So interesting topic we're gonna discuss today, and that is what would I tell my eighteen year old self? A man's with me. We don't have notes in front of us. I didn't get like a you know, five bulletins on you know how to answer this correctly. I'm making you sit in this chair. You produce this show, and I'm also making you sit here because we're also close friends. We've traveled the world together literally, and I think I need you to riff off of on this question because I think it's interesting. What would I tell my eighteen year old self if I could talk to myself, if I could write a letter to myself? What would I say? Before we get into that, I do want to address a couple of things about this podcast. You and I have changed. This is episode four, fourth episode of two and a half hundred episodes that we've slightly We've made it a little bit of a change, pivoted a little bit. And what we do on this podcast and technically still what we still do, is we answer your emails and you email podcast at grangersmith dot com ask anything you want. We've especially since you came on and started producing the show, we've noticed that as many times as if I I've asked that question over two hundred times and we've gotten thousands of emails. You could really categorize all of these emails into like seven or eight questions.

So interesting topic we're gonna discuss today, and that is what would I tell my eighteen year old self? A man's with me. We don't have notes in front of us. I didn't get like a you know, five bulletins on you know how to answer this correctly. I'm making you sit in this chair. You produce this show, and I'm also making you sit here because we're also close friends. We've traveled the world together literally, and I think I need you to riff off of on this question because I think it's interesting. What would I tell my eighteen year old self if I could talk to myself, if I could write a letter to myself? What would I say? Before we get into that, I do want to address a couple of things about this podcast. You and I have changed. This is episode four, fourth episode of two and a half hundred episodes that we've slightly We've made it a little bit of a change, pivoted a little bit. And what we do on this podcast and technically still what we still do, is we answer your emails and you email podcast at grangersmith dot com ask anything you want. We've especially since you came on and started producing the show, we've noticed that as many times as if I I've asked that question over two hundred times and we've gotten thousands of emails. You could really categorize all of these emails into like seven or eight questions.

Yeah, you really can. In fact, I made categories of folders to put them in.

Yeah, you really can. In fact, I made categories of folders to put them in.

What are your categories? Uh? You know?

What are your categories? Uh? You know?

It was marital questions, job questions, yea, spiritual questions, the ones that specifically about the Bible or about church, and then kind of separated up into guys and girl questions, women asking questions about their husband's husbands, asking about how to be husbands and which. It's funny though, when you write an email, and I'm speaking from my point of view, if I was writing an email, I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about, and I'm typing it out and I'm sending it, I'm the only person who's thinking about that, But the person on the other end is receiving that one and all of these other ones going Okay, I'm starting to starting see a theme. Is there a better way to answer these than going, Hey Jeff from Arkansas, here's your email x y Z and here's my answer, and we can go hey, guys, if this is your issue, which we've had a lot of emails, and it might even be better than sitting through Jeff from Arkansas's email, you know, listening to what was last week's masculinity? I mean, that's a question that is probably one of the biggest questions that we would receive here in twenty twenty four is And it's funny you get emails from thirteen fourteen year olds that you know, just got an iPhone or you know, just able to get their own email address and stuff like that, all the way up to fifty three year old man asking I'm struggling with being a man basically not often those words, but when you get into the meat and potatoes of the actual email, that's what it was about.

It was marital questions, job questions, yea, spiritual questions, the ones that specifically about the Bible or about church, and then kind of separated up into guys and girl questions, women asking questions about their husband's husbands, asking about how to be husbands and which. It's funny though, when you write an email, and I'm speaking from my point of view, if I was writing an email, I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about, and I'm typing it out and I'm sending it, I'm the only person who's thinking about that, But the person on the other end is receiving that one and all of these other ones going Okay, I'm starting to starting see a theme. Is there a better way to answer these than going, Hey Jeff from Arkansas, here's your email x y Z and here's my answer, and we can go hey, guys, if this is your issue, which we've had a lot of emails, and it might even be better than sitting through Jeff from Arkansas's email, you know, listening to what was last week's masculinity? I mean, that's a question that is probably one of the biggest questions that we would receive here in twenty twenty four is And it's funny you get emails from thirteen fourteen year olds that you know, just got an iPhone or you know, just able to get their own email address and stuff like that, all the way up to fifty three year old man asking I'm struggling with being a man basically not often those words, but when you get into the meat and potatoes of the actual email, that's what it was about.

Week before that, should Christians cuss?

Week before that, should Christians cuss?

Exactly?

Exactly?

Another very popular question. We've gotten hundreds of emails about that topic.

Another very popular question. We've gotten hundreds of emails about that topic.

That was a big one that you and I talked about just personally, Like, man, I'm trying to stay away from podcasts that have a lot of profanity in it because I'm trying to correct my language.

That was a big one that you and I talked about just personally, Like, man, I'm trying to stay away from podcasts that have a lot of profanity in it because I'm trying to correct my language.

Yeah, you know, a week before that is the world ending, so it'll revolved.

Yeah, you know, a week before that is the world ending, so it'll revolved.

Around a little event too that.

Around a little event too that.

Yeah, Yeah, what we've done is so we basically we haven't changed anything besides the fact that we've just kind of consolidated the questions and this week, what would you tell your eighteen year old self? That this is really a consolidation of the questions of do you regret anything, what would you have done if you didn't do music? All of those kind of let's just combine those and make one. Here's a response I did see on YouTube about this. It says on a comment, I've always been a fan of the pod, not a fan of this format currently. I think it's better when you read the emails that people send, not to do TikTok reactions, which is not really TikTok people are doing. He said, kind of a letdown. I'm assuming that's a heat and then a response to that says, I missed the emails too, but I think this format is good. Maybe better to swap between the two every episode or something, and then someone else says he might be trying to expand his audience. I'm sure at this point he'll do emails again, but I can't knock him for trying new things and making content since he's and music, since this is now how he makes a living so Hey, people get so used to one thing, you change it. I've done this for years. You change one little thing and a routine this from the radio world. You change one thing and they people. You know, for instance, on after midnight, you and I do good news, right and I've been like, hey, let's switch it instead of doing good news the first hour, let's do something else and do good news a second hour. And You're like, no, people get used to one thing. They know good news is coming at twelve seventeen am every morning. We can't change it. And so that's what we're seeing. But I think, look, I'm not trying to change it so that I could make more money or something. On this podcast, we're literally just looking for ways to serve the people better. And Abby Bryant, who's longtime fan now turned friend. She's a member at my church at Maas, and she told me, she was like, hey, I like the new format. And I was like, well, thank you, and she goes, Honestly, there's for a while now, I've been wondering, how could you possibly answer the same question about my girlfriend left me? What do I do? How could you answer that in a different way every single week? And I'm like, okay, thank you, because that's what we see now maybe And part of the reason I'm maybe bringing this up is so that people can comment on If you're on a listening right now on a format where you can comment, now, let me know what you think of this. Now tell them about what your idea is for the live podcast.

