Healthy Wealthy & Wise Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD
The Healthy Wealthy and Wise Podcast, with Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD is a monthly podcast that focuses on personal growth and development by exploring a range of topics related to mental and physical health, personal wealth, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Choctaw draws on his 75yrs experience and 50 plus years of surgical practice since graduating from Yale University School of Medicine.
Each month, we strive to provide our listeners with mental, physical, and spiritual strength by giving actionable advice, tips, guidance, and information to help them achieve their own personal, professional, and spiritual goals. We consider the health of the mind, body, and spirit paramount as a single unit that provides a cumulative strength greater than the individual parts, to strengthen the whole person.
We appreciate the natural differences in need between men, women, adults, and children. We recognize that the power to be happy is within each of us and under our control. We embrace technology and identify how it is applicable to our daily success. We address the entire human experiences from generation z to the baby boomers.
We’re passionate about the total person, and helping our listeners build and lead a full, well-rounded and happy life. So, tune in every month for an inspiring, encouraging, and informative podcast!
Healthy Wealthy & Wise Dr. William T. Choctaw, MD, JD
The Symphony of Life: Reverend John Nickens on Intuition, Music, and Authenticity
Ever had a gut feeling so strong, it was impossible to ignore? Our guest, Rev. John Nickens, shares his compelling story of how trusting his instincts as a child not only kept him safe but guided him throughout his life. As we journey through his experiences, we delve into the concept of intuition and the power that comes with recognizing and embracing it.
From intuitive child to musician, to leader and parent, Rev. Nickens's journey is a fascinating one. He attributes his success in stepping into leadership roles and parenthood to his experience as a musician, revealing how his passion for music influenced his method of teaching his children about life. It's an intimate look at the transformation that happens when one seamlessly intertwines their passion with their everyday roles.
Nevertheless, it's not all about intuition and music. Revin candidly discusses the importance of authenticity, especially in ministry and music. He discusses the pivotal role of remaining true to oneself, focusing on audience connection and the profound impact music can have in a church service. With a dash of practical advice, a sprinkle of life lessons, and a dollop of inspiration, this conversation with Revin John-Nickens is not one to be missed! Tune in, and let's embark on this journey together.
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The Host, Dr. William Choctaw; MD, JD, is a healthcare leadership expert, possessing a Medical Doctorate from the Yale University School of Medicine, and a Jurist Doctorate from Western University. Over a span of 50 years practicing medicine, he has served as Chief of Staff, Chief of Surgery, and as a member of the medical executive committee at Citrus Valley Medical Center over a 10 year period. Also, while practicing at Citrus Valley Medical Center, he served as Chief Transformation Officer, (developed a Robust Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma program). Dr. Choctaw lectures nationally and internationally on medical leadership issues for hospital staffs, executives, and managers. He served as a Physician Surveyor on the Joint Commission. He's the author of 2 books, "Medical Malpractice: A Physician's Guide to the Law" and "Transforming the Patient Experience: A New Paradigm for Hospital and Physician Leadership, published by the Springer Publishing Co. He’s the President of Choctaw Medical Group, Inc., a clinical practice and medical legal consulting firm for medical staff executives, physician leaders, and hospitals.
Welcome to the healthy, welcome wise podcast with Dr William T Chokta, md JD. Our mission is to empower you with the knowledge and equip you with the tools you'll need to thrive in all aspects of your life. Join us now as we discuss everything from nutrition and exercise to money management, personal growth and spiritual growth. Dr Chokta will provide insightful advice on how to improve your physical, financial and spiritual health, as well as your emotional and mental well-being. So whether you're looking to get the latest in medical news, unlock financial opportunities or cultivate a more positive mindset, we've got you covered. Get ready to become the best version of yourself. So let's get started. Here's Dr William T Chokta, md JD, with an interview already in progress.
Speaker 2:Revin John-Nikkens. Welcome to the healthy welcome wise podcast. We're delighted to have you with us, and so tell us what lessons have you learned over your short number of years on this earth in terms of life experiences or any other experiences that you would like to share with our audience.
