From Rock Bottom to Promise: A Journey of Faith with Dominique Williams Sr

The episode unfolds as Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson engages with Dominique Williams Sr., a man whose journey from a celebrated athlete to a community-focused leader is filled with powerful insights about empowerment and spirituality. Dominique shares his backstory, detailing his accolades in high school and college football, and the life-changing moments that led him away from a conventional path of success. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's identity beyond societal labels, highlighting how his faith has been the cornerstone of his transformation. Williams' narrative is not just about sports; it’s about the relentless pursuit of purpose and how his experiences have been woven into the fabric of his spiritual journey.

The conversation delves deeply into the significance of community and vulnerability in the healing process. He recounts his struggles, particularly during his separation from his son’s mother, and how these experiences shaped his understanding of what it means to truly support one another. He candidly discusses the feelings of isolation that often accompany difficult transitions and the importance of seeking connections with others who share similar experiences. This relatable aspect of his story serves as a reminder that empowerment is not a solitary journey but a collective effort where shared struggles foster resilience and growth. Williams passionately encourages listeners to embrace their narratives and to recognize that their challenges can lead to transformative growth when shared within a supportive community.

As the episode progresses, Dominique introduces the concept of ‘rock bottom’ as a pivotal moment for personal and spiritual growth. He reflects on how embracing vulnerability and surrendering to God’s will opened doors to new beginnings and deeper faith. Williams shares practical steps for listeners to rebuild their trust in God, urging them to lean into their faith during uncertain times. The episode concludes on a hopeful note, with Dominique leading a prayer that encapsulates the essence of empowerment, faith, and community support, inviting each listener to embark on their unique journey towards a life rooted in purpose and connection.

This episode is a rich tapestry of experiences, wisdom, and encouragement that resonates with anyone seeking empowerment through faith.

Takeaways:

Dominique emphasizes the importance of surrendering control to God for personal growth.
The conversation highlights how community support is essential during difficult life transitions.
Dominique shares his journey of turning pain into purpose through faith and resilience.
Both host and guest discuss the necessity of being willing to start over in life.
Dominique recounts how he learned to hear God's voice during moments of stillness.
The podcast stresses that even in isolation, we are not alone in our struggles.

If this episode resonates with you, then remember... SUBSCRIBE • 5-Star Rate • COMMENT • SHARE this Podcast!! 💚❤️🙌🏾🙏🏾

Movie Recommendation: "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe

Find Dominique Online:

Book: https://a.co/d/f3mJAy2

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/your-neighbors-podcast/id1675959010

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourneighbor_nique/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominique-williams-sr-m-ed-8340194b/

Find us online: https://linktr.ee/nkechinwaforrobinson

Transcript

Ingke Chi: 00:00:02

Great day, amazing human.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:05

Welcome to the Empowered in My Skin podcast where our mission is to help 1 billion people in this world think in more empowering ways.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:13

Empowered humans empower humans.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:16

So you are in the right spot to become a lead domino for empowerment today.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:21

My name is Ingke Chi.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:23

I'm not only your host, but I am a vibrant optimist, obsessive success to bring you empowering content with each episode, we will be bringing you content alternating between longer episodes with featured guests and shorter episodes called Empowering Bites, where I'll be joined by my co host, Gabby Mamone.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:41

So if you're ready, let the show begin.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:48

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:49

Great day, amazing humans, and welcome to the next episode of Empowered in My Skin.

Ingke Chi: 00:00:53

I am really, really, really excited about this next guest, in large part because of how this all came to be and it has been quite defined so far.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:03

So without further ado, let me introduce you to a passionate educator, athlete, speaker, coach, published author, father, servant within his community and devoted follower of God.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:14

A natural leader, he has excelled both on and off the field, earning all scholastic recognition and defensive player of the year awards during his time as a three year starter and captain of Brockton High School in Massachusetts.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:27

Did I say Massachusetts?

Ingke Chi: 00:01:31

His versatility led.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:33

I never actually probably said that.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:34

Boston, Massachusetts.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:35

Massachusetts.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:36

Anyway, his versatility led him to play multiple positions including strong safety, quarterback and wide receiver before earning a football scholarship to Boston College.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:45

At bc he continued to shine as a leader, serving as a three year starter and captain as on a nationally ranked defense.

Ingke Chi: 00:01:53

His dedication and perseverance extended beyond college, earning him a tryout with the Cleveland Browns and solidifying his reputation as a tenacious leader in sports and life.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:02

And so, without further ado, please join me in a gigantic and massive podcast.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:07

Welcome to Dominic E.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:08

Williams Sr.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:11

Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:13

This is a blessing.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:14

I love it.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:15

And so we only keep it transparent on this.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:19

On this podcast we had like an amazing B roll that you'll never know what it was, but I feel like I've been ministered.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:26

I feel like God is like.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:27

Has clearly demonstrated that he's here with us right now.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:31

And so as a first question to open this up, Dominique, can you tell?

Ingke Chi: 00:02:37

Do people call you Dominique?

Ingke Chi: 00:02:38

I never really.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:39

Dominic, Dom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:39

Whatever works for people.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:40

Yeah, whatever.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:41

What do you love, Dominique?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:44

Dom, it's whatever.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:02:45

Whatever is easy.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:46

I like nk.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:47

I like ink.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:48

It's funny, nobody really asked me, but I.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:50

For some reason, term of endearment feels like.

Ingke Chi: 00:02:52

Feels really endearing when people call me NK but anyway, so Dominique, what has been your most empowering thought of the day that you've had so far?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:02

The most empowering thought is I was listening to a sermon by Steve Furtick in Elevation Church this morning on his podcast and he said title of his sermon was don't blow it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:12

And how many of us are waiting for patience from God or asking for patience for God, but it's really just procrastination and many like that is truly a sermon from my heart because I am a perfectionist and until it's perfect, I won't proceed.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:28

Instead of proceeding, let God do all the work, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:31

All we have to do is take that first step and let God order the next one.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:34

So that is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:35

That is the word that's on my heart right now.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:38

Just go.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:03:39

Go.

Ingke Chi: 00:03:40

I love it.

Ingke Chi: 00:03:41

So for a little bit of backstory so everybody understands how we, we, Dominique and I are here together on this podcast.

Ingke Chi: 00:03:50

I, as you all know, I'm daily avid Bible app user.

Ingke Chi: 00:03:54

In fact, I'm like on 1,100, like day streak right now.

Ingke Chi: 00:03:59

I love it.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:02

That is my lifeline.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:03

Like day goes back to zero.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:04

I think I'm just going to.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:05

And you know, it would have been whatever would have been like 3,000, but one day went back to zero.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:11

Anyway, I digress.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:13

But yeah, so as a Bible app and as these.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:16

I'm going to shout you out.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:17

I'm actually going to shout out my.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:19

My friend Aiz in South Africa.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:21

He.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:22

I saw through the.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:23

The community like that he was reading this Bible app plan.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:26

It was called are you ready for what's next?

