Derate The Hate

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for another episode of the Derate The Hate podcast! In this week's episode I talk about choices and forks in the road. This topic being what it is brought to mind a poem and a song that mean a lot to me. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost and "Choices" by George Jones are a couple fantastic get you thinking masterpieces.If you haven't read "The Road Not Taken", here it is, and below that, I will post a link to the song "Choices" by one of my favorite real country singers from days gone by... The Road Not Taken ~ by Robert FrostTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference. Choices ~ by George JonesIn this week's feel good story I'm highlight a great deed being done by a young cub scout in Virginia Beach, VA. This kind hearted cub scout happens to be a little girl named Bridget but she goes by Gidget, and what Gidget is doing would warm the coldest of hearts. Her friend's brother Ethan has down syndrome and autism and the pandemic has really taken it's toll on his routine. Ethan loves collecting books and movies, not because he reads or necessarily watches the movies, but because he likes to collect and organize them. Ethan's routine has been, up until the pandemic began, going to thrift stores with his family and picking out books or movies that caught his eye. That all came to an end when said stores began to close as a result of the pandemic. Listen to thisThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for this Thanksgiving week episode of the Derate the Hate podcast. Wilk here again with episode 32 naturally talking this week about giving thanks and being grateful, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.Thanksgiving was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. It was always instilled in me as a child to be grateful, but Thanksgiving was my favorite because it seemed that was the holiday that meant we got to see most of our family. Don't get me wrong, other holidays were great as well, but they seemed to be more isolated to my immediate family. It was Thanksgiving where more of the extended family, like aunts, uncles and cousins seemed to get together. Some of us would go out hunting while others would stay back and cook the meal. Then later in the day we'd all get together, say our blessing and eat a huge meal together.Family is undoubtedly one of the things in this life that I am most grateful for. It seems like too often these days that holidays are the only real time families get together, and that is a bit sad. It brings to mind the idea that some only express thanks and gratitude on the holiday of Thanksgiving. The reality of it is we should be expressing our gratitude for all our blessings each and every day.This holiday season, many families will not be able to spend time together for Thanksgiving, but that does not mean we should not be expressing gratitude. We all face every day challenges and struggles, but there is always something to be grateful for. We must not allow those things that are out of our control to control our emotions, so we must focus on what's positive in our lives. No matter your struggle, there is always something to be grateful for. I believe gratitude is a major key in happiness and happiness is key in making a better life. When we as individuals make our lives better, we in turn make the world a better place.This week's feel good story comes from the Washington Post. As a dad, the title jumped out to me and the content was much better than the cheesy title implied. The article, "It started as a macho bake-off between dads. MoThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for episode 31 of the Derate The Hate podcast! Have you ever looked at someone and thought, "for such a good looking person, they sure have an ugly soul."? I don't know about you, but I am seeing more and more often these days where people are more concerned with how they look, meaning their appearance, than who they are and how they treat others.With everything we are currently experiencing as a country and as a society these days, it has never been more important to be a good person and to be good to those around you. When did it become acceptable to attempt to demonize and destroy those with whom we disagree? I know, this is a rhetorical question, as I don't in any way find it acceptable, but from what I've been seeing in recent years, there are obviously those who do. From people being shouted at and spit upon in a restaurant when trying to have dinner with their family, to sitting US Senators making up the most vile and heinous accusations against Supreme Court Justice nominees, we have seen the most disgusting discourse among people of differing viewpoints that one could possibly imagine, and this behavior must stop!In this week's feel good story, I talk about a youngster from Iowa by the name of Tommy Rhomberg who started making homemade baseball bats to raise money for people affected by a huge windstorm that swept through Iowa back in August. Young Tommy actually fashioned these bats from fallen tree limbs downed by the powerful derecho storm. As our normal listeners know, I love stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and you can read more about Tommy's story in this article from the GoodNewsNetwork here... As I do every week, I ask you, “what have you done today to make your life a better life?, what have you done today to make the world a better place?” The world is a better place if we are better people, and that begins with each of us leading a better life. Be kind to one another, be grateful for everything you’ve got, and make each and every day the day that you want it to be!Please follow us on Facebook, The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for episode 30  of the Derate the Hate podcast! Wilk here again from WilksWorld.com and I am recording and putting out this episode from a camper in northern Minnesota so I am going to keep this episode and the show notes brief.What have you done today to make your life a better life? What have you done today to make the world a better place? What makes you happy? One thing that makes me happy is getting away from it all and doing some hunting in the woods. In the current turbulent times in which we live, we must look within ourselves and do those things that make us happy, because ultimately, life is about being happy and even in these tough times, a life not happy is a wasted life. What makes you happy? DO what makes you happy!For this weeks feel good story, I am re-visiting a story that was sent to me by my Mother-in-Law and it’s about a magical relationship between 2 youngsters that is highlighted in a post on our Derate the Hate Facebook page. This story begins when the soon to be parents of Cooper Hyde find out their son has multiple physical/health issues including down syndrome. They prayed for God to give them strength to get through their coming journey and in so many ways those prayers have been, and continue to be answered. One way was through the magical bond that just months old Cooper started with then 12 year old Zac Wilson and how that relationship has progressed beautifully over the past 6 years. You are definitely going to want to see this story so check it out on our Facebook page. If you have a feel good story or good deed story that is not likely to make the national news and you’d like to share, send me the link on Facebook Messenger along with your contact information and if I use it in our podcast, I’ll send you a free gift! Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio. Send me a messageThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for episode 29 of the Derate The Hate podcast! I am Wilk from WilksWorld.com and today is a significant day in American history. On the day of this recording, November 3, 2020, we are witnessing the final day of voting  for this monumental election year. Elections used to have a day for voting, now it seems like months, but that is another topic entirely for a different forum. I am certain, that with all we have seen in recent months and years, There will come a day when many will look back upon their actions during these times and wish they had acted differently.There is no doubt, this is one of the most polarized elections in some of the most polarized times in American history. The people of opposing ideologies are maybe as divided as any time in our history, and while this podcast tries to steer clear of politics, it has to do with this week's episode. This is not because I'm going to get in to political specifics, but because of the way people are treating each other because of their political differences.I've mentioned in many episodes that we cannot let those with a vested interest in keeping us divided dictate how we treat each other, but unfortunately that is happening every day. This happens because people, often allowing lies and misinformation, allow their emotions to dictate their actions in a way that rational and reasonable people would not otherwise do.  There will come a day, when those who reach a more reasonable and rational state of mind, will find the way that they treated others is something they wish they would have done differently. This is not an episode you are going to want to miss and one you should most definitely share with others!!In our feel good story this week, I talk about another ordinary person performing an extraordinary act of kindness. In this story from the IndyStar.com newspaper, High School sophomore Levi LaGrange experienced a painful ankle injury during a cross-country race he was participating in. He waved on the next runner but little did he know that Senior Axel Aleman would sacrifice his position in that race to help him finish. This true act of kindness and  sportsmanship shows the best of what humanity has to offer. This is a beautiful story yThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends! Wilk here with episode 28 of the Derate The Hate podcast and this week we’re talking about things that have happened in days gone by and not letting that bring your future down. Episode 28 will be “There Was a Time”.As I lay out in this episode, one of the biggest personal battles I am constantly fighting is reliving the past and wondering if I could have done things different. I think this is something, or a struggle that a lot of people face on a day to day basis. I am a member of several groups online and I see constant posts where people struggle with this. I see people constantly asking the question, “how do I get past X topic from my past so I can have a positive future?”. There is no doubt that this is a serious battle for a lot of people, but one of my greatest tools is the serenity prayer.“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”It is our responsibility as an individual to live the best and most positive life we can. What has happened in our past cannot be changed, but what we can do is learn from those things and make tomorrow a better day. Whether it be the last conversation we had with someone who has passed, the last time we hung out with a certain group of friends, or how we handled a relationship that has come and gone, there was a time and that time has passed. We can do nothing to change that time, but hopefully we learned from it, we take those lessons and make tomorrow a better day because of that wisdom.In this week’s feel good story I talk about a youngster in north Texas by the name of Orion Jean.  Orion is a 5th grader doing extraordinary things by looking to provide 100,000 meals to those in need by Thanksgiving. This young man is ambitious and doing something everyone should be incredibly proud to see.  In an interview Orion did with CNN, he said “This has been a rough year for everybody, and now it’s more important than ever to show support and love to anyone who needs it.” You can see more about young Orion’s story on the Good News Network here.As I dThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for episode 27 of the Derate The Hate podcast. Wilk here again with another quick episode, wanting to give you something to think about again this week. Every week I ask the questions, what have you done today to make the world a better place? What have you done today to make your life a better life?This week I want to ask you this, What if people loved on another for their similarities as quickly as some seem to hate for their trivial differences? We are faced these days with a constant barrage of negativity from politicians, the main stream media and the dumpsterfire known as social media. I will be the first to tell you, I don't in any way believe things are as bad as those outlets of lies and misinformation would have you believe, but there are those out there that do genuinely hate others for the most trivial of differences. Unfortunately, those are the few that get the most attention for said outlets of information. As I've talked about time and time again in the #DerateTheHate podcast, we as individuals must not allow the worst around us be the biggest influences on us. With each episode, I truly intend to better the world one attitude at a time, and if any of our episodes reach and influence just one person to better their attitude in some way, it's a truly beautiful thing. With that said, I'll ask it again and hopefully you think about it and act upon it, what if people loved one another for their similarities as quickly as some hate for their trivial differences? Is there something you can do today to change that?  