, because people don't know
that we get way more nos than we get yeses and estings.
Absolutely, yeah.
Like a whole lot more.
We just present well in the midst of the turbulence
and all of that good stuff.
And I think of it very similarly to, you know,
a plane ride.
You know, when we're in flight, when there's turbulence,
if we see the pilot or the stewardess, you know,
or they say flight attendant, don't say stewardess no more.
Flight attendant tripping during turbulence,
we're gonna act up.
We're gonna be like, oh, no, no, no, yeah, yeah.
So they know how to keep their composer
in the midst of the turbulence
because turbulence isn't new.
It's a part of the journeys.
And so rejection, in its great side of disrespect,
has definitely challenged me
to question if what I'm longing for,
I'm chasing after or seeking is worth my chase
or my seeking.
And it doesn't always feel good,
especially when rejection is not necessarily
an indicator of you're not qualified.
So that's the teacher in it,
because I realize that it's not always
about not being qualified.
That is the reason why a thing isn't a thing for you yet.
It's not your time or this one, this ain't what,
this ain't a part of the plan.
Or, you know, just a redirection.
You know, we say rejection is God's, you know,
protection and a redirection.
And now for me, my reclaiming and my renaming of
rejection, the word no, has now turned into NO.
No, and that that acronym is next one. Because Crystal, if it
ain't this one, it's the next one. And if it ain't that one,
we gonna get the next one. My're gonna get the next one. Yes. And if it ain't that one, we gonna get the next one. I love that.
My only thing is to show up well every time.
Yeah.
So that I don't have a regret.
Exactly.
Have you always had that mindset or did you?
No, I just told you there's been a journey.
You're like.
Ha ha ha ha.
Imagine being the talented big fish
in your ponds or rivers or oceans,
wherever you come from, and then being dumped in LA,
where it's a whole bunch of talented big fish.
You know, and you have to figure out where your place is
amongst all of these talented folks.
And so you start to question,
am I as talented as I thought?
No, you're still talented.
But there's a whole lot of others.
And so it's just about where you belong
and where God needs you ultimately
in the season that you're in.
And so it took some time and some growing
and conversations like my uncle play,
him and his wife, LaDonna,
D.L. Hughley had a conversation with me about rejection.
And he was like, man, I've been rejected
way more than I've been accepted.
He says, but when I was accepted,
I leaned into that thing with everything I had.
And so when people see that, that's what they remember.
Yes, absolutely.
I know for artists, I don't know how it is for musicians,
but I know as an actor, we long for the awards
and the awards season.
We feel like that is a stamp of our worthiness.
Is us too.
Okay, you feel like that too.
So how do you deal with that?
I know a lot of times when award season comes around
and it's just like, dang, like, there they go.
You know what I'm saying?
And I'm not there, you know?
How does that feel and how do you deal with that?
It's the count it all joy of it all.
I'm speaking from a place of learned behavior now
because it wasn't always like that for me.
But it does frustrate when what we do as public,
we want to be acknowledged by the public.
At the end of the day, people get super churchy
and they're like, it's for God, God.
Heaven is the reward.
Yes, while I'm on earth,
I would love to enjoy some benefits.
Who doesn't wanna smell the flowers?
Look at that bouquet right there.
You know what I mean?
Like who doesn't want to enjoy treasure?
Yeah.
It's, I just have to make sure that the reward,
the award, the accolade is not my idol.
Because that in lies the problem.
And that's what I think many of us get caught up in.
We chase the thing as if that's the thing.
But that's just an indicator
that you're doing what you're doing and you're doing it well. Exactly.
And along the way for me, I counted all joy by just counting up the moments.
Like you literally are pulling in some influential people.
So if you don't realize that that's your perpetual reward and acculate for the impact
that you're making, because people don't just say yes to things they don't believe in.
Right. They believe you.
That's why people are showing up.
And that's why you have to have waiting lists for certain people.
You know what I mean?
So whether it be the trophy
or the success of your podcast, we win it.
Yeah, I love that we are winning. That's it, winning. I love that.
We are winning.
That's it brother.
That is it.
Some people don't know that your real name is Major.
Yeah.
My mama named me that.
That's right.