Ingke Chi: 00:04:28

And I was like, oh, that's interesting.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:30

And anything Aziz reads, I want in.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:31

Right?

Ingke Chi: 00:04:32

So I started to.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:33

So I signed up and, and it really ministered to me.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:37

So much so that I went through it again a second time.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:41

I invited a friend in with me.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:42

I went to Amazon because at the end I.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:44

I'm about following instructions and being led divinely.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:48

It actually you encour and get the devotional so that we can actually write our notes on here.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:53

Like in the Bible app plan you can write, but here you can see I've been writing.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:56

Oh, you can't really see because I'm blur.

Ingke Chi: 00:04:58

But anyway, I've been writing my notes and, and I keep it beside me on my bed.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:03

Like this has really become a daily.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:07

It's.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:08

It is, it's a.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:09

It's.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:09

It's becoming a practice for me almost.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:11

And so what I want to do today was actually pick your brain about this so that others can Also be minister to and leverage what you share here about getting ourselves ready for next.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:23

And, and I'm going to say right now, like conquering, being obedient, I think to what lives in our spirit, which a lot of times I think we ignore.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:31

So that's how we came here together.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:33

But, but there is so much more about you and I just.

Ingke Chi: 00:05:37

Can you give us a little bit of backstory?

Ingke Chi: 00:05:39

Because I think it's also important to understand what's in you that enabled you to write this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:43

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:44

So backstory is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:47

I just was off the heels of buying a house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:50

My first house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:51

I was 25 years old.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:52

My son's mother and I decided we weren't married.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:55

We were still dating, but we've known each other for a very long time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:05:58

We had a two year old son at the time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:00

We bought our first house together.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:02

within a year into the house,: 2019

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:07

We decided that we were both, we're both Christians, we're both believers.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:10

We knew we were, we were living in sin, right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:13

Because we weren't married.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:14

We just, just.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:15

But we were both following God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:16

So we sought counsel from our pastor, who we love dearly.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:21

And he said, you guys need to sell the house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:23

You got.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:23

Until you guys get married, you guys need to sell the house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:25

And it was hard for me, it was hard for her because we both grew up in broken, broken households and our whole thing about being parents and being together was about breaking the cycle, the cycle of toxic households, toxic family and just, you know, really rough parenting.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:43

So we decided to sell the house and then covet happened.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:06:48

So you can imagine that us not being together but living in the same house, you know, God was really ministering to us and it really, he really forced us to really come to a place where we could be very civil and healthy.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:02

And it was really good.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:02

So I, God, started downloading this devotional into my heart at the time because I didn't know what was next.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:09

I thought I gave my life to Christ.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:11

I was baptized at the time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:12

I just re rededicated my life back to Christ.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:15

I bought a house, I had a really good job, I had a beautiful family.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:19

And then all of a sudden everything just flipped and God started to just really minister to me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:24

And, and I remember I started journaling.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:27

,: 2018

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:31

And every day since that day, I wake up every morning at 4:00 and I journal.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:35

Hence why I strongly advise everybody to grab the hard copy because there's so much Power in journaling.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:41

And now, six years later, I can go back into those journal entries and see God's hand at work in my own writing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:07:51

So I remember very specifically, one morning I woke up and I sat at the counter and I said, and God literally spoke to me and he wrecked me right there in my kitchen counter.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:00

I'm talking.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:01

I'm an ugly crier.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:02

Like tears, snots, everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:04

And he said, you could either do this with me or you can do without me, but either which way it's going to get done.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:10

And I felt like I'm getting goosebumps because I felt like I was at a crossroads.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:13

And for the majority of my life, being an athlete, living up to that image of an athlete, I didn't choose God, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:20

I only.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:21

I was convenient Christian, who only went to God when things were in trouble, when I have fell and fallen really, really far or in too short, and I needed God to come and save the day.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:32

And I said, you know, I'm gonna put you first, God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:33

I'm gonna put you first in my family.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:35

I'm gonna put you first in my separation of.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:38

And I'm gonna put you first in selling this house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:40

I'm gonna put you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:43

So that's why I opened up with rock bottom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:45

Rock bottom was day one, because that's where I was.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:48

I was at rock bottom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:50

And be having that competitive spirit of myself is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:08:53

I've always been taught, like, hey, when coach benches you, a coach screams at you, or you don't make the team, go back to the gym and work harder, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:02

And I wasn't an approach that's not healthy for me because of the worldly view of it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:09

I wanted to get closer to God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:10

I was tired of.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:11

Was tired of doing life without God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:14

And I'm at rock bottom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:15

And even though when I'm at rock bottom, God is the rock at the bottom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:19

It's literally in.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:20

It's in.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:20

I want to say it's first Peter, verse.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:24

First Peter, chapter two, verse 14.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:27

I want to say that we are.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:28

We are his cornerstone.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:30

Don't quote me on it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:31

But when we are at rock bottom, God's the rock at our bottom.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:35

Because life is inevitable.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:37

The circumstances, the unfortunate circumstances, the realities that we have are.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:44

You can't escape those.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:46

But who is our firm foundation built on?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:48

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:49

And.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:49

And that's where.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:09:50

That's literally where the foundation of this devotional was built, is at that countertop when God said, hey, listen, either which way this is going to happen, you either lean on me or you can continue to try to figure out on your own, and you're going to fall short.

Ingke Chi: 00:10:03

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:10:03

And so I'm curious to know because I think a lot of us, we hear, we like, God speaks to each of us, right.

Ingke Chi: 00:10:12

We hear him differently.

Ingke Chi: 00:10:13

But how do you, like, how do you hear him?

Ingke Chi: 00:10:17

Is it through, like, do you actually audibly hear him?