Yeah, Yeah, what we've done is so we basically we haven't changed anything besides the fact that we've just kind of consolidated the questions and this week, what would you tell your eighteen year old self? That this is really a consolidation of the questions of do you regret anything, what would you have done if you didn't do music? All of those kind of let's just combine those and make one. Here's a response I did see on YouTube about this. It says on a comment, I've always been a fan of the pod, not a fan of this format currently. I think it's better when you read the emails that people send, not to do TikTok reactions, which is not really TikTok people are doing. He said, kind of a letdown. I'm assuming that's a heat and then a response to that says, I missed the emails too, but I think this format is good. Maybe better to swap between the two every episode or something, and then someone else says he might be trying to expand his audience. I'm sure at this point he'll do emails again, but I can't knock him for trying new things and making content since he's and music, since this is now how he makes a living so Hey, people get so used to one thing, you change it. I've done this for years. You change one little thing and a routine this from the radio world. You change one thing and they people. You know, for instance, on after midnight, you and I do good news, right and I've been like, hey, let's switch it instead of doing good news the first hour, let's do something else and do good news a second hour. And You're like, no, people get used to one thing. They know good news is coming at twelve seventeen am every morning. We can't change it. And so that's what we're seeing. But I think, look, I'm not trying to change it so that I could make more money or something. On this podcast, we're literally just looking for ways to serve the people better. And Abby Bryant, who's longtime fan now turned friend. She's a member at my church at Maas, and she told me, she was like, hey, I like the new format. And I was like, well, thank you, and she goes, Honestly, there's for a while now, I've been wondering, how could you possibly answer the same question about my girlfriend left me? What do I do? How could you answer that in a different way every single week? And I'm like, okay, thank you, because that's what we see now maybe And part of the reason I'm maybe bringing this up is so that people can comment on If you're on a listening right now on a format where you can comment, now, let me know what you think of this. Now tell them about what your idea is for the live podcast.

This whole turn in changing up the podcast started with while we were in Israel and I showed you a live, what we could do with a live. Okay, let's try that when we get back. Well, when we started doing the live, like, well, what if these were the actual questions and we got into some of the deeper topics which you can't really get into with if somebody asked us a pointed question, it's hard to venture off from that and stay on the email. At least with a topic, you can incorporate the emails into the topic. On the lives, which we have a live coming up next to next Thursday, you know, the day before e E Day. Nice, we'll do a live.

This whole turn in changing up the podcast started with while we were in Israel and I showed you a live, what we could do with a live. Okay, let's try that when we get back. Well, when we started doing the live, like, well, what if these were the actual questions and we got into some of the deeper topics which you can't really get into with if somebody asked us a pointed question, it's hard to venture off from that and stay on the email. At least with a topic, you can incorporate the emails into the topic. On the lives, which we have a live coming up next to next Thursday, you know, the day before e E Day. Nice, we'll do a live.

That's a great.

That's a great.

We're going to take some specific emails and answer those, plus give you the opportunity to actually ask live in the moment while you're watching grainery.

We're going to take some specific emails and answer those, plus give you the opportunity to actually ask live in the moment while you're watching grainery.

Questions, which is so cool. Yeah, and it's a.

Questions, which is so cool. Yeah, and it's a.

It's way different feeling on this side of the camera or this side of the microphone than than anything else than you know, And so I think this whole shift is allowing you the opportunity, hopefully to answer more than than just a one single pointed email. Well he didn't answer my question, Well he did, he answered yours and ten other ones at the same time. And so that's that's really the goal of the whole thing. And and to maybe bring some other perspectives into your question. Yeah, you know, it allows you not to do it, and that's where I that's something personally I deal with. I get really lost and focused on my question, my problem, my issue that I don't even consider other solutions because it doesn't exactly pertain to what I'm what I'm dealing with. So maybe this will help help those viewing and listening and think outside of just there.

It's way different feeling on this side of the camera or this side of the microphone than than anything else than you know, And so I think this whole shift is allowing you the opportunity, hopefully to answer more than than just a one single pointed email. Well he didn't answer my question, Well he did, he answered yours and ten other ones at the same time. And so that's that's really the goal of the whole thing. And and to maybe bring some other perspectives into your question. Yeah, you know, it allows you not to do it, and that's where I that's something personally I deal with. I get really lost and focused on my question, my problem, my issue that I don't even consider other solutions because it doesn't exactly pertain to what I'm what I'm dealing with. So maybe this will help help those viewing and listening and think outside of just there.

That's good specific question. The idea still is that we're sitting in the cab of a truck, Yeah, driving on the road. You asked me a question, and we walk through it. My goal I've been saying this lately, like maybe the last few months have been saying that my goal really with this podcast is not to just give you an answer so you could apply it to your life. It's more so to give you a way to think. Let's think through these things together, and let me tell you where I'm basing my thinking on. This is where my thought process comes from, and I'll show you how I'm building answers so that ultimately that's how we can empower listeners so they don't just go to social media and get answer, answer, answer, but instead they're learning how to think, which is almost a lost art in twenty twenty four. Let's think together. Let's use our brains instead of being fed an answer. What's an answer? We just literally type it. We ask a question, we ask Ai, we ask Google, we ask YouTube, tell us because I have a question. We've lost the ability to reason with ourselves through some kind of foundational grounding. What you and I will say the Bible and that's that's what this is.

That's good specific question. The idea still is that we're sitting in the cab of a truck, Yeah, driving on the road. You asked me a question, and we walk through it. My goal I've been saying this lately, like maybe the last few months have been saying that my goal really with this podcast is not to just give you an answer so you could apply it to your life. It's more so to give you a way to think. Let's think through these things together, and let me tell you where I'm basing my thinking on. This is where my thought process comes from, and I'll show you how I'm building answers so that ultimately that's how we can empower listeners so they don't just go to social media and get answer, answer, answer, but instead they're learning how to think, which is almost a lost art in twenty twenty four. Let's think together. Let's use our brains instead of being fed an answer. What's an answer? We just literally type it. We ask a question, we ask Ai, we ask Google, we ask YouTube, tell us because I have a question. We've lost the ability to reason with ourselves through some kind of foundational grounding. What you and I will say the Bible and that's that's what this is.

And how to correct your thinking.

And how to correct your thinking.

Oh yeah, that's good.

Oh yeah, that's good.

I mean that's anything that I that I ever say on here talking to you will be more times than not from an experience that I've personally had in correcting in God correcting me in mind, So it's never a finger, it's the one finger pointed at you and the five back or four to three back of me. You know that that's saying? Is that that that's mine? And like, if I if I'm thinking a certain way, if I learn how to go back to the Bible and see where my thinking lines up, if it does line up with the Bible, great, If it doesn't, who I'm the problem because it's not the Bible is not the problem. I'm always the problem. If they don't line up together.

I mean that's anything that I that I ever say on here talking to you will be more times than not from an experience that I've personally had in correcting in God correcting me in mind, So it's never a finger, it's the one finger pointed at you and the five back or four to three back of me. You know that that's saying? Is that that that's mine? And like, if I if I'm thinking a certain way, if I learn how to go back to the Bible and see where my thinking lines up, if it does line up with the Bible, great, If it doesn't, who I'm the problem because it's not the Bible is not the problem. I'm always the problem. If they don't line up together.

That's good. So this episode's going to be about regret. It's going to be about if we still align with the old decisions that we made, and ultimately, hypothetically, if you could write a letter back in time to your old self, what would it be. I think this is an interesting topic and the reason I literally was going to record this and I was like, nope, aunt man, sit in this chair. I need you on this one. I'm not going to talk to myself in this one. I think it's interesting that you and I we met what two thousand and fourteen, maybe thirteen fifteen, I don't know when a backroad song come out fifteen maybe I right behind you as a b and my Awards as a background song. But I don't think as a date on it, it doesn't maybe fifteen fourteen.