Speaker 3:Dr William T Chokta-Sure. Well, my brief stint here on planet earth has taught me to always trust my people, call it your gut, but always trust my first nature or my first inclination. You know, always listen to my gut. Sometimes it won't be pleasant, the things that it might be telling you, and I'm speaking of when you come across and you meet people. You know, and you may be introduced to people or whatever, but always I've learned to, always it's always steered me correctly if I listen to it. You know, even from a small child, even from being a small child, I've always been the type that had, I'll say I was, I was precocious for my age. So I would, you know, I would talk with adults and I was seven or eight years old and they would be, you know, just tickled. You know, because I could, you know, I could, kind of, you know, my vocabulary wasn't that at that age that advanced, but I could hold my own as far as my, and so that came with having, like I would call it, a spirit of discernment or my gut, and I found that throughout the years it's never steered me wrong.
Speaker 3:And one story comes to mind. It was when I was a little boy, because we lived in Pasadena, altadena, but I would come to Los Angeles. So you're a California kid, oh, absolutely, I was born downtown Los Angeles, okay. Okay, I know which. A hospital that's no longer there, which is called John Wesley County Memorial Hospital, used to be there. Okay, it's no longer there. Oh, no, I have a whole another. I was adopted, and you know there's a whole another component to that. But I was born in Los Angeles and, and I would be. We lived in Altadena, but I would come to Los Angeles.
Speaker 3:My mother had a little wig shop and so I was taking music lessons, you know, four or five, six years old. So I come to LA, to her wig shop, which was on Central Avenue. You know Central Avenue is a landmark, you know it used to be, back in the 40s and 50s, a musical Mecca of sorts, but at that time it wasn't so and it still isn't anymore. So I would run up and down Central Avenue and one story comes to mind I remember there was because we used to call them winos, the winos. In those days I could walk six, seven, eight blocks at eight years old and no one would bother me because the winos would be looking out for me. They knew my mother, okay, but there was this one guy in particular. He was a bad guy. I always got the, even at the age of seven or eight. The hairs would stand up on the. I didn't have the hair yet. The peach fudge would stand up on the back of my neck and I just didn't feel right. And my mother? I'd heard her tell stories oh, he had, you know, he's been locked up and he's done this and he's been mean to women and done this, and so he just never even at that age, you know.
Speaker 3:So I remember one time I was walking up the street because I spent a lot of time at the library. I'd go up to after music lessons and I'd go just hang out in the library three or four hours just looking all through the and checking out books. It's on my way to the library and I had to pass by his little storefront or whatever and he offered me some cookies. You know he offered me the and he had a jar full of cookies and my seven years old, eight years old, I was like you know, I was like I don't want cookies from this dude, you know. But I also knew I had to walk up and down that street moving forward. I'm thinking all of this even at that age. So I said, okay, I'll take some cookies. He tried to give me some and I said, oh, I'll just reach in the jar and get it myself. So I grabbed a handful of these cookies I remember the frosty kind of cookies and I went along my merry way.
Speaker 3:I was going to the library, up central Avenue and out of my periphery. I'm seven years old, I'm still looking, I'm very in tune to what's going on. I could see him looking at me walk down the street with the cookies and in my mind I was thinking I'm not going to eat these cookies. I just didn't want any problems, you know, you know. And so what I did was I was walking up the street and every 50 feet or so I would let one of the cookies fall out of my hand. I dropped the cookies until I got two or three blocks away and there were no more cookies. So my point is even at that age I had something. I had an intuition. My gut always told me and when I followed it it's never stood me wrong and I got lots of stories about that. But yeah, that's a lesson that I've learned and that I would advise everybody. Whatever your first mind tells you, don't go away from it. It's for a reason you know.
Speaker 2:How did you put all that? How did that involve you becoming?
Speaker 3:a minister.