Ingke Chi: 00:10:20

Is it through things that get put in front of you, you know, people that reach out?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:26

I hear a little bit of.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:28

A little bit of everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:29

But the most consistent way that I personally receive and hear the word of God is actually in my dreams.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:35

And I know it's kind of scary and people.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:36

Not a lot of people believe me, but I've learned to accept it and lean into it because when we're sleeping, that's the only.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:44

That's usually one of the most opportunist times for us not to have anything that is competing with God's time and energy.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:51

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:51

We can.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:52

A lot of us go into our prayer closets or a lot of us spend time journaling, but our phones are a distraction.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:10:58

Our own thoughts are a distraction.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:00

Maybe a car riding by with loud music is a distraction.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:03

All those things will compete with God for his time and energy.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:07

But very specifically that day, he spoke to me at the countertop and told me those words.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:12

And it was in that quiet time that I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:14

And I wasn't even.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:14

It wasn't even time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:15

Like, you know what, God, I'm just going to devote this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:17

It was like, you know what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:18

I'm going to journal my.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:19

My thoughts because I was frustrated.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:21

And God sought that as an opportunity and he came after.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:24

And I think it had more to do with the posture of my heart than the posture of my hand.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:29

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:29

And I think that that's where a lot of us can.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:33

Can prepare ourselves to receive God is when you posture your heart before your hand, meaning your physicality or your physical arrangement.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:11:41

God will speak and minister to us in different ways.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:44

I love that.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:45

That's.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:45

Okay.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:46

So day one in the app, chapter one in the book rock bottom, you know, and God's a rock at the bottom.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:54

But what.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:54

What steps like?

Ingke Chi: 00:11:56

Well, thank you for sharing.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:57

Like yours, because that was my.

Ingke Chi: 00:11:58

That was actually one of my opening questions and which you now stole my thunder.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:02

But what specific steps did you, you know, can you maybe share for a listener to really start rebuilding their faith and trust during, like, a difficult season?

Ingke Chi: 00:12:12

Because I think there are.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:13

I think even I'm guilty of being a convenient Christian, you know, and then really crying out to God, when times are.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:21

And when times are tough.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:22

I'm learning now, especially since the COVID season, to be very consistent with my prayer and my connection with God.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:31

But.

Ingke Chi: 00:12:31

Yeah, so, but what's your, what's your thoughts on rebuilding faith and trust?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:36

Well, as I mentioned in the plan, choose God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:39

I think that was the first thing that I, He, He.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:42

He's been there the whole time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:43

And I think a lot of us forget that.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:45

And I think it has to do with our childhood upbringing, a lot of questions that we have about, you know, our backgrounds and whatever it may be.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:53

But I definitely think it starts with choosing God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:56

A lot of times we choose our.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:12:57

We focus on the circumstances of what we're going through.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:01

Like, you know, your rock bottom could be a change in.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:04

You get fired, you get laid off unexpectedly.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:06

Or it could be grieving, it could be a breakup, it could be a financial.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:11

Whatever it may be, though, like, you have to choose God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:14

You have to lean into God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:15

God is still in control of everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:18

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:19

God is going to walk us through that.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:21

God is in control of that circumstance.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:23

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:24

And I think the most important thing too in doing that, it's.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:27

It.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:27

To me, I think what just came to mind is it's.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:30

It's going to feel like stillness.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:31

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:31

Like you actually need to get very, very still when you are making that choice.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:35

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:36

Like he wants your undivided attention.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:38

Well, that's Exodus.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:39

That's Exodus 14.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:40

Fourteen is be still.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:13:41

Know that I'm fighting for you.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:42

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:44

Okay, so starting over.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:46

So that's so day two and second chapter.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:50

So day two is starting over, which can be incredibly daunting and filled with so much uncertainty of what you share.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:58

You highlight some of that.

Ingke Chi: 00:13:59

But in your experience, what, what was.

Ingke Chi: 00:14:02

What is the most challenging part of a journey where you recognizing, gosh, I gotta just lay it all.

Ingke Chi: 00:14:08

I gotta lay it all down and start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:10

Oof, I got goosebumps you saying it again.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:14

I think this has to go back to my.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:16

Anytime someone has success early on in life, I think you have to be okay to start over at something.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:22

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:23

I was a high profile athlete coming out of high school and I had to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:27

I was.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:27

Then I go to BC, which is, you know, a premier FBS Division 1 school, full scholarship, where I become essentially a big fish in a.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:35

Sorry, a small fish in a big pond.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:37

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:38

And then I work my way up, you know, really prolific career at bc.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:42

I get a tryout with the Cleveland Browns, I come home.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:45

So I've had success.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:46

A major, a Good chunk of my life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:48

And you feel like because you've had success, you just, it's like, it's like, like logs, you just continue to build off of it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:55

And when, when they fall down, it rocks you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:58

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:14:59

And so for me, I had to accept the fact that it's okay to start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:03

Because although all those accolades, those experiences, those, those life events were awesome and I wouldn't change them for the world, I'm the first person to admit that, that God was there, but he wasn't in it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:15

I wasn't highlighting him through my football career.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:18

I wasn't highlighting him in the recognition that I was receiving athletically or even as a scholar.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:25

And I said, you know what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:26

It's okay for me to start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:28

Because what I do now going forward, God is going to be at the center.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:33

I want people to see me and know God, that was it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:36

That was, that was totally it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:38

And for me, yes, it start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:40

But the beginning piece of it, it's okay to start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:15:43

We're giving ourselves permission to rebu rebuild our life with God at the center.

Ingke Chi: 00:15:49

There's something I do want to add though, to suppose a little bit of a personal belief that I've heard it once and it really stuck with me that no matter how many I like, I think what I would add to that is no matter how many ever times you are starting over, you are never starting from scratch.

Ingke Chi: 00:16:03

So it's not about throwing away what has existed before, but it's maybe about understanding it, maybe even taking some time to understand God's hand in it.

Ingke Chi: 00:16:15

But to your point, is anything forward?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:18

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:19

Yes, I think about that because I was thinking about this interview and I know a lot of it has to do with mental health.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:24

And Men's Mental Health Awareness Month is current, currently going on and I've been in therapy for two years.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:30

And one of the things that therapy is, has kind of enlightened me to, is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:35

I believe it's called all it is, it's a triangle, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:38

And our basic needs are at the bottom of that triangle.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:41

And for me personally, and I'm sure other people can attest, when those basic needs aren't met, you, that triangle is built off of less of a foundation, which eventually when you get to the top, it's going to crumble.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:54

And that's where it's like, hey, it's okay to start over.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:16:56

But let me make sure, like this foundation, which will be God is completely met.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:00

So everything that is built on Top of it is completely stable.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:03

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:03

And what you used earlier, I think when you were talking about rock bottom, is that firm foundation.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:08

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:09

Love that.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:10

Okay, so moving on.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:13

Number three.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:14

So now we are going to.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:15

We've done.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:16

Starting number three is.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:19

Hold on a second.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:19

Oh, I know this.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:20

The promise.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:22

And so transitioning from a familiar path to an unknown can be really, really daunting.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:26

And so can you share how you maintained your faith in God's plan, especially during those moments just believing that there was something there.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:41

Oof.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:42

I'm a crier, by the way, so if I start crying, you're gonna make me cry.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:46

And then this is.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:48

And you said, you're an ugly cry.

