Checking In: Brave, But Human: Winning, Losing & Showing Up Anyway

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Latest with Loren LoRosa
Episode: Checking In: Brave, But Human: Winning, Losing & Showing Up Anyway
Host: Michelle Williams (Checking In, Black Effect Podcast Network/iHeart)
Date: March 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This solo episode features Michelle Williams reflecting candidly on her recent life experiences, the challenges of striving for success, the reality of disappointment, and the courage it takes to show up—in public and private life—even when outcomes fall short of dreams. Through personal anecdotes about career wins and setbacks, family updates, spiritual encouragement, and musings on bravery, Michelle offers a heartfelt roadmap for thriving and being “brave, but human.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dual Realities: Progress Amid Chaos

• Michelle opens by acknowledging the tumultuous state of the world—the presence of “chaos, unrest, war” (03:19)—contrasted with her own personal growth and achievements.
• Stresses the importance of self-check-ins and real emotional honesty, not just automatic “I’m good” responses.
  • "How am I doing? How am I really doing? And taking the time to acknowledge...and go beyond, 'oh, I'm good, I'm cool.' But then, well, if you say I'm good, what makes you good?" (04:10)

2. Lessons from the Sherri Shepherd Show & Food Poisoning Mishap

• Michelle recounts a funny-yet-gross story of eating a chicken nugget on Sherri Shepherd’s show, which led to food poisoning and missing work.
• Shows gratitude for Sherri Shepherd and the show's staff, expressing optimism after its cancellation:
  • “A cancellation does not necessarily mean the end of one's career or the end of a dream. You know, it's the end of that particular season, it’s the end of that particular era... Find another one and thrive.” (09:02)
• Praises the resilience of creative professionals and encourages quick pivots after setbacks.

3. Family & Community Support

• Michelle shares the joy of being “Auntie” and supporting her friends and family, specifically singing with the Campbell Hall school choir.
  • “That is the blessing about having people in your life, and you show up for each other… Isn't it awesome if people show up for you?” (16:00)
• Gets emotional about her “first love” of gospel music and the joys of communal worship and celebration.

4. Processing Disappointment: Grammy Loss

• Candidly discusses not winning a personal Grammy this year and the tension between genuine happiness for others and honest disappointment:
  • “It’s okay to be disappointed, not bitter.” (21:05)
  • “Let’s not lie and act like you don’t want to hear your name being called as the winner.” (21:47)
• Emphasizes honoring the achievements of all finalists and the fierce talent at the top levels of any field.
• Key Takeaway: The real win is making it to the “championships”—being among the greats; losing does not diminish your worth.
  • Memorable: "Do not ever dismiss that you actually wanted to win something. Don't dismiss that you got disappointed when you didn't. But two things can be true..." (24:50)

5. Being Brave is Not Being Fearless

• Discusses her niece joining the Army and what true bravery means, both for her and her family.
  • “She’s brave, right? Because even when you’re brave, that does not dismiss that you’re afraid, but you do it anyway...” (30:28)
• Unpacks definitions and wisdom about courage and fear, quoting Brene Brown, Michael Mogil, and referencing Aristotle.
  • “Courage is not the absence of fear… being brave means acknowledging the fear but refusing to let it stop you.” (32:22)
  • “True courage isn’t being fearless, it’s fearing well.” (33:51)
• Uses Nike’s slogan to reinforce this lesson: “The slogan by Nike is just do...it didn’t say just do it happy. It didn’t say just do it fearlessly. It said just do it.” (34:26)

6. Handling Criticism & The Value of Showing Up

• Pushes back on social media critics, noting that the courage to “put yourself out there” distinguishes doers from talkers.
  • “It lets me know you ain’t doing nothing. Because if you were doing something, you would understand the courage it takes for a person to put themselves out there…” (39:11)
• Urges listeners not to be discouraged by naysayers or fear of failure, and to find mentors/coaches with the results and mindsets worth emulating.
• Advice extends to setting boundaries—even from family—and celebrating the courage in making better choices.