I bet there is...This week's feel good story is simple and sweet but caught my eye because it's about a youngster who worked to buy a bicycle, only to have it stolen off his front porch. How is this a feel good story you may ask? Well, when young Hunter Wade's bicycle was stolen, his mother Kelly Wade reached out to a local crime group in their town of St. Joseph, Mo to post the story in hopes of someone having information on who may have taken the bike that young Hunter had worked so hard for. Turns out some locals got together and got Hunter a brand new bicycle to replace the stolen one. The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends for Episode 26 of the Derate the Hate podcast. I am Wilk from WilksWorld.com and I am so grateful that you have taken the time to join us for this episode!It almost goes without saying, but as anyone who's turned on a television, radio or spent any time on social media knows, we are just a couple weeks away from one of the most contentious elections any of us have witnessed in our lifetimes. As most of our regular listeners know, I do my best to keep political issues out of this podcast, and this episode is no exception. What I am referring to is the chaos and degradation of our society that is resulting from tribalism based on peoples' political beliefs, driven by politicians and the media.What have you done today to make your life a better life? What have  you done today to make the world a better place? These two questions do a lot to drive our mission statement at the Derate the Hate podcast, Bettering the world, on attitude at a time. There are many obstacles that stand in the way for each of us as individuals. Being able to recognize those obstacles helps us to overcome them. Once you gain the understanding that many politicians, and those in the media have a vested interest in keeping us divided, mad &/or scared, things start to become much more clear when it comes to the world in which we live. We, as individuals, must not allow those in politics and the media to drive our emotions, to put a wedge between us, and to keep us cowering and waiting for the next bit of chaos or crisis.  We must not allow the division and degradation of our society. Do not allow those who have a vested interest in division make the boundaries by which you live your life.  #DerateTheHate Have you heard about a young many by the name of Jahkil Jackson and his Project I Am? This youngster has got something very special going on and our regular listeners know, I love a story where ordinary people are doing extraordinary things! I would have to say this young man far surpasses that criteria. At age 8, young Jahkil started Project I Am where he puts together "Blessing Bags" for the homeless and those who have fallen on hard times. You have toThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends, Wilk here with episode 25 of the Derate the Hate podcast talking today about those with which to associate. Have you ever heard anyone say "you're the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with"?There is an old adage that is said in many ways that we are the sum, or average, or product of those with which we associate with most. This is true in so many ways. It has been proven time and time again in business, wealth, and many other measurements of success. Have you ever thought about this adage in terms of attitude and how you treat others? Way back in episode 4 of our podcast I talk about how Smiles and Bad Moods are Contagious. This could not be more true.I now ask in each of our episodes "What have you done today to make your life a better life?" "What have you done today to make the world a better place?" I would strongly contend that one way to do both is to Be Better by Being Around Better. Those with whom you chose to associate and spend the most time will also be those who you end up emulating. I believe it is so important to highlight the good that many people do that goes unnoticed. There are a couple things this week I would like to highlight. Each week on our podcast I like to highlight a feel good story that may have been missed or left out of the national media. This week I'd like to highlight a couple great things. First, this week, Oct. 4-10 is mental illness awareness week. There is an organization that strives to bring awareness and better the lives for those suffering from mental illness the way we at the Derate the Hate podcast strive to better the attitude of everyone who listens. That organization is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This is an organization doing really great work and is well worth checking out. We are in a period in history unlike any in the lives of those listening to this podcast. At a time, when due to the circumstances surrounding the response to the pandemic, suicides are up, depression is up, relapses in drug and alcohol abuse is up, sharing the hotline for NAMI may make a huge difference in the life of someone. The hotline for the National AlliaThe world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!Welcome back my friends, Wilk here again with another episode of our Derate the Hate podcast. Before I get started I'd like to mention a couple of affiliates that help me keep the show going. These are affiliates so if you make use of their services by going through one of our links, we get a bit of an incentive at no extra cost to you. The two affiliates I'd like to mention today are Buzzsprout which is the platform I use to bring you this podcast and Instacart which is a great way to do some online grocery shopping with quick and convenient delivery. Check them out and let us know what you think.OK, episode 24, It's not what you said, it's how you said it. Many have heard this, and for some, it may have been the last thing you heard prior to an argument starting. I'm sure I've been there a time or two as I've been known to say things from time to time in a way that could have gone better. I think most people probably have. We live in some very polarized times and I think, as most listeners have probably gathered by now, that it is up to each of us to make the world a better place in any way we can. How we interact with one another is a very big part of that.In our relationships, whether it be with a spouse, a co-worker, someone we coach or mentor, have you ever caught yourself saying something in such a way that you can just tell that the other party is not taking what you've said the way you intended? Have you ever stopped to think it may be because of the way you are saying it? I know I have, and that is something that I consciously try to think about when I am trying to make a point to someone at a time in which I may be frustrated or upset for some reason. This is something we should all think about when we are interacting with others. Am I saying this in such a way that they will listen and absorb what I am saying, or has my tone or demeanor put them on defense or shutdown mode.This week's feel good story comes to us from Holland, MI where a local brewery, Big Lake Brewing has been brewing a specially crafted beer lately called Healthcare Heroes. Not only are they brewing this in honor of local healthcare workers battling the pandemic, they have donated much The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact The Derate The Hate podcast is proudly produced in collaboration with Braver Angels — America’s largest grassroots, cross-partisan organization working toward civic renewal and bridging partisan divides. Learn more: BraverAngels.org Welcome to the Derate The Hate Podcast! *The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.