Exactly.
And when your mom was pregnant with you,
her prayer was that you made a major impact in the world.
And I guess it's safe to say that her prayer was answered.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It has been.
It's been an interesting
journey into the fullness of understanding what impact is,
because oftentimes we define impact with certain accolades.
Yes, we do. Which is what we just talked about.
But when you get a message in your DMs of a person hearing,
this is why I love you.
And that's my love letter to God.
And I'm not realizing that it's impacting people
in a way that they decide not to commit suicide
because they realize that they're worthy of the love
that they seek.
Yes.
And so I'm like, oh, so this is the impact.
Yes.
It's not just about I'm, you know, getting, I'm selling the most, I'm, you know,
I'm on this TV show or I'm on this radio station.
It's about how you are speaking to the cry of the earth.
And that's what I'm most moved by.
And every day I have to reset my perspective
and intention to make sure that that's first,
the other stuff can come.
But when you touch your heart,
when you respond to a hurt, to a need, to somebody's
yearning to be reminded that they're worthy, that's impact. So my mama knew, my mama prayed,
and I love her for it. Yes, shout out to moms. I love that.
So speaking of your childhood, what was it like growing up in Houston?
You said you were in the church, but like how was that?
And then how did you end up going to Juilliard?
What was that journey like from a child?
Oh, I've always been extra.
So my mama named me right for that. Major has always been, I've always been
bold and courageous, not always confident. And we can talk about that later because that's
the thing that I think a lot of people confuse with extroverted people. They just think they're
confident, but it's not always that.
Cause I've wrestled with the imposter syndrome big time.
But growing up, I've always just had audacity
and I would just step into spaces fully.
And I think that that is what has attracted
the support of my village. because coming from a big family,
you know, of course finances were challenged
because we didn't, you got to spread out
all of the resources with all of us.
And so I think my community and my village
did a great work in supporting the dream.
My mom's whole philosophy was if you want to do something.
Now I know financial stuff can sometimes feel confusing or even overwhelming.
But listen, you got this.
And guess what?
Our good neighbors at State Farm
are here to support black women on this journey.
They understand the importance of financial empowerment
in our community.
I mean, here's the thing, it all starts with knowledge.
We gotta figure out where our money's going, right?
So for the next week,
let's challenge ourselves to track our income and expenses.
There are tons of budgeting apps and resources available, but even a simple notebook can do the trick. Knowing
where your money goes is the first step to taking control. Next, let's build a
budget. Remember, financial security isn't about deprivation. It's about making
your money work for you. Allocate your funds towards your goals like that trip
you've been dreaming of or starting your own business. Don't forget to set aside some money for emergencies too because life throws curveballs
and you have to be prepared. Now debt happens. I know we hate that word but it happens but don't
beat yourself up about if you have some. The key is to manage it effectively. There are resources
available to help you with debt consolidation and repayment plans. Talk to your bank or financial advisor and they can guide you in the right direction.
And finally, let's invest in our future.
Even small contributions towards a retirement savings plan
can make a big difference down the line.
I mean, think about it.
A secure future where you can travel the world,
spoil your grandkids, or finally write that book.
Do it well. Don't waste time doing it if you're not going to
do it well. And so I always just showed up that way. And I think
to a degree, it kind of made the extra perfectionist in me kind
of come up by I got tamed that beast because perfection will
never be accomplished.
but I got tamed that beast because perfection will never be accomplished.
Excellence will.
And so that's what I realized, that's what she meant.
Yeah, for sure.
Showing up well is a spirit of excellence, not perfection.
But yeah, I went to performing arts schools.
The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
was a very popular performing
arts school. Robert Glasper, Brian Michael Cox, LaToya Luckett, and this real humble
lady by the name, a few people may know her, Beyonce. Beyonce, you heard her?
I have heard her. Yeah, yeah, Beyonce. Yeah, a lot of great, talented folks came from HSPVA.
And when I was at PVA,
I did an intensive with the Houston Grand Opera
High School Voice Studio
and also did an intensive with Juilliard
called the Juilliard Experience,
where they select certain students throughout the country.
And I then transitioned to Berkeley.
And Berkeley was an experience that opened me up
to the more, it was just so much.