7. Spiritual Encouragement & Community Prayer

• Michelle closes with a prayer for protection, resilience, and thriving amid uncertainty, reiterating the importance of “checking in” with oneself, others, and with God.
  • “We will stay prayerful. I pray protection...that no physical harm would come to you...you and your family members...continue to thrive in a world in which things seem so uncertain.” (43:15)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You could have gotten a promotion. But still acknowledge what you saw on the news that has been scary…That’s why I like to check in.” (03:35)
• “I didn’t go off on nobody. I used the tools my therapist gave me...I didn’t stick up my middle finger at them. I let it ride.” [humorous aside about family habits] (05:10)
• “A cancellation does not necessarily mean the end of one's career or the end of a dream...Find another one and thrive.” (09:02)
• "When Jesus says yes, nobody can say no, not even you…God is the ultimate promise keeper. Humans, not so much." (17:31)
• “When the winner, you’re like, number one for that particular time. So do not ever dismiss that you actually wanted to win something.” (24:52)
• “You’re still a freaking winner. You’re still a freaking nominee. You’re still a champion. You’re still one of the greats. So tell yourself...You’re still that girl, you’re still that guy...” (25:52)
• “Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is not being fearless, it’s fearing well.” (32:22, 33:51)
• “Whenever you’re doing something…you decide, I’m gonna be brave…you get a naysayer, you gotta know they must ain’t never done nothing, because if they did something, they would show grace.” (39:11)
• "Your mindset really is a combination of your beliefs, actions, and environment." (40:30)
• “I just want to give y’all love and tell y’all thank you for the love and support…We will stay prayerful. I pray protection over you and your families…” (43:12)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |---------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 03:07 | Checking in: The dual reality of progress & unrest | | 05:10 | How are you really? Therapist tools & self-awareness | | 07:45 | Sherri Shepherd Show, food poisoning & career pivots | | 14:09 | Singing at Campbell Hall, value of showing up | | 17:31 | Spiritual reflections & Destiny’s Child connections | | 21:05 | Grammy disappointment, being human about losing | | 24:52 | Honoring competition & self-encouragement | | 30:28 | Being brave + Army niece story | | 32:22 | Defining courage, quotes from Brown, Aristotle, Nike | | 39:11 | Social media critics & courage to show up | | 40:30 | Mindset: beliefs, actions, environment | | 43:12 | Closing prayer & encouragement |

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, humorous, warm and honest (“Y’all know I tries to keep my preaching to a minimum on here…”)
• Openly vulnerable about setbacks, failures, and dreams
• Spiritually rooted with motivational undertones
• Encouraging and practical for listeners facing their own struggles

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Final Thoughts

This episode is an uplifting blend of real talk, celebrity insight, and soulful encouragement. Michelle Williams models grace through wins and losses, emphasizes the importance of bravery (with fear, not without), and leaves listeners with actionable wisdom on resilience and showing up as your full, brave, human self.

Transcript

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[Michelle Williams]

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[Michelle Williams]

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[Michelle Williams]

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[Michelle Williams]