Ingke Chi: 00:17:50

I'm like, I'm done.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:53

I might be able to hold that part together.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:17:57

So Exodus, the book of Exodus, it's my favorite book in the entire Bible.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:01

And the whole emphasis of Exodus is that God, there's a promised land, that God is bringing us through our season of wilderness.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:10

He's bringing us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:11

He's exiling us from slavery or whatever, is holding us bondage and splitting seas and covering things for us and speaking to us through many different things to bring us to the promised land, to cross over the Jordan and bring us to the promised land.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:27

And that's where I wrote this day.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:30

Because there is a promise attached to our life, if we are considering ourselves children of God and we have accepted God as our Lord and Savior, that there is a promise attached to our life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:40

And that promise doesn't have to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:43

It doesn't have to align with exactly we are believing for.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:46

And I believe.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:46

I'm not sure if I said in this chapter, but I remember surrendering my heart at some point while writing this and saying, God, give me the desires of your heart.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:54

Give me what to want, not what I want.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:18:57

And because for me, before I wrote this devotional promise was a huge house, a beautiful family, a nice paying job, multiple cars.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:07

Like, that's not my promise anymore.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:10

That's not what.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:10

That's what I wanted at the time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:11

And if I had that, I would have been left even more empty.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:14

Now my promise is how do I fulfill God's promise in this world while I have the time?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:19

And I just need everybody who's reading, everybody who's listening, and everybody who's going through a season of not knowing what's next and understanding that this is intentional, that what you're going through now is going to prepare you for what is next.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:31

And that next is a promise.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:33

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:33

You got to think about, like, the all the prophets who God spoke to and gave them a promise, like, you're going to inherit land, you're going to inherit promised land and your children's children will be blessed.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:45

So that's where I come in with this, this context of like, hey, yeah, I'm selling a house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:50

Yeah, I'm, I'm separating with my son and my son's mother.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:53

I'm gonna learn how to co parent and figure that part out.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:19:57

But there's something attached to this that's going to be even more beautiful.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:01

And that's where it was.

Ingke Chi: 00:20:02

The hardest thing is like, because you're not seeing it and you just have to know that no matter what the path is and it's never going to be linear.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:11

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:12

And again, just leaning on God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:14

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:15

I think that so much of it, we lean on our own capacity to have all the answers and we don't.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:21

And we don't.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:22

We have to be okay with knowing that, hey, God is going to reveal it when he's ready for us to understand it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:28

But God is the promise.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:30

So the promise isn't just.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:31

The promise isn't just like a material thing or an objective.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:35

God is the promise.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:36

He is the ultimate promise and he is true to his word.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:39

Everything that has been read and written in the Bible has already come to life, except for Jesus's return to the earth.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:45

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:46

Everything else has, has already come to life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:20:49

That's the promise.

Ingke Chi: 00:20:50

Oh, gosh, this is feeling it, right?

Ingke Chi: 00:20:53

Yeah, I'm feeling some relief.

Ingke Chi: 00:20:54

So day four is you're not alone.

Ingke Chi: 00:20:57

And in times of feeling alone, it's often hard to recognize God's presence.

Ingke Chi: 00:21:01

And so can you share maybe a specific moment where you felt isolated in your journey and how you were able to, you know, really I, you know, identify that what was coming to you was actually God's comfort and reassurance?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:16

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:21:17

What does that look like?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:17

Yep.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:18

Well, I've, I've learned well, I think a lot of it is the trauma of my childhood where I, whenever I felt uncomfortable, I'd isolate and I detach from things.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:29

And we know that Scripture says we're not meant to do life alone.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:32

And a lot of people read that and be like, oh, I'm supposed to have my wife or my husband.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:35

But it's about community, it's about fellowship.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:37

It's about like having brothers and sisters in Christ that, that are our crutches.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:42

Like when we fall, they're there to catch us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:45

So I wrote this because while I was going through the separation again, like, I think I was looking at it at some point.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:52

I was looking at it from, like, whoa, I just bought this house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:55

Like, I'm successful.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:21:56

What is everybody going to think about when they find out that we're separating?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:00

And then the other piece was like, yo, you're not hiding.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:02

You're going to talk about this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:03

You're going to share this with people, because that's how people relate, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:07

And knowing that I'm not alone, I know a huge piece of this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:11

And it took me a while to accept it, but it also took a.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:14

It also took a while for other people to accept it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:16

Is that when you're going through these seasons, God is going to give you who he needs to you to have.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:22

And for me, personally, I was looking on family members.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:25

I was waiting for the people who considered who I thought were in my corner and, like, had my back.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:32

And I was so disappointed when they weren't.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:34

But in the meantime, God was sending me this person from church, this pastor from church, this person from my job who was going through the same thing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:41

And this whole time, like, oh, oh, my goodness, God, you are.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:45

You are a master of your craft.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:46

Like, literally, I came to work one day, I was working at my old job, and I was like, guys, like.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:51

And I just said.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:52

I was like, hey, I'm selling my house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:54

And he was.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:54

And then one of my other colleagues, he's a little bit older, he was like, I've been waiting to tell you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:22:59

I'm filing for divorce, and I'm going to sell my house.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:01

He had two kids.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:02

And then I had another friend who was working with me as well.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:05

He.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:05

And literally in the same room, we have lunch together.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:07

He said, yeah, we're going to separate, me and my.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:12

He just had a baby.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:13

He's like, we're gonna separate, too.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:14

And in that season, I just.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:16

Oh, my goodness, God, you put three men of color in the same room who are going through the same thing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:22

And we were literally like each other's rock.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:24

And it was so, so good.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:27

And one of those men gave their life to Christ at the end of his season of divorce.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:32

And it's so beautiful, but I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:35

I like that I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:36

I preach about or I write about not being alone is because so many of us, when we're going through the seasons, just want to isolate.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:42

We just want to keep it off.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:43

I remember, like, so many of us delete our social media so no one can get in touch with us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:48

But really, like, we got to start taking ownership, you know what I mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:52

And leaning on those that community of believers and the sisters and brothers of Christ.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:57

Because that's what the devil wants.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:23:59

He wants us to be isolated and weak and we can't.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:02

It's, it's interesting because in the empowered of my skin I, I do have an eight part framework and one of them, and in one of them that I always talk about you, you know, I always, before I actually start talking about the framework, I think it's really important to know that you're, you're not alone.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:17

Your problems are not like personal to you.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:20

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:20

Like you don't own them.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:22

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:22

Like you don't have the monopoly or the, you know, think you have the audacity to think you're the only person that is going through something like that.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:30

I try to share that as gently as possible to give people maybe the unction that even if I'm in tech, right.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:36

Even if you just go and put it into chat GPT or to Google, just put your problem in there, just put your problem.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:41

If anything comes back, it means that there's somewhere the big large learning models went out there and collected all of the information that other humans in the world.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:24:51

Yeah, yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:52

And that should give you some ease.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:53

Right?