That's good. So this episode's going to be about regret. It's going to be about if we still align with the old decisions that we made, and ultimately, hypothetically, if you could write a letter back in time to your old self, what would it be. I think this is an interesting topic and the reason I literally was going to record this and I was like, nope, aunt man, sit in this chair. I need you on this one. I'm not going to talk to myself in this one. I think it's interesting that you and I we met what two thousand and fourteen, maybe thirteen fifteen, I don't know when a backroad song come out fifteen maybe I right behind you as a b and my Awards as a background song. But I don't think as a date on it, it doesn't maybe fifteen fourteen.

It was right around because it was the on the on the Verge song for iHeart. Yeah, it was right around that time, so either right before.

It was right around because it was the on the on the Verge song for iHeart. Yeah, it was right around that time, so either right before.

Sixteen something in there. I think it went number one Valentine's Day sixteen because we lost Dad in fourteen and I signed a record deal that fall because I remember thinking Dad would have thought this is cool. Anyway, you and I met ten ish years ago and we were in very different places. Very you're in Arizona. I was a touring artist. Both of us don't do either one of those jobs anymore. And we met and man, what a crazy story. When we met. H ended up being not a fight but a huge argument, and not between us, but between the guys that worked for us really in a weird way.

Sixteen something in there. I think it went number one Valentine's Day sixteen because we lost Dad in fourteen and I signed a record deal that fall because I remember thinking Dad would have thought this is cool. Anyway, you and I met ten ish years ago and we were in very different places. Very you're in Arizona. I was a touring artist. Both of us don't do either one of those jobs anymore. And we met and man, what a crazy story. When we met. H ended up being not a fight but a huge argument, and not between us, but between the guys that worked for us really in a weird way.

And I'll be when I look back on it, I remember I felt, I feel like, now I've said something to Tyler, because Tyler was in that conversation. You're on stage singing, and I remember saying something like like it was something I know smarter, like I don't remember exactly what I said, but I was more frustrated that I was having to deal with this because it wasn't me. I don't mind dealing with my own my own junk, right, it's somebody else's like, I've got a man like. Everything was fine and you had to say, you know, but there was drama exited a.

And I'll be when I look back on it, I remember I felt, I feel like, now I've said something to Tyler, because Tyler was in that conversation. You're on stage singing, and I remember saying something like like it was something I know smarter, like I don't remember exactly what I said, but I was more frustrated that I was having to deal with this because it wasn't me. I don't mind dealing with my own my own junk, right, it's somebody else's like, I've got a man like. Everything was fine and you had to say, you know, but there was drama exited a.

Lot of drama to the day. And it doesn't even matter that the details, but the day that we met, there was major drama and we were two different people. So that's that's why this concept of would you go back, do you have regrets, would you have done things differently? I think that comes into play here, and I think that's why you're a great guest for this. You and I are very much on the same page today and we probably were in twenty fifteen. Also, we are just different people on the same page exactly.

Lot of drama to the day. And it doesn't even matter that the details, but the day that we met, there was major drama and we were two different people. So that's that's why this concept of would you go back, do you have regrets, would you have done things differently? I think that comes into play here, and I think that's why you're a great guest for this. You and I are very much on the same page today and we probably were in twenty fifteen. Also, we are just different people on the same page exactly.

I found a video the other day of so I started a show that's still running today with a different host. It's called Country House Party, but it was our It was the show's one hundredth show, which that means it was once a week, so it was two years old and you were on it, and just the content while we were talking about it's not content. We would talk about now it's like, you know, taking shots and do you know, like how late did we stay up? Whatever it was. It was just watching it back, I was like a little cringey but also a little reflective. Yeah, and it was it's like, oh, man, yeah, we kind of looked the same.

I found a video the other day of so I started a show that's still running today with a different host. It's called Country House Party, but it was our It was the show's one hundredth show, which that means it was once a week, so it was two years old and you were on it, and just the content while we were talking about it's not content. We would talk about now it's like, you know, taking shots and do you know, like how late did we stay up? Whatever it was. It was just watching it back, I was like a little cringey but also a little reflective. Yeah, and it was it's like, oh, man, yeah, we kind of looked the same.

Man. Yeah, we resemble each other. It's weird. I look at those old videos and that's just not me. It's just someone that kind of resembles me. If we have time, let's go back and we'll give the details of that story that day, because people are probably not wondering what was the argument.

Man. Yeah, we resemble each other. It's weird. I look at those old videos and that's just not me. It's just someone that kind of resembles me. If we have time, let's go back and we'll give the details of that story that day, because people are probably not wondering what was the argument.

And you can't look it up. It's not on the internet's blog.

And you can't look it up. It's not on the internet's blog.

No one knows it. So we'll discuss this. We have time, we'll go We'll put this at the end of the podcast. We'll tell you what we're talking about, why there was a big drama that day. I met at Man Okay, so eighteen years old. I was a senior year high school. I turned eighteen the fall of nineteen ninety eight, I believe. Yeah, it's always easy to remember my age in the year because it's it's the same number. So ninety eight, I was eighteen and I was playing football in Dallas and graduated high school that next May and went on to A and M. So eighteen years old, I was playing football, graduating high school summer before college, went to A and M. Was in the Coura Cadets in the fall of me being eighteen, right before nineteen. So that's kind of the era we're discussing here. How about you, Oh, eighteen nineteen ninety five? Okay, So I was always the year.

No one knows it. So we'll discuss this. We have time, we'll go We'll put this at the end of the podcast. We'll tell you what we're talking about, why there was a big drama that day. I met at Man Okay, so eighteen years old. I was a senior year high school. I turned eighteen the fall of nineteen ninety eight, I believe. Yeah, it's always easy to remember my age in the year because it's it's the same number. So ninety eight, I was eighteen and I was playing football in Dallas and graduated high school that next May and went on to A and M. So eighteen years old, I was playing football, graduating high school summer before college, went to A and M. Was in the Coura Cadets in the fall of me being eighteen, right before nineteen. So that's kind of the era we're discussing here. How about you, Oh, eighteen nineteen ninety five? Okay, So I was always the year.

So I graduated in ninety five. My birthdays in May, so it was always right around graduation the time, so it was May May of ninety five. I had already started in radio. I started in ninety four before I turned eighteen, just doing odds and ends at radio station. But the reason I wanted to get into radio was because I I was a drummer and I wanted to meet art I didn't know how else to meet artists other than moving to Nashville. It's funny, I just I just had a conversation with one of the guys from for King and Country, and I said, I was a really good Oklahoma drummer, And then I found out there's really good Nashville drummers, and that's way different than really good Oklahoma drummers, and so that my focus shifted and then into radio. But that's yeah. I was starting college at Oklahoma City University, actually had already had I think one semestery. And I started college while I was in high school too, because I knew what I wanted to do. I knew.

So I graduated in ninety five. My birthdays in May, so it was always right around graduation the time, so it was May May of ninety five. I had already started in radio. I started in ninety four before I turned eighteen, just doing odds and ends at radio station. But the reason I wanted to get into radio was because I I was a drummer and I wanted to meet art I didn't know how else to meet artists other than moving to Nashville. It's funny, I just I just had a conversation with one of the guys from for King and Country, and I said, I was a really good Oklahoma drummer, And then I found out there's really good Nashville drummers, and that's way different than really good Oklahoma drummers, and so that my focus shifted and then into radio. But that's yeah. I was starting college at Oklahoma City University, actually had already had I think one semestery. And I started college while I was in high school too, because I knew what I wanted to do. I knew.