Checking In With Michelle Williams, a production of iHeartRadio and the Black Effect. Hey there. I know y' all haven't heard from me personally solo wise on a solo episode in a minute, but if you stay tuned, I'm gonna tell you what I was doing. Okay, bye. Hello good people. Welcome to another episode of Checking In. It's been an amazing couple of weeks. Well, how do I say amazing? Well, two things can be true. You can still have make amazing progress and have some wins while still looking at the world around you and how there's been so much chaos, unrest, war, just whatever we want to call it, you know, War, unrest, just whatever you want to call it. Heck, it could be war within yourself, war in your home, unrest in your home, unrest in yourself, unrest on your job, unrest in relationships. So I just want to acknowledge that, you know, yes, you can. You could have gotten a promotion. But still acknowledge what you saw on the news that has been scary and absolutely horrific and just like confusing and all the things. That's why I like to check in. So making sure that you check in with yourself, you check in with others, and you check in with God, that you're meditating, you're centering yourself, you're breathing, you're checking in with yourself, asking yourself, wait a minute, how am I doing? How many of y' all have not asked that of yourself? How am I doing? How am I really doing? And taking the time to acknowledge how you're really doing and go beyond, oh, I'm good, I'm cool. But then, well, if you say I'm good, what makes you good? And there's no wrong answer. Hey, I woke up this morning. That's enough for me. I'm good. I didn't go off on nobody. I used the tools my therapist gave me. You know what I'm saying? You could have been on the subway and you had your eye on a certain seat or wherever you wanted to stand and somebody just got in your way or they cut you off in traffic, and you're like, you know what? I didn't stick up my middle finger at them. I let it ride. You're like, michelle, stick up your middle finger. Yes, I said it. I've seen my dad stick up his middle finger at people before. Rest in peace, Dad. I don't think I've done that before. I have, but in, in, like, being funny. We shouldn't be sticking up our middle fingers at people, though. Could you imagine that's like when somebody sticks up their middle finger at you? That's like you're the gutter. And when you think of the gesture, it is funny at the same time. But it's got to be humiliating and embarrassing. Like I said, it's got to make you feel like gum on the bottom of a shoe. We not doing that. We not doing that. I'm sure it feels good in the moment, but maybe I should practice it. No, I'm just playing. I'm just playing. We're not practicing. We're not practicing that. We're not going to reinforce what could be seen as bad behavior. Okay? And I don't want y' all doing that. Anybody listening? Don't do that. Okay. Don't do. Has been. Wow. It's been a pretty busy season, a pretty busy month. Between February and now, what you have seen recently with me on the Sherry Shepherd Show. Honey. Oh, my God. She got me to do something I have not done since January. I took a. She had me eat a nugget. Oh. That's what gave me the food poisoning. Oh. And I cannot confirm or deny if that was the actual place where the nuggets came from, because Wendy's has nuggets. Chick fil a has nuggets. McDonald's has nuggets. Who else? Who else has nuggets? All kind of places got nuggets. Chicken tenders or whatever you want to call it. Chicken bites. Everything is a nugget to me. I don't care if it's a chicken tender. I'm might, I still might call it a nugget. Oh, I couldn't believe it. I, I, I guess I agreed to it. And I was like, let me see what happens. O she unveiled that thing. No, I do not. Y', all, when you've been sick that sick from eating something or if you maybe drank too much and you got sick, you don't want to touch or even see what it was that made you so sick in the first place. So I didn't want no smoke, and I don't want to ever be that sick. You know why? Because I miss being on the stage. I have to call out and not be able to work and serve, honey. So, yeah, that was fun and just the love Sherry has given me. We are all saddened about the Sherry show cancellation, but my prayer is that she and everybody connected with the show. They're able to pivot and grab hold to something else and be successful. A cancellation does not necessarily mean the end of one's career or the end of a dream. You know, it's the end of that particular season, it's the end of that particular era, and it's the end of maybe that particular system that you are in. Find another one and, and thrive. And everybody there, the, the producers, the interns, they are all so talented and so kind. So I really, really, really, really believe in my prayers that everyone is going to be okay. So shout out to my girl, Sherri Shepherd. Shout out to John Murray as well, former executive producer of the Sherri Shepherd Show. I really believe everybody's gonna be all right.

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[Dr. Laurie Santos]

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[Michelle Williams]

They accept Discover at Renaissance.

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[Michelle Williams]

With the times. You're playing the loot. Yeah.