Speaker 3:So I've been in church all my life with my parents on Sundays at my house. Even the people who ended up, which were not my biological parents, was I did not know at the time. I found out after they were dead, when I was an adult. But it wasn't an option to go to church on Sundays. You were going to church if the Sun was up, if it was raining it. Sunday we're going to church, right? I've always been in church and I've always, even at a young age. I never put the two and two together like I want to be a minister. It wasn't like that. But even at eight, nine years old, where, when other kids would be asleep during the message, I was looking at the preacher intently, you know, to see if my sense was telling me is he on the up and up or is he just a flash in the pan, or I can't tell you why. I was just. That's the type of kid I was, which which annoyed a lot of people. I'm sure I was an over thinker. I had OCD. I was always. My mind was always moving and I would watch the preacher every Sunday, any preacher. I would watch him and I'd be like okay, and sometimes things would hit home with me. This went on to 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 years old, when I was out there doing whatever I was doing In the world.
Speaker 3:I was 19, 20 years old, it continued up to that time and I'd be sitting in, sitting in church. I was already playing for a church by the time I was 17. I'd be sitting there listening to the message and it would hit me, you know, because it would convict me what the preacher was saying sometimes, and I would actually cry, you know tears, and I would think, man, you know I'm, you know, you know, not mean to anybody, but if these folks knew what a hell you're not it was, I'm out here 21 or 22 it would be so embarrassing and I would cry and I would listen to the preacher. And if there was something nudging me, you know, always nudging me, okay, I didn't want, didn't want it. You know, I was never aspiring. I was like, hey, I'm cool, I'm doing the songs and playing the piano, working with the choir, go into church, I believe in what I'm doing. All of that Message touches me.
Speaker 3:But it was like an itch that wouldn't get scratched, you know, with with just the music, you know. And so this went on for years, this went on for decades. And I'd be looking at the preachers, never wanted to be up there, never, never, once wanted to be up there, but it was a nut. It was like a poking, you know. After after all, the music and stuff is done, you know the nut would still be there. It was like poking, you know. And so I have another story. This is one time and this played into me, except to my colleague. Again, trust your first mind. So I was like 19, 20 years old this is like decades before I accepted the calling and I was in past Altonina at the bus stop and a guy drove by me. You guys might not remember this.
Speaker 3:You know Volkswagen had something called a squareback and they had a fastback back in the night, Right right and he was driving a Volkswagen, squareback right I believe, and he drove past the bus stop and he was looking at me and I was like, you know, I don't want any problems. You know, I got my fist balled up, you know, I Know. And he drove back around, who's an older guy? And he was looking at me and I'm like is this? You know I don't, you know I'm not comfortable. But he asked me, you know, do you need a ride? You know, again, that, that internal spirit, you know we're saying Go ahead and take the ride. You know, but I didn't put my guard down, I was ready. So I got in his car and I was ready, if anything untoward happened, I was ready to punch him in his throat, jump out of the car.
Speaker 1:I was ready, you know.
Speaker 3:I'm 19 years old, right, and so he took me home. It was about a four minute ride, it wasn't that far. I was at El Sardina. I really didn't let him take me all the way home. I had him drop me down the street. But when I got in his car and you know I'm getting choked up just thinking about it so he said you know, the Holy Spirit told me to pick you up. What I was like. You got me there. What did you say? You know, I'm thinking what he said the Holy Spirit told me to pick you up. And then he was like God has a calling for you and God has Something he wants you to do, you know, with your life and this and the other. And I'm like Now I'm going to church, I'm in there, and this man, when I tell you, he started giving me his testimony in the car. He got happy, driving behind the car, he was like I told God I would always serve him. He was like thank you. And I was like taking a back, like what is happening here. You know what's going on here. He ended up giving me the ride, dropping me off. But again I got in the car because my gut told me getting the car right.
Speaker 3:That was 40 years ago. Oh, this day. I never knew his name. I don't know his name, but I remember that was instrumental in the upcoming decades when I was like you know, what is this itch, what it? And I start replaying things that God has picked you up and other folks and said no, no, no, no, no, no, and, and so that was instrumental in me finally just saying you know, okay, let me, let me, let's you know, let's just do it. You know I'm not gonna be the greatest speaker or whatever, but maybe I can Effect someone or touch someone right. So that that played a part in it as well, that that had to do with my acceptance. It took a few decades, though. It took a few decades, but I think of him to this day. Obviously is there a gave me that ride.
