From Junkie to Joy
Today, we’re diving into a powerful discussion about transformation and resilience with Jaime McCormick, a transformational coach and author.
Jaime shares his journey from battling addiction to embracing a life of purpose and empowerment. One of the key takeaways is the importance of recognizing that life is better because each person is in it, and everyone has a unique story worth sharing.
He emphasizes that we all face struggles, and that reaching out for help is crucial. Throughout our conversation, we explore how to turn pain into purpose, ensuring that our experiences can help others navigate their own challenges.
Join us as we uncover the warrior spirit within and discuss how to rise from life's adversities together.
In this engaging episode, Daryl Snow and Jaime McCormick explore the transformative power of perspective and purpose.
Jaime shares his journey from addiction to empowerment, illustrating how a moment of clarity in a bathroom led him to seek a better life for himself and his future child. The conversation touches on the concept of 'redeeming time,' emphasizing the importance of making the most of our days and the choices we make.
Jaime reflects on the fleeting nature of life and how every moment is an opportunity to impact others positively. Through his experiences, he discusses the significance of vulnerability and connection in healing, urging listeners to reach out for help and support.
The episode is a heartfelt reminder that everyone has the potential for transformation, and by embracing our struggles and sharing our stories, we can inspire and uplift those around us.
Jamie's commitment to helping others navigate their challenges is evident, making this episode not only a personal narrative but also a source of inspiration for anyone seeking to rise above their circumstances.
Takeaways:
- Jaime McCormick's journey from addiction to transformation highlights the importance of focusing on purpose in life.
- The message of empowerment through struggles resonates deeply, emphasizing that everyone has a story worth sharing.
- Finding a warrior spirit means rising above challenges and inspiring others to do the same, regardless of circumstances.
- A genuine connection with others can lead to profound transformations, emphasizing the need for authenticity in communication.
- Life is fleeting; we must redeem our time and focus on what truly matters to us and those we love.
- Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, showcasing the need for open conversations about mental health.
You can connect with Jaime on his website at: skateangry.com
& his social platforms at:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.mccormick.58/
Instagram: @Mccormick_motivation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-mccormick-297a6a159/
Email: mccormickmotivation@yahoo.com
The music in this video is copyrighted and used with permission from Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. All rights to the music are owned by Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. You can contact Raquel at https://YourGPSForSuccess.Net
Transcript
I've walked through fire with shadows on my heels Scars turn to stories that taught me to feel lost in the silence Found in the flame now wear my battle cry without shame this isn't the end it's where I begin A soul that remembers the fire within welcome.
Speaker B:Back to another episode of A Warrior Spirit, brought to you by Praxis33.
Speaker B:I'm your host, Darroll Snow.
Speaker B:Let's dive in.
Speaker B:Hey.
Speaker B:Here at Warrior Spirit, you know, we're about empowerment and the warrior within.
Speaker B:And today I am blessed to have a colleague of mine in this field.
Speaker B:Jamie McCormick is transformational coach.
Speaker B:He's an author.
Speaker B:He's someone who has been doing this for a long time.
Speaker B:And we're here today to see how we can help with that transformation.
Speaker B:So I appreciate you joining me, Jamie, and thank you.
Speaker B:Welcome to the show.
Speaker A:Oh, thank you for having me, Darrell.
Speaker A:Appreciate it.
Speaker B:So you're currently in Oklahoma, am I correct?
Speaker A:Yes, Oklahoma.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Did you grow up there or where'd you start?
Speaker A:Well, I was born in Muncie, Indiana, and through various avenues.
Speaker A:We ended up moving to a lot of states.
Speaker A:I went to about 10 different high schools before I graduated, then ended up here in Oklahoma, graduated in Oklahoma, and been here ever since.
Speaker B:10 high schools before graduation.
Speaker B:That's almost one a year by that point.
Speaker A:Almost, yeah.
Speaker B:Were you a military brat or just Nomad?
Speaker A:No, no, just a single mom trying to take care of two boys, went wherever she thought she could make a living and make a name for herself.
Speaker A:And we had family in Indiana.
Speaker A:Her dad was in.
Speaker A:My grandpa was in Nebraska, so we went to Nebraska.
Speaker A:And then she got married and the guy took us down to Georgia, and then we ended up in Oklahoma.
Speaker B:So I've lived all over the United States, and I know Oklahoma is not known for major excitement.
Speaker B:So what did young Jamie do there as a high school kid?
Speaker A:As a high school kid, I just got into school stuff.
Speaker A:And then after that, we were planning on moving back to Indiana, but my brother died in a car wreck and took all the wind out of mom's sails, and we just kind of stayed.
Speaker A:And then I found some.
Speaker A:Some kinful spirits, and we partied and partied and partied and got drunk and then pretty soon were addicted to drugs and went down that road.
Speaker B:How long were you in the substance abuse?
Speaker A:About four years.
Speaker A:It wasn't real long compared to other people, I guess.
Speaker A:And before that, I'd actually joined martial arts, and that was my outlet on everything.
Speaker A:I was in shape.
Speaker A:I was looking good, I was feeling good, which Is the.
Speaker A:Which was the.
Speaker A:The best part about it.
Speaker A: And in: Speaker A:He said, well, you have two years.
Speaker A:We'll get you ready.
Speaker A:I just kind of went, oh, okay.
Speaker A:Not real sure my own abilities.
Speaker A:And then somebody said, if, if he didn't think he could win, he wouldn't have asked you to go.
Speaker A:But instead of that, I found the wrong people, went down the wrong path and never, never tried out for him.
Speaker A:So that's one thing I.
Speaker A:That's probably the only thing I really regret is, is.
Speaker A:Is not doing that.
Speaker A:Because what if, you know, what if?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Excuse me.
Speaker B:The what ifs always get us.
Speaker B:What age were you when you lost your brother?
Speaker A:I was 20.
Speaker A:He was 19.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So pretty close.
Speaker B:Siblings, brothers, especially that tight in age, tend to be really competitive with each other and pretty good friends with each other.
Speaker B:Was that the case for you?
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Growing up, we were competitive on what we.
Speaker A:What we liked, but he was into wrestling, I was into rock and roll.
Speaker A:So he supported my.
Speaker A:My musical taste.
Speaker A:I supported his wrestling.
Speaker A:So we.
Speaker A:We were competitive.
Speaker A:And the things where we really went head to head on, but the things where we didn't, you know, whatever he liked that I did, I supported him in.
Speaker A:So yeah, we were real competitive, but we, man, we were each other's best friends for sure.
Speaker B:And I know, you know, you mentioned your mom.
Speaker B:You know, my.
Speaker B:My uncle passed away when he was 16, so I know the devastation that the entire family fel.
Speaker B:You know, at that, at that age, what did, what did that do to contribute to your downward spiral?
Speaker A:Looking back on it, nothing.
Speaker A:When I started doing drugs, I never went, oh, my brother's dead.
Speaker A:Oh, I miss him.
Speaker A:No, the way I even started doing it.
Speaker A:I have a friend who had a boss that he was working for, and the guy owned a house down in Texas.
Speaker A:He was getting a driveway built.
Speaker A:He wanted my friend to go down and check on the construction of this driveway.
Speaker A:And he asked me if I wanted to go.
Speaker A:I said, sure.
Speaker A:So I was sitting at his living room table.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:It was this round table.
Speaker A:And he walked by and he said, you want some?
Speaker A:And he threw it over my shoulder and it hit the table.
Speaker A:Then he walked off.
Speaker A:So I just.
Speaker A:From the get go, I don't believe in peer pressure.