It was just so much.
It was just so much. But I'm grateful for my upbringing.
Church has literally guided and steered my way.
I was choir boy.
They used to call me choir boy.
I was the one singing in a choir.
And obviously the one that was supposed to have the solo
because if you go, all right, blend major,
blend a little bit more.
You're like, this is my...
All right, just give them the song.
Just let them sing the song.
But yeah, it's been a really cool journey,
but I always did, I did, as much as I showed up well
and as much as it brought me opportunities,
I was always just an odd kid too.
And I didn't always like it,
cause I was like, why can't I just be a little bit more normal?
You know, and-
But some people don't realize they're a little odd.
Yeah.
It's like, oblivious.
At first, for the longest I did,
and I was just like, yeah, catch up everybody. Like, you know, this is what we all supposed to do. And then I was like, it's the biggest. At first, for the longest I did, and I was just like, yeah, catch up everybody.
Like, you know, this is what we all supposed to do.
And then I was like, wait a minute,
nobody else is doing it like this.
And so, just realizing that different was a stamp on me.
Yeah, I love that.
So you come from a really big family, 13 siblings.
Are you the only one that has made it
to this level of fame and like success?
Um I would say I'm the only clearly I'm the only one of my my siblings that has made to this level
of popularity and and uh celebrity um but my my siblings are impressive. Like I have, like they're moving.
My brother Scotty is down in Dallas.
He's a real estate developer and broker.
Like he's developing South Dallas and doing, he's-
Wow, there's a lot of things going on in Dallas.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, Dallas is-
It's booming, yeah.
Yeah, it's booming for sure.
My other brother is getting his doctorate
in psychology, family, child psychology.
I have another brother that has a program
for special needs, a sister that's a teacher.
A brother that owns a trucking company,
they doing it, you know, so.
I was just gonna ask you,
because a lot of times when we are the one that made it,
we deal with what is called survivors remorse,
where we feel like we gotta bring everybody with us,
but it seems like you haven't really had to deal with that.
Or have you?
Cause I have.
I've had an interesting
guilt of the attention that is on me
where I'm like, I'm not trying to put the spotlight just on me.
I think people misinterpret the intention of an extrovert.
Our nature is we show up.
We just show up.
It's not, hey, only look at me.
And I actually have a heart to share the space
and I think, and I'm an empath.
So I feel people's burden and I feel their plight.
So I'm always thinking my first duty is to respond
and figure out how I can resolve people's issue.
And I'm sorry, I'm in a season now where I'm exhausted
of like doing that for so many people. And I'm sorry, I'm in a season now where I'm exhausted
of like doing that for so many people. And my mom tries to tell me,
you're not responsible for everybody.
And I'm just like, but they, yeah,
but it feels like I am and they call me and I,
when my, I've always kind of moved like a patriarch
in my spaces, not, no, not to my older brother, you know,
which I care deeply for, but I've just been that one,
you know, that has stepped in that seat.
But, you know, I have to ride that fine line to realize
I'm not savior.
Yes.
Major you're not savior.
As one, you may be vessel, but you ain't savior.
Yeah, and so, yeah, hear that.
You're not savior, vessel, but not savior.
It can pass through you.
The answer can pass through you.
You're an instrument, but you're not savior.
Relieve yourself of that.
I'm saying it just in case I encourage them.
And when I watch it back, relieve yourself
of thinking you have to be everyone's answer.
Cause that's not the case.
That's so good.
Thank you for that.
I needed that too.
I know I was, it is lit. It's crazy. Cause I did that. And then when I looked at you, I'm like, oh, you needed that too.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Remember the standard in which we love. When it says love your neighbor as you love yourself, you set the bar on how you love yourself.
Yeah.
The as you love yourself is the operative. It's not just give all the love away and whatever's left,
I'm gonna use it for me.
Remember you so that you can properly measure
and give to whomever else.
God will never, I have learned,
God never wants us to exist in a space
where there's no give back, there's no return on the investment,
the soul reap.
Yeah, that's real.
That's it.
That is it.
You talked about people see that you're so extroverted and feel like you're confident.