Ingke Chi: 00:24:54

Like you don't have to own it.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:55

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:55

So I really, that that one resonates for me.

Ingke Chi: 00:24:57

So moving on day five, there's more which I thought started to.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:05

It started.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:05

It gives me hope.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:06

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:07

I think that gives hope.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:08

So trans like.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:09

And so can you share how.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:11

And I think it's more about moving from a familiar path to an unfamiliar one.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:19

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:20

Like, but can you share how you maintained your, your faith even in that?

Ingke Chi: 00:25:24

Because again it's, it's mirrored with uncertainty and known.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:28

We all want to know.

Ingke Chi: 00:25:31

And when especially did you have moments where it actually felt like nothing was actually working?

Ingke Chi: 00:25:35

Maybe God had taken a little bit of a nap on you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:25:38

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:25:39

I think, I think this chapter was written out of spirit of rejection where like so many times I remember just being, you know, just trying to figure everything out.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:25:50

I just felt like every which way I went, I fell short, I was rejected, I was denied, I was told I wasn't, I wasn't qualified for this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:25:57

I remember specifically, I think I was interviewed for a position and the lady was like, yeah, you're not cut out for it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:03

And I looking back at it now as I was writing it, is that that rejection was God's redirection.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:10

Because if I was to get what I was wanting in that season, I would have settled for something outside of God's Will.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:17

And I wouldn't be like, that's not what he wants for us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:21

God would hate for us to receive his blessing and hate to have it because there's so much that's attached to it that when it is operating at full capacity, we're going to need the reference of what it took to get there.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:34

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:34

So when we settle outside of God's will, we're not operating in his power.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:39

We're doing our own.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:41

And I think in this one, it's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:42

When I talk about the mosaics and how.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:46

How artists.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:47

God takes beautiful, broken.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:50

Takes broken pieces of glass, of clay or whatever it is and puts it together that something so beautiful that can only created once, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:26:59

And that's our lives.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:00

That's our lives.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:01

He takes broken pieces from our childhood, from our.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:03

From our marriages, from our relationships in high school, from our college experiences, and he meshes it all together to create one beautiful masterpiece.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:12

You know what I mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:13

And at the end of the day, when we transition into heaven, there's something that's so beautiful that people can look at and be like, wow, look at God's light.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:20

Look at God's hand.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:21

That person's life.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:22

There's an analogy that comes to mind really quickly.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:24

Broken crayons still color.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:26

Oh, I read that devotional.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:28

Yes, I did.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:30

I did, yes.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:31

Broken crayons, still color.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:32

I use that at work.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:33

Yes, I do.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:34

Yes, I do.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:35

Yes.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:35

Yes, ma'am.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:36

But I love this excerpt.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:38

It says, think of your story from this perspective, how God is repurposing each broken piece of your life to recreate a masterpiece through his mercy and grace.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:45

Whether or not you can answer that question, the good news is that God is already at work in your life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:27:51

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:51

God is also working in the middle and at the end.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:55

And so trust God with all of you.

Ingke Chi: 00:27:58

Trust is saying, God, I don't need to see the full picture.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:02

I trust your hand is at work in my life.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:05

Yeah, that's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:06

Yes, I was in the spirit when I wrote that, because even that just.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:10

Even that just blessed me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:12

I didn't know you was reading my.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:13

I didn't know you was reading what I wrote.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:15

For a second.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:15

I was like, dang, somebody preached it.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:19

Okay, Day six is all about letting go.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:23

And trusting God can be one of the hardest things in our path as we do that.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:26

Right.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:27

So, you know, what can you share about the struggle of letting go of something that.

Ingke Chi: 00:28:34

And again, I think the longer it's been in our lives, the harder it is to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:39

I think letting go is probably the hardest thing for anybody to do, whether it's put it in any perspective, you could be offered a better job, but letting go of that old one still could be really complicated.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:51

You know what I mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:51

Even though I'm moving on to something better, but I think about myself just being white knuckled, just holding on to things.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:28:59

Um, and, but while we're holding on to whatever it is that we want to hold on to, we're still asking God for something else when it comes to that thing, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:07

So I remember driving on my way to work one day and literally the Lord just gave me this picture of like, how come you're.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:14

You're holding on to something and you're asking me to bless it, but you won't give it to me?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:19

So I was like, so he told me to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:21

Not.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:22

I can't say he told me specifically, but I was driving and I opened my hand and I said, the moment you open your hand, you're.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:29

You're not only positioning yourself to let it go and give it to God, but now you're in a position received, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:36

And so many times, like, I can tell you, with my relationship with my son's mother, although there was like that holding on to, maybe we can make it work and maybe we can, we can figure this out.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:48

And the moment I completely surrender the relationship to God, now we have a really healthy co parenting relationship where it's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:55

We're in a better place than we were when we were together, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:29:58

And even with my career, I was holding on to, like, being in this comfortable position where God, like, I g.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:04

I surrendered my, My career to him.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:06

And now and I'm like 10 years ahead of where I thought I was going to be.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:11

And it's just so many.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:12

It's tenfold, it's everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:13

And even in my prayer life, I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:16

There's so many things that we hold on to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:18

Even in prayer.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:19

We're scared to pray to God about things because we're scared of.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:22

I won't say scared.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:23

We are hesitant to hear the response from God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:27

Just give it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:27

Just give it to him.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:29

Just let go and watch what God will do.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:33

Scripture says God knows what we need before we ask.

Ingke Chi: 00:30:36

Yeah, exactly.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:39

And I just encourage anybody who's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:40

If you find yourself like, holding on to something again, you put that something in your head.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:45

If you're holding on to it but still praying to God about it, that means you're like, you're, you got to completely surrender.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:51

And you said this at the beginning of the podcast, like, surrendering Is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:55

Is so good.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:30:56

I just finished a devotional called at your knees, and I just feel like that's where I'm at in the season of my life is I don't want to walk.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:02

I just want to be at his knees.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:04

Like, ultimate surrender.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:05

And it's a daily, daily task for me.

Ingke Chi: 00:31:08

There's an interesting thing that came to mind the other day is like, sometimes we surrender parts, but not all.

Ingke Chi: 00:31:15

And I.

Ingke Chi: 00:31:15

And I've recognized that until, like, if it's still sticking around and it's because you haven't surrendered at all.

Ingke Chi: 00:31:24

Like, all.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:24

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:24

And I think I thought about that back in.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:27

I want to say it was like 20, 21, and God was really ministering to me and it was season of my singleness, and God was working on me and he was like, hey, how many.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:38

If you ever get married and you're like, hey, I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:40

I trust you enough to marry you and to do life with you, but I don't trust you with my finances.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:45

How would that work?