Speaker A:I believe people can kind of, you know, coerce.
Speaker A:But it's up to us, you know, we can say yes or no.
Speaker A:So I. I did drugs the first time right then, and I was already A black belt at this time.
Speaker A:And then I told my girlfriend when he got back, I said, hey, I tried meth.
Speaker A:And she just kind of looked at me funny.
Speaker A:She goes, what'd you think?
Speaker A:I said, well, I don't think I like it.
Speaker A:I don't think I'll be doing it again.
Speaker A:And then it's probably seven months later, eight months before I did it again.
Speaker A:And then, as I said, I met the wrong people.
Speaker A:I also play bass guitar.
Speaker A:This one goes a drummer.
Speaker A:And we just started making really, really good sounding loud rock and roll, heavy metal.
Speaker A:And then the drugs just kept flowing in and kept flowing in.
Speaker A:Before I knew it there I was addicted.
Speaker B:So you were pretty young to get started.
Speaker B:You dabbled with it.
Speaker B:Well, I don't say dabbled because you never dabble with drugs.
Speaker B:You were immersed in it for a short period of time, relatively speaking, especially meth.
Speaker B:Meth is not usually one that people, you know, quit.
Speaker B:So what proceeded to get you out of it especially so quickly?
Speaker A: All right, probably November: Speaker A:And I'm the guy that I always put my friends on, on a pedestal.
Speaker A:And I assume my friends did the same thing.
Speaker A:Well, that's, that's not the case.
Speaker A:I got a call.
Speaker A:As I said, it was in November.
Speaker A:And about five minutes into the conversation she said, hey, I have to talk to you, I have to tell you something.
Speaker A:I said, okay, what?
Speaker A:And she said, I'm pregnant.
Speaker A:I'm leaving you for your best friend.
Speaker A:All in the same sense.
Speaker A:And in my drug rattled mind, I was more concerned about my friends screwing me than I was the fact that a kid was on the way.
Speaker A:So, I mean, I was all doped up high and so I was definitely thinking of things wrong.
Speaker A:But when I hung up the phone, I went in the bathroom and I was talking to myself, looking in the mirror and I didn't see a martial artist, I didn't see a rock star.
Speaker A:I didn't see a good looking long haired guy that every woman wanted.
Speaker A:I saw a junkie.
Speaker A:And for the first time I saw myself.
Speaker A:Like I was just ripped open.
Speaker A:Like I could just, just see inside of me.
Speaker A:I didn't like who I was.
Speaker A:And I knew something had to change and I knew that something had to be me because I had a kid on the way and my dad was never around, not much when he was a kid or when I was a kid.
Speaker A:So I knew that my daughter deserved a dad who was going to be there.
Speaker A:And I knew I had to change.
Speaker A:Now it's 31 years at this time, 30, 31 years old.
Speaker A:And I had done everything I'd done, the one night stands, the fist fighting, the drinking, the drug and the plane and bands, the.
Speaker A:All this stuff.
Speaker A:And all it got me was addicted to drugs with a kid on the way.
Speaker A:So I asked myself, how much more could God mess up my life?
Speaker A:And I started going to church.
Speaker A:And it's the greatest decision I've ever personally made.
Speaker A:And I've never looked back.
Speaker A:And of course, I've fallen.
Speaker A:You know, people look at Christians and go, man, you guys act perfect.
Speaker A:This and that.
Speaker A:No, that's not the case at all.
Speaker A:But that's what got me off drugs is when she said, hey, I'm pregnant.
Speaker A:I'm leaving you for your best friend.
Speaker A:I quit drugs that night.
Speaker A:No withdrawals, no rehab, just done.
Speaker B:That's pretty amazing to hear that.
Speaker B:Oftentimes you get those phone calls from what I hear from others who've received them, you get those phone calls, hey, I'm pregnant.
Speaker B:They don't follow it up with, and I'm leaving you for your best friend.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And it's.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's not great that your best friend did that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:But did he do it because you were on drugs and he knew he could be a better father than the kid, or.
Speaker A:Oh, no, he was a guy that first introduced me to drugs.
Speaker A:I was going, I just told you about.
Speaker A:That was him.
Speaker A:No, he did it because he's selfish and he even told people, I'm selfish.
Speaker A:And he lived his life that way.
Speaker A:He ended up shooting himself about 10 years ago, took his life.
Speaker A:And at his funeral, the pastor who was doing his funeral, whatever you want to call it, he was telling a story where he even screwed him out of money.
Speaker A:And I thought, oh, my goodness.
Speaker A:But yeah, this guy just.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:And what's weird, Darrell, is looking back on it, I can see the selfishness that I couldn't see before when we were friends.
Speaker A:But after he was dead, I looked back on it and I saw where every step led to him putting that gun against his head and pulling the trigger.
Speaker B:How did you.
Speaker B:How did you rectify that?
Speaker B:And did you ever.
Speaker B:What did it take for you to finally get a relationship with your child?
Speaker A:Well, I just fought for that from the get go.
Speaker A:I ended up taking my ex to court at the age when my daughter's about two to get child support set up.
Speaker A:And because visitation wasn't going real well, she would say, yeah, come over and see her.
Speaker A:I'D show up and she wouldn't be there.
Speaker A:And it happened again and again and again.
Speaker A:I was like, man, I gotta go through court.
Speaker A:And then when my daughter's about eight or so, she said she was going to move to New Mexico.
Speaker A:And I thought, man, if she moves, I'm not going to be able to see my child.
Speaker A:So I took her to court for custody.
Speaker A:Didn't think I would win, and I did.
Speaker A:I walked out with custody of my daughter.
Speaker A:I was like, holy smoke, you know?
Speaker A:But how I rectified him, you know, as far as shooting himself, we don't.
Speaker A:We don't get serious about life until our own mortality is faced, or the death of a loved one, or we're looking down in the coffin at somebody saying, I should have, I would have, could have.
Speaker A:Yeah, but you didn't.
Speaker A:And as I was looking down in his coffin, all of a sudden I had this peace.
Speaker A:All of a sudden I forgave him.
Speaker A:All of a sudden, I wasn't mad, but it took his death to get me there.
Speaker A:And I wish to God I could have done that when he was still breathing.
Speaker B:Yeah, I see that as a God moment for you as well.
Speaker B:I mean, definitely a God moment for you, because nine times out of ten, the father doesn't stand a chance for that.
Speaker B:So I look at that as a God moment.
Speaker B:I look at your forgiveness as a God moment.
Speaker B:I interviewed a kid, and I say kid, because I'm 60.
Speaker B:But he was in his mid-30s, and he went to prison for stuff that he did as a youth.
Speaker B:And he gamed the system enough to know how to get out early, but then he would always get himself back in.
Speaker B:But the last time he went in, because he was a multiple offender, he was set to go for life.
Speaker B:And the person that he wronged came into the courtroom, and the judge asked him, is the person who did this to you in this courtroom?
Speaker B:And he looked directly at this kid who had recently turned himself over to God and was rehabilitating himself in the prison system.
Speaker B:But he looked directly at that kid and said, no, I don't see that person in this courtroom at all.
Speaker B:You can be sure that God gave him different vision to not see that same person sitting there.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So, you know, people who find themselves in those moments, belief or not belief, there's a God wink somewhere, you know?
Speaker A:Right, Absolutely.
Speaker A:I believe my daughter gave me my daughter.
Speaker A:I believe my God gave me my daughter to not only save my life, but to save my best friend's life.
Speaker A:Because after I got that Phone call.
Speaker A:I went looking for him three times.