So it sounds like we'll be able to answer similar in this what I'm about to say right now. And if you're listening and you're either interested in looking back on your life or if you are this age, and I think a lot of people probably are this age fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen eighteen, you and me both. I thought I had a lot figured out. I hadn't thought I had a lot going on. And the first thing I tell myself is, buddy, you hadn't even started yet, right, You have no idea. That's the first thing I tell myself. The guy that just thinks he's got it going on thinks he hasn't figured out. You look like a man, you're the stature of a man, but your brain is not. I'm not talking to eighteen year olds out there. I'm talking to my old self. See when I'm see how I did that? You said it, I was an idiot, and so my life hadn't even started yet. It was still building, and I hadn't started yet. I played music on the weekends, and I hadn't. I hadn't entered a place of any kind of regret at that point. I don't have any regrets when I look back on eighteen or younger, I haven't done anything yet that they would caused me to go that that mistake ended up being this same nothing yet. Not to say if anyone's listening has made it a mistake like that, not to say it can't be redeemed. But that's the first thing I say is I thought I had it figured out. I didn't. And I think the reason I start with that, because where I want to go with this is I didn't know the Lord. I thought I did, and so, yeah, go to youth group everywhere. Yeah, because there was also girls there. Of course, the pretty girls did the youth group. Once again, didn't really think about it then that that was the motivation. I see it clearly as I look back, It's like, why did I go on that weekend trip? Well, because so and so and so and so girls are there and other friends were there, too. It's a social event, youth group, young life, youth camps, even church itself. You know, it was was a social event for an eighteen year old and I didn't know the Lord, but I thought it did. That wasn't a problem then, but it soon became a huge problem. And of course not knowing the Lord is always a huge problem, but it hadn't manifested into the beast that it would become over the next fifteen years after eighteen fifteen to twenty. And that was a slow attrition as I got into the music business and as I started fighting for what I had and what I could achieve and went through a bunch of failure. As I went through failure, as that's really what paved the path in my cultural Christianity. Most people would be like, well, that's what paved the past, is success, right, Well that's not the point I'm trying to make. My point is when you fail and people go, oh man, how long is this music thing going to last? And you go then you dig deeper, and you fight harder, and you write more songs, and you play more clubs for no money, and you continue to scratch and claw for a slice of that American pie. And then when you finally start making something happen, people go, wow, this is you know, it must be nice overnight success. And then you just kind of growl deep down, you go, I did this. How dare you say? Overnight success? For ten years, from eighteen to twenty eight, I've fought to have any kind of recognition, a slow attrition, a slow slow failures after slow failure, after tiny success, slow failure again, tiny success. And then then you look back and you start gradually you become conditioned to the idea of I did it, I did it, I did it. And then when you thought that idea that you thought you were a Christian slowly starts becoming secondary. You're not thinking about it at all because now all you're thinking is I'm my own God. Yeah, no one says that, no one says it in that way, but that's surely how you act. Long time ago, I started grangersmith dot com. When I say a long time ago, I'm talking decades ago. Started grangersmith dot com for the purpose of mainly toward dates and you know, getting my music out there. And the last thing that was on my mind really was selling merch or much less. How in the world. Do you sell merch like practically? How does that work physically? How do people click on something and then end up buying something and it charges their credit card? Well, you know, fast forward all these years and now I have ye yee apparel. Literally, that's what we do from yeye dot com is sell apparel, and we do that by using Shopify. See. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business, whether it's from the launch your own online shop stage or the first real life store stage to if we just hit a whole bunch of order stage. Shopify is there to help you grow, whether you're selling scented soap or outdoor apparel like we are. Shopify helps you sell everywhere. Basically, they are an all in one e commerce platform, so it it does all the work for you and selling whatever product you want. They have a really good way of turning browsers into buyers too. They have they have the internet's best converting checkout that's thirty six percent better on average compared to the other leading commerce platforms. That's really good that you could sell more with your business with less effort thanks to shopify Magic that is your AI powered all star. Look, I'm the first to admit I'm not a techie person. I can't program code. I'm just not the kind of guy to do that. I am the guy to go, hey man, this is a good hoodie, or this is a good hat for fall fishing, you know, but I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of how do I actually make the program to do this? And that's why Shopify has been so great for me and Tyler and Parker, my brothers. For so many years. Shopify powers ten percent of all e commerce platforms in the US, and so it's not just me. They have millions of entrepreneurs of every size across one hundred and seventy five countries. Plus Shopify's award winning help is there to support your success every step of the way. Because businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Sign up for a one dollar per month trial period at shopify dot com slash granger all lowercase. Go to shopify dot com slash granger right now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in Shopify dot com slash granger. Hey, real quick, if you want to get a hold of me, did you know that that's easy to do with cameo dot com Slasher Smith. Log in there. You could find me and ask me to send you any kind of message you want, and I do that on a phone and I send you a video of whatever a phone message you want. It could be happy anniversary, making, some kind of baby announcement, happy birthday, a word of encouragement, whatever that might be. You just tell me in the comments how you want me to do it, and I'll shoot it over to you super easy. You could also download that app Cameo c ame eo and search for me Granger Smith. I'll shoot you a video message. It's a great way to stay in touch.