Ingke Chi: 00:31:45

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:46

Or I trust you with all this, but I don't trust you with social.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:48

Like, it doesn't work like that.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:49

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:49

It's completely.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:51

Yeah, exactly.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:52

And God is the same way, Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:54

Because marriage was created in God's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:55

In God's image, Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:57

All these things are created in God's image, and that's who we have to be.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:31:59

If we're willing to do it with our partner, why can't we do it with God?

Ingke Chi: 00:32:03

You know what?

Ingke Chi: 00:32:04

I find it's.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:04

It's interesting because as a leader in, in corporate too, I.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:08

I see it so much in careers, right?

Ingke Chi: 00:32:09

Like, people want something better for themselves.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:12

Like, they just want to feel more fulfilled in this than the other.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:15

And, And a lot of times people hold on to jobs that are not necessary roles that are not fulfilling them as much and.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:22

But they want something more.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:23

And in letting go, sometimes, like to get the one that's actually to open up your hand, to use your analogy, to receive the one that is actually designed for you.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:33

You have to let go of the organization.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:35

You potentially maybe have to let go of the community that you're living in.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:38

Because, you know, to get that role could mean that you're going to be uprooted to a new.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:43

Like a new country, a new.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:32:45

Yes, yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:32:46

That surrender all is the salary, the community, everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:32:54

Everything, everything.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:32:56

It's a partnership.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:32:57

And it's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:32:58

He doesn't just want a piece, he wants the whole pie.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:33:00

Like you said, that's beautifully painted by you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:33:02

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:03

And there's a great Song.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:05

I'll just let everyone know.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:06

It's Sarah.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:07

It's from Women Evolve.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:08

It's called Another Surrender.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:09

And sometimes, just every single day, just, you know, just another surrender.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:13

Another surrender.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:15

When I got to day seven, I was like, I was really, really sad.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:19

This is it.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:20

This is it.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:21

But that's why I did it again, and I'll keep doing it again.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:24

And so day seven is rooted.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:26

And so before I get into it, it's interesting because there's this analogy that I love that I heard once.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:34

It's like when you have a tree and I use it at work a lot, especially if we're going through, like a transformation type of experience or something like that.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:41

And I use it, even use it for my.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:43

My job interview, for my current role, them.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:45

And I said, like, how I lead is I let everyone know, like, we want it.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:48

There's this new tree, it's growing, there's branches on it.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:52

And.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:52

And some of these branches have to be pruned.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:55

And, you know, and we're.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:57

But new branches are going to get to grow in its place.

Ingke Chi: 00:33:59

And if you're holding.

Ingke Chi: 00:34:00

If you're on an old branch, you know it's going to be pruned, just jump on to one of the new branches that are growing and you'll continue to grow and go.

Ingke Chi: 00:34:07

But at the end of the day, there's going to be a day where we have to, like, like, especially in technology, like, you have to let go of old technologies and anyone is not willing to, like, learn the new tech and emerge.

Ingke Chi: 00:34:17

Right?

Ingke Chi: 00:34:17

Like, when you prune, you get to keep what you're holding on to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:20

Yeah, absolutely.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:22

Absolutely.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:22

And I, I actually wrote this because of work.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:25

So for.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:26

For a lot of people who don't know, like, I'm an associate principal, so a lot of the things I deal with is student discipline, student behavior, teacher behavior, whatever it is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:34

And because I deal with the kids all day long and I love it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:37

I absolutely love.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:38

I'm truly blessed.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:40

We deal with the fruit and not the root, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:43

So kids, kids, kids misbehaving kids, kids cussing me out and doing this and doing that, whatever, fighting, vaping, whatever it may be, those are the fruits of something that's really going down on deep in the roots.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:56

So when I was thinking about that, like, I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:34:57

That was like a pitch that I did on a training or whatever, and I thought about our spiritual lives, of our lack of prayer, a lack of obedience, a lack of saying yes to God, a lack of doing what he has commanded us to do.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:12

And it has to do with our root system.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:14

And until those roots are really spread deep down thin, we're going to be swayed with whatever happens in life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:22

And then I started to pick apart like, well, we.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:26

I literally.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:27

I wrote it because it's a true story.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:29

We bought.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:29

I bought plants.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:30

And I'm not really.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:31

Don't really have a green thumb, but I realized that some.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:33

I needed to change the soil.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:34

Tick Tock told me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:35

Okay, Tick Tock told me, hey, you need to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:37

I forget what it's called, but you need to change the soil.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:39

And I thought about like, wow, I can put a brand new plant in dirty and old unfurled soil and that's gonna.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:46

And I thought about that as our environments as believers, that if we're not rooted and we change our environment, we're gonna be just as dead.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:55

You know what I mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:56

And.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:35:57

And until we're rooted and then we can change our soil and our environment.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:36:00

Oh my gosh.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:36:01

Then.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:36:01

Then everything else flows from it.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:03

You didn't talk about wine and new.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:05

New.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:05

No, that wasn't you.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:06

New wine skins, right?

Ingke Chi: 00:36:07

No, you didn't.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:36:08

No.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:09

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:10

Wow.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:10

So that.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:11

So that's day seven.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:12

So to everyone, just a quick recap.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:14

One I.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:15

I strongly recommend, especially if you're.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:18

Whatever it is that you have, you have some hope in your life, you know, you want to move from wherever you are right now.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:23

This is definitely a devotional that is worthy of getting and working through and working and working at working out.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:31

Like.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:31

Like this is your gymnasium to what's next in your life.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:34

So rock bottom, you know, starts with.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:36

Rock bottom.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:37

Starts with getting to a place where you recognize it's okay to start over.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:41

The promise.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:42

There is a promise on your life and it's going to be fulfilled.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:45

It may not look like how you want it, but it's.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:48

Then you're not alone.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:50

I think that that's really key.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:51

And I think what I love that you touched on is the people that you do not have expectations on.

Ingke Chi: 00:36:55

The people that are in your life because they may not be the ones that are needed, are assigned to you to get through this season.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:02

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:02

Exactly.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:02

Yep.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:03

There's more.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:05

So much more than what exists right now.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:07

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:08

And then letting go.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:09

Gotta, gotta surrender it all.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:12

Not half, not half stepping.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:14

Nope.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:15

No.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:15

Lukewarm.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:16

That's the scariest part.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:21

And then number seven is rude.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:23

Did so, so, so, so, so good.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:27

So, so good.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:27

Thank you so much for.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:29

I'm going to say this as bad as it is, like you truly turned your pain to purpose.