Speaker 2:So how did you know when it was time to take that next step, because that had to be a big change, for you said it had been a number of years. What, what was it that that took you to that next level? Because I believe a lot of people may be where you were then and they may have the itch or whatever you know, but but they haven't taken that next step. What, what helped you to take that next step forward toward spiritual leadership?
Speaker 3:Sure, Sure, I would say, having children.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would say having children, you know, and when that happens, or when that happened, I began to stare my mortality in the face, understood, and I was like, well, if not now, when, what am?
Speaker 2:I waiting on.
Speaker 1:What are you waiting on?
Speaker 3:Because there's never going to be the opportune time, yeah, that's never going to happen. And so I was thinking, and so that kind of pushed me into it, if not, if not now, when you know, what are you afraid of, you know, and so that was instrumental in me just taking that first step and going into the pastor's office and telling him there's a whole litany of things that come behind that. You don't just walk into the pastor's office and say, hey, I want to preach. Oh, that's good, we'll get you started.
Speaker 1:That's not how it works.
Speaker 3:That's not how it works.
Speaker 2:That's not how it works.
Speaker 3:There's a whole bunch of other people involved. There's a whole process I wouldn't even go into, but that was instrumental in me going in. And then here we are.
Speaker 2:Were you concerned that? You know because you've grown up most of your life watching. You know going to church like a lot of us. Parents took me to church, whatever and did you? Did you particularly? Were you worried about that particular lifestyle? You know because you're up there and everybody's sort of looking at you. I'm talking about leadership, administers and Christianity and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3:I wasn't too concerned with it and the reason that I mean I was concerned, but it wasn't brand new to me, because being in music ministry is also a leadership vision and so I've been sitting up in front of the folks at that time for decades. You know, even though it's different, it's, you know, it's still the same component because it's the ministry and song. And so because people tend to come to church for two reasons the message, you know, and some come for the music and the message, but it's one or both of those, Right, Right. So I had been up there, I was accustomed to that, so it wasn't too much of a change in that regard. So I was kind of ready, ready for it. But it's totally different being in the pulpit than than being an instrument. I mean, it's like like you ever seen a baby deer when they start walking with the legs while we're taking that right.
Speaker 3:Even to this day, I'm not comfortable when I get up there like, oh, just go ahead and do it. It's like the first time. Every single time Everybody's it wears with music, I'm like I got it, you know, I got, you know I can, you know I'm still praying and you know. But, uh, no, no, you know, no problem. But up there every time is like the first time. I will tell you. I think any of the ministers would agree with me. So it wasn't too much of a transition, but there was a transition, but just kind of had to turn it on its ear a little bit.
Speaker 2:Sure, sure, sure. So how exactly did the children sort of change that perspective? And I think most of us as parents understand what you're talking about. But but how did that work for you?
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Speaker 3:Do you want to be the best parent you could be? Of course you want. You want to do that, but for me I don't. I probably can't verbalize it Quite, so, but something clicked Right, okay, something clicked like in the sense that, well, now I'm responsible for this, I'm responsible for this whole other person. Yes, you know, and, and you know what I was doing isn't enough.
Speaker 3:So I think maybe in some sense and we all give our children this advice, you know, be the best you can be and want to be your best self and do all of that. And I'm thinking all these things, you know my kids are going up. I want to, you know, because you know if you're a good parent, you know you applaud if they take the trash out of that Wonderful, that's the best trash taking out I've ever seen. You want to, you know you want to do that, and so you want to encourage them. You know, encouraging to be the best they can be with whatever skill sets they have, right. And so I guess that some is in the back of my mind.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking, well, how can I encourage them when I'm not embracing a skill set that I have, you know, and so I need to, I need to do what I say, walk the walk so I could tell them, you know, and give them a frame of reference and say, well, for me it was like this and I was scared to, and this that any other you know basically set an example, not so much for them to see, but if it should ever come up in conversation in their adult life for me to say Remember when, and this is what happened with me. So that's why I'm encouraging you. You know it helped me and I embraced it and it was scary and I know you're scared you know, so I could that, that type of situation?
