Derate The Hate

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!You ever get that feeling when you're around someone, that feeling like they're looking down their nose at you in disgust or with a feeling of moral superiority? Have you ever heard the phrase, "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones"? It's important to remember that everyone has issues, and everyone is allowed to have their own identity, and just because they are different doesn't mean they are bad.Judgemental and Hate are not necessarily siblings, but I'd have to say they are definitely first cousins. Here at the Derate the Hate podcast, we are all about turning down the hate and bettering the world one attitude at a time. I'm sure we've all been around someone who from time to time looks at someone, probably someone they don't even know, and you can tell they are already making up their mind about who that person is and what that person is like because of their job, the way they dress or the people they are associating with. It's not to say these assumptions are always wrong, but blanket assumptions often lead to trouble. There is a lot about us as individuals that make us unique, and it's always better to get the whole story before passing judgement on others. You cannot always assume based on preconceived notions about the way one dresses, the job one has, or the ideologies or religion one follows that you know everything about someone. Be careful who you judge and why, because it just may be your own house you're shattering with the stones you're throwing...This week's feel good story is a great little story about a youngster by the name of Curtis Rodgers out of Raleigh, NC. This young gentleman is being brought up right and his big heart is proof of that! Knowing his nanny Rachel missed her high school prom because of the reaction to the pandemic, 7 year old Curtis put together a personal prom for Rachel. This little smooth operator got decked out in a suit, put together all their favorite after school snacks and gave Miss Rachel a personal prom to remember. Check out this great little story 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 aThe 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!Episode 40, Don't hate the haters. A lot on my mind today with all that is going on in our country and the episode I had planned for tonight got pushed aside for this random stream of consciousness where I may be talking in circles but maybe something I say will make a point that can help save someone some heartache in some way.Wilk here and again, Don't hate the haters. One of the biggest battles I have to face personally is not allowing myself to hate those who are constantly trying to project their hate on others, or in my case, me. This is a battle we all must face because if you allow yourself to hate, soon that toxic hole within the souls of the real haters will develop within you. Check out episode 40 for more about this.In this weeks feel good story I talk about Officer Eli Trulley of the Beloit Police Department. As you listeners know, I love a feel good story where ordinary people do extraordinary things. Well Officer Trulley certainly did that when a local family lost everything in a fire. Out of love for his fellow man, and looking for no recognition, he dug in his own pocket to put this family up in a hotel when they were at their darkest hour. It was only because the fire department told the story to the police department  did anyone catch wind of his good deed. I you would like to see more about Officer Trulley's good deed, click here.In the coming weeks we will be doing some interviews with some really great guests. If you have not yet done so, please hit subscribe wherever you get your audio, leave us a review and share us with your friends. Maybe something I've said in one of these episodes is just what they need to hear to better their attitude and brighten their life!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, MeWe, Instagram, 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!In these incredibly polarized times, have you heard people calling for unity, but know they are actually calling for conformity? In episode 39 I'm reminded of that phrase from the movie "The Princess Bride" where one character says to the other, "you keep saying that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means", or something to that effect...Unity for some these days means something totally different than what I think it means. Some call for UNITY, but what they are really calling for is for those with whom they disagree to conform. And if they do not conform, well then the non-conformists are the agitators and must be villainized, demonized and destroyed by whatever means possible, because of course, it's their fault for not conforming in the name of "UNITY".This way of thinking is real Hate and Division...  I revisit the topic of cancel culture a bit as we are seeing it right now to the greatest extent I ever imagined possible. Big tech and big media are hard at work at the behest of their corrupt cronies in powerful positions to make sure those with opposing thoughts and ideas no longer have a platform on which to speak. I really never thought I'd see the day...In this week's feel good story I recap a story out of San Rafael, Ca where Evelyn Topper lost her wallet while getting coffee with her 12 year old granddaughter. The next day a homeless gentleman by the name of Sean Curry contacted her so he may return that lost wallet. You can hear more about this story, and what Miss Topper's granddaughter did to return the favor by listening to this week's episode or check out this beautiful story from goodnewsnetwork.org right 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, MeWe, 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!How did this begin? How did we get to where we are at? Wilk here with Episode 38 of the Derate the Hate podcast and tonight is about The Great Divide. There are evil forces afoot and our country is in serious pain today, and I say that with an incredibly heavy heart.I've said it before and I'll say it again, and it won't be the last time I say it. I don't want and won't make this a podcast about politics, but the events that are happening in the nation's capitol today, January 6, 2021 cannot be ignored. Our nation is in a lot of pain and I'm afraid it's going to get worse if we as individuals don't start to do something about it. What is the Great Divide that I refer to? It's not race, class, gender or ethnicity, The Great Divide in this country is politics.Divine Intervention played a large part in the founding of this nation and it is my belief that it is going to take divine intervention to save it.This week's feel good story is about a gentleman from Michigan that did something very special for and unsuspecting family because "That's what Jesus would do". In this article I found in ChristianHeadlines.com, Howard Kirby of Ovid, MI found $43,000 in a couch that he'd purchased from a thrift store for $70. You have to check out this story to see how Mr. Kirby's story plays out. Another ordinary person doing extraordinary things.