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[Michelle Williams]

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[Michelle Williams]

There's been so much. Oh my gosh, this past weekend I was able to go to LA and sing Campbell Hall. Yeah, I've got beyond Beyonce and Kelly, who I've got a few other close friends who have children that Go to the school. And it has been a joy seeing them grown up, singing in the choir and singing My First Love, which is gospel music. That was a time Kelly and B, Ms. Tina, all of them were there. And I was like, to do what Jesus says. Yes. I think Titan. Kelly was pregnant with Titan at the time. You know what I mean? And so I, you know, I don't. It's just. Let me get my calendar. You know, when you. When you got so many nieces and nephews, you just. You almost just stop paying attention to even what year everybody was born. Child. I just remember. Wait, here I go. There you go. I just remember. I think, shucks, Blue wasn't. Blue was a baby. Still, when Jesus says yes came out, I don't even know if she was one years old yet. So that was just an amazing moment. I got to be auntie and I saw some a cool comment that was like, yo, what a flex. That is a amazing flex to be able to call up your auntie and be like, hey, would you come sing with the school choir? And that's the blessing about having people in your life. And you show up for each other. So just. Isn't it awesome if people show up for you?

[Dr. Laurie Santos]

Yeah.

[Michelle Williams]

Yeah. You show up for each other. Show up. So that was amazing. You know, I. Let me tell you something. That holy spirit snatched me right on up. I've been. I've been in my Broadway zone, and sometimes when I just get in the space to where I can actually praise God. And when that song, when Jesus says yes, those words still ring true. When Jesus says yes, nobody can say no, not even you. You know, it's just like when God is the ultimate promise keeper. Humans, not so much. We mean well when we say, y' all promise. I'm a dah dah dah dah dah dah. Man will fail you. But God keeps the promises. He keeps his promises. The promises of God are yes and amen. They are final. It is sure if God said it, you can count on it coming to pass. Now, it might not come in our timing and when we want it, but it sure shows up when you need it. Okay. All right. Y' all know I tries to keep my preaching to a minimum on here. The mother got excited and I. Oh, I just started thinking of the goodness of God. I started thinking of the goodness of God in the lives of my friends and family that were all in that audience. It was good to see Erica Campbell. It was good to see the artist major who snapped on Fantasy by Earth Wind and fire. You hear me? Dietrich Haddon came out gospel rock star. I know you're like, how can you be a gospel artist, be a rock star? That Dietrich had it. Knows how to still. You can still feel the heart of God and. But he still, he. He knows how to balance. He knows how to keep you engaged and up on your feet. Just. And all the kids who sang lead, all the kids who were just. Who volunteered, who said, I just want to be in the choir. Such good, good, good kids energy. Oh, two full hours of gospel singing. Lil Wayne was there. It was just like, come on now. Imagine just two hours of your soul being filled and fed on the good news. It. Gospel simply means good news. So. Yeah. Oh, that was amazing. I was exhausted. Flew in on a Saturday. Saturday morning, did the performance, flew on a red eye to ensure that I was back on the stage with my family at death becomes her. I don't like missing. I don't like missing. But I'm so glad for the producers who. Who let me, you know, go do what I need to do at times, have a flexible job, and I'm really thankful for that. Oh, so what else? Oh, did I really speak about the Grammys and just how, I guess, impactful it was, and just to see new artists or to see artists that we all came up in the same era, it was amazing. It was absolutely amazing. And I was like, you know, I kind of voluntarily sat myself down. I could have been doing music, you know, but there is really no but. It's just. Well, I'll say this. Sometimes you. You talk yourself out of something that, you know you really want to do, regardless of the results, regardless of the outcome, you know what I'm saying? But you do want to feel supported when you do your art. You know what I mean? And so I just want to just really, really be wise this next go round and, you know, just, I guess just put it out for y' all and those that gravitate