The belief that young people have the potential to achieve great things is the foundation of empowering youth. By providing access to inspiring experiences and resources, as well as building their self-assurance, young people can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
In this episode, MBSB Coaching CEO Kurt Ogbewele joins us to share his journey of empowering and inspiring young people to reach their full potential. As someone who has dedicated his career to providing guidance, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities to youth, Kurt has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share on how we can all support the next generation.
Through all of his experience, Kurt created Mind, Body, Spirit is your Business (MBSB) to give youth resources that create opportunities. MBSB offers a wide range of services, including training in basketball, music, acting, teaching, and coaching, as well as access to professional speakers and basketball players who can inspire and mentor youth as they work to become experts in their chosen fields.
Tune in to hear Kurt’s inspiring story and learn practical strategies for how you can help young people and youth in your community.
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Empowering the Next Generation with Kurt Ogbewele
Welcome to Actions Antidotes, your antidote to the mindset that keeps you settling for less. Today’s youth really need some encouragement. I was actually at a church a couple hours away in a small town community church this past Sunday and I heard the story a woman told me about how her teenage son had already lost seven of his friends to suicide, which is a really, really disturbing thing to hear and something that is even more disturbing when I think about this kind of desperation happening in many different places all across the country and all across the world. My guest today, Kurt Ogbewele, is a coach that is actually helping bring a lot of hope to our youth today with his business, MBSB Coaching.
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Kurt, welcome to the program.
Steven, thank you so much, man, I appreciate you for having me. Thank you.
Well, thank you because this is something that I obviously care about quite a bit, hoping that my upcoming screen time reduction initiative helps relieve some of the pressure and some of the forces that is driving some of our youth to some of these bad places in life away and I know you’re helping the youth get some kind of encouragement for the things that they’re interested in, the things that they want to pursue. And I know that starts from your own story. You have your own story where you needed some encouragement in your youth. Let’s begin with that. You had a pretty sizable family and some turmoil, from what I’ve read, but I’ll let you tell it yourself.
Steven, thank you again for having me. Yeah, guys, my name is Kurt Ogbewele, from Brooklyn, New York. Huge family. Dad’s from Nigeria, my mother’s from Trinidad and Tobago. At a young age, we did experience the system. We’re broken up in foster homes and also group homes and reform schools and the whole nine yards and, from that standpoint on, I was able to live with my dad and my older brother. So that right there was a struggle for itself just because I didn’t have a relationship with my dad and living under his system of the household was a challenge because that was something I was not used to. And, for me, I picked up a passion for playing basketball probably around 9 and 10 years old. So my dad, being from his native country, which is Nigeria, basketball, any sports was not a priority, education was, and me being a generation growing up in America, sports can be a number one priority because it can allow you to be able to pay for college and so forth. So, moving forward, I was able to make it to graduation and, from that standpoint on, I knew that I wanted to continue to play basketball so I decided to move back home in Brooklyn, New York, and just follow my desire of trying to go to a high level college in just the neighborhood recreational center, I went down there every day and played ball and got connected with the coordinator and, from that standpoint on, he trained me and then he allowed me to play in something called AAU which allows just the youth to be able to travel to different states to compete against different competition and also get seen by colleges. So I did that.
I was in that little season that was towards the end of the summer, me and a great young man who connected me to a local promoter and trainer in our neighborhood who trained inner city kids to be able to do well in tournaments and be able to get seen by colleges and also I was one of those guys that just stuck by that, worked hard, played in games, and I was able to meet my mentor and also he was a father figure to me that I needed at that time, I was 18 years old, just dealing with my own little baggage and he was able to psychologically and spiritually and physically help me to overcome that and that allowed me to play better, allowed me to have more confidence, and allowed me to do better as a as a man of faith, to be honest with you guys. From there, I was able to get a full ride scholarship to Arizona Western Community College, a Division One school, went on to play over there and then continued to get my degree and then I met my best friend and then, from that standpoint on, I decided to put the ball down and pick up the mic and I did Christian rap music.
Oh wow.