Speaker A:I was going to smash his head in because you just don't do that.
Speaker A:I put my friends up here.
Speaker A:Like I said, you know, you just don't do that.
Speaker A:But every time I went looking for him, I just put my head down and just let him walk on.
Speaker A:I didn't touch him.
Speaker A:And I thank God gave me my daughter for the purpose of saving my life and keeping me out of jail and stuff, you know, so I can.
Speaker B:Appreciate that my daughter was my daughter's, not biologically mine.
Speaker B:My daughter is mine by choice, not by blood.
Speaker B:When I married her mother, she was two years old.
Speaker B:And I've been her father for the last 24 years, ever since.
Speaker B:But when her mother and I divorced and I moved away from where we were living, later, I found out that her mother and her then husband were sexually and physically abusing my daughter and plying her with drugs and all of this.
Speaker B:And when it finally came out four or five years later, I asked her, why didn't you ever come to me and tell me this?
Speaker B:And she said, I didn't want you to go to prison, and I didn't want to lose you, too.
Speaker B:Because she knew my mentality, right?
Speaker B:And I'm not sure that God would have given me the same grace that he gave you and not allowed that to transpire.
Speaker B:But I feel bad that my daughter went through what she did just because she wasn't sure whether I could handle it or not.
Speaker B:And, you know, we, we.
Speaker B:Some of those things we have to look back and rectify, you know, in different ways.
Speaker B:So what then got you into the transformational speaking and, and the things that you've done since that point?
Speaker A:Well, I started working in a psychiatric hospital.
Speaker A:I was there about 10 years, and in that time, I would do groups at the adult unit.
Speaker A:And these people were.
Speaker A:Were broken.
Speaker A:They didn't see a future, if there was one.
Speaker A:They didn't think they were worthy of it.
Speaker A:They just wanted to die.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:They did, you know, all the bad thoughts, they had, them.
Speaker A:And when I first started doing the groups, I didn't know what to say, so I went, hey, I'm Jamie.
Speaker A:You guys have a good day?
Speaker A:You know, and it was just kind of like that.
Speaker A:And then I thought, man, I have to give him something to hang on to, something more than that.
Speaker A:Now, we're not supposed to get real personal with them, but I just told him my story.
Speaker A:Here's everything.
Speaker A:Death of my brother.
Speaker A:Death, my friend.
Speaker A:Birth, my daughter.
Speaker A:The drugs of martial arts.
Speaker A:And then one of them asked me if I was a motivational speaker, and I said no.
Speaker A:And she said, well, you should be.
Speaker A:And I just kind of blew it off.
Speaker A:And then a couple weeks later, one of them said, I should write a book.
Speaker A:I just kind of blew it off.
Speaker A:And then one of the nurses said, hey, you're pretty good.
Speaker A:You used to do that full time.
Speaker A:And then a worker said it, you know, a co worker, and then another patient said it, and then another coworker said it.
Speaker A:And then it got to the point I was doing the best groups in the hospital that they were requesting me, and that was never my goal.
Speaker A:I never wanted to be the best.
Speaker A:And then one of them said if I put my words on a cd, she'd listen to it in her car.
Speaker A:And I started kind of, kind of listening to him at this point, like, man, maybe there's something going on here.
Speaker A:But then more co workers and more nurses and more patients were saying, man, you're good at this.
Speaker A:And then an elderly woman, Maybe in her 80s, maybe older, she was taking care of her grandkids because her kids were on drugs.
Speaker A:She had come in before, and then she'd been out for a few months, and then she come back, and on the second time, she said, I want you to know your word saved my life.
Speaker A:And that's when I backed up.
Speaker A:I looked at the ceiling, I said, okay, God, I got something to say.
Speaker A:So I wrote a book.
Speaker A:I've started becoming a speaker, started my own business, getting my trainings out.
Speaker A:But it's because of these crazy people in the psychiatric hospital.
Speaker A:That's why I'm doing what I'm doing and trying to get out there.
Speaker B:It's part of the reason this show exists is because I was told by God to help people turn their mess into their message, give the voice to the voiceless and make it a survival guide for others.
Speaker B:And it's amazing how we fight doing that, because we feel in our own brokenness, we don't have anything worth saying to others, you know, and it takes a lot of internal work in ourselves to get to the point where we can see that that actually is of value to help somebody else get through whatever they're going through.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Sometimes when I still look at wanting to go be a speaker, I'm like, who am I?
Speaker A:I'm some kid from Ada, Oklahoma.
Speaker A:You know, I'm an ex drug addict and all this stuff.
Speaker A:Who would listen?
Speaker A:And then I just sit here and I get out of my own head and I'm like, Everybody would listen.
Speaker A:Everybody's going through something.
Speaker A:My story's for everybody because I've been through so much, but it's not for every event, but it's for everybody, from the homeless guy to the CEO.
Speaker A:We all have that story.
Speaker A:We all have a pain.
Speaker A:We all have a message that we need to get out because someone's depending on us.
Speaker A:I heard it said one time that we have to succeed because other people are dependent upon it.
Speaker B:And I feel.
Speaker B:And I've heard, you know, we're given our message, our position, because.
Speaker B:And it has to come through us because there are people who only hear it in our voice.
Speaker B:You know, you can be on stage with 15 other people sharing the same type of story, but someone is going to resonate with you and not them and vice versa.
Speaker B:So you all have to say it and all have to share it, you know?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And it takes courage to stand out and do that.
Speaker B:You know, you and I are colleagues because we do this similar type thing, but you know, how we do it and what we do, totally different.
Speaker B:So it takes both of us.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:I had went to a speaking contest called Master the Stage in Texas about a month ago, and I was all dressed up, my vest and all this stuff, and I was kind of looking at my hair, and I went, man, I think I should cut my hair.
Speaker A:I mean, if I'm going to do it, I. I was going 100 do it.
Speaker A:So on the second day, I walked in, I'm sitting there, and the guy walks up and he shakes my hand.
Speaker A:He goes, man, you got the coolest hair I've ever seen.
Speaker A:I went, all right, cool.
Speaker A:And I sit behind a husband or in front of a husband and wife, and she goes, when you hit the stage, she goes.
Speaker A:My husband goes, man, look at that dude's hair.
Speaker A:And people were just complimenting my hair.
Speaker A:And I never told anybody I was going to cut it because it's none of the business.
Speaker A:I was talking to my pastor about it.
Speaker A:He goes, well, maybe that's your thing.
Speaker A:Maybe you have to look like you do to reach certain people who look like you look.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:All right, cool.
Speaker A:So I'm going to keep my hair and just keep going.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:When we show up authentically, the right people resonate with us.
Speaker B:And when we try to fit a mold or fit an image, you know, I've told this on several shows, so people listening have heard this.
Speaker B:But, you know, I've been in the personal development space for over 40 years, and I've seen everybody.
Speaker B:You know, I started listening to the Zig Ziglars and the Tony Robbins and the John Maxwells.
Speaker B:And so you get this image of.
Speaker A:What you're supposed to be in this.
Speaker B:Stage, you know, in this arena.
Speaker B:And there was a young lady out of New Zealand who.
Speaker B:She's only in her mid-30s, and I'm never far enough advanced in my learning that I can't learn from everybody.
Speaker B:So I started listening to what she had to say.
Speaker B:And one of the things that I really was attracted to her about was the fact that she was willing to drop the F bombs, not egregiously, but just as part of her natural speech.
Speaker B:And it was, like, so foreign to this space that someone was willing to talk authentically.
