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Season 1 Recap 1- New Episodes Drop May 6th!
25 Plays1 year ago
Season 1 Recap 1 of Vulnerability Muscle - New Episodes Drop May 6th!
Welcome to "Vulnerability Muscle with Reggie D. Ford," the empowering podcast that challenges societal norms and invites you to explore the transformative power of vulnerability. Hosted by bestselling author and motivational speaker Reggie D. Ford, this show is your guide to finding strength, connection, and personal growth through embracing vulnerability.
In a world that often portrays vulnerability as a sign of weakness, Reggie D. Ford believes it is a source of tremendous strength and authenticity. Through insightful conversations and thought-provoking interviews, "Vulnerability Muscle" aims to redefine vulnerability and help listeners develop a new perspective on their own lives.
Reggie D. Ford, renowned for his bestselling book "Perseverance Through Severe Dysfunction" and his captivating motivational speeches, brings his unique expertise and personal experiences to the forefront. With a deep understanding of the impacts of trauma, the importance of mental health, and the power of vulnerability, Reggie inspires and empowers his audience to embrace their own vulnerabilities as catalysts for growth and change.
Each episode of "Vulnerability Muscle" delves into a variety of topics, such as mental health, social issues, and mindset shifts. Reggie and his guests explore the power of vulnerability in healing, building resilience, and fostering meaningful connections. They provide practical tools and strategies to navigate life's challenges, overcome adversity, and create more inclusive and just environments for all people.
Whether you're seeking personal growth, struggling with your mental health, or looking to create a positive impact in the world, this podcast offers a safe space for deep exploration and transformation. Reggie's compassionate and engaging style invites you to step out of your comfort zone and embrace vulnerability as a path to personal empowerment.
Join Reggie D. Ford and his inspiring guests on "Vulnerability Muscle" as they illuminate the path toward self-discovery, authenticity, and true strength. Prepare to be inspired, uplifted, and equipped with the tools to unlock your full potential through the power of vulnerability.
📲 Connect with Reggie IG - https://instagram.com/reggiedford FB - https://facebook.com/reggiedford LI - https://linkedin.com/in/reggiedford X - https://twitter.com/reggiedford YT - https://youtube.com/@reggiedfordWebsite - https://reggiedford.com Book - https://amzn.to/487OqJD Podcast - https://reggiedford.com/vulnerabilitymuscle Podcast’s IG - https://instagram.com/vulnerabilitymuscle Podcast’s FB - https://www.facebook.com/vulnerabilitymuscle
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Transcript
New Episodes Announcement
00:00:00
Speaker
What's up Vulnerability Muscle fam? Just wanted you to know that new episodes of Vulnerability Muscle are gonna drop May 6th. That's Monday, May 6th. The next season of Vulnerability Muscle will drop, so mark your calendars. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy some of these clips from season one.
Importance of Vulnerable Discussions
00:00:18
Speaker
Please like, subscribe, share these episodes with everybody that you know so that they can get a taste of Vulnerability Muscle. In the meantime, keep flexing that Vulnerability Muscle.
00:00:29
Speaker
But I think podcasts like this one that we're on right now, they change generations. Like I'm very, very thankful that this space exists. I'm very thankful you exist. I'm very thankful like this podcast exists because it just creates this centralized place where we could go on and listen to
00:00:48
Speaker
vulnerable black man that's equipped with the language
Responsibility and Humanity
00:00:50
Speaker
and understanding to talk about these things and knowledge to talk about these things, but also him bringing on other people and hearing their experience and all these different things. Because that's what you're doing. And in a very long, within response, that's what you're doing right here. So that's very important. So at the root of it, you're changing humanity. So shout out to you for that.
00:01:08
Speaker
And that's the biggest thing that I'm seeing, I guess. And that might be the biggest takeaway from this particular bit in our chat here, that a lot of people, they just lack responsibility or not willing to accept responsibility. And I do believe that we're living
00:01:28
Speaker
Right? Like shortcuts. It's always about shortcuts. And so for me, thankfully, that's one thing that I do remember when I came here to the United States, having shortcuts, that was not, that was not an option for me whatsoever. You know, there was no way that I could shortcut learning English. No way that I could shortcut learning how to assimilate, you know. She said, I don't know what it is because, but you got to do something with your words because the way you put your words together, the way you just write, you know,
00:01:54
Speaker
I didn't even, it wasn't a wrap or nothing. It was just something that I wrote for my dad, you know what I'm saying? And the way that I delivered it, he was like, it's something about your voice. It's something about the way it feels when I hear you saying stuff and putting that together with the way that you were able to put words together. It kind of just, it's still, like I said, it still took me five years after my dad passed to really realize, or I just kind of, I knew it, that I was supposed to write, that I was supposed to do a little more with my words, but
00:02:20
Speaker
being reluctant, you know what I'm saying? And feeling like, man, nah, that ain't, you know what I'm saying? That ain't it. But I really felt that God gave me a vision a long time ago that I'm supposed to do something with words. And I just, you know, building up the bravery to stand in front of that, you know? And I think that was
00:02:40
Speaker
That's what took the longest, just building up the bravery and the confidence.