So it sounds like we'll be able to answer similar in this what I'm about to say right now. And if you're listening and you're either interested in looking back on your life or if you are this age, and I think a lot of people probably are this age fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen eighteen, you and me both. I thought I had a lot figured out. I hadn't thought I had a lot going on. And the first thing I tell myself is, buddy, you hadn't even started yet, right, You have no idea. That's the first thing I tell myself. The guy that just thinks he's got it going on thinks he hasn't figured out. You look like a man, you're the stature of a man, but your brain is not. I'm not talking to eighteen year olds out there. I'm talking to my old self. See when I'm see how I did that? You said it, I was an idiot, and so my life hadn't even started yet. It was still building, and I hadn't started yet. I played music on the weekends, and I hadn't. I hadn't entered a place of any kind of regret at that point. I don't have any regrets when I look back on eighteen or younger, I haven't done anything yet that they would caused me to go that that mistake ended up being this same nothing yet. Not to say if anyone's listening has made it a mistake like that, not to say it can't be redeemed. But that's the first thing I say is I thought I had it figured out. I didn't. And I think the reason I start with that, because where I want to go with this is I didn't know the Lord. I thought I did, and so, yeah, go to youth group everywhere. Yeah, because there was also girls there. Of course, the pretty girls did the youth group. Once again, didn't really think about it then that that was the motivation. I see it clearly as I look back, It's like, why did I go on that weekend trip? Well, because so and so and so and so girls are there and other friends were there, too. It's a social event, youth group, young life, youth camps, even church itself. You know, it was was a social event for an eighteen year old and I didn't know the Lord, but I thought it did. That wasn't a problem then, but it soon became a huge problem. And of course not knowing the Lord is always a huge problem, but it hadn't manifested into the beast that it would become over the next fifteen years after eighteen fifteen to twenty. And that was a slow attrition as I got into the music business and as I started fighting for what I had and what I could achieve and went through a bunch of failure. As I went through failure, as that's really what paved the path in my cultural Christianity. Most people would be like, well, that's what paved the past, is success, right, Well that's not the point I'm trying to make. My point is when you fail and people go, oh man, how long is this music thing going to last? And you go then you dig deeper, and you fight harder, and you write more songs, and you play more clubs for no money, and you continue to scratch and claw for a slice of that American pie. And then when you finally start making something happen, people go, wow, this is you know, it must be nice overnight success. And then you just kind of growl deep down, you go, I did this. How dare you say? Overnight success? For ten years, from eighteen to twenty eight, I've fought to have any kind of recognition, a slow attrition, a slow slow failures after slow failure, after tiny success, slow failure again, tiny success. And then then you look back and you start gradually you become conditioned to the idea of I did it, I did it, I did it. And then when you thought that idea that you thought you were a Christian slowly starts becoming secondary. You're not thinking about it at all because now all you're thinking is I'm my own God. Yeah, no one says that, no one says it in that way, but that's surely how you act. Long time ago, I started grangersmith dot com. When I say a long time ago, I'm talking decades ago. Started grangersmith dot com for the purpose of mainly toward dates and you know, getting my music out there. And the last thing that was on my mind really was selling merch or much less. How in the world. Do you sell merch like practically? How does that work physically? How do people click on something and then end up buying something and it charges their credit card? Well, you know, fast forward all these years and now I have ye yee apparel. Literally, that's what we do from yeye dot com is sell apparel, and we do that by using Shopify. See. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business, whether it's from the launch your own online shop stage or the first real life store stage to if we just hit a whole bunch of order stage. Shopify is there to help you grow, whether you're selling scented soap or outdoor apparel like we are. Shopify helps you sell everywhere. Basically, they are an all in one e commerce platform, so it it does all the work for you and selling whatever product you want. They have a really good way of turning browsers into buyers too. They have they have the internet's best converting checkout that's thirty six percent better on average compared to the other leading commerce platforms. That's really good that you could sell more with your business with less effort thanks to shopify Magic that is your AI powered all star. Look, I'm the first to admit I'm not a techie person. I can't program code. I'm just not the kind of guy to do that. I am the guy to go, hey man, this is a good hoodie, or this is a good hat for fall fishing, you know, but I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of how do I actually make the program to do this? And that's why Shopify has been so great for me and Tyler and Parker, my brothers. For so many years. Shopify powers ten percent of all e commerce platforms in the US, and so it's not just me. They have millions of entrepreneurs of every size across one hundred and seventy five countries. Plus Shopify's award winning help is there to support your success every step of the way. Because businesses that grow grow with Shopify. Sign up for a one dollar per month trial period at shopify dot com slash granger all lowercase. Go to shopify dot com slash granger right now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in Shopify dot com slash granger. Hey, real quick, if you want to get a hold of me, did you know that that's easy to do with cameo dot com Slasher Smith. Log in there. You could find me and ask me to send you any kind of message you want, and I do that on a phone and I send you a video of whatever a phone message you want. It could be happy anniversary, making, some kind of baby announcement, happy birthday, a word of encouragement, whatever that might be. You just tell me in the comments how you want me to do it, and I'll shoot it over to you super easy. You could also download that app Cameo c ame eo and search for me Granger Smith. I'll shoot you a video message. It's a great way to stay in touch.

What would you say that kept you moving through the failures? Because mine's a little different.

What would you say that kept you moving through the failures? Because mine's a little different.

That's why I am. I mean I answered that differently now today. Obviously it's the Holy Spirit today, but never would have said that back then. Know what that even meant? So it was maybe stubbornness is kind of maybe a way to define it. I was. I was dead set on proving people wrong. I never had a lot of talent in music. When I was doing the Opry's this is what these singing things, and you know, North Texas had a bunch of these operys on Saturday night and I would go and I played a lot of them, and people always liked me. I was always a likable artist, especially with the old people, because I'd wear my Starch's jeans and my belt buckle and they I was always very likable, and I sang likable songs by Haggard and George Strait, Alan Jackson. But I never was the guy that people cried or were wowed by with that they could hold the note for thirty seconds and just make people standing ovation, you're comfortable. Yeah, I never got a standing ovation. So I would enter contest all the time, and I was always like the third place guy that everyone was very happy with me getting third place, Like ah that I like Granger, the young Granger is he gets third place and what a great talent. But then, but then I was never the first or the first guy would be like, Wow, this guy is going to get a record deal. He's incredible. In fact, a lot of those guys did what's that one. Steve Hawley was one of those guys. Really, Steve Hawley, Holy Steve, Holy, good morning beautiful. Yes, he was the guy. LeAnn Rimes was another one the same era. That's cool, Leanne and Steve could just blow away an audience and they would just I mean hair blow back. Their voices were so strong, they had such incredible stage presence and standing ovations win every contest. I was never that guy, never did I ever was I ever first place in those type of deals. And as I as I started going through that the ten years after eighteen eighteen to twenty, everyone that I used to do those operas with started stopping singing. They would get married, they would get a job, they would have babies, and they started falling off. This guy's not doing it anymore, this girl's not doing anywhere. And I was the only one that just kept going, even past Steve Holey technically past Lee and Rhymes to some extent. I just kept going out of stubbornness. And as I kept going, and all these people that used to be around me were falling off, I was the only one standing. And so I was able to get success really just by a process of elimination. And I was just stubborn. I'd done it for a long time, and I was the guy that didn't have all the talent, but just kept going. And that is what built up the idea of my own personal sovereignty. The old you know I'm doing this. I'm stubborn, I'm still here. I will keep going. I will prove them wrong. And eventually that led to me being on top of things for the first time ever. It took ten fifteen years before I was number one in things and first and touring and first, and you know that took a long time. All of that is just to say I was building a personal sovereignty, is personal power over myself. So as I'm talking to my eighteen year old self, I'm like, hey, you're about to get into some dangerous stuff. Drugs, okay, that's dangerous, total promiscuous sex type stuff that could be dangerous. Getting into organized crime that could be dangerous. Creating your own personal sovereignty, your own god of yourself. That is death. That is death that is hard to recover from. Do How do I explain that to my eighteen year old self. I don't know. Part of the discussion, this is what I'll ask you to is part of this is it's the big conundrum of I can't tell my eighteen year old self that because if I don't go through what I did, I'm not here today looking in hindsight about it. Say I go to high school, go to college, go to seminary, like a lot of guys do. Right out of college, go to seminary, go into some pastoral assistant role in some local church, marry a little girl, you know, have some babies, live a live an a pastor life. That's great and there's nothing against that, and a lot of guys, a lot of my friends have done that. But I'm not who I am today. I don't have the zeal, I don't have the fire that I have that the Lord has given me through me being an idiot. So I'm not advocating for anyone. Don't do that. Do the seminary right out of high school, out of college. That's way better. But I look at it like a game of Djingam and my life is all those blocks, all the mistakes, everything I did, all that stubbornness, those are blocks, and you take those out and my tower crashes. I'm not radically reborn. I'm not the guy that leaves country music for ministry all of those and I'm not the guy that loses river because of my own stubbornness. That's all of that falls, and I'm not who I am today. Is that how you feel at all? Is that? Yeah?