Speaker B:It was like, man, I got to listen to what this woman has to say.
Speaker B:And I was actually able to pick up some new things and learn some new things because of her.
Speaker B:But if she would have thought she had to be in that same cookie cutter mold as everybody else, I might have missed out on some growth opportunities, you know?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:My old pastor, he said sometimes when you watch a movie, you already hear a speaker.
Speaker A:And the stuff that you don't want to hear.
Speaker A:He says, you have to learn to dig through the bones to get to the meat.
Speaker A:Just throw it away and take.
Speaker A:Take the good stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah, You.
Speaker B:You've been.
Speaker B:You've been through a lot of stuff, and you've done a lot of things.
Speaker B:So I'm going to bring up these elements here, and I kind of want you to kind of go through them a little bit.
Speaker B:You talked about you being the author, A Man Rising.
Speaker B:What's the book about?
Speaker A:My life in this.
Speaker A:In the lessons that I've learned.
Speaker A:It goes from my.
Speaker A:It starts from the night.
Speaker A:Starts from the night I overdosed.
Speaker A:I almost died.
Speaker A:I had gone to a friend's house, and we were talking, and through.
Speaker A:Through the talking, we were like, all right, man, let's get high.
Speaker A:And I was.
Speaker A:I'd been up for many days, and we were doing intravenously this time, and I couldn't do it myself, so I asked him to do it.
Speaker A:And as soon as he got done, as soon as he pulled the needle out, I knew something was wrong.
Speaker A:And I jumped up, and I kind of crashed into him, and he stuck me with the needle again accidentally.
Speaker A:And I took about four steps, and the ceiling caved in, and the walls closed in, and I couldn't breathe.
Speaker A:I got real hot.
Speaker A:I took about three steps, and I went.
Speaker A:And then I passed out.
Speaker A:And the next thing I remember, I was laying on his bathroom floor.
Speaker A:I didn't have a shirt on.
Speaker A:I had cold rags on my face, my head, my arms, my stomach.
Speaker A:And his.
Speaker A:His girlfriend was a nurse, and she was taking my vital signs, and I heard her say, oh, my God, he's burning up.
Speaker A:We have to get him to hospital.
Speaker A:My heartbeat was over 230 beats a minute, and that's stinking fast.
Speaker A:Of course, I refused to go, but that was the time I almost died.
Speaker A:And the only reason I know I made it is because God had a plan for me now.
Speaker A:And so the book starts with that, and then it goes into my birth and just on through the life of everything.
Speaker A:And I got the name of Man Rising because at first I wanted something rock and roll, like thunder and lightning, something like that.
Speaker A:And I met a friend or I. I run into him, and he shook my hand.
Speaker A:And as he shook my hand, he said, a man Rising.
Speaker A:And I went, dude, that's the name of the book.
Speaker A:So it's called A Man Rising because we're all rising.
Speaker A:And man doesn't mean, like male, but it's human.
Speaker A:But a man Rising, that's how I got the name and the picture on the bottom where I got my arms out.
Speaker A:That's where I went to an award show and talking to a producer about turning my book into a movie.
Speaker A:And we're going through that aspect about whatever costs, what it could look like, the procedure, what.
Speaker A:What needs to happen, and all this and.
Speaker A:And that.
Speaker A:And the Quiet Fighter.
Speaker A:I had asked chat GPT.
Speaker A:It learns as you use it.
Speaker A:And I was like, from everything that you know, because I put my thoughts in there and.
Speaker A:And I get them down, and then I say, what am I?
Speaker A:Who am I?
Speaker A:And it came up with the Quiet Fighter.
Speaker A:So that's totally an AI generated thing right there.
Speaker A:Let's get angry, right?
Speaker B:Are you.
Speaker B:Are you gonna use that for the title of your movie?
Speaker A:Oh, I actually hadn't thought about it, but that would be.
Speaker A:Well, I don't know, because I wasn't real quiet.
Speaker A:Yeah, right.
Speaker A:There was nothing quiet about me, man.
Speaker A:I mean, I've been in bands, I've been teaching martial arts.
Speaker A:I. I don't get nervous getting on stage unless it's like 40 bazillion people.
Speaker A:And then skate Angry, that was a skate company that I started a couple years ago, and I'm trying to get it off the ground.
Speaker A:And what we do is we sponsor kids who.
Speaker A:Who can't afford to get to events we sponsor to get them to the events, to help them become world Champions.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But we do it with respect, integrity, and discipline because skaters have a bad rap.
Speaker A:Even though it's 20, 25, people think of skaters, and they think punks or scum or whatever they.
Speaker A:They want to think.
Speaker A:So we challenge them biblically.
Speaker A:Our.
Speaker A:Our skate angry scripture is Proverbs 34.
Speaker A:8, which says, Taste and see that God is good.
Speaker A:We want people to see that God is good by how we treat other people.
Speaker A:All the money that we get goes to sponsoring the kids, homeless veterans, feeding those who need food, paying car payment.
Speaker A:If you need your rent.
Speaker A:Whatever we can do will help.
Speaker A:And then, of course, building the business and building Oklahoma's largest indoor skate park.
Speaker A:So that's what all the funds are going toward.
Speaker A:And we're trying to start a monthly contest.
Speaker A:Give away two decks a month, give away 24 a year to kids that can't afford it.
Speaker A:You know, it's called a why I ride contest.
Speaker A:They have to write three to five sentences.
Speaker A:But why they skate?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker A:Well, we don't want to hear, oh, it makes me free.
Speaker A:Okay, why does it make you free?
Speaker A:We want the nuts and the bolts, the nitty gritty about why you like to skate.
Speaker A:And then the Texas.
Speaker A:That is a new crypto coin made by Bobby Gray coming out of Texas when Texas was going to secede from America a couple years ago, he made this coin that was going to be Texas's currency.
Speaker A:And Bobby Gray was on the congressional committee to Congress talking about the validity of Texas coins being doing it for like, 10 years or something like that.
Speaker A:Well, Texas dentists to see, but they still have the coin.
Speaker A:So what we do is we sell miners.
Speaker A:So it gives you coins daily.
Speaker A:And it was at 44 cents when I joined back in March, and It's at almost $2 now.
Speaker A:So it's moving four times as fast as bitcoin.
Speaker A:And we offer this because people kick themselves because they didn't get into bitcoin.
Speaker A:Now they wish they had.
Speaker A:Well, here's the next opportunity we offer it.
Speaker A:You can take it.
Speaker A:You cannot.
Speaker A:But I've already made my investment back on it.
Speaker A:So everything from here on out is just clear profit on it.
Speaker A:So that's what all that stuff's about.
Speaker B:Yeah, you got a lot going on there, and it's a lot of amazing opportunities to help.
Speaker B:I love that you're giving back to the youth, because since COVID I mean, it's always.
Speaker B:The suicidal rate has always been high, but since COVID it's exponentially jumped, especially in our youth.
Speaker B:And I think, you know, A lot of.
Speaker B:As a suicide survivor myself, you know, I think hope and opportunity are things that drive people in that direction.
Speaker B:They lose their hope.
Speaker B:They see no opportunity, and they think that the world around them won't be better without them in it.
Speaker B:So for you to give back to the youth and in the way you are, especially in a community that is a little edgy, but they can find value through what you're helping them with, I think that's awesome.
Speaker A:Right, right.
Speaker A:Appreciate that.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:When I was working through the psych hospital, I came up with a training called Perspective Driven Purpose.
Speaker A:I think a perspective will drive us to a purpose.
Speaker A:Our purpose will set our life on fire if we let it.