Let's speak to that because I know a lot of people, I wouldn't think that you're not
confident and I know there's moments where I don't feel as confident
as people would think I should feel.
Let's talk about that.
I am courageous.
I am bold and I am ambitious and I am audacious.
Audacious for those that are like,
why did he say that word?
It means I have the audacity.
I choose to just go for it because at the end of the day,
I have seen lack.
And if I don't want lack, I gotta leap for more.
If you don't want lack, you have to leap for the more. So my audacity
is if I want more than what I don't have, more than what I want, more of what I want, I've got
to take the leap. And so a lot of times I move in that. And that's faith really.
I move in faith.
And it has always rewarded me.
So it pushes me to do it more often
because I know that the reward is often better
than not having taken the shot at all.
So, but I will say sometimes I show up in spaces,
nervous as heck, questioning, do I belong here?
Did I manipulate my way into this space?
And it's, I know that's nothing but the devil's work
because the devil only gets to the mind.
Yes.
That which you speak is his invitation
to what you're thinking.
you speak is his invitation to what you're thinking.
Yo, there's so many downloads happening right now. But I will say that I wrestle with it
and I'm in an interesting season right now
where I don't have a number one song at radio.
I have a song that's doing that,
that why I love you, that's still paying me well.
You know what I'm saying?
Yes, we appreciate this.
The folks are still getting married.
The folks are still getting married.
So Major's still able to get all the chicken nuggets
he wants.
But I don't have a number one at radio right now.
I have music on the radio, but I don't have, you know,
a crazy engagement right now on Instagram,
which throws me off.
Whoever invented Instagram and this algorithm,
stop it, Alga.
Stop, Alga.
Chill out, because you're playing with my mind
and my emotions, because I start thinking I'm doing well one minute and then the next.
It almost yeah, yeah, yeah, that it will humble you real quick.
I went through them like what is happening?
It's crazy.
You start doubting everything, but that's why you got to remind yourself.
Yeah, bring yourself back to your real.
Yeah, it's a real.
Yeah, it's not real. Yeah, this ain't real. Yeah, it's ain't real. But yeah, I wrestle with the confidence in this season because I'm, I think I'm called,
I believe.
And I think as we continue to evolve, we get more clarity on our why.
Yes.
But I think I'm called to speak to the intersection of faith and culture
Because I know how to break down
Complex things simply I know how to say it simply. Yeah, and I've always had that gift
but it's frustrating when it's not either or because
most of the time as an artist you're either a gospel singer or
or because most of the time as an artist, you're either a gospel singer or you're not a gospel singer.
And I'm right in the middle
because my faith is what drives me,
but my audience a lot of times is mainstream.
And so I'm doing something that mainstream is not asking for,
but in need of, and gospel is like,
well, do more over, just do it over here
because that's what we
do. But God didn't call us to be club church, he called us to go out into the world to spread the
church, to expand the church and so it feels very lonely in this space and so my confidence isn't in that strong every day, but moments like this
and people reaching out to me and encouraging me
and saying, yo, what you said
or I was listening to the song the other day
or I watched an interview or I saw you on this
and I'm like, okay, okay, I belong here.
I belong here.
Wow.
And that's important to feel that as an artist,
because a lot of what we do is off the reaction
of other people.
So when you're not getting that love or the reaction
or the feedback that you need, it's like,
what am I doing wrong?
Or do I need to reevaluate?
Do I need to do something different to move the needle?
So I totally understand where you are.
Yeah, I also think that
we have to position ourselves
in environments
that speak life.
Because as fame becomes our reality,
you're forced to be in environments that,
that's not their duty.
Their duty is not speaking life.
Their duty is just to speak on what they see.
And sometimes you just have to, it's just that reset.
That artistic, that creative reset.
And this isn't just for the creatives,
it's for the people that are in business,
that are venturing as entrepreneurs.
Bring yourself back center and make sure
you have a village of support.
And that you're just not drawing, but you're also given.
Because if you're the only one
giving and receiving nothing in return that ain't the way if you're the only one receiving and
giving nothing in return that ain't the way but if we're both pouring if we're both giving
that right there is the way and that is love and that is God and that is life. Yes, I love that. I love that.
You are known as the hope dealer.
I want to call you the hope healer.