to it, gravitate to it, you know what I mean? Y' all have been amazing. Faithful and loyal and just so supportive. So that's who I would do music for and hopefully get introduced to new people. We'll see. We shall see. But that was such a beautiful experience at the Grammys. Again, the night of the Grammys, Beyonce and Kelly threw an intimate dinner for me. Oh, I hate that I did not walk in that house as a Grammy winner, but I did walk in the house as a Grammy winner with them with Destiny's Child. But, man, I wanna. I Wanted that win so bad. I wanted it so bad. So I've been wrestling with that. I've been processing that. Man, when you want something so bad and then it's goes somewhere else, and that's a real thing. And it's okay to be human. It's okay to be disappointed, not bitter. You know, when I. Like I said on Sher shepherd, like, you know, when they call somebody else's name, then you got to smile and cheese, because you don't know if the camera is going to be on you, so you smile and act all excited. Now, it's not to say that you don't have a genuine happiness for the other person, because guess what? They were nominated, too. That means they were also nominated by their peers, other musicians, artists, executives, writers, whoever that thought that this was good enough as well, that we were all good enough to be in the category with each other. So it's like, yo, they deserve it. They worked hard, too. But let's not lie and act and act like you don't want to hear your name being called as the winner, okay? So I have to. I have to keep it real. But Buena Vista Social Club, who won the best musical album at the Grammys, that album is Ph? N Ma. No. Okay. It is a great album. How do I know? Because I listened to it. Great. And you, you should listen. When you're a voting member of the recording academy, you should listen to people's bodies of work in that particular category and not just really vote off of popularity. Right. Because somebody could be popular, but there could be something else in the category where the musicality the performance. And I'm not just limiting this to the musical theater category, because all the albums. Gypsy come on, the singing and let me tell you, the singing and performance, I don't care if it was an instrumental album. Those albums are phenomenal. They are great. So there really is. Is some. Some stiff competition. And I'm sure some of y' all that are listening, you know what it means by the time you get to the championships of any category, whether it's sports, culinary, aerospace, architecture, poetry, whatever it is that you do, by the time you get to the championships, you are competing against somebody else that's great at what they do. So that's really the honor. That really is the win. That really is the win. Right? But when the winner, you're like, number one for that particular time. So do not ever dismiss that you actually wanted to win something. Don't dismiss that you got disappointed when you didn't. But two things can be true. I'm disappointed that we lost, But I also give kudos and genuine hand claps to the winner in that category, which is the Buena Vista Social Club. The show is doing amazing. Okay. All right. So. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I encouraged myself right there. That's so good. It's so good. And I hope it encourages you that. Yo, it's okay. You had a great expectation of something, and it did not go the way you prayed or the way you desired. Okay? So it. Now don't. Don't make that your identity. I'm a loser. No, you're not a loser. You're still a freaking winner. You're still freaking nominee. You're still a champion. You're still. You're still one of the greats. So tell yourself whether you're in social work, you're a teacher, and you were nominated for an award and you didn't get it, you're still a great teacher to be nominated. Yeah, you're still great. So tell yourself you are still great. You're still that girl. You're still that guy, that. That g. That. Whatever you call yourself to be, you're still that. All right. The show is still going strong. I'm still in the show till at least. Drum roll. Till at least October. And who knows? I might say. Might as well stay through the holidays. Might as well stay through top of 2027, who knows? But I will say for sure, I believe, until October of 2027. Okay. All right. You heard it from me. Okay, so get your tickets, get your ticks, go to broadwaydirect.com or wherever you go to safely and legally get your tickets to. Death becomes her. I want to see you there.