Speaker A:Now, my friend I was telling you about, he shot himself.
Speaker A:He wasn't looking at things right.
Speaker A:I don't believe anybody wants to die.
Speaker A:They want the pain to end.
Speaker A:They want the situation to change.
Speaker A:They don't know how to do it.
Speaker A:They don't see a way out of it.
Speaker A:Well, let's help you do that.
Speaker A:And I start by telling them suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Speaker A:Whatever you're going through, we can get you through it.
Speaker A:You may not like the outcome, it may not be exactly what you're wanting, but we get you through it.
Speaker A:So I've come to understand that people's perspective or the whole reason that we disobey God, that we disobey our parents, that we disobey the police, that we disobey this, that we do this because of our perspective on such figures as that.
Speaker A:You know, the way Satan got Eve to sin in the garden, he didn't get her to turn against God.
Speaker A:He got her to doubt what he said.
Speaker A:He just changed her perspective.
Speaker A:Well, did he say that?
Speaker A:Well, gee, I don't know.
Speaker A:Did he?
Speaker A:Yeah, he just told you that.
Speaker A:But we start disbelieving what God said, and then that leads to disobedience.
Speaker B:Yeah, perspective is everything, especially when it comes to what our purpose is supposed to be.
Speaker B:We question all the time, are you sure, God, you sure you want me?
Speaker B:Well, even Moses did.
Speaker B:He said, no, you want my brother Aaron, you don't want me.
Speaker B:No, I want you.
Speaker A:And even Gideon said, man, I'm the smallest guy of the smallest tribe.
Speaker A:You know, God's like, you're the man.
Speaker B:You're the man.
Speaker B:What do you feel is a common thread for why the society is turning towards that doubt more than they are towards the belief.
Speaker A:While they're turning toward doubt?
Speaker A:I think it's selfish.
Speaker A:I think it's pride.
Speaker A:We want things our way, even now.
Speaker A:And we've heard this our whole lives, that we're a we want it now generation.
Speaker A:We want things our way.
Speaker A:We don't want to be told that we're going to hell.
Speaker A:We don't want to be told that what we're doing is a sin, that it's wrong every time we even remotely correct somebody, we're called a bigot.
Speaker A:We're called judgmental.
Speaker A:We're called hateful.
Speaker A:And no, we're not.
Speaker A:You know, it's like if a cop pulls you over and says, hey, speeding is wrong, is he being a bigot?
Speaker A:Is he being judgmental?
Speaker A:Is he being hateful?
Speaker A:No, he's just telling you what the law says.
Speaker A:You can't speed.
Speaker A:That's all we do.
Speaker A:And the whole thread, it's pride.
Speaker A:You know, scripture says that the devil works as a will through those who don't believe.
Speaker A:That's what the issue is.
Speaker B:So when you are encountering these young folks and you're encountering your audience, when you're giving your transformational talks, what is it that you're.
Speaker B:What is your main message that you're telling these people that turns that doubt that you just talked about into the hope that they need to move forward?
Speaker A:I don't know if there's any one thing.
Speaker A:I remember I had a patient one time who told me, she said, I'm not coming to any groups.
Speaker A:I'm not doing any of this.
Speaker A:When you come to the hospital, you have to go through groups as part of your treatment plan.
Speaker A:And I said, I'll tell you what.
Speaker A:You come to my group.
Speaker A:If you like it, you come to the rest of them.
Speaker A:If you don't, you don't have to come to any of them.
Speaker A:And I didn't have the authority to say that.
Speaker A:That's beyond my pay grade.
Speaker A:But I told her anyways.
Speaker A:So she's standing at the back of the room like this, you know, just not having it.
Speaker A:Well, halfway through, I look up, and she has her hands on the back of a chair, and she's looking at me.
Speaker A:I'm thinking, okay, so.
Speaker A:And I just keep talking.
Speaker A:When I was done, she came up.
Speaker A:She shook her finger in my face.
Speaker A:She goes, I've never heard that.
Speaker A:I'll be back.
Speaker A:And she came to every group after that.
Speaker A:I don't think I have any one thing, but I think people see, as you said, I show up genuine and authentic.
Speaker A:I don't BS anybody.
Speaker A:I don't care about their psychosocial.
Speaker A:I don't care what they've done or what they're in there for or why they bought the ticket to the event that I'm speaking at.
Speaker A:I don't care.
Speaker A:And I don't even care if I get paid now.
Speaker A:I need to get paid.
Speaker A:We got to travel.
Speaker A:I'm not trying to say that I care that when I'm done, something goes off in their eye and they go, I get it now.
Speaker A:I understand.
Speaker A:And I think what I do that some of the others don't, not all of them, but some don't, is I genuinely care about them.
Speaker A:I want them to change.
Speaker A:At the end of the day, I don't care if they buy my program.
Speaker A:I don't care if they buy my book.
Speaker A:I'd rather give them a hug with a tear in their eye.
Speaker A:Let's talk.
Speaker A:And that's what people want, is someone that makes them feel seen, heard, loved, instead of just a ticket buyer or a guy they can push pills into or someone that you can upsell to.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I think that's what makes those of us doing this, that are non charlatans special is because we put their needs ahead of ours where they're genuinely to serve them, not sell them.
Speaker B:And, you know, we have a way for them to move forward if they want to, but that's not our primary purpose for being there.
Speaker B:And that is where real transformation occurs is when we're there for them to start with, not for our wallets.
Speaker B:I used to train salespeople corporate, and I'd have to tell these people all the time, if you take the dollar signs out of your eyes, it will go to your pockets.
Speaker B:You have to be there with them first.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And I don't care, you know, whether it's the janitor or the CEO or anyone in between, you're there to find out what they need and help them with that.
Speaker B:You know, it's the old Zig Ziglar adage.
Speaker B:You know, you help enough people get what they want, you'll get what you want.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And there's so much truth in that that people forgot we're all here to help service others.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I remember when I would.
Speaker A:Whenever I do a group, like at the hospital or I do a stage, I tell people, you're the most important person, you're why I'm here.
Speaker A:And I tell that to everybody.
Speaker A:And I believe our life is ours to give away.
Speaker A:You know, God didn't give us my, my.
Speaker A:He didn't give me my problems and my triumphs.
Speaker A:He didn't Give me my pain and my healing to just hoard it and go, look what I came through.
Speaker A:Well, how'd you do it?
Speaker A:Doesn't matter.
Speaker A:No, here's how I got through it.
Speaker A:And you can, too.
Speaker B:So is that your main message when you're on stage or helping people?
Speaker B:What is your main message that you want to impart with them?
Speaker A:The main message?
Speaker A:Well, like I said, I don't know if I have a main message through it all, other than I want people to know that life is better because they're in it and they're worthy simply because they exist.
Speaker A:Because God don't make no junk.
Speaker A:You have a purpose.
Speaker A:Let's get your perspective lined out.
Speaker A:Let's get you to it.
Speaker B:Was.
Speaker B:And I know when you went into that bathroom and you looked in the mirror and said, you know, I'm a junkie.
Speaker B:I need to change, was there anything prior to that that also popped in your mind that helped you through that transition, or was it solely, I've hit rock bottom and now I have to build my way up?
Speaker A:It was solely, I've hit rock bottom and I have to build my way up.
Speaker A:But one thing that did help is I had a child coming, so I had a little something to focus on.
Speaker A:And once I focused on her, then God showed me I have all kinds of stuff to focus on.
Speaker A:I have mom and friends and family.
Speaker A:Even though my brother had passed away, I still got family.