Speaker 3:if I had to, if I had to pick, I would say it would be something like that that makes sense.
Speaker 2:That makes sense. And let me ask you this, as a musician and I, you know, I consider myself a scientist. You're an artist, you know, and I've always admired artists because the artist able to take us scientists and others to a level that we would never go to because we can't see it or create it. And how has music been a part of your effectiveness as a leader?
Speaker 3:Um, if I had to respond accurately to that, I would say being involved in music for whatever reason and if you've done it in front of familiar faces for any period of time it tends to the populace or the congregants or people a sense of familiarity with you or a sense of comfort with you already, even though they may not know you.
Speaker 3:They feel I've been looking at this guy and he's been up there and you have passing conversations and whatnot. They're familiar with you already and not starting from scratch, and they've seen your mannerisms, whatever they are or are not, while you're at your instrument or doing whatever it is, because your personality comes out. Okay, whatever your personality is good or bad, all of it is going to come out. If you're leading in music, whatever it is, they already see that and they've already seen all the components. It's not a mystery. When you take that next step into spoken ministry, that type of thing, or preaching or being a minister, however we want to put it, there's already a sense of familiarity. So they don't have to take so far of a leap because you also bring the components of your personality to that Music is like a bridge.
Speaker 2:It can be. Yeah, you and the ones who follow you.
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely, because music is the word in song, that's true.
Speaker 3:It's still the word, though it's still based on scripture. And don't give me a lot of musicians. They're not necessarily believers. Don't think that everybody in the church some people are there just for a check, some people. But if you believe in what you're playing about and it comes across in your mannerism, so it can be a bridge, because it's not that far of a leap. Well, I've been playing about it. Now all I want to do is just talk about. You know it's difficult, it's not hard, but it's not such a leap, yeah right.
Speaker 2:If you were given a master class, let's say to young people, men or women, 20-somethings about life in general or something in particular, what few things would you share with them? What nuggets would you want to share with them? You know, growing up as you did, you mentioned once been in the false, the home or adopted, I think you mentioned, and then the experiences in South Central LA and all the way up to the ministry now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would tell them. You know, believe in yourself, always believe in yourself. Okay, never sell yourself short, you know, because there's going to be obstacles in my life in particular, in everyone's life. Everyone's not going to believe in you. Yes, folk will have their own opinions of you, skewed as they may be, and they aren't all going to be good and productive for your well-being. So you have to be rooted in who you are and what your skill set is and what you know you can do. You know, because folk will talk you that they will criticize you right out of your dream, you know, if you buy into it. So I would tell them believe in yourself.
Speaker 3:Number one, find out what your skill set is, because you have one. It might not be the one you want, right? That's why we have some professional athletes. They want to be rappers and the rappers want to be basketball. You know, just work with what you have. Work with what you have, embrace that and then believe in yourself and then nurture it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, whatever it is that you have, because everyone has something different, but nurture that and it's not always going to be in front of people in the limelight. You're not always going to get the glowing recommendations in front of the crowd, but that doesn't mean you can't do something good. Know that you have something that you can do that's good and productive and helpful. Embrace that and don't let anyone talk you out of it ever, ever in life. You know, and that would be my best advice to any young person you know, believe in yourself. You know and I'm not even speaking from a spiritual component or a Christian component. That's in there as well. Right, believe in your self and you can achieve monumental things. That's, that's at the core. That's what I would say.
Speaker 2:You know, I completely agree with that, the way I I usually put it there are no limits on you. There are no limits. None, except the ones you put on yourself, exactly, exactly, and one of the things when I've talked to parents I know in the past, particularly young parents I try to tell them I said be careful what you say to your children. Be careful what you say to your children, because what you say to your children can come true.
Speaker 2:You know, and and that it's certainly, as you know, we're all parents and certainly we want to correct them and want to make sure that we give them advice, but never intentionally or unintentionally do anything to destroy that character. You know they can, they can make mistakes that do bad things, but they're not bad people, Right.