That's why I am. I mean I answered that differently now today. Obviously it's the Holy Spirit today, but never would have said that back then. Know what that even meant? So it was maybe stubbornness is kind of maybe a way to define it. I was. I was dead set on proving people wrong. I never had a lot of talent in music. When I was doing the Opry's this is what these singing things, and you know, North Texas had a bunch of these operys on Saturday night and I would go and I played a lot of them, and people always liked me. I was always a likable artist, especially with the old people, because I'd wear my Starch's jeans and my belt buckle and they I was always very likable, and I sang likable songs by Haggard and George Strait, Alan Jackson. But I never was the guy that people cried or were wowed by with that they could hold the note for thirty seconds and just make people standing ovation, you're comfortable. Yeah, I never got a standing ovation. So I would enter contest all the time, and I was always like the third place guy that everyone was very happy with me getting third place, Like ah that I like Granger, the young Granger is he gets third place and what a great talent. But then, but then I was never the first or the first guy would be like, Wow, this guy is going to get a record deal. He's incredible. In fact, a lot of those guys did what's that one. Steve Hawley was one of those guys. Really, Steve Hawley, Holy Steve, Holy, good morning beautiful. Yes, he was the guy. LeAnn Rimes was another one the same era. That's cool, Leanne and Steve could just blow away an audience and they would just I mean hair blow back. Their voices were so strong, they had such incredible stage presence and standing ovations win every contest. I was never that guy, never did I ever was I ever first place in those type of deals. And as I as I started going through that the ten years after eighteen eighteen to twenty, everyone that I used to do those operas with started stopping singing. They would get married, they would get a job, they would have babies, and they started falling off. This guy's not doing it anymore, this girl's not doing anywhere. And I was the only one that just kept going, even past Steve Holey technically past Lee and Rhymes to some extent. I just kept going out of stubbornness. And as I kept going, and all these people that used to be around me were falling off, I was the only one standing. And so I was able to get success really just by a process of elimination. And I was just stubborn. I'd done it for a long time, and I was the guy that didn't have all the talent, but just kept going. And that is what built up the idea of my own personal sovereignty. The old you know I'm doing this. I'm stubborn, I'm still here. I will keep going. I will prove them wrong. And eventually that led to me being on top of things for the first time ever. It took ten fifteen years before I was number one in things and first and touring and first, and you know that took a long time. All of that is just to say I was building a personal sovereignty, is personal power over myself. So as I'm talking to my eighteen year old self, I'm like, hey, you're about to get into some dangerous stuff. Drugs, okay, that's dangerous, total promiscuous sex type stuff that could be dangerous. Getting into organized crime that could be dangerous. Creating your own personal sovereignty, your own god of yourself. That is death. That is death that is hard to recover from. Do How do I explain that to my eighteen year old self. I don't know. Part of the discussion, this is what I'll ask you to is part of this is it's the big conundrum of I can't tell my eighteen year old self that because if I don't go through what I did, I'm not here today looking in hindsight about it. Say I go to high school, go to college, go to seminary, like a lot of guys do. Right out of college, go to seminary, go into some pastoral assistant role in some local church, marry a little girl, you know, have some babies, live a live an a pastor life. That's great and there's nothing against that, and a lot of guys, a lot of my friends have done that. But I'm not who I am today. I don't have the zeal, I don't have the fire that I have that the Lord has given me through me being an idiot. So I'm not advocating for anyone. Don't do that. Do the seminary right out of high school, out of college. That's way better. But I look at it like a game of Djingam and my life is all those blocks, all the mistakes, everything I did, all that stubbornness, those are blocks, and you take those out and my tower crashes. I'm not radically reborn. I'm not the guy that leaves country music for ministry all of those and I'm not the guy that loses river because of my own stubbornness. That's all of that falls, and I'm not who I am today. Is that how you feel at all? Is that? Yeah?

What a little bit, But mine's almost the opposite. Yours was stubbornness through the failures, and it's man, you were bringing back some And we've never talked about this part. I think I've sent you one time a picture of promo picture me.

What a little bit, But mine's almost the opposite. Yours was stubbornness through the failures, and it's man, you were bringing back some And we've never talked about this part. I think I've sent you one time a picture of promo picture me.

I remember that.

I remember that.

Yeah, and everything you just talked about about going to all the operays, oh flash, I did all the same things. But you know what I wasn't good at is I wasn't good at pushing through failures because there were a lot of things that came really easy for me. I say a lot of things drumming plant. My dad was a singer, so I played for him, and I was around a lot of other really good drummers. So I learned over that period of time where you're very impressionable. I'm talking like five, six years old, seven years old sitting behind my dad's drummer, but then filling in and playing at eight years old and nine years old because I could hold a steady beat and I wasn't thrown off by other people. It just came naturally. And we're not talking about big stage, You're not talking about the grand Olafer. You're not talking about a stadium or anything like that. But I was for that.

Yeah, and everything you just talked about about going to all the operays, oh flash, I did all the same things. But you know what I wasn't good at is I wasn't good at pushing through failures because there were a lot of things that came really easy for me. I say a lot of things drumming plant. My dad was a singer, so I played for him, and I was around a lot of other really good drummers. So I learned over that period of time where you're very impressionable. I'm talking like five, six years old, seven years old sitting behind my dad's drummer, but then filling in and playing at eight years old and nine years old because I could hold a steady beat and I wasn't thrown off by other people. It just came naturally. And we're not talking about big stage, You're not talking about the grand Olafer. You're not talking about a stadium or anything like that. But I was for that.

I was great.

I was great.

I was really good at a young age. Yeah, And it came easy. So I continued doing stuff that was easy. When I got into radio, I moved quickly in radio, I didn't move quickly. It's I could say this now, couldn't say it then. I'm not a good singer.

I was really good at a young age. Yeah, And it came easy. So I continued doing stuff that was easy. When I got into radio, I moved quickly in radio, I didn't move quickly. It's I could say this now, couldn't say it then. I'm not a good singer.

The voice of an angel.

The voice of an angel.

But that's the people will go, well, you have you have a good voice. Imagine you sing well like no, I mean yes, I know when I'm flat or sharp, and I know if I'm not singing, you know, if it's too high for me, if I cry, you all that stuff. But I would do all the opryes and stuff like that, and I when I would fail, I'll be like not doing that again, I'm out. And you know if I'm not saying that. If I'd pushed through that, I would have you know, done that or been you know somebody in the in the as a singer. But it was the other stuff that came easy, easier or much easier that you know I was. I got a scholarship to a liberal arts college, a great one in Oklahoma, and I'm not good at symphonic drumming. I'm not good at reading sheet music and playing MOREMBA or xylophone. I was like, eh, other stuff, I don't have to try as hard. Radio, I don't have to try as hard. I was, you know, at seventeen, I was, you know, rewracking carts and CDs and stuff like that.

But that's the people will go, well, you have you have a good voice. Imagine you sing well like no, I mean yes, I know when I'm flat or sharp, and I know if I'm not singing, you know, if it's too high for me, if I cry, you all that stuff. But I would do all the opryes and stuff like that, and I when I would fail, I'll be like not doing that again, I'm out. And you know if I'm not saying that. If I'd pushed through that, I would have you know, done that or been you know somebody in the in the as a singer. But it was the other stuff that came easy, easier or much easier that you know I was. I got a scholarship to a liberal arts college, a great one in Oklahoma, and I'm not good at symphonic drumming. I'm not good at reading sheet music and playing MOREMBA or xylophone. I was like, eh, other stuff, I don't have to try as hard. Radio, I don't have to try as hard. I was, you know, at seventeen, I was, you know, rewracking carts and CDs and stuff like that.

For other jocks.

For other jocks.