I don't know why it keeps coming out.
The hope healer.
All right, I'm gonna go with the flow
of what this prophetess is saying.
But Billy Johnson is the one that gave you the name,
the hope dealer.
Can you just give us the story behind that?
So Billy Johnson is a journalist, a music journalist.
He used to work with Yahoo Music when Yahoo Music was a big thing.
And he did an interview and he brought attention to this term that had been floating around
about me.
He's a hope dealer.
He's a hope dealer.
My team was like, yeah, we the hope dealer, you the hope dealer.
And he said in this article that Major is feeling the void
of hope and inspiration that is missing
in mainstream music.
And I was like, oh yeah, I like that.
That's an assignment.
I'll rock with that.
Hope has always been my theme.
I define hope as this.
Hope is not the denial of reality.
It's the commitment to believe greater
is on the other side of it.
I put, break it down even more that
hope is not the pretending that circumstance
and hardship and difficulty ain't real.
Yeah, oof, because it is.
Because life is gonna life.
Yes. Hope or going life. Yes.
Hope or no hope.
Right.
But hope is a commitment to anchor yourself
to the promise and the promise keeper.
Yeah.
And if he did it before, he can do it again.
Yes.
Yes.
And that the fact of the matter is every storm
runs out of rain.
Every single one.
Yeah. So all I have to do is hold to this hope every storm runs out of rain, every single one.
So all I have to do is hold to this hope
that is attached to this phenomenon called faith
that is shown and proven to always work
as long as you hold to it and you put in the work
because you can't talk faith, let you talk hope
because faith is a substance of things hoped for.
But hope has changed my life.
It has been the fuel to what I do.
It has given me perspective to shift in moments,
to pivot in moments, to say,
N.O. is next one. I love that.
Yeah.
You know, I even had it tatted on my arm.
I have a foundation called Major Hope.
Yes.
Major Hope.
I put this, I tatted Hope on my arm
right after Why I Love You blew up the first time and then I'm like what do I have
next? I felt this pressure of needing to outdo this you know the success of that and thinking
that people were putting pressure on me assuming pressure that wasn't even real. And I realized I had to, Madri, you gotta start living
the hope you're giving.
And so I tatted on my arm as a reminder,
never thought I'd ever get a tattoo,
but I tatted on my arm as a reminder
that the hope you live is a hope you give.
The hope you give is a hope you must live.
And it has been the current that has kept me
and I'm telling you, it delivers well.
Lock into hope.
You get your joy there, you get your peace there,
you get your abundance there.
Yeah.
Lock into hope.
Lock into that, I love that.
That's amazing. You speak about your foundation.
Tell us how we can support it, what it's about.
The Major Hope Foundation, major all caps with a period.
That's the clever part.
While my real name is Major, I capitalize every letter and put a period after that,
because I mean that day. Right. All right. Major dot hope all caps foundation is a social
action initiative committed to the amplification of hope in communities and
people near and far. My intention is just to help redefine our understanding of
hope to not just see it as some fluffy cliche that's just said, with circumstance, circumstance,
but really a real tangible answer and remedy
to the tough times of life.
Major Hope Foundation, majorhopefoundation.org.
You can go on there.
We have three programs, the Major Hope Experience,
which is like a concert experience.
We do it acoustic or with the full band
where it's music meets motivation,
where motivation and music collide.
Think MTV Unplugged meets Super Soul Sunday.
It's special.
That's one program.
The other program is Random drops of hope, likened to random
acts of kindness where it's pop-up charitable activations where we just respond to needs
and it's super dope. And the last one, which I really love, is confidence coaching. We do this intensive that helps young people and also adults on
building esteem and value systems because I think we live different when we feel that
we're worth something. We really live different. We move different when you feel that there's
value in your living. And so we work on effective communications, ways to communicate more effectively,
understanding that you might talk a certain way, but there's other environments that require a
different way of communicating, and it's not denying who you are. The cold switch is necessary
for everybody. Oftentimes, it's a very necessary thing,
but making sure that there's authenticity
in whatever switch you're making.
Absolutely, yeah, that's so true.
So, yeah.
I love that, amazing.
So we'll make sure we support that for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
So, I wanna talk music.