Speaker 2:You know, and that's the way I try to try to do it and I say that because growing up and I grew up in foster homes and one of one of the elements of that was to sort of denigrate the child. You know, you are this and you are not that and who do? You think you are to one. That's why, and see you know, blah, blah, blah type thing, and even some of your friends, instead of supporting you if you say you want to be president of the United States, come on.
Speaker 2:How are you going to be president? You know?
Speaker 1:blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2:And I think that is spot on advice for parents or for anybody that help the kids to believe in themselves. Yeah, absolutely. At the end of the day, that's what works.
Speaker 3:That's right. That's right. At the end of the day, that is what works and you don't to your point Absolutely. And every parent doesn't practice that. You know you don't want to destroy the character of your child. Some parents are actually envious of their children because they're there, they're you know. Perhaps you've seen it or you've heard about it. They're envious of their children because they're in competition with their offspring. Right, and who do you think you are? You're going to be better than me. You know that. That type of situation, whereas I went the other way, I'm like I want you to be better than me, absolutely, no, exponentially. And then I want your kids to be better than you because that makes me feel great, and so you want to support that.
Speaker 3:Going back to what I said a few months ago, you know, even if they take out the trash, find a good reason that they did that build their character up because the world is going to have enough beating them down. They're going to, they're going to, they're going to get that in the world when they go out there, being in your presence should be a safe haven where they feel loved and respected and comfortable. Unfortunately, that's not the case. It wasn't the case when I was growing up. It absolutely wasn't, and so I told myself I would go the exact opposite when I had kids with my children, because I was you told you're not going to be this and you know you're not bad and why are you this? And the name calling and all that stuff is a whole history. And so I remember, like probably.
Speaker 2:How did you get past all that? What, what, deep down, helped you to survive, whereas others?
Speaker 3:don't survive. And you know, if I'm honest with you, I'm not past it. You know it's still it's, you know it's ongoing.
Speaker 2:No, I understand.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's ongoing. But how I was able to weather it? Yes, that from an early age, age of four, they put me in music.
Speaker 2:So in kindergarten I was reading music, I was on the internet, so that was part of your outlet.
Speaker 3:That was my yeah, that was my safe haven. I was like, well, you say this, but I can do this and you can't, so I'm not that bad, I have something I can do that you can't do. I didn't say it out loud you know Right.
Speaker 3:But, I have something I can do that you can do. So, no matter what you say, I have something, and so that's why I said it's important for young people to identify what you have, that you do well. If it's talking, if it's leading, if it's being a good follower, if it's dusting, you know. To the Martin Luther King quote, you know You're on a sweep the street, so good, they say there goes the best street sweeper that I've ever seen. You know, whatever you do, do it at a high level. So yeah, but it's ongoing with me, you know, and it probably did affect me and did limit me in some ways. And then I found out later that I was adopted and I kind of understood what the dynamic was and why that dynamic was there. But yeah, it goes back to that.
Speaker 2:You know I certainly have learned exactly what you said about finding out what you're good at. There's a philosophy and I forget the name of the company now, but it goes sort of like this that most of the times through life say, when we're evaluated, whatever we look at, what we're not good at, you know that sort of drilled into us. You know you get 95 on an exam and you bring it home and said, look, dad, I got 95. And he said, but why didn't you get 100? He said, but I got 95.
Speaker 2:And that a lot of times we grow up thinking about our weaknesses, not our strength. We have both, all of us. We have both. And what this particular philosophy says, we need to ignore our weaknesses and focus on our strengths, that is, our strengths that have gotten us to point A or B or C or D or E, not our weaknesses. The weaknesses will always be there, that's okay. That's okay.
Speaker 2:But for whatever reason in our society we only focus on weaknesses. You know, we highlight them, we talk about them, we almost glorify them a lot. We clearly use them as excuses not to do stuff. But we're the same person, we're the same person and we have those strengths. And you're right, you know you have. You're a musician oh my God. You know the ultimate artists, if you will. You know where people come and they feel better. Or it's like going to a museum and you feel better if I send the paintings or an art whatever. Whatever, it's a gift that you have that you give to the rest of us who can't do that, but enjoy what you do, you know and the way that you're able to do it. If you had to give advice to future ministers coming up, what advice would you give them based on your experience?