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[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

EBGLIS Librekizumab LBKZ, a 250 milligram per 2 milliliter injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Epglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection searching for real relief?

[Commercial Announcer]

Ask your doctor about ebglis and visit epglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-LilyRx or 1-800-545-5979.

[Dr. Laurie Santos]

This is Dr. Laurie Santos from the Happiness Lab. As a Happiness expert, I know that mindfulness isn't just about meditation. It's also about being present with your choices. And for me, present at mealtime. That's why I choose Dietz and Watson. They're a family owned and operated business and they never cut corners.

[Michelle Williams]

Ever.

[Dr. Laurie Santos]

I use their chicken sausage with no added hormones in my family recipes. Dietz and Watson have been handcrafting meats and cheeses for over 85 years. They know that good taste doesn't need a long list of ingredients. They're totally transparent about what goes into their food and what doesn't, and that's why their meats and cheeses taste so great. They stick to what matters, using the fewest, highest quality ingredients to craft their meats and cheeses because that's how they've always done it. If you want a more mindful meal, check out Dietz and Watson. Dietz Watson. It's a family thing since 1939. Visit dietzandwatson.com the right way to learn more about the dietz difference. That's dietzandwatson.com the right way Pro drivers

[Lenovo Pro Advertiser]

live for race day, but for small business owners, every day is race day. That's why going pro with Lenovo Pro matters. One on one advice. It's solutions and customized hardware powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. Keep your business on the right track. Business goes pro with Lenovo Pro. Sign up for [e-mail] pro.

[Electric Vehicle Advertiser]

You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part? You won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric. Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org

[Discover Card Promoter]

Thy Ticket, Lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Michelle Williams]

They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs.

[Discover Card Promoter]

Yeah, they do here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Get it with the times.

[Michelle Williams]

With the times. You're playing the loot. Yeah.

[Discover Card Promoter]

And it sounds pretty good, right?

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[Michelle Williams]

that take credit cards nationwide, based on

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the February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Michelle Williams]

All right, so I caught everybody up on the goings ons. Okay. Okay. I caught everybody up. But I definitely have been excited about what's been going on. Have been excited. And how are y' all doing? I know I've been, you know, thinking about everything going on in our country and in our world. I talked to my niece today because she's in the army and she was like, auntie, I promise you I'll keep the family abreast of everything going on. I was like, okay. Because she could hear like, hey, what's going on? Are you going to have to be deployed? Are you going to have to go? But, you know, I honor her because that is a prayed decision that she has made to join the army. Okay. And she is the type, she likes to jump out of planes, she likes to camp out, sleep in the rain and in the mud and blah. She, you know, so she has. She's brave, right? Because even when you're brave, that does not dismiss that you're afraid, but you do it anyway, knowing that you have the tools, knowing you're doing what you were taught. I'm. But. So I'm brave. I'm going to be brave. I am going to be brave. Matter of fact, let me. Let's look up the meaning of the word brave. Okay? The meaning of the word brave means to ready to face and endure danger or pain. Showing courage. Okay? That's according to Webster's. But I also have the question, can you be brave without fear? Okay. Can you be brave without fear? And I don't know how to pronounce his name, but according to Michael Mogil, there's no courage without fear. I've also seen it said that courage is not the absence of fear. Brene Brown says you can't get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability. So being brave, you're still walking, you're still making moves, and you're acknowledging this don't feel good. I don't know what the outcome is going to be. So I like that. This says, essentially, being brave means acknowledging the fear but refusing to let it stop you. Refusing to let it Stop you. It is the willingness to act in spite of my fear. According to Full Focus Co. Now, I don't know these people, okay? But I. I have to acknowledge the. I have to acknowledge the source, okay? According to Psycho, true courage isn't being fearless, it's fearing. Well, love that, love that, love that, love that. So it's almost like thinking to yourself, what are the projects that you need to tackle? What are some of the things on the inside of you that you need to tackle? What are some of the hurdles that you need to get over? So just because you're afraid does not mean that that thing cannot be done. You literally just did it. Afraid. The slogan by Nike is just do. Didn't say just do it. Happy. It didn't say just do it fearlessly. It said just do it. All right? Oh, this is so good. I don't even know how I got here, but it is so good. It's so good.

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[Dr. Laurie Santos]

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[Michelle Williams]

Ever.

[Dr. Laurie Santos]

I use their chicken sausage with no added hormones in my family recipes. Dietz and Watson have been handcrafting meats and cheeses for over 85 years. They know that good taste doesn't need a long list of ingredients. They're totally transparent about what goes into their food and what doesn't and that's why their meats and cheeses taste so great. They stick to what using the fewest, highest quality ingredients to craft their meats and cheeses because that's how they've always done it. If you want a more mindful meal, check out Dietz Watson. Dietz and Watson. It's a family thing since 1939. Visit dietzandwatson.com therightway to learn more about the Dietz Difference. That's dietzandwatson.com TheRightway Pro drivers live for race day.