Speaker A:I still had friends.
Speaker A:I still had a future, you know, but when.
Speaker A:When you're partying like that.
Speaker A:Our goal as partiers were to get as high as we could, as quick as we could, as hard, as fast as we could, and take you with us or leave you in the dirt.
Speaker A:That was our whole goal.
Speaker A:Once it got that bad, we just didn't care about nobody.
Speaker A:I didn't care about any woman except to do what we do.
Speaker A:I didn't care about any man except for the money in his pockets.
Speaker A:That's all we wanted.
Speaker A:It got pretty rough.
Speaker A:So, yeah, I had hit rock bottom.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And that was a whole focus of getting out is, I can't go any lower.
Speaker A:I was addicted to drugs.
Speaker A:With a child on the way, why not go to church?
Speaker B:I think that's a very important distinction because it wasn't just you walking into the bathroom going, I'm a junkie.
Speaker B:I need to clean up.
Speaker B:It was you actually having somebody other than yourself to think about.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Because you could have gone into the bathroom and said, I'm a junkie, anytime prior to.
Speaker B:Prior to that.
Speaker B:But you didn't because you were only thinking of you right now.
Speaker B:You had somebody else to focus on, Right?
Speaker A:As I said, when I.
Speaker A:When I went to that bathroom for the first time, I saw my character.
Speaker A:And I looked at myself in the mirror a thousand times before that and always thought I was this cool dude.
Speaker A:Even though my hair was greasy, my skin was, you know, I looked like a walking dead guy.
Speaker A:Still thought I was cool that night.
Speaker A:No, there was no cool there.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:So, yeah, it was.
Speaker A:Yeah, she.
Speaker A:She changed everything.
Speaker A:That one statement, I'm pregnant, changed everything.
Speaker B:And how is your relationship with your mother and your daughter today?
Speaker A:Oh, very good.
Speaker A:Very good.
Speaker A:Mom never knew I was on drugs.
Speaker A:She just said that she.
Speaker A:She thought I was mean, so.
Speaker A:And I didn't try to be mean.
Speaker A:I guess it just comes out that way.
Speaker A:But my daughter, she says traveling with me is like traveling with a rock star.
Speaker A:She said, dad, everybody knows you.
Speaker A:You just don't have any money or fame.
Speaker A:I was like, gee, than everybody knows me.
Speaker A:And she'll travel around, you know, town.
Speaker A:And when they hear her last name's McCormick, they go, Is your dad Jamie McCormick?
Speaker A:And she goes, yeah.
Speaker A:And they normally have a story, and it's good and it's bad.
Speaker A:So she's heard both from me and from other people.
Speaker A:My friends used to get on to me, like, why are you telling your daughter about all this?
Speaker A:I said, dude, I want her to know that she can come to me.
Speaker A:I want her to know this is what dad went through.
Speaker A:So I didn't hide nothing from her.
Speaker A:I told her, this is it, you know, this is your dad laid out.
Speaker B:But I think that's a distinction that.
Speaker B:I mean, I learned it from my dad.
Speaker B:I did it for my own children.
Speaker B:If they know that we're fallible, if they know that we have a past, if we know that we are going to love them anyway, then they can come to us with whatever they're going through because we're not on this perfect pedestal that they have to attain.
Speaker B:We're somebody that they can relate to, and that gives us more connection and closeness to them instead of distance.
Speaker B:At least my opinion, you know, my children know that I had a past.
Speaker B:You know, not all of it we're proud of, but, you know, they also know that I made it through and that they can, too, you know, So I think it's better to be honest.
Speaker B:I mean, you know, age appropriate, you don't have to tell every tiny detail, but you don't sugarcoat it and make you think that you Know.
Speaker B:Oh, my parents don't understand because they've never been through that.
Speaker B:No, we've been through it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's another reason.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:That I told her is I want her to know that I do understand.
Speaker A:I've been to the lowest of lows.
Speaker A:You can come to me, you know, sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn't.
Speaker A:That's just kids.
Speaker B:So other than the drug use and the area that you were then, what would the people who knew you 15 years ago Compare you to the guy who you are today?
Speaker A:Oh, 100 changed when I first started doing drugs.
Speaker A:Actually, when I first quit doing drugs, people who were doing drugs that I walked away from when I started going to church, they were like, I don't see you doing that.
Speaker A:Because I.
Speaker A:It just wasn't me.
Speaker A:But now I tell people about my past, they go, I don't see you doing that.
Speaker A:I'm like, thank God it's falling off me.
Speaker A:And it took a while.
Speaker A:Now I still.
Speaker A:I still talk to some of my friends who are on drugs and.
Speaker A:And we talk about, you know, memories and, you know, good times and stuff like that.
Speaker A:And I tell them, man, if it was good times, we'd still be doing.
Speaker A:Wasn't real good times.
Speaker B:If it was good times, we'd still be doing it.
Speaker A:I love life.
Speaker A:Yeah, if it's a good time, you'd still be doing it.
Speaker A:Now, I guess there's a point.
Speaker A:It was fun.
Speaker A:We had a lot of fun doing it, but I don't know if it was a good time, if that makes sense.
Speaker B:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker A:Yeah, we.
Speaker A:We had some laughs.
Speaker A:Yeah, we had some fun, but I don't think it was a good time, you know?
Speaker B:So, yeah, if it wasn't fun, we.
Speaker B:I mean, if it was fun, we wouldn't be doing it, or we'd still be doing it.
Speaker B:But I like the inner perspective that you have and the.
Speaker B:The fact that you can discern, you know, those kind of facts.
Speaker B:What would you want The Jamie of 15 years from now look like?
Speaker A:Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker B:I get one show, right.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:I'm starting to build a legacy.
Speaker A:You know, the scripture says, you know, a man should build a legacy for his family.
Speaker A:I'm starting to now do that.
Speaker A:At the age of 55.
Speaker A:I didn't pay attention when I was in my 20s and mom said, save your money, investors.
Speaker A:Party and drink it all away, because it's better to be friendly than have money.
Speaker A:Who'd have thought?
Speaker A:So 15 years from now, look like a guy that has finally Found earthly success.
Speaker A:My ultimate view of success is standing before God and hearing, well done, good and faithful servant.
Speaker A:But 15 years from now to finally have that earthly success, because I've finally dug in and finally got my head out of the sand and done what I know to do.
Speaker A:And I've had people in the speaking field, in the author field, in the crypto field and all this stuff give me advice and I go, yeah, okay.
Speaker A:But I just really didn't follow it to point where I was busy, but I wasn't productive.
Speaker A:Well, now I'm getting productive.
Speaker A:So 15 years from now I'll be a man that has found earthly success, set up for his children and their grandchildren until Jesus comes back.
Speaker B:I love that and I can certainly relate to that.
Speaker B:There was a lot of years where I was busy but not productive, and now it's time to get productive while being busy, right?
Speaker B:You know, I'm a few years down that road further than you, so my time is shorter.
Speaker B:My brother in law said this once and it really put it in perspective to my wife and I.
Speaker B:You know, if you live to be the age of our parents, technically you only have 20 Christmases left, right?
Speaker B:You know, when you start thinking of age as, you know, 5, 10, 15 years, you know, that kind of is abstract.
Speaker B:But when you say you only have 20 Christmases left, then you know how fast that goes, right?
Speaker A:When I turned 18, my uncle, or no, I turned 21, my uncle said, don't, you know, don't blink, your life's going to fly by.
Speaker A:And it seemed like it took longer to get from birth to 21 than it did 21 to 55.
Speaker A:I just flew by.