Men Together Initiative
00:02:43
Speaker
Real men respect women. The nonprofit initiative that I'm the executive director for, Men Together, where we engage men and boys to end violence against women and girls, created this shirt. And it's a message. It's a mantra. It's a movement. And it's all about giving men the permission
00:03:07
Speaker
to show up differently than perhaps what they've seen, what they've witnessed, what they've heard consistently, and that ultimately being a real man includes respecting women, right? But on that list, and at the top of that list should be the fact that we respect women and girls, right? Man, the passion of my brother, my one and only brother, my only one and only sibling,
00:03:37
Speaker
It's been tough, you know, it's been tough. It's been coming up on 15 years now in November. And I remember getting the call vividly from, you know, when it happened. And it was just a real, real crazy situation. I like had a feeling he was dead before I got there. Like it was like something inside me released, you know, so.
00:04:04
Speaker
It's been tough, but in the same breath, it also changed my direction of my life.
00:04:11
Speaker
I just wish that, you know, I know we live in a society where, you know, again, black men are taught not to cry, that we still have those examples of men that are who are not afraid to cry. But it was the first time the tears fell from my eye in the funeral. And that was the first time that I think that I allowed myself to cry. I went to a friend's funeral for his daughter. And then for him to make that connection and her to forgive him and for him to try to be the best father that he had only lasted for another decade. And she's no longer here.
00:04:38
Speaker
But to see that pain within him made me cry to say, man.
00:04:43
Speaker
I'm very happy that he's able to feel that pain because we numb ourselves. But I hate the fact that he has to feel that pain, but he shouldn't have to feel that pain by himself.
Accepting and Receiving Love
00:04:53
Speaker
And so I remember one day I was on the phone talking to him and I said, you know, some ways I kind of feel lesser than him because I'd only saw him cry that one time in my life. He said, son, I cry every day. I haven't had this type of love. And so like, naturally, I didn't know how to receive it.
00:05:14
Speaker
It actually took me a very long time to learn how to receive the love I get from my wife. It took me a very long time. Just because I feel like what Vic said, I had to earn it. And I didn't deserve it. I had to earn it. But she was giving it to me because she loved me. Just because that's just who she was. I could not conceptualize that shit. Because in the spaces that me and Vic grew up, it was just very much like, if you didn't do the chores that I said you should do,
00:05:43
Speaker
Like, one, you're gonna hear from me. Like, you're gonna either get the consequences, either get beat or get berated. I wanted to have kids, and so we brought them into this world and we made sure that they're equipped to handle the world. And then the thing is, I let my kids know that our people are the majority in the world. Like, there's more people that look like you in this world than those that are trying to make you feel bad about looking the way you look.
Parental Role in Identity Education
00:06:12
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, definitely. The global majority. The global majority. See it in this country or in the media or in anything that you watch, but we have to educate our kids. So that's another thing, Reggie. When you have kids, you have to educate your kids. You cannot rely on the school system to be the main teacher of your children. Learning starts at home first. The mother's the first teacher. The dad is the second teacher. If either one of them is absent, then
00:06:41
Speaker
then you deal with that. But at the same time, you just have to raise really strong, confident children. But this black bird, so this was written in 2012 at Charles Bass Correctional Complex. This black bird. This black bird lands on my window. The same bird every morning. I guess it's the same. All I've seen is its shadow, but it says hello every day, every morning.
00:07:11
Speaker
I fly away with my little black friend every day, every morning. My mind on its back, free on its wings, though I only see it through bars, we meet at the screen. It visits me every morning, every day. It brings me hope. It feeds my dreams. They're only bars. They're only screens. It's only tears. It's only screams. And to be born, we need these things. It brings me hope.
00:07:42
Speaker
It feeds my dreams. They're only bars. They're only screens. It's only tears. It's only screams. And to be born, we need these things.
Black Joy as Resistance
00:07:53
Speaker
So for now, I guess I'm free. My little black friend, it visits me. Black joy is really a form of resistance in a world that presses us and makes us want to feel like we're wrong, that our bodies are wrong and we shouldn't be here.
00:08:12
Speaker
It's just fighting against all the systems in the media, all these different things that are telling us narratives about ourselves and just reclaiming our identity, our truth, and just basking in this world, right? Just being who we are, being true to ourselves, being the reason why they kind of, you know, they need to copy our culture in order to sell their products, right? Just being an all-dilterated us, right? Just not...