Okay.
I wanna know what you have coming up,
let the people know,
because I know we've been waiting on some music.
So what do you have next? Well, I have a new EP
Called the hope of my soul. We just released the hope of my soul deluxe
That's available everywhere. I'm a soul singer. You are and I sing from the heart of my experiences
a church boy
the sound and the sonics
of this particular project is soul meets Americana.
It takes her to church.
So it's real good.
You can feel my southern roots coming out.
Think Bill Withers meets Ray Charles
and ran into Mumford and his sons.
It's anthemic, it's good, it's message music.
Is that what you were playing when you walked in?
Yeah, For the Wind was one of the songs.
The lyric, there's a process to it all.
So many lessons, great and small.
Should you go under, struck by the thunder,
embrace the rain?
There's a testing in the fall.
How will you rise up to it all?
Do you surrender, return to sender,
or do you face the pain? It's all working together for the wind. Yeah, it's all working together for the wind. So all you got to do is let it flow let it flow let it flow
God encouraged myself because life is going life yeah but the fact of the matter is it ain't over
till it's good yes it ain't over until it's a win yeah God doesn't have us just out here, just out here.
There's intention and there's a reason.
And we will meet that reason sure as we show up
and show up well, it gets tough.
I got a song on there called Joy in the Battle.
And there's a verse that says, the second verse says,
you shouldn't let yourself get tangled up in worry
because that kind of living takes its toll.
You better take that pencil back, rewrite your story,
and write the best one ever told all over me.
You want my piece, but you won't get it. But it says, joy in the battle,
joy in my victory. I keep my eyes to the heavens so my joy never slips from me. You want my peace, but you won't get it. But it says, join the battle, join my victory. I keep my eyes to the
heavens so my joy never slips from me. This is this is real
life. We don't need the permission of our storm, our
circumstance or hardship to choose joy. You choose it
anyway. And your circumstance is no other choice but to fall in
line. We keeping it positive. We keeping it positive.
Sweetie.
Sweetie.
Yeah.
The hope of my soul, my goodness.
Okay, we definitely got it.
I love that.
Yeah.
My goodness, now I really think it's gonna be
I really think it's gonna be soundtrack to the get back.
To the get back to winning, to the reset.
Be it in the morning, be it in the evening.
Shout out to everybody that just decides to show up well.
I love it.
I love it.
Major, thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
Yes, no, I appreciate you.
Before we close out, if you'd like to hang out
just for a bit, we do what is called positive outcomes.
That's where our listeners write in
and we give them advice.
Yeah, yeah.
All right, so this one says,
Hi Crystal, I just watched your episode with Eva Marcel.
You talked about multiple things, but what stuck out is that when you asked why she wanted
to get back into the word, she said it was you, your light.
When she said that and followed up by saying, because I've been feeling empty, I felt that.
I immediately shed some tears.
These past six months of my life have been indescribably painful.
I have always been extremely close to my grandma. She raised me and I've always taken care of her.
She became sick in November 2023 and I was in and out of the hospital until January 2024.
Both my mom and I are only children. My mom and I were working around the clock,
we're working like clockwork to make sure that my grandmother was safe and healthy.
My grandma was getting better and then one day my mom called and said she was gone.
I have never dealt with this type of loss and I have been devastated ever since.
So many firsts without my grandmother have flown by. When Eva said that she was feeling empty,
it really struck a chord. I have been feeling empty and down.
I feel like I'm losing my light that God gave me.
I want my light back.
I want my energy back.
I wanna feel whole again.
What do I do now that my purpose is gone?
And how do I grow my dimmed light?
So what we just did naturally after reading it, we took a deep breath in and we let it
out.
So to my sister that wrote that, I would encourage you to catch your breath first.
So we're going to do that.
Take a deep breath in.
Let it out.
Take a deep breath in.
Let it out.
That's surrender.
Life does not need our permission to life.
It won't ask for permission to life.
Grief, which often comes not just at the loss of loved ones,
but it comes as a result of the unfamiliar,
of the familiar changing.
Grief does not just come at the loss of loved ones.
It comes when the familiar changes.
And you said something that really hit me.