Yeah, man. Did Christian rap music, was in a group called Dream Team Soldiers, guys from all over the country and I decided some to move to Denver so I continued my relationship with my best friend within the faith, continued to do music, and also get out of New York City and develop my character so came to Denver back in at the end of 2006 and pursued music. I was able to perform all over Denver and Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs had a big faith-based arena and, from that standpoint on, we made it to the last chapter at that time period to be able to perform in front of major record labels and we did well but the higher ups did not have their stuff together so I decided from that standpoint on, I wanted to go back to college, I had three more years to finish up to get my degree and see if I could be able to play basketball at the next level past college and I did that. I went to Colorado Christian University, met up with a great coach who was faith based and also just a great man and had high level success in basketball for himself and played three years there, had some challenges, and graduated. I graduated in 2011 of May in organization management and Christian leadership. So, from that standpoint on, I got connected with a teammate, whose brother was currently an MBA and they had an organization that allowed current college players to put on faith-based camps in different countries as far as from France all the way to Germany, play against their professional teams and earn a contract. So, I did that tour for about a month. I was able to earn me a contract to play in France and also, while I got that contract, I was able to get hired on to work at a big time nonprofit at that time period called Colorado UpLift to be a teacher slash mentor.
Oh, wow.
Yeah. So work with the inner city kids over there for a year and decided to move on to work as a case manager for the youth who were locked up for misdemeanors and did that for a year and decided to move on to work for another nonprofit called Archway Housing, that’s operating Archway Community Services and I was a family service coordinator, just worked with the adults who were from Africa and also worked with the present members, man, and put together some funny events and teach some life skills, some domestic skills to the youth, and, honestly, some just simple stuff as far as like teaching the parents how to be able to fill out a resume.
Yeah. That’s something they don’t really teach you in school, right?
Yes. Yes, man, and just money management type of thing so, yeah, man, moved on from that and decided to go back into education and worked at DPS K-12 as a program leader, and then got the great opportunity from one of my friends who I played pro basketball with to work as a teacher, as a physical educational teacher, at a middle school for DSST and worked there as a PE teacher and a boy’s coach for four years. And it was a blessing for me because I was able to really jump into the young men, young ladies’ lives and really get deeper with them and try to be a positive influence and —
For sure.
— at basketball. So did that for four years then moved on to public charter schools in Colorado and worked there as athletic director and as a PE teacher for the middle school kids and did that and as a support, and just, again, man, I worked there during COVID time so I’m going to say that I didn’t really get the real rounds as far as the athletic director but I was able to help manage two sports, volleyball and soccer, build some relationships, and then decide to move on to be a support. I wanted to get some more training in that aspect. And then, from there, moved on so now, currently, I’m at Robert F. Smith Steam Academy at a black school, as a high school physical educational teacher. It’s a school that’s fresh, it’s 9th and 10th graders —
Yep.
— a lot of hormones, a lot of energy, and a lot of opportunities to really become a better teacher and to become a better man. I also have my own business, MBSB, and we’re at the school right now. Last trimester, we had an enrichment program, that’s a program that allows the youth to be able to experience different programs outside of what they usually learn from school so what I provide to the youth over there, man, is pros, pros within the profession of basketball, music, teaching, coaching, acting, they share their personal stories with the youth. If the youth are inspired, be able to connect with the pros, receive training and become great. So that’s what I do, man.
That’s amazing. And so much to unpack from that story. Now, first of all, you said your dad is from Nigeria and that’s kind of the culture where they didn’t really value sports as much. Have you ever gotten to, in all your travels, visit Nigeria or even Trinidad and Tobago where your family origins are?
Thanks for asking. I’ve never been to Nigeria, I was planning on going there four years ago with my brothers but because of the local rebels over there, we decided not to go. Trinidad and Tobago, I did visit. Not as an adult but as a child, I was five years old, was out there for a month.
For a while, you were living with your dad and it sounds like he wasn’t exactly supportive of your interests. So what kind of a challenge was that for you? And if this was before you got your mentors and some of this other stuff, what kept you going through some of these challenging times when you’re talking about the reform schools and everything else, all the different ways that life had handed you those challenges because there’s got to be a way to believe in something better, believe that you have the power to move on from this situation and take some control of your life?
Well, it was tough for me because before I live with my dad, I developed a strong passion for the game of basketball. So when I did live with my dad, I wanted to continue that on and that was something that I wanted to just focus on. And so when I did not receive that support, it was a challenge. It did make me angry. All I knew is that this is what I want to focus on. So even though there was some obstacles that was along the way at that time period, I knew that this is what I wanted to do and that was my main focus and everything around it, everything around my life was for that, was for I’m a high level college basketball player. And so when I left my dad and obviously continued on to meet my mentor, that just allowed me to really continue to focus on the game that I loved when I was 10 years old but now I have support. That’s what happened.