Speaker A:And when I do my groups, I tell people, man, if I die when I turn 80, I have 25 years of life left.
Speaker A:I have less life ahead of me than I do behind me.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But we may all die tomorrow.
Speaker A:We don't know our time.
Speaker A:You know, God says it's pointed for man to die on, you know, whenever.
Speaker A:But I always ask people, one of my big things I talk on is redeeming the time because I've wasted so much of it.
Speaker A:And so I, I ask him, if an angel were to come down and say, you're going to die in a month, in exactly 30 days, how hard did you fight to get forgiveness or to give forgiveness?
Speaker A:How hard did you fight to reconcile that relationship or to get that business off the ground?
Speaker A:Well, here's the sad truth.
Speaker A:You may die in 30 days.
Speaker A:What are you waiting on?
Speaker A:And that's usually when they go, you know, like, it sits in.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:We may have 30 days.
Speaker A:What are we waiting on?
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:Can you elaborate a little more on the redeeming time?
Speaker B:Because I think that's a fascinating concept, and I really would love to go a little deeper with that thought.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:I'm a huge superhero freak.
Speaker A:I love the idea of men flying through space or crawling on walls.
Speaker A:I think that's cool.
Speaker A:From the very first Marvel movie, Iron man, to Endgame, it's 96 hours, and I've watched all of them, so that's 96 hours I can't get back.
Speaker A:Something happened with my daughter.
Speaker A:She almost died.
Speaker A:And I can't help but think if I'd have took those 96 hours and talked to her instead of telling you how Captain America throws his shield, maybe things would have been different.
Speaker A:In scripture, King David said, help us number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Speaker A:In other words, let us know all we have is now.
Speaker A:Let's do something wise with it, and that's redeeming the time.
Speaker A:Redeem what we have left.
Speaker A:I don't watch movies like I used to.
Speaker A:I don't care about superhero movies.
Speaker A:There's so many more important things.
Speaker A:When I get before God, he's not going to care about my Marvel movies that I watched or, you know, and I've watched the Star wars in terms, you know, like you.
Speaker A:I've spent thousands of hours watching the movies we can't get back.
Speaker A:Imagine what we could accomplish if we'd have had that time being productive with it instead of watching superhero movies.
Speaker B:That's really, really awesome.
Speaker B:I was interviewing a lady a few weeks ago, and she said that.
Speaker B:I think she said it was a preacher of hers.
Speaker B:Can't remember that.
Speaker B:But anyway, she said that she was told that, you know, she was put on Earth to help one man or one woman, but she doesn't know which man or which woman.
Speaker B:That's why she helps everyone.
Speaker A:Huh.
Speaker A:That's good.
Speaker B:I like that, you know, that is good.
Speaker B:It kind of ties into the way you're talking about it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We're here to make an impact.
Speaker B:We're here to have an impact on somebody.
Speaker B:We just didn't know who that somebody is.
Speaker B:So make the impact where we can.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Because the scripture, he sent the prophets to certain people, to certain territories, or to talk to people.
Speaker A:He hadn't done that to me.
Speaker A:He just said, go forth.
Speaker A:Okay, let's go.
Speaker B:Let's go.
Speaker B:If you were to find the perfect outlet for your impact, what would that look like to you?
Speaker B:Like, what is.
Speaker B:What is it to you that makes you most impactful?
Speaker A:I think when I'm talking to people, like when I'm on a stage or on a zoom or something, when I'm talking to people, I think that's when I'm more impactful, when it's face to face and not just like a recording or some of my voice.
Speaker A:But I think that's where I get impactful, is when I can see people eye to eye.
Speaker B:You can connect with their energy and who they are.
Speaker B:It's a little easier to also read them.
Speaker B:So, you know, kind of whether you're having that impact or not.
Speaker A:Right, right.
Speaker A:Eyes tell a story.
Speaker A:They may not say no, but you get all the, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah, but then you get the.
Speaker B:The lean.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So that's right.
Speaker B:I love the lean in.
Speaker B:What is something about Jamie McCormick that you rarely share or is rarely known?
Speaker A:Honestly?
Speaker A:Nothing.
Speaker A:I tell everything that.
Speaker A:Yeah, there's.
Speaker A:There may be things that I forget to say, but I don't intentionally hold anything back.
Speaker A:This is my story.
Speaker A:This is me.
Speaker A:The good, the bad, the ugly, the upside, the downside.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:There's nothing about me that's really rarely shared or rarely shown.
Speaker B:And what.
Speaker B:What would be the legacy that you want to leave behind?
Speaker A:What.
Speaker B:When you're dash is placed between your end dates, what do you want that to be known for?
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:I use my dash effectively because that dash is the length of our life.
Speaker A:That's all we have.
Speaker A:And compared to eternity, that's just a.
Speaker A:In the wind.
Speaker A:No matter if it's, you know, my brother died at 19.
Speaker A:My stepdad died at 72.
Speaker A:That's still a dash compared to eternity.
Speaker A:I want to be known as a man who tried to reach as many people as he could before he died, tried to change as many people in their thoughts, in their perspective, and try to lead as many people to God as he could before he died.
Speaker B:That's pretty powerful.
Speaker B:Leading more people to God before he died.
Speaker B:That's a pretty big undertaking for a short life that you've already lived.
Speaker B:You got to get you on more stages in front of more people in order to accomplish that.
Speaker A:Right on.
Speaker B:Right on.
Speaker A:For sure.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:The thing that I tend to ask my guests at the end, what does a warrior spirit or having a warrior spirit mean to Jamie?
Speaker A:A couple things.
Speaker A:When I was a martial arts, the warrior spirit was.
Speaker A:Was physical.
Speaker A:I could.
Speaker A:We could fight.
Speaker A:Our structure had us like we were iron.
Speaker A:We were literally unstoppable.
Speaker A:Other schools would have tournaments and not invite us because we were brutal.
Speaker A:We would beat people.
Speaker A:And then when I got addicted to drugs and the thing happened, my daughter, she almost died.
Speaker A:I couldn't physically fight that.
Speaker A:My fighting had to change.
Speaker A:And it became spiritual.
Speaker A:It became.
Speaker A:You know, it's like it says, we don't war against flesh and blood.
Speaker A:And I fight now on my knees.
Speaker A:And a warrior spirit to me is I get from the superheroes.
Speaker A:When they're outnumbered, when it looks grim, they go anyhow.
Speaker A:That's a warrior spirit.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You may get beat, you go anyhow.
Speaker A:You may get hurt.
Speaker A:You go anyhow.
Speaker A:We go anyhow.
Speaker A:That's a warrior spirit.
Speaker B:That is so awesome.
Speaker B:We go anyhow that.
Speaker B:I mean, for.
Speaker B:For whatever reason that flashed me back to the 9 11, you know, that's.
Speaker A:What I was thinking.
Speaker A:Like firemen running in.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, you saw those guys going anyhow, in.
Speaker B:In the midst of their chaos, so.
Speaker A:Yeah, right, right.
Speaker A:Because some of them didn't come back.
Speaker A:And some of them probably knew in the back of their head, we're not coming back, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Or like the flood in Texas.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:You know, guys saved in or jumped in to save girls and lost their lives and they knew they could, and they went anyhow.
Speaker B:That's so awesome.
Speaker B:Just curious, because I'm a big fan of rock and roll myself.
Speaker B:And I also, you know, consider myself a Christian close to God.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:I hear people say, you know, oh, rock and roll.
Speaker B:You can't be a Christian with rock and roll.