Ingke Chi: 00:37:33

So thanks for your pain, man.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:35

I, I, I appreciate it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:38

It's a blessing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:39

It's just an honor to, to give God all the glory and really like I said, I think I went through this season of just saying, you know what God, when I came home from Cleveland Brown I got cut and I said, you know what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:49

I'm going to give my life to Christ.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:50

And I just said I want people to see me and know God, God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:37:54

And I just want them to be like I want, I want to know the God that he loves and knows and that's truly just my heart's purpose right now.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:01

So I thank you for one inviting me onto this platform and sharing this with me but also reading the devotional.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:06

I don't I will never take that for granted.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:09

The devotional like I'm not, I'm not done yet.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:12

I'm not done yet.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:13

We'll have to talk.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:14

Maybe the next one will be about the testimony that comes out from this right.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:18

So so we're not done yet.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:20

I get to ask take you through these rapid thrivers.

Ingke Chi: 00:38:22

So so first when you think of someone who comes to when you think of someone who inspires you, who comes first to mind inspires me it's got.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:31

To be and I never met him in person but I read his readings is Tony Evans.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:36

I think about like Kingdom men and then King Women, then kingdom children.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:42

I think about what he stands for and as a theologian, as a pastor, as a husband, as a father again I it was all about timing for me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:51

When I started to read his books it was in the middle of this season of transition for me and I said, you know what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:38:58

I want something like that.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:00

Right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:00

I want to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:01

I want to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:01

I want his lens on my life.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:03

I want to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:03

I want to be a husband like he is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:05

I want to be a father like he talks about raise Kingdom kids.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:08

I want to be a pastor and preach the word of God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:12

He's truly influential for me and just reading again, I've never met him but absolutely.

Ingke Chi: 00:39:17

Who knows, maybe vision I'm a big have a vision board and all this.

Ingke Chi: 00:39:21

Maybe it's I'm going to bring you both on for a panel discussion.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:23

Then you get yeah, yeah, he's awesome.

Ingke Chi: 00:39:26

So definitely what is a daily activity?

Ingke Chi: 00:39:29

I think I may not know this.

Ingke Chi: 00:39:31

I was going to say I think I know this but I it's not like I know you.

Ingke Chi: 00:39:33

So what's a daily activity that helps you with your thrive?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:37

My general time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:39

My time with the Lord truly like I Said I have a really very high stress job dealing with kids and parents, teachers, what people.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:49

But when I wake up first thing in the morning, I wake up and I put on worship music.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:52

And it's a, it's a time of quietness.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:54

An hour, maybe 45 minutes to an hour of just having coffee and journaling every day.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:39:59

And that's, that's what keeps me rude.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:01

I tried to do it at the end of the day, but, you know, sometimes I end up waking up at 2:00 in the morning with my light on and my pen in my hand and I say, you know what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:09

I just want to start my day with God every day.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:11

And not to get it out the way, but if I start with God, it'll end with God.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:15

So I get it.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:16

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:16

And journaling has been in my life actually since I was 16.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:20

So, yes, decades.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:22

And I have, I've like.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:23

And I've never stopped.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:24

Like, I just one end and I just keep.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:27

So good.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:27

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:28

It's such a good practice.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:28

So good.

Ingke Chi: 00:40:29

What is a book that's helped you with this other than your own?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:33

Yeah, a book that has helped me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:44

Oh, there's so many I want to say.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:49

Can I, can I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:50

Can I switch it for a bit?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:51

Yeah, there's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:51

There's so many books.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:52

I don't have one book.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:53

Tony Evans books are really good.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:55

I wrote Stephen.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:40:57

I read Stephen Furtick's book, Crash the Chatterbox.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:00

That was truly awesome for me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:02

But also I want to say a movie.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:04

Okay.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:05

And I tell you why there's a movie out there.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:07

It's called I Can Only Imagine and it's based on a true story.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:09

And I'm going to cry just talking about it, but go.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:12

Anybody who can go and, and watch this movie.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:14

It's called I Can Only Imagine.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:15

It's by Mercy Me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:18

And God used that movie to really preach to me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:22

And I watched that movie and it's about this kid who.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:27

His father was an alcoholic and abusive and a mother, his mother left him as a young kid and his dad wanted him to play football.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:35

He hated playing football.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:37

But he was big.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:38

He was a big boy.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:39

And he broke his arm or he broke something playing football.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:42

And it literally.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:43

His father was like, you're a waste to me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:45

And he found music.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:46

He found music.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:48

He saw instead of going to gym class because he was, he was crippled, he went to music class and he learned how to play the piano.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:54

And then he learned that he can sing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:55

And he.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:56

And he found the Lord through singing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:41:58

And through that Music class until this day.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:00

He has a band called Mercy Me, and that movie just wrecked me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:04

God put that movie in my life during the pandemic.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:07

And I couldn't finish the movie because I went upstairs to my prayer room and I cried for two hours straight.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:12

Wow.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:13

I'm gonna have to watch this.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:13

And every time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:14

Every time I watch that movie, I can't ever get it through because I just think about, like, how many of us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:20

God, in those broken moments.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:23

Those are.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:23

That's our testimony.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:24

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:25

Is how God moves in us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:26

So not a book, but definitely.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:28

I like that.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:28

I actually like that.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:29

I like that you broke the rules.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:30

I'm gonna put.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:31

I'm putting.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:32

Is on Netflix, by the way.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:35

I think I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:35

I have it on.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:36

Prime, but that's fair.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:39

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:42:39

I should have asked you, where is it?

Ingke Chi: 00:42:40

What is an app that on your phone that helps you with your thrive?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:45

You version.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:46

Yeah, you version.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:48

Like I said, like you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:49

d, I think I downloaded it in: 2016

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:58

Some every hundred days.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:42:59

It kind of kicks me off and it breaks my streak.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:01

So.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:01

But I'm not doing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:02

You know what I mean?

Ingke Chi: 00:43:04

You try to take.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:05

I'm trying to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:06

Well, not because I.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:07

I literally.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:08

I wake up every morning and you can.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:10

Yeah, you can.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:12

1000, 101.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:14

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:15

But it's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:16

It's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:16

It's truly the best app that I have on my phone.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:19

Staying connected with people, writing, reading and devotionals.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:24

But just because it's so convenient, right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:27

You can be at the doctor's office and be like, hey, I want to read something.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:29

Hey, you have the Bible on your phone.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:30

Pull that out and read.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:32

Yeah, no, some.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:33

Really anything.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:34

Anyway, it's my daily leadership fix, and I.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:36

And I love it.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:38

So what is one misconception that people have of you as they see you and your thrive?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:45

That I have it all figured out.

Ingke Chi: 00:43:47

Why does everyone say that?