You know, as another New Yorker, dare I ask, Knicks or Nets?
Man, thanks for asking, man. Thanks for asking. Knicks. I’m a Knicks guy —
You’re a Knicks guy.
So, yeah.
Yeah, and I know they weren’t in Brooklyn quite yet when you’re growing up so it’s a little bit different.
Yes, sir, man. I mean, when I go down there, I’ve never been to a Brooklyn Nets game but when I do walk down a 11th Avenue, man, I know one day I will be there, just because I don’t live in New York so I might not really catch the games but I’m excited that we have a pro team at home.
So you met this mentor of yours and tell me about that experience. What changed in you when you got this mentor?
Thank you. Thanks for asking, Steven. So when I met the mentor, it was something that I wasn’t even looking for, honestly. I was already on my track trying to be able to get a scholarship to a high level school and he came to me.
So we set up a meet and we met up like probably two days later, right there in the playground in the city of Brooklyn, New York, I told him who I was and we got right to business and action. We got right to the training, had a great training with him, and that continued on, but in the midst of the training, me developing as a basketball player, he was a father figure for me and I needed that because I didn’t have the support or protection I feel like I needed to become a man. And I know my dad was doing the best he could as far as what he knew. So this guy was from where I’m from, played the sport himself, had some successes, and also he was trying to build his team so he needed me too, so everything just worked out well. And he fed into my psyche. He continued to feed things into me that allowed me to believe in what he was telling us to excel as a basketball player, and also feed some things into me as a man that allowed me to take some ownership on some things that I could be able to make the right decision so I don’t go back in my life, I go forward, and, last, he pointed to me as a man of faith, and that was something that I always was a man of faith but it just kind of reignited some things inside of me, reignited my dedication to things of faith and our own correlation was probably about a year to a year and a half and he was able to pay for a combine for me in New Jersey, where I was already injured but I went out there on faith, did my best, and was able to connect with the best coach at that combine and, from that standpoint on, he gave me a full-ride scholarship.
So it also sounds like it took you a lot of like hard work, a lot of training, a lot of staying focused. What kept you going? Because we all have that point in our lives, whatever endeavor is, where we are tempted to just hang it up, tempted to call it quits, tempted to just pull out the bottle or pull out whatever your favorite distraction mechanism is, do the more comfortable thing as opposed to keep pushing, keep pushing. Was it your faith? Was it this mentorship? Was it something else about your mindset, something you really believed in, something you’re really passionate about?
Honestly, Steven, it was my desire, knowing that I wanted to go to a high level college. And also I wanted to make something out of myself so that I could be able to come back and help my mother and help my other siblings.
Yeah, because you said you had eight siblings, right?
Yep.
Do they have similar paths? Do they have similar desires, similar stories?
I have an older brother who had a similar, I’m not going to say that he didn’t experience a strong level of lack of support as I, but he was able to use the sport of basketball to be able to make something out of himself. He’s my half-brother and he lost his mother at a pretty young age so she was his foundation and his dad, which was my dad, was also not in his life, so that woman that he lost was definitely his everything. So I think, for him, he really leaned strongly into the game of basketball and also his faith too, his faith in God. And by him applying hard work and going through challenges, because the biggest thing for me, the challenge that I was facing, again, when I was in my pursuit of trying to pursue a division one college was simply, honestly, my environment, my environment was really negative, and I could say also, at that time period, girls. I think, for him, it was mostly lack of support. He didn’t have the support, right?
Yeah.
As far as a dad, okay, and a mom, that’s going to take care of the things as far as expenses in college, and even other things as far as advice, that a lot of things that he was doing was on his own. At least, for me, I didn’t have a dad but I did have a mother physically and I had my mentor slash coach.
Yeah. And so it sounds like going into your business interest, that’s like a really important thing because there are a lot of people growing up without that level of support, whether it be a father figure, whether it be a mother figure, whether it be even positive peers, or someone to encourage you to do the right things as opposed to kind of drain into this negative environment that a lot of people find themselves in. If someone is growing ups or someone really cares about someone who’s growing up without that support, what do you think is the best thing that someone can do to get through to find a way to lean into the positive in a world that lacks that support for that particular person?
That’s tough, that’s tough. I look at it like this.