Speaker B:As someone who has played rock and roll and probably still does, I saw the photo of you, and I didn't know if it was your daughter or granddaughter, but you said, look who.
Speaker B:Your granddaughter, you know, joining you on stage.
Speaker B:So someone who clearly still plays.
Speaker B:What do you tell those critics that say you can't play that kind of music and still be a Christian?
Speaker A:I say you can't play certain songs in rock and roll and be a Christian.
Speaker A:Like Molly Cruz.
Speaker A:Girls, girls, girls.
Speaker A:No Christian should ever play that song.
Speaker A:It talks about girls.
Speaker A:You're the best when you're off your feet.
Speaker A:I don't want my daughter thinking that or someone thinking that about her.
Speaker A:There are certain songs you should not play.
Speaker A:Or like anarchy in the uk, which says, I am the Antichrist.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Why should a Christian ever play that?
Speaker A:So we can play rock and roll all we want.
Speaker A:Does it?
Speaker A:But what does our wanting to play rock and roll do for the people listening?
Speaker A:Does it make.
Speaker A:Want to go get drunk and, you know, get, get, get laid?
Speaker A:Or does it want him to go to the feet of the cross.
Speaker A:Where does it guide them?
Speaker A:That's what it's about.
Speaker A:So we can play rock and roll, but it just matters what we play with it.
Speaker B:I like that.
Speaker B:When.
Speaker B:When I was a young teenager, Petra came to our junior high.
Speaker B:And the first thing.
Speaker B:The first thing he said when he came out is that, you know, the devil never made anything, so we're not giving them rock and roll.
Speaker B:And then they went right into some of their harder stuff and.
Speaker B:And Right.
Speaker B:I've been a fan ever since, but.
Speaker A:Yeah, I just recently got in.
Speaker A:I didn't even know that there was Christian rock.
Speaker A:I saw a band called Disciple live, and before that, I had seen Jeremy Camp, Rebecca St. James, and it was all kind of the same show, same rhythm.
Speaker A:So I was in the back like, whatever.
Speaker A:And these boys hit the stage like thunder.
Speaker A:I was like, what is this?
Speaker A:And then they read out a scripture about John and giving people hugs and testimony.
Speaker A:And then he went, okay, headbangers.
Speaker A:He kind of looked around, he went, go.
Speaker A:And they just went right back into it.
Speaker A:I thought, what is this?
Speaker A:And then I found Petra, Found Blood Good.
Speaker A:I found White Cross and all these other.
Speaker A:You know, I was like, there's a whole genre as a metalhead.
Speaker A:How did I not know this?
Speaker B:You know, probably felt like home.
Speaker B:It did.
Speaker A:It did.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I got.
Speaker A:I. I got rid of my secular rock and roll Spotify, and it's just all Christian now.
Speaker A:Blood Good and White Cross and all these other guys, and it's just.
Speaker A:It rocks just as hard.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, you know, music is.
Speaker B:Music is universal.
Speaker B:Message in there is different, depending on the genre and how it's portrayed.
Speaker B:But music itself is universal.
Speaker B:And, you know, it does heal the soul sometimes, depending on the music.
Speaker B:So I think a connection to music is normal.
Speaker A:You know, I heard a pastor say, the reason it's so connecting to us is because it's the only thing on this earth not man made.
Speaker B:Oh, that's interesting.
Speaker A:Yeah, it comes from heaven.
Speaker A:You know, it's the only thing we.
Speaker B:We can.
Speaker A:We can make songs, but the music itself is not man made.
Speaker A:It's the only thing not man made.
Speaker A:And when I still hear an old Bon Jovi song or Motley Crue or Poison, it takes me back to when I first heard it.
Speaker A:I have those memories come flooding in.
Speaker A:I'm like, oh, yeah, I remember that.
Speaker A:I can smell the room I was in or whatever it was, you know, basement or whatever.
Speaker A:But, yeah, it's the only thing on this earth it's not man made.
Speaker B:That is awesome.
Speaker B:And that just reminds me, I saw a show once and they were.
Speaker B:They were showing and playing the actual music that the stars actually make.
Speaker B:You know, the rhythm and the beat and they.
Speaker B:They had it tuned in.
Speaker B:So the stars do make music.
Speaker B:So that, you know, is really a cool connection that you just made with that, you know.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I didn't know that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'll have to dig it out and try to see where I saw that was one of those, you know, National Geographic things or something like that, but yeah, that's interesting.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Really, it was it.
Speaker B:I like that connection.
Speaker B:It's the only thing not man made, which is why it's universal.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:That's very cool.
Speaker B:Well, is there any last, not inspirational, transformational message you want to give people before we close this up?
Speaker A:Not really.
Speaker A:I've kind of said it all.
Speaker A:You know, you're worthy because you exist.
Speaker A:You know, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Speaker A:And if you need help, man, reach out.
Speaker A:I'll talk to you.
Speaker A:I don't care.
Speaker A:Get a hold of me.
Speaker A:You can get hold of me@mccormickmotivationaho.com is my email.
Speaker A:And if you want to talk about skate angry or anything else, skate angry, yahoo.com.
Speaker A:we can talk.
Speaker A:We can talk Texas coin, we can talk skating, we can talk perspective, whatever.
Speaker A:But my biggest thing is I want to know that.
Speaker A:That the Earth is better because people are on it and a life ends soon enough.
Speaker A:Don't take it away from those.
Speaker A:And what people don't understand is when they.
Speaker A:Is when they do get to that suicidal point, they think killing themselves will take the pain away.
Speaker A:No, it just passes it on to the people who love you that are still here.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So just pass it on.
Speaker A:Let's deal with it.
Speaker B:It is definitely not a solution.
Speaker B:And it's one of the only things I'm glad I ever failed at.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:So, yeah, there is help, there is hope, and you just got to reach out.
Speaker B:And people, you know, because people don't always know what others are going through.
Speaker B:You know, it's not an external sign, always.
Speaker B:You know, depression is a hidden ailment, and not everything is visible.
Speaker B:So, you know, speak up and people will be there for you.
Speaker A:So that's the thing, though, is people don't speak up.
Speaker A:You know, we have to learn to watch them.
Speaker A:Like, after my friend shot himself, like I said, then I could see the steps that led up to it, but I didn't see it before.
Speaker A:Not when we were drinking and drugging and then when I was mad at him, I didn't see it, but when he was dead, then I could see the slope he was on.
Speaker A:And sometimes, unfortunately, it takes that for us to see it.
Speaker A:But maybe because someone died, we can help other people because we can see it now.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I'm glad that people like you are in my world.
Speaker B:So thank you for doing this with me today.
Speaker B:And, you know, I really appreciate that.
Speaker A:Right on.
Speaker A:I appreciate it being on, man.
Speaker A:I've enjoyed it immensely.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:And if you'd like to connect with Jamie, he does have his website, skate angry.com.
Speaker B:he also has his social platforms, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Speaker B:He did provide his email address.
Speaker B:So, you know, be sure to connect.
Speaker B:Reach out and speak up.
Speaker B:And as always, I want to thank you for joining us on this edition of A Warrior Spirit.
Speaker B:We're now on all the major platforms as well as Wednesday evenings at 8 Eastern Time on Roku via the Prospera TV app.
Speaker B:But wherever you find us, be sure you like or subscribe so you catch all the episode.
Speaker B:And as always, the journey is sacred.
Speaker B:The warrior is you.
Speaker B:So remember, be inspired, be empowered, and embrace the spirit of the warrior within.
Speaker A:It's not just about the fight.
Speaker A:It's how we rise from it.