And by the time I was twenty, I had an afternoon show in Oklahoma City on a on the one hundred thousand what country station, like voice of an Angel?

And by the time I was twenty, I had an afternoon show in Oklahoma City on a on the one hundred thousand what country station, like voice of an Angel?

It stop that.

It stop that.

And that's what's funny is that I don't think that I have a good voice, like I think that like, okay, if I do this, I can be better if I And so I think on the opposite side though, of that, of being eighteen and going through things, I didn't persevere through some of the hard stuff, which caught up with me later in life.

And that's what's funny is that I don't think that I have a good voice, like I think that like, okay, if I do this, I can be better if I And so I think on the opposite side though, of that, of being eighteen and going through things, I didn't persevere through some of the hard stuff, which caught up with me later in life.

I see what you mean. Opposite, Yeah, is the opposite? Yeah. I remember one time playing an opry in Mesquite, Texas and trying a couple of new songs new old songs from George Drake. Probably I don't remember which ones they were, meaning I didn't really prepare that much and went and I remember I went out there and on the second verse, I just blinked forgot it all, no no idea what it was. And the band is just kind of looping and they're back there like it's okay, Granger, you'll think of it. And I just the longer time went by, the more I could not remember it, and everyone's just staring at me, like they look at this idiot. So ended up just going right to the last chorus and just finishing the song, went out the side door. It was a field out there, and I just went out there and yelled at the moon, just screamed at the moon and got on my knees and put my face in the dirt, just ashamed, like if it was an old Testament, I would have been putting ashes on the Yes, of course, I mean, yeah, it was awful, and I yes, I remember sitting out there in the dirt, you know, in my starts genes, just going I will never be unprepared again, never. And and I remember someone they used to give me the vhs of it at the end of the night. Give me the vhs go home and watch it. They gave me the vhs. I destroyed it. You didn't want to just crushed it with a hammer, ripped all the I wish I had it, that'd be amazing to have it now. But that's how it was.

I see what you mean. Opposite, Yeah, is the opposite? Yeah. I remember one time playing an opry in Mesquite, Texas and trying a couple of new songs new old songs from George Drake. Probably I don't remember which ones they were, meaning I didn't really prepare that much and went and I remember I went out there and on the second verse, I just blinked forgot it all, no no idea what it was. And the band is just kind of looping and they're back there like it's okay, Granger, you'll think of it. And I just the longer time went by, the more I could not remember it, and everyone's just staring at me, like they look at this idiot. So ended up just going right to the last chorus and just finishing the song, went out the side door. It was a field out there, and I just went out there and yelled at the moon, just screamed at the moon and got on my knees and put my face in the dirt, just ashamed, like if it was an old Testament, I would have been putting ashes on the Yes, of course, I mean, yeah, it was awful, and I yes, I remember sitting out there in the dirt, you know, in my starts genes, just going I will never be unprepared again, never. And and I remember someone they used to give me the vhs of it at the end of the night. Give me the vhs go home and watch it. They gave me the vhs. I destroyed it. You didn't want to just crushed it with a hammer, ripped all the I wish I had it, that'd be amazing to have it now. But that's how it was.

I had the crushed up vhs or had the actual actual ghs.

I had the crushed up vhs or had the actual actual ghs.

So that's kind of how I built over a decade of I'll never mess up again. I will push through, I will go back, I will redeem this night. I'll do it again. And I don't want to feel this feeling of defeat again.

So that's kind of how I built over a decade of I'll never mess up again. I will push through, I will go back, I will redeem this night. I'll do it again. And I don't want to feel this feeling of defeat again.

And I don't want to feel this and I will change it.

And I don't want to feel this and I will change it.

Yeah, and I will change it. Yeah. I did this to myself. This happened because of me, and I'll fix it because of me. So if you're eighteen right now and you're listening to this, it's like, what's the takeaway, Granger, I'll tell you exactly what the takeaway is. Actually, I told you I was going to bring this iPad here just in case, just in case I thought of something in the Bible, and I know exactly where to go. If I was going to say, hey, Granger, what should you understand? I would say, you need to understand above all else, young eighteen year old Granger, before you get into this world where you think you're fighting for your own sovereignty. You think you're developing your own talent. You think the crowds are coming because of you. You think you're sustaining crowds because of you. You think crowds are leaving because of a mistake you made. Do you think you have all this under control? You need to understand Psalm one that says blessed in the man as blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit and its season, and it's leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers the wicked or not so, for they are like shaft but the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners and the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way the wicked will perish. So I say to this to myself I don't care what you do. I don't care what you succeed in. I don't care what you fail in. I don't care what George Strait second verse songs you forget. If you stay close to the Lord, like a tree planted by streams of water, you will prosper. Yeah, that's the message to eighteen year olds now. That's the message to my kids now. And that's the message I would tell my old self. I don't care what you do, buddy, I don't care what talent you have. The Lord gave you all of it. If you stay close to him, you will prosper. Does that mean with money and wealth and fame. No? Maybe, but that's not when I mean at all. And that's not what this verse means at all.

Yeah, and I will change it. Yeah. I did this to myself. This happened because of me, and I'll fix it because of me. So if you're eighteen right now and you're listening to this, it's like, what's the takeaway, Granger, I'll tell you exactly what the takeaway is. Actually, I told you I was going to bring this iPad here just in case, just in case I thought of something in the Bible, and I know exactly where to go. If I was going to say, hey, Granger, what should you understand? I would say, you need to understand above all else, young eighteen year old Granger, before you get into this world where you think you're fighting for your own sovereignty. You think you're developing your own talent. You think the crowds are coming because of you. You think you're sustaining crowds because of you. You think crowds are leaving because of a mistake you made. Do you think you have all this under control? You need to understand Psalm one that says blessed in the man as blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit and its season, and it's leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers the wicked or not so, for they are like shaft but the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners and the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way the wicked will perish. So I say to this to myself I don't care what you do. I don't care what you succeed in. I don't care what you fail in. I don't care what George Strait second verse songs you forget. If you stay close to the Lord, like a tree planted by streams of water, you will prosper. Yeah, that's the message to eighteen year olds now. That's the message to my kids now. And that's the message I would tell my old self. I don't care what you do, buddy, I don't care what talent you have. The Lord gave you all of it. If you stay close to him, you will prosper. Does that mean with money and wealth and fame. No? Maybe, but that's not when I mean at all. And that's not what this verse means at all.

And what's a practical, every day something I can apply today as an eighteen year old or you you're talking to yourself, right, your eighteen year old self. What's a practical thing you can do to stay close to the Lord?

And what's a practical, every day something I can apply today as an eighteen year old or you you're talking to yourself, right, your eighteen year old self. What's a practical thing you can do to stay close to the Lord?

I'm gonna give you two or three. One. You need to be around other people that are the Lord. Yep, like you can't. You love wrestling. In fact, you have a podcast called wrestle Chat If anyone loves wrestling like ant Man, go look up wrestle Chat. It's a great podcast. When you love wrestling, you want you crave to be around other people people that love wrestling. It's just obvious. It's this obvious in anything in life. You love the Lord, you need to crave to be around other people that love the Lord. Can I add something to that.

I'm gonna give you two or three. One. You need to be around other people that are the Lord. Yep, like you can't. You love wrestling. In fact, you have a podcast called wrestle Chat If anyone loves wrestling like ant Man, go look up wrestle Chat. It's a great podcast. When you love wrestling, you want you crave to be around other people people that love wrestling. It's just obvious. It's this obvious in anything in life. You love the Lord, you need to crave to be around other people that love the Lord. Can I add something to that.