So those are the things I feel like are added support that could be there to help you get to where you want to go.
And what would you say to anyone that’s listening out there that wants to be that support, that wants to find a way to touch some of these people that are struggling as they come of age to find a positive path and they see the problem, what do you think is the best way someone can go about that?
Again, I mean, MBSB, we accept pros and you don’t have to be pros. I think the great thing about my organization, humbly, is that we try to touch base on almost everything, as far as SEL, social emotional learning, that’s something that was presented to me a couple months ago and we were able to teach the youth about or young boys by becoming positive men in their society, young girls becoming positive ladies in their society. So, honestly, reach out to me. Reach out to me. I’m sure my number and my email address will be on his podcast. Reach out to me and I have a bunch of young people, boys and girls who are wide open to receiving information, training, becoming the best that they can be. Why? Because their homes are broken.
Somebody has let them down at even younger ages that’s where they’re at right now and they’re wide open and looking for people who, number one, care. Click To TweetNot number one who has spent but, number one, who cares and they know if you don’t care by how you show up every single day. Number one, cares. And then, number two, who’s going to be able to bring that experience that’s going to inspire them and consistently train them to become the best person they can be. And then, number two, I mean, simple, you plug into different organizations, Boys and Girls Club, maybe the YMCA might have a couple of youth down there who need some extra advice. So, yeah, that’s that.
And tell us a bit about how MBSB physically works. What exactly happens with the youth in the program as well as the volunteers?
We bring the pros down. We bring the pros down in a session like, kind of similar to what we’re doing right now. Or it could be physically, it could be at YMCA, it could be in a conference room, or it could be at my school, and the pros come down from all over the world, man, and they just simply, again, they share their personal stories. It’s a Q&A thing. And then from that standpoint on, the pros are able to hand out business cards to the youth and the youth are able to continue to follow them on social media and, from that standpoint on, be able to receive that training, you know what I’m saying? So we had one youth actually I think it was a year ago, I was able to connect him with a big time actor, you know what I’m saying? Who’s been in Netflix and had their own movie with — I forgot the motivational speaker, man, but, yeah, and from that standpoint on, was able to connect right there in that session as far as allowing the youth to get with his program and from there, receive acting. And this is not some one-time thing, this is an ongoing basis, ongoing basis, you know what I’m saying? So that’s something that we try to do, we continue to try to branch off not just here in Colorado but we’re also in New York City, and this is, again, this is not a meet and see you later, this is an ongoing thing, man, ongoing thing, building relationships, and from that standpoint on, we’re trying to build pros so for the actual people who want to be able to volunteer and be a part of this, number one, you have to care, you have to care about the youth, and then, number two, you have to be able to have some sense of accomplishment in your own profession so that you’re validating them. When you speak to the youth, they’re inspired naturally. And, again, if you’re interested in being a part of MBSB, man, again, I’m sure my information will be out here in this podcast, just give me a call, email me, or text me and we’ll get you plugged in.
And so what would qualify someone as a pro?
Oh, as a pro? Oh, thanks for asking —
Yeah, so when you say the “pros” and the people that come and speak to the youth, what would qualify someone as a pro? Is there a certain qualification someone needs to meet to be labeled a pro at anything?
Well, yeah, I touched base sort of like this. I have a good friend who, when I met that person, they had a few pro experiences playing pro basketball overseas. The country he played was Australia. He never received a contract and never got paid a dime to do what they love doing. That person was a great player. Connected with that person, I did some training with that person training the youth, and goal as a mid-20-year-old man was to get back over the waters and be able to get a contract, get paid for what he wanted to do, and go over there and come back and get back to the youth and I trained with him, seen his game develop, and also seen how he was able to be able to communicate his needs with the youth and be able to see him training youth at the same time and he was able to go to Spain, try out, make the team, get a contract, be successful over there, then he was able to go to Germany and play two levels higher in Germany, get a contract, play, have some success over there, and then go to Kosovo and, boom, try out, get a contract, and be successful over there and he was able to try to bring me down there to do the same thing. So when he was done playing pro ball, and this is recently, and you can be able to go and look these speakers online and see their life and get to see for yourself are they successful at what they’re trying to teach you, so be able to write down, yeah, share his experience with the youth.
So that’s what I consider a pro, a person who’s able to have a desire, work towards that, accomplish that, and come back and get back and get trained. Click To Tweet
Which is pretty much exactly what you’re doing, right?