00:08:41
Speaker
wearing a mask for anyone else, being purely ourselves, embracing the vulnerability within our lives, within blackness in itself and all that comes with it and just really seeking the beauty, the love, the safety, the care, the community.
00:08:58
Speaker
Those are my keywords, broad and free. Those, how can I get those two things? And then the Peace Corps like jumped out. I was like, oh snap, this is like through the, you know, the United States government agency. Okay, cool. Like it's a true emerging experience. You get the language, you know, training and stuff like that. And once I did that region, man, it was a wrap. Like I stuck my feet in them overseas waters. And I was like, it was no coming back for me, man. It was like the most.
00:09:27
Speaker
If it wasn't for that experience, I don't think I'd be doing what I'm doing the way that I'm doing it today.
Challenges of Co-Parenting
00:09:32
Speaker
The numbers for that month went skyrocketing, man, to the point where people were really engaging behind the conversation that is uncomfortable, but co-parenting. Nobody talks about this. Nobody talks about the mental health
00:09:49
Speaker
imbalances that can come in not only the parents, but the child. He's with mom for a couple of days. Then he's with dad for the summer. Then he's with mom for school. Then he's with dad for spring break. She's with mom for summer break. She's with dad for
00:10:04
Speaker
that back and forth man during the developmental years of a child being born and growing up, it's hard. It's hard, especially when you are in the unfortunate situation of you and your partner, for lack of better words, are not seeing eye to eye and you start getting caught involved and all this other extra stuff.
00:10:26
Speaker
That was by far my aha moment for me, man. Just my own personal life. I've dealt with it all behind this subject, the good, the bad, and in between. And bottom line, Reggie, I just want to be a father. That's it.
00:10:41
Speaker
That's it. I just want to be a dad. You know, I have been blessed to have this man beside me be my dad for 28 years. I just want to do what he has done and more. That's all I want to do. And the aha moment for me, man, was knowing that I'm not alone. There's been other men that have went through the trenches just to have time with their son or daughter.
Vulnerability and Therapy
00:11:04
Speaker
How have your views on vulnerability shifted throughout your life? Now, going back to
00:11:11
Speaker
how I would have defined vulnerability. And even like I catch myself or I look back at the book in the normalization interlude, there is a reference to vulnerability in contrast to strength. And so even that is like looking at vulnerability as a weakness. And that's, that's been most of my life is like, don't be vulnerable because that vulnerability is going to get used against you.
00:11:40
Speaker
And in my situation, oftentimes it was used against me by people who I felt should have been the people that were protecting me. And so then you get to a place of not truly trusting anything because who do you turn to? Who do you talk to? Who do you confide in if your vulnerabilities are gonna then be twisted against you? And so it was a weakness until
00:12:09
Speaker
You know, getting around safe people, like getting around people who you could be vulnerable with. And let me speak from I who I could be vulnerable with and it not be used that way. And so that was, I think the shift in that was like really opening up to therapy.
00:12:28
Speaker
And being able to talk to my therapist, being able to be in group therapy sessions and share vulnerable parts of my life. And then hearing, damn, you got a lot of courage to be able to share what you just shared. And that takes a lot of strength to do what you just did.
Season One Recap and Feedback
00:12:45
Speaker
What's up vulnerability muscle fam? I hope you enjoyed season one of vulnerability muscle. If you haven't already done so, check out all 12 episodes of vulnerability muscle season one and tell me who is your favorite guest? What is your favorite quote? Let me know, send a message, send a DM, send something so that I know what you resonate with.
00:13:06
Speaker
Be looking forward to season two of Vulnerability Muscle that is set to drop on May 6th. That's Monday, May 6th. Episodes start at 2 a.m. Central time. That's U.S. Central. Monday, May 6th mark your calendars. But in the meantime, every Monday this month of April, we will be having clips from our favorite episodes of Vulnerability Muscle season one. So if you haven't already checked out the full episodes, go check those out. But you're all caught up for season two.
00:13:36
Speaker
Thank you for joining another episode of Vulnerability Muscle. I hope that the stories and the insights shared really resonated with you. And if you want to help the podcast, you can do a few things. First, hit the subscribe button. If you've been moved by the conversations of redefining vulnerability, please consider leaving a review.
00:13:55
Speaker
Share your thoughts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're tuning in from. And don't forget to spread the word. Follow us at Vulnerability Muscle, where you can keep up with me personally at Reggie D. Ford for additional resources. And remember, embracing vulnerability is a strength. Thank you for being a part of the journey. And until next time, stay empowered, stay vulnerable, and keep flexing that vulnerability muscle. I'll see y'all May 6th.