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[Electric Vehicle Advertiser]

You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part? You won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric. Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org

[Discover Card Promoter]

Thy Ticket Lady Jennifer of Coolidge. Well, many thanks good sir. Here is my Discover card.

[Commercial Announcer]

They accept Discover at Renaissance Fairs?

[Discover Card Promoter]

Yeah they do. Here. Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Get it with the times.

[Michelle Williams]

With the times. You're playing the loot.

[Discover Card Promoter]

Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right?

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places

[Michelle Williams]

that take credit cards nationwide, Based on

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

the February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Michelle Williams]

Is courage a matter of being fearless or of feeling fear in the right way? Because if brave people face things that frighten others but that they themselves do not find frightening, then one would say there is nothing worthy of respect and that that's to understand how Aristotle navigated between these two answers of examining his theory of virtue and feeling about the virtue of courage and and being brave. I also like this Saying by Aristotle that the courageous person has something to lose, but they have something to gain, too. Listen, you could tackle a project and not get the results, but at least you can say you did, did it. That's why I don't like a lot of people who criticize people over social media, because it. It lets me know you ain't doing nothing. Because if you were doing something, you would understand the courage it takes for a person to put themselves out there, to be judged, critiqued, to lose. So whenever you're doing something, guys, and you decide, I'm gonna be brave, I'm gonna put this. I'm gonna put myself out there on social media, and you get a naysayer, you gotta know they must ain't never done nothing, because if they did something, they would show grace. They would just say, congratulations. They would say, listen, I know you didn't get the result that you wanted, but you did it anyway. You showed up. So we have to just tell ourselves, I am going to show up in spite of fear. I'm going to finish. Because how many of us said we was going to do something and we didn't finish because you were afraid of starting over or you were afraid of failure? But how do you literally, how do you know until you even try? I've had to tell myself that. How do you think you're going to fail at this? You haven't even completed the assignment. How do you know? That is why a good coach and mentor is so important, because that coach and mentor will help you get out of your own way. And the reason why I say a coach or mentor, because sometimes you can confide in, like, an immediate family member, and they might get intimidated. They might impose their fear on you. They might project their fear on you because you trigger a project that they were supposed to do. You trigger something in them, like, where they know, man, I didn't finish school like I was supposed to. They didn't finish something. So then you get all excited and you tell them your plans, and they kind of poop on it. So get a coach or mentor who has results. You want to get coached by somebody who. Who has results. You want to get coached by somebody who has the mindset that you aspire to have, because it is mindset. And remember that whatever you believe, whatever you believe will happen. Your mindset really is a combination of your beliefs, actions, and environment. Okay, all right. I'm just telling y' all what I've learned along the way. Your mindset is a combination of beliefs, actions, and environment. At times. Okay? So I just want you to be encouraged that it is okay to feel afraid. It is okay to feel afraid, to untether from people. Love them from afar. You ain't got to cut them off, but I can imagine the fear in that. Oh, gosh, what are they going to think? What are they going to say? They're going to think I'm better than them. You're just making better choices, that's all. We're not better than anybody, but some of y' all have made better choices, and that's what makes you absolutely amazing. Okay? So I just want to give y' all love and tell y' all thank you for the love and support this far. I'm excited about the year ahead. We will stay prayerful. I pray protection over for you and your families. Anybody that listens to this podcast, I pray for protection. I pray that no physical harm would come to you, your family members, or your loved ones. I pray that you and your family members and loved ones will continue to thrive in a world in which things seem so uncertain. All right, all right. I love you all so much. Keep checking in. Don't forget to check in with yourself, check in with others, and for sure check in with God. Take care. Checking in with Michelle Williams is a production of iHeartRadio and the Black Effect. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

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[Electric Vehicle Advertiser]

You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries, and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part? You won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is Electric Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org

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[Michelle Williams]

Well, almost.

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Almost anything.

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This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.