Trying. Thanks, man. Yeah.
So, the youth, then, they hear the speaker and then they’ll decide whether or not they want to have some kind of an ongoing relationship with that speaker as the person who’s going to help them, as you had your mentor help you get from point A to point B, get from that point where you have the desire but you need a lot of that specific know-how of how to actually become that person that you want to become?
Yes. And we try to provide the resources. When I came up, there was only one resource. I was lucky to get to use that to the best of my ability to get to where I wanted, but that was it, so we want to be able to — we have more than one resources, and not just in sports but in just different types of professions so you’re able to plug in and be able to receive that support and become whatever you want to become.
Now, your business, Mind Body Spirit Business, encompasses I’m assuming the mind, the body and the spirit.
Yes, sir.
So that means that there’s some sort of a mental as well as spiritual element in it beyond just the specifics of whether it’s basketball or coaching, acting, rapping, singing, music, et cetera. How do those all, in your view, interplay amongst each other, the mind, the body, and the spirit, to create the person that you need to become or want to become?
What we focus on when I first started it was just, honestly, we wanted to break down what have you been through, okay? And we wanted to focus on steps to be able to get you to where you’re supposed to be. And that part right there did come with the pros. The pros, who’ve been through mental struggle, maybe they’re physically just not at a place where you want to be where you feel confident to step out there, and, spiritually, we get depressed, and I think the business part of it is actually the part that’s allowing you to receive those opportunities to be able to go out there and promote yourself and get what you want out of life. So those are the three different components that we try to focus on and we just break those things down just different steps as far as simple, as far as what are you putting in your body? Also, as far as from spiritual standpoint, is what are you listening to? What are some daily techniques you are doing to allow yourself to kind of say be attracted, that comes with mindful meditation techniques? We have partnered with a big time nonprofit that’s located actually in India but actually have schools that’s based out of Pennsylvania called SKY Schools that actually go into the school system and actually teach these mindful meditation techniques, not just to the youth but to the adults. So these are things that we try to plug in with our youth man, so that they’re able to share in obviously the three components that we try to promote so that they become the best person they could be.
And does getting away from some of the negative content, whether it be negative people in your life or some of the negative content that so many of our youth are currently consuming online, the content that encourages people to be divided and hateful and focuses on what they can’t do, focus on the limitations, does getting away from that play a big role in that as well?
Big time. Yeah. I mean, who you surround yourself, man, is where you’re going to end up. Honestly, if you’re really trying to accomplish a goal, if you’re really trying to be an example to people around you, if you’re really trying to get back, then you don’t have time to waste and we’re really focused on — we’re open to, honestly, any level but we’re really, really, really focused on people who want it. That’s just what we try to lock in on.
And when you talk about don’t have time to waste, what are the biggest time wastes that a lot of times you that you encounter fall prey to?
Social media, that’s the biggest thing. I mean, as far as trying to create some type of image that’s going to allow them to be popular and, sometimes, the image that they create is not positive and it’s detrimental because the thing about it is that some of the youth, again, the things that they’re attracted to could really allow them to either end up in jail or dead, so to really be able to come in and really be able to captivate them with somebody, that’s why we try to focus on personal stories so that you feel like they can be able to relate with you and then hopefully trust you and then allow you to do a business transaction to grow them, because if it’s not you, then it’s totally this other side, there’s no middle ground.
So the things that they’re trying to, again, emulate is things that’s not always positive and it’s something that’s not real. Click To TweetA lot of times, their friends that they may be attracted to may be some big time name or whatever on social media but when it comes to real life stuff, their friends do not have the tools or they don’t have the support to be to help you to become what you want to be, you know what I mean? So, again, we want to really touch base and get to them early and we want them to be able to relate with the speakers and be able to trust the speakers so that you can really receive that training that’s an ongoing basis, constantly seeing somebody in front of their face that, number one, wants them to do the best they can and then, number two, accomplish their goals, and then, number three, be able to give back. And that was something for me. There was no middle ground for me when I was younger. I didn’t have a lot of resources and I knew that I had to make a decision, I was in my crossroad, and I needed somebody, number one, who cared about me, number one. I mean, it wasn’t really about how much they knew, it was about how much they cared about me. Number two, who had the experience and had some success in their life where I’m able to be inspired to want to be able to put the work in to accomplish my goals.