Speaker 3:Be yourself. Don't try and pattern yourself after anyone, because you see these dynamic preachers and you're like, oh, I want to do that and I want to embrace your own personality and operate within the parameters of your personality, because anything less than that comes off as fake, you know, and disingenuous. You know you're not sincere, you know. So be who you are. Don't try and be like anyone else. Everyone has a different style and you can be effective with many different styles. Back to the first, about the children. Embrace who you are, even as an adult, as a minister. Embrace who you are, those strengths, because we all have strengths and weaknesses. And I just wanted to interject because what you were talking about being a musician and I'll be honest with you, this is just the way my mind works.
Speaker 3:I don't know if every musician does this or I don't know, but in my mind it doesn't matter how the presentation of music went that day and folk could think that it was dynamic or whatever. The only thing that I remember is my mistakes. I'm not saying I'm right, but that's all I remember. I won't be like, oh, that was good. I'll be like, oh, this should have happened, that should have happened, didn't do this, could have did that better. This, that and the other and other people. In many instances they don't even see that they don't Right, and so I need to work on that as well.
Speaker 2:But a suggestion with that is to ask yourself why do you play? And let's assume if you play let's say play in church Well, why do you play in church? Certainly, you get a certain enjoyment out of it, but I would submit that you play to basically help the rest of us to go to that next level.
Speaker 2:And that when that happens, then you've reached your goal. Whether you hit the flat of the sharp and you tell I don't know what I'm talking about here, but no, no, no, if you hit the flat of the sharp or you missed the timing or whatever, most people won't care. Number one they won't notice. But number two all they know is that melody that they go out singing from the church and you put in their head that makes them have a better day. It's basically making a contribution with your gift that God has given you to make somebody else's day. So my point is give John a break. Give John a break. If he makes a mistake, that's okay. That's what we all do and that's all a part of it. That's all a part of it.
Speaker 3:Sure, and if I could also say and I like your point you're saying that to make people feel better, but it's a corpus mixture of it's. For me it's wrapped up and they're all pretty much uneven, kill. It's self-expression, it's making myself feel better, it's giving back the gift to God and then, wrapped up in all of that, it's the people, so it's all one big ball together. If I sit down, it's so the people, because the whole point of music is to prepare the people's hearts to receive the message from the preacher.
Speaker 1:That's all it is.
Speaker 3:That's all in a nutshell, that's all it is. It's not for the show and the pomp and the circumstance, it's not that, it's to prepare the people's hearts to hear the message. So in my mind it's about the people, yeah, but I'm also trying to express myself, get my head right as well, but at the same time. But when you're doing it, there's so much you don't really have time to enjoy it because you have to look at the choir director, you have to see what they're. How are you gonna do it?
Speaker 3:What happened with the band Talking to the band? You gotta, you know, in the moment you can't get all glean all of that. But after it's over then you can say okay, you know, this is the whole reason for it. It's about the people. So they can like, to your point, get something out of it and go home and feel good, but not just of that, but so they can come back and get some more of the word. You know that's what you wanna keep them coming back for they can get some more of the word. You know, it's like a connectivity in that sense. I know I'm babbling, don't mind.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That makes perfect sense and I would admit I never really thought about it that way. But the music is a connection to the word, to the Bible itself, and I think that makes perfect sense. Robin, Nick and Sir, we wanna thank you so much.
Speaker 3:I wanna thank you, thank you, thank you both, thank you. Pleasure and a privilege anytime, anytime. This has been delightful.
Speaker 2:Well, it's definitely been a blessing for us, and so what we will do is we're gonna let you go and enjoy the rest of your day.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this episode of the Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast with Dr William T Chokta, mdjd. Be sure to check out other great episodes covering areas of health, wealth and wisdom at THWPcom and, while you're there, be sure to check out the books, blogs and other literature in your preferred format. And don't forget to leave a review, subscribe, share and support the podcast that's at THWPcom. You've been listening to the Healthy, wealthy and Wise podcast with Dr William T Chokta, mdjd.