Yeah, other people older and same sex. So if you're an eighteen year old guy, find older guys that are close to the Lord, because they'll they can spot stuff much quicker in you than you can and yourself.

Yeah, other people older and same sex. So if you're an eighteen year old guy, find older guys that are close to the Lord, because they'll they can spot stuff much quicker in you than you can and yourself.

That's good.

That's good.

That's leading you away from God. And that's something you know, looking back on mine raised by single mom for sisters and I, so there wasn't a lot of male influences. What we talked about the masculinity thing on the on the podcast last week, and when it kind of resonated with me and I, you know, probably some of those emails stood out a little bit more to me and it became that podcast was that man, if you would have if you'll surround yourself earlier with men that get go to the church, and wherever you go to church, go seek them out, be be be diligent in looking for those opportunities. Ask you know you're gonna you're gonna be embarrassed by something that might be something that you should be embarrassed about. You know that you said, asked older gentleman to help mentor you, and they said, no, they're too busy. If that embarrasses you, but you're going to be embarrassed by a lot of other things that are much more embarrassing. Not that, but find those guys.

That's leading you away from God. And that's something you know, looking back on mine raised by single mom for sisters and I, so there wasn't a lot of male influences. What we talked about the masculinity thing on the on the podcast last week, and when it kind of resonated with me and I, you know, probably some of those emails stood out a little bit more to me and it became that podcast was that man, if you would have if you'll surround yourself earlier with men that get go to the church, and wherever you go to church, go seek them out, be be be diligent in looking for those opportunities. Ask you know you're gonna you're gonna be embarrassed by something that might be something that you should be embarrassed about. You know that you said, asked older gentleman to help mentor you, and they said, no, they're too busy. If that embarrasses you, but you're going to be embarrassed by a lot of other things that are much more embarrassing. Not that, but find those guys.

Yeah, those guys out, which is they're going to help you find to be around people like minded, people that love the Lord. Number two, if you want to hear the Lord, if you want to be close to the Lord, you need to go where he speaks, and he speaks through the Bible Yep, the living, breathing word of God. This will take someone. Will just only use someone for example, the law. David is writing here, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on this law he meditates day and night. That word law could be synonymous with word the word. So in the New Testament we see the word Jesus uses that a lot. He who keeps my word, if anyone loves me, he will keep my w synonymous with law, specifically talking about the Law of Moses, but it's really synonymous with the Word of God, the Law of God, the precepts of God, the testimonies of God. Being close to that which is the Bible. That is what we have. We have the Law, we have the Word, we have the precepts. We have that. So if you want to be close to the Lord, if you want to be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit and its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. If you want to be that guy, then you go close to him as he has revealed himself in the Bible. So you run as people and you go to where he speaks his Bible. In fact, you take care of those two things. I believe your prayer life is going to increase, no doubt. I believe you're going to join a local church, because that's the inevitable place where you will go to be around God's people, is the church, which is the bride of Christ. So I believe you'll join a local church to be around the people and to read the Word. It all comes together in those three aspects. You know.

Yeah, those guys out, which is they're going to help you find to be around people like minded, people that love the Lord. Number two, if you want to hear the Lord, if you want to be close to the Lord, you need to go where he speaks, and he speaks through the Bible Yep, the living, breathing word of God. This will take someone. Will just only use someone for example, the law. David is writing here, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on this law he meditates day and night. That word law could be synonymous with word the word. So in the New Testament we see the word Jesus uses that a lot. He who keeps my word, if anyone loves me, he will keep my w synonymous with law, specifically talking about the Law of Moses, but it's really synonymous with the Word of God, the Law of God, the precepts of God, the testimonies of God. Being close to that which is the Bible. That is what we have. We have the Law, we have the Word, we have the precepts. We have that. So if you want to be close to the Lord, if you want to be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit and its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. If you want to be that guy, then you go close to him as he has revealed himself in the Bible. So you run as people and you go to where he speaks his Bible. In fact, you take care of those two things. I believe your prayer life is going to increase, no doubt. I believe you're going to join a local church, because that's the inevitable place where you will go to be around God's people, is the church, which is the bride of Christ. So I believe you'll join a local church to be around the people and to read the Word. It all comes together in those three aspects. You know.

I think that's a great challenge to if you are not an eighteen year old and you're somebody who is, you know, very involved in their church and is seeking for ways to be to give back. Seek those kids that are getting ready to graduate because may and stay plugged in with them as they leave, because this is the time they fall away. This is the time that they leave and go start exploring. They're adults now. I have a twenty one year old daughter, and this is the time that they you know, that they make a decision about things that do affect in real world the rest.

I think that's a great challenge to if you are not an eighteen year old and you're somebody who is, you know, very involved in their church and is seeking for ways to be to give back. Seek those kids that are getting ready to graduate because may and stay plugged in with them as they leave, because this is the time they fall away. This is the time that they leave and go start exploring. They're adults now. I have a twenty one year old daughter, and this is the time that they you know, that they make a decision about things that do affect in real world the rest.

Of their life. Yeah, you know. And so I mean that's it. Granger, the eighteen year old Anthony, the eighteen year old that that was your name back then, not Am Anthony has the full name. Yeah, very quickly it became a man. Be the guy of Psalm one. Now how you do that. There's a lot of ways to do that. We've named a few, But be that guy Granger. Then go off and do your music, do you thing, make your mistakes, make your whatever, but don't ever get away from being that guy. Now I have to say it's a caveat again. I'll say it again. That's impossible to tell myself that, because if I tell myself that, then I'm not who I am today. Yeah. So it's but hypothetically, mainly just speaking to people listening, I think we have a few minutes left. We should we should tell the story of what happened the progress a day in Phoenix. So the day that I the day I meet aunt man, we're going coming in to do a festival that you put on a radio show.

Of their life. Yeah, you know. And so I mean that's it. Granger, the eighteen year old Anthony, the eighteen year old that that was your name back then, not Am Anthony has the full name. Yeah, very quickly it became a man. Be the guy of Psalm one. Now how you do that. There's a lot of ways to do that. We've named a few, But be that guy Granger. Then go off and do your music, do you thing, make your mistakes, make your whatever, but don't ever get away from being that guy. Now I have to say it's a caveat again. I'll say it again. That's impossible to tell myself that, because if I tell myself that, then I'm not who I am today. Yeah. So it's but hypothetically, mainly just speaking to people listening, I think we have a few minutes left. We should we should tell the story of what happened the progress a day in Phoenix. So the day that I the day I meet aunt man, we're going coming in to do a festival that you put on a radio show.

A barbecue festival. What was that called Great American Barbecue and Beer Fest. It's no longer going on, okay, so and this wasn't the last show.

A barbecue festival. What was that called Great American Barbecue and Beer Fest. It's no longer going on, okay, so and this wasn't the last show.

So just what happens in radio, this is the game that's played, is that we get asked to do shows. Sometimes we get paid, sometimes we don't, but we do it because it's usually a favor for the station, hoping that in return they'll either get to know you and like you more and then ultimately that they play your song. So, as a new artist, you're doing all these barbecue festivals all across the country. So did you quick quickly I guess, did you find me specifically or did you did the label pitch me? Or how did there.