So, essentially, it sounds like what you’re saying is that some of these kids, some of these teenagers, even young adults who are in this tough place in life need to know that this better place, what they really desire, is actually a possibility, is actually something that could happen to them based on the idea of being in contact with someone that actually cares about them, that can show them that they also overcame the struggle that they had.
Big time. Yes. Yes.
And that is amazing. And so, also, what does it look like when you observe these kids, teenagers, young adults make that transition from hopelessness to having some kind of a hope. Is there something innate in them that allows them to be open to these mentors, these spiritual guides? Or do you see people that literally are so down the luck, they’re constantly negative, whatever they unpack from social media, and then are actually able to make that transition to the point where you were where you had something you really cared about, basketball, and you were willing to put in the hard work, you were willing to go past when your body started saying, “No more,” when your mind started saying, “I need to do something else,” when someone was coming by with the booze or whatever other distraction that would have taken you away from it, that you cared enough to keep going.
Thank you. I see it.
It starts with the trainer, honestly. It starts with the trainer really showing up, number one, being able to obviously opened themselves up to be able to accept the youth from where they’re at but love them enough to try to push them to get to that next level. So it’s something that’s an ongoing thing. It’s an ongoing thing, because the youth have been — the leadership in their lives in the past have failed them so you have to prove to me that you’re not going to fail me. And this is not a one-day thing, it’s not a two-day thing, okay? This might be something that happens over a year basis.
Yep.
No matter how much you want to become this or that, I’m watching you and I’m watching to see are you what you say you are. So, again, I see the light, I see the change, and I see the growth but this is something that’s not a one-day thing, it’s something that’s going to happen over a base of time.
And is this also a principle that we can kind of bring into every area of our lives, every single person that we interact with on a regular basis, whether it be your family, whether it be close friends or nearby community, even someone’s coworkers, if you’re listening out there, to say, “How do I become a better example for those people?” That saying, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time around, which is what you are getting at before, look at who you surround yourself with, that’s where you’re going to go, the people that want to say, “Okay, these are the people I’m around but I can be a better example to them. I can show up for them and I can show them when I every day start caring about myself more and say I’m going to put down the bag of chips and grab an apple instead,” or any of those little things that we can all do to better ourselves.
Yes, yes. I mean, like you said, man, I think that comes with — number one, it comes with you have to want it. Somebody can’t want it more than you. And from that standpoint on, we just want to align people with pros who, again, who’s been through what you’re going through right now and from that standpoint on, who’s going to try to push you to get to that next level, and the techniques that we try to I guess provide are the simple techniques as far as mentally, what are you reading every single day? What are you putting inside of your mind that’s going to allow you to have a successful that day? Not the long term, just that moment, what are you putting inside of your mind that’s going to allow you to be your best self? And then, number two, the body wise. Being healthy conscious, understanding small things as far as trying to have protein in the morning, try to eat breakfast in the morning, what are you eating for breakfast? Throughout your day, are you trying your best to intake some grains? When are you going to sleep? What type of sweets are you putting in your body? We try to do small things as far as that that’s going to allow you to have a paradigm shift in your life because what you do put in your body can affect the way you act. And last thing is the spiritual side and it does not have to be any particular domination, but techniques. What techniques are you implementing in your body every single day? You have to be tenacious, you have to be tenacious about really experiencing some mindful meditation techniques and really not just going through the motions but actually practicing the techniques and seeing and take — just take a route in your life. Even in my class, we’re going over some mindful techniques and we have real athletes, we have guys who are playing football, we have guys who are playing basketball and guys who are running track and we’re really encouraging the youth to use mindful meditation techniques that they learned in class in their games and then tomorrow give us a report on why did you use it and how did it feel and how did that take effect in the game, and they do that and I can see the joy in their faces, and these are things that we’re not forcing them before, like they don’t — it’s not forcing them. We show them examples of LeBron James and so much examples of other athletes in different sports who actually just sit back in pressure situations and experience those mindful meditation techniques that’s allowing them to finish the game and finish at a high level. Win or lose, they were able to finish where they’re able to be one with the game and be able to affect other people in a positive way. And then, last, is your business. If you don’t love yourself, nobody else is going to love you and nobody wants to be around you. So you don’t want to be able to repel people, you want to be able to attract people.