Ingke Chi: 00:43:48

Like, everyone I bring on this podcast.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:49

Says, well, I think, well, for me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:52

So for me, like, I deal with teenagers, right?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:54

So I deal with young teenagers who are.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:43:56

If usually 85% of the time when they're in my office, it's not for a good thing.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:01

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:01

And so it's about the relevance for them or the relation piece because they're like, like.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:06

What do you mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:06

Like, a lot of kids just see.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:08

Went to bc, great football player, now he's an associate principal.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:13

Young, like, you know what I mean?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:15

They don't see what.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:16

What it took to get there.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:17

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:18

And all the fighting, the.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:20

The amount of fighting and prayer and just surrender that I had to do to get here, people don't ever factor that into account.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:27

And I'm open about it.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:28

But for some people, that's not the first thing that they think about.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:31

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:31

They just think about the success.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:32

So I'm quick to share my story.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:35

Like, I have a kid who's grieving the loss of his brother, and I like, hey, just so you know, I lost my best friend to gun violence at 15.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:42

And he was like, what?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:43

And I was like, yeah, I'm human.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:45

Like, I get where you're coming from, and I'm fighting for you because I know what that feels like.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:49

And so that's probably the biggest misconception.

Ingke Chi: 00:44:53

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:53

And.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:44:54

And you people only have a lens through social media.

Ingke Chi: 00:44:56

Right, Right, right.

Ingke Chi: 00:44:59

Whatever we choose to share.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:00

Yeah, it's like a highlight.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:01

It's a highlight reel for us.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:03

So.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:03

Yeah.

Ingke Chi: 00:45:04

So where.

Ingke Chi: 00:45:05

So thank you.

Ingke Chi: 00:45:06

Where do we find more of you Online?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:09

Definitely.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:10

Probably Instagram.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:11

I'm not the best person of posting, but Instagram is the best place for people to get connected with me.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:16

I'm not big on X or Twitter, whatever we want to call it, or thread.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:20

Definitely not big on Facebook.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:22

So everything is pretty mainstream through Instagram.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:25

I do have some devotionals that I want to publish coming up.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:29

I think it's something that God has commissioned me to do.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:34

And then I do have a podcast that I want to be better about.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:37

It's called your neighbor's podcast.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:38

It's on Apple podcast about just continuing to stream.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:42

But I think that people, hopefully in these next couple years, I can answer a calling on my life about being a pastor and preaching the word of God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:45:52

That's something I believe that he's commissioned me and called me to do.

Ingke Chi: 00:45:55

I love that.

Ingke Chi: 00:45:55

And I'll share, actually, all of those links where we can actually find more of your mind online.

Ingke Chi: 00:46:00

And so in closing, this podcast.

Ingke Chi: 00:46:03

Podcast is called Empowered in my skin, and would love to know what that means to you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:09

Empowered in my skin.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:10

It's.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:11

It's just who I am.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:12

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:12

I think that I'm a reflection of God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:14

When God says it in.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:15

In Genesis, is that he created.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:17

He created us in his image.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:19

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:20

So what are we doing every day to.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:22

To reflect who God is for us?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:24

Like, what is.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:25

What are the lenses that we're viewing ourselves?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:27

I love that this is about, like, you know, the.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:29

The men's mental health, because a lot of us don't even Know the person in the mirror.

Ingke Chi: 00:46:33

Yeah.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:34

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:35

Let me, let me rephrase that.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:36

A lot of us don't know the person in the mirror outside of our title.

Ingke Chi: 00:46:39

Right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:40

When you take away the husband or you take away the father, you take away the co worker or the colleague.

Ingke Chi: 00:46:45

Identities and titles, who was that person?

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:48

And it took me a good amount of time to find out who Dominique was outside of those roles.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:46:54

And when I, when I started to do that work, I became, I began to recreate my own skin and who I was on the outside.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:01

But there was a calling on the inside that I was finally answering.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:04

Wow.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:05

So that, that's what that means to me.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:07

Oh, well, you know, it's, it's.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:10

This has been really enriching and I thank you so much.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:13

Remember, I told you 30 minute and I said whatever, whatever God's plan.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:17

So we're 46, so it's been really enriching and edifying and really love how you're showing up for the world.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:25

And so we thank you, Many of us thank you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:27

Thank you.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:28

And to everyone that's listening, I trust you know that you're going to go out.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:32

I'm going to put the Amazon link, I'm also going to put the Bible app link in the show notes.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:36

So, so this is something I'm, I'm, I'm an influencer in a bit.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:40

So I'm, I'm going to encourage everyone to, to actually do the seven days.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:46

It is so worth it.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:47

And then bring somebody along the journey and do it and do it a second time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:50

Yeah, absolutely.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:51

Can I just, can I, can I close out in a 15 second prayer.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:54

If you don't mind?

Ingke Chi: 00:47:54

Yes, please.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:55

Oh, I love this.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:56

Yes.

Ingke Chi: 00:47:56

Okay.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:57

I just want to be obedient to God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:58

All right.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:47:58

Father God, I just want to thank you for this time.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:00

I pray that you continue to bless this platform, this podcast.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:03

Lord, I pray for every ear in mind and sound mind that hears this, Lord, that you just put, call them into action to take one step closer to you, Father God, but also to take a step closer to community.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:13

Father, we thank you for what you're doing, but also what you're going to do and also what you've done.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:18

Father God.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:18

Just continue to lay your hands upon us, Father.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:20

Let us be your vessel.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:21

Let us continue to break ourselves, to make you whole.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:24

Father God, we love you.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:25

We thank you for loving us daily.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:28

In your name we pray.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:29

Amen.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:30

Amen.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:30

And thank you.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:31

I think that might have been like the first, like I think I prayed out but first time a guest has said we gotta do it.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:37

So thank you and to everyone, I hope you feel blessed and blessed.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:42

And this is where I say we're out.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:45

Bye Bye.

Dominic Williams Sr.: 00:48:46

Thank you guys.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:51

There you have it.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:52

I trust you are feeling more empowered in your skills.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:56

As the late Dr.

Ingke Chi: 00:48:57

Maya Angelou said, when you get, you give.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:00

When you learn, you teach.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:01

So it would mean so much for us at EIMS if you would share this episode and tag us or teach an insight that you took from today's episode on your socials and tag us.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:12

Feel free to leave us a review over at itunes and follow us on social media.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:16

Empowertomyskin.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:17

Finally, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Ingke Chi: 00:49:21

See you soon.

The Empowered in My Skin Podcast

Episode 311

28th Nov 2024

From Rock Bottom to Promise: A Journey of Faith with Dominique Williams Sr

Transcript

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About the Podcast

About your hosts

Nkechi Nwafor-Robinson

Tricia Blake