You said you no longer have purpose.
hit me, you said you no longer have purpose.
Your purpose will never only be in one individual
or assigned to one individual.
I guarantee you that there is purpose that was connected to the one you love.
And if you catch your breath, get back to your maker. that was connected to the one you loved.
And if you catch your breath, get back to your maker,
you will discover and uncover that there are lessons
that were learned while your grandmama lived, that you learned along the way,
and now is the time for you to walk in the fullness
of what that was.
That is where purpose is going to be.
And remember this, purpose reciprocates.
It helps others, but it also helps you.
So please don't ever think that you're missing
in the equation of assignment and intention
and what God has destined for you.
There is so much more life to live.
And we honor legacy when we choose to continue to live,
when the familiar has changed.
Grief is simply love finding a new rhythm.
We gonna be all right, sis.
I've been there.
Welcome to life.
That's so good, Major.
Thank you, thank you.
That helped me, I know that's gonna help her.
Yeah.
So good.
So what we like to ask our guests
is what I'm going through and what I'm growing through.
Is there anything in this particular season in your life
that you are going through and growing through?
In this season, I am going through the unknown.
I don't know what is fully next. I'm convinced that it is good, but
I'm just trusting God. I'm trusting God in deeper ways than ever before. It feels crazy
deeper ways than ever before.
It feels crazy because I'm often the one that helps so many people get through stuff.
And I'm just in a season where I'm just trying
to figure out how am I to be used next.
And I'm grateful, I'm grateful, but I'm also hopeful that there is more. I'm
grateful for what has already happened. I don't want that to be missed, but I'm
hoping for so much more and a peace as I journey there. Yeah.
Yeah. It's crazy.
It's crazy.
Oh my gosh, thank you.
Thank you.
Yes, I'm gonna be praying for you.
Cause I know that's a tough space to be in.
Yeah, it is.
It's like so much good is happening,
but I'm also like, God, what are you doing?
It's like my feet aren't on
the ground and I but that's faith yeah when your feet don't touch the ground
to still believe that's faith man I'm crying like you got me crying I love Jesus Christ so much. He's my best friend.
Yeah.
I love that.
All right, to close out, we're going to,
and I believe I know this is you having a moment right now.
Yeah.
We keep, we close off with keep it blank, sweetie.
If you could leave a word for the people,
how would you tell them to keep it blank, sweetie? you could leave a word for the people how would you tell him to keep it blank sweetie? What would your feeling be for
that?
I'm just gonna go with what's on my hat. There you go. Keep it joy. Yes. Sweetie. I
love it. Choose joy anyway. Yeah. I'm gonna say keep it hopeful, Sweetie.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh into our open listener letter. You can write into keep it positive sweetie at gmail.com that's sweetie with an IE. You
can follow me on all platforms that love Chris Renee and that's
LUV. Major, tell the people they can follow you. Now that's
major.com or now that's major on everything and if you're
googling me, major is all capital letters with a period
because like I said, I make that thing.
Period, yeah.
I love it.
All right guys, thank you so much for tuning in.
In the meantime, in between time,
you know what to do.
Keep it positive, sweetie.
Finally, we love you with our whole heart.
We thank you for having us on your mind.
It is so clear that as breath moves in and through us, that there is more.
So Lord God, we say yes, we surrender.
We make ourselves available for your great flow and intention.
Thank you for the heart of Crystal and her incredible team.
They clearly seek to move in purpose and purpose alone.
Father God, I pray that you continue to show favor and grace on it.
I pray that this session be refreshing, be something new,
take us to a new dimension, even higher or deeper, wider,
whatever you have intended for today, may it fully be.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for today and now,
and for whatever tomorrow brings from this.
Lord God, thank you for every heart that's connected.
If there are any individual circumstances
that the people are dealing with
that they haven't shared, God, in this moment,
as we take a deep breath in and we let it out,
may they be assured that it too is well.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Amen. Come on, pastor. Amen.
There you have it. These are just a few steps to build financial security.
And remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there, not just with insurance, but also by
supporting resources that empower Black women financially.
Head over to statefarm.com to learn more and find a local agent who can guide you on your
financial journey.
Keep it positive, sweeties, and remember, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.