So was a lot of it about each and every little decision you make every day, like you wake up and you decide, “What am I gonna think about?” or say someone’s listening to this podcast and they’re on their way to work, they’re driving, “What are you going to do? Is the first thing you’re going to do to check your emails? The first thing you’re gonna do to go to some website that’s a big distraction that fills you with negative content? Or is the first thing you’re gonna do to like take a deep breath and try to imagine something good about the person in front of you?”
It can be some sort of encouraging words, so you could pull out your phone, it could be a devotion. If you’re a person that prays, it could be a prayer. It could be a person who just sits right down there at the edge of their bed and just really think about what has happened in life and what do you want to accomplish today, and then take it from there. Go to your bathroom, while you brush your teeth and then put on a mindful meditation technique. Really fill your spirit and fill your soul and then move on from there. As you’re getting dressed or as you’re working out preparing for your day, listen to positive speakers. So stuff like that.
Every little thing that you choose, because we’re constantly making choices all the time and we’re going to make a bad one from time to time, I think that’s just naturally going to happen, but it’s the balance of it, like each choice you make, you’re kind of creating your future or creating your environment, creating what you’re going to be.
Yep. Yes, sir.
Now, one last question I want to ask you is what do you think is the number one thing that today’s youth needs right now? If you look at every single item that’s leading to some of these unfortunate results of how many people have anxiety, depression, loneliness, isolation, and all these other negative feelings that are making far too many of our youth or teenagers want to give up in one way or another…
It’s going to sound like a broken record, they need somebody who cares about them, and this is something that’s not a one-day speaking thing, this is an ongoing thing. Click To Tweet
And I think, number two, they need somebody who’s constantly growing in their life. The youth can see if you’re taking those personal steps to become what you’re saying, to become that example. They could tell. And talking about the youth is that they don’t write you off real quick, they’ll give you a chance, but they’ll eventually write you off and then you could tell that they’re done with you. They’re done. And for you to see that as a member of society and as an adult, it’s the worst. It’s the worst. And I think, number three, they need to see a person who has some type of success in a profession because they need to be inspired. They need to see something that they want to reach.
Now, would you advocate that everybody listening to this podcast right now go up to someone who they care about and express it to them, just say to that person, “Hey, I care about you”?
Yes, or even break that. “Hey, man, I just wanna let you know, man, I love you,” and I know people are like, “Huh?” They probably haven’t heard that word in months. But I know it’s going to sit there and resonate with them, that somebody, number one, recognizes me and took a step of faith to tell me that I’m a valuable person.
Yeah, that will be amazing because so many people are going around thinking, “Nobody cares,” that’s the tough thing, or nobody of value cares or the people that are supposed to care, parents, role models, specific role models, don’t. So that’s an unfortunate thing. And so, yeah, go ahead, everyone out there listening, as we wrap this up, tell someone that you care about, that you care, that you love them, express that and it’ll kind of create this more positive energy around us.
Big time. Yep.
Well, Kurt, thank you so much for joining us today on Actions Antidotes for giving everyone that’s concerned about the situation with our youth and some of the outcomes we’re seeing a little bit of hope of knowing that there’s someone out there that really cares. I’d like to thank everyone out there listening. I would like to encourage you to express how you care to other people. I like to encourage you to think about how you could give back and also think about just generally how you all could be a better example and, once again, if you’re interested in the MBSB program, there’ll be the information on the podcast. And those youth out there listening, there are people out there that care, there are people out there that want to see better outcomes for all of you, and so whatever you’re going through now, just remember, you are a work in progress. You are a work in progress. As long as you keep working on yourself, no matter how bad the situation is right now, as long as you know you have the desire to work on yourself, there is a strong potential that things will get better and this is not the only way things ever will be.
Amen. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. And I encourage you to tune back in to Actions Antidotes for more of our wonderful episodes with guests that hopefully will inspire you, much the same way that Kurt is inspiring some of these young people to look at an example of someone who has gotten through things, has succeeded and built the life that they really want.
Amen. Thank you.
Hey, man, have a fantastic rest of your day.
See you later.
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About Kurt Ogbewele
Kurt Ogbewele is from Brooklyn, New York. He has four brothers and sisters. He fell in love with basketball at ten years old. He played High School Basketball at New Dorp High School. He went on to college at Arizona Western Community College. He later graduated from Colorado Christian University. His degree was in Management and Leadership. He went on to play pro ball in France, Romania and China. He then worked in Teaching and Leadership roles at non profits and School systems. He is currently the CEO at MBSB.