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, Instagram, Twitter and subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio. Send me a message on any media platform and leave us a review. Let us know aThe 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!The year 2020, coming to an end and it couldn't come soon enough. Hello friends, Wilk back with Episode 37 of our podcast coming to you on New Year's Eve 2020. This has been a rough year for so many, but it reminds us that our happiness is up to us, every day.The year 2020 has presented all of us with many challenges, some more than others. Some have lost their lives, some have lost loved ones, some have lost livelihoods and some have lost everything they have worked their whole lives to build. Many say "Happy New Year" and it's just a statement. I want everyone to say "Happy New Year" and have it be their mission statement for 2021. The best way to battle Hate is to be Happy because the Happy aren't Hateful and the Hateful aren't Happy!Amongst the many challenges of 2020, we must remember and constantly strive for happiness. There are many out there who thrive upon stealing peoples' joy, keeping us divided and keeping us unhappy, scared and flat out mad. We must resist their efforts and tune out all the negative noise. Our happiness always has and always will depend on us as individuals. I recap in this episode many tools from some of our previous episodes for building and maintaining our happiness.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, Instagram, Twitter and subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio. Send me a message on any media platform and leave us a review. Let us know about your local feel good stories and if I use it on our podcast I’ll send you a free gift!    Please check out our affiliates page by clicking HERE!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!Happy is my favorite color! Wilk here with episode 36 of the Derate the Hate podcast and this week it's Christmas 2020! The year 2020 has been incredibly rough on so many and like every week, I am looking to better the world one attitude at a time...So I come home the other day and my beautiful one year old daughter has on a shirt that says, "Happy is my Favorite Color". Now, obviously at one year old, she doesn't know what happy is, what a color is, or that happy is not a color... In a world now when everyone is making up their own rules and nothing really makes sense anyway, I'm rolling with it and saying that Happy is my favorite color too! Like a child, I think we as adults need to look  at all the little things that bring us moments of joy and not focus so much upon the bad things that bring us down.In this episode I talk about a story out of Galesburg, Ill brought to us by kwqc.com where a youngster, little miss Addison (6) did an incredible thing this Christmas for a classmate and friend who's family lost it all. I love when ordinary people do extraordinary things, and even more so when it's a youngster doing it out of the kindness of their heart without anyone telling them to do so. The details of this inspiring story can be found 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, Instagram, Twitter and subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio. Send me a message on any media platform and leave us a review. Let us know about your local feel good stories and if I use it on our podcast I’ll send you a free gift!    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 to the Derate The Hate podcast. Wilk here from WilksWorld.com and this week's topic may be a little more controversial than normal but I think it's worth the discussion. In fact, I think it's worth a lot of discussion and it's something that's come up before and will surely come up again on the podcastThose who interject race into everything are the real racists. In recent weeks there was a fight, actually a preliminary fight to the Mike Tyson/Roy Jones Jr. fight where vlogger turned fighter, Jake Paul fought and knocked out Nate Robinson. I have no idea who either one of these guys are but know that Jake Paul is a white guy and Nate Robinson is black.The only reason I know who Jamele Hill is  is because of some of the vile and hateful, flat out racist things she has said in the past. With that said, in an interview that she did with Jake Paul after the fight, she asked Paul if knocking out Nate Robinson was a racist move? Again, those who interject race into everything are the real racists. Check out the show and let me know your feedback!This week's feel good story comes to us from Gulf Breeze, Fl where a small businessman Michael Esmond, owner of Gulf Breeze Pools and Spas has made a big difference for a lot of families this holiday season. In fact, 114 families are no longer in jeopardy of having the lights turned off this Christmas  due to Mr. Esmond's generosity. I love hearing about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and this story is no exception. Check out this weeks podcast to hear more or read about it 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, InstagraThe 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 34 of the Derate The Hate podcast! In this week's episode I just did a free flowing stream of consciousness about different things that people are passionate about and how we seem to be holding those things against each other a lot more in these turbulent times. My thing is and always has been liberty, for others it's health, for some it's money or career. What's your thing? It's not hard for me to understand how someone can have great concern for their health, but to surrender liberty in the name of health is a concept I cannot get my mind around. I dive in to this and a lot more in this week's episode. The feel good story in this episode comes out of Holly Hill, FL. This is a great little story I found in the US News & World report about 91 year old Lois Carter of Holly Hill who took her hobby of knitting and sewing and did something very special for some unsuspecting youngsters all the way up in South Dakota! Finding herself locked away at home with little to do during the pandemic, Miss Lois decided to use her talents and has made over 200 hats since January and has sent them to the St. Joseph Indian School in Chamberlain, SD. You can get the story about Lois Carter's special gifts in the US News article here.I absolutely love hearing stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. If you see a story you believe I would like to read, email it to me at wilk@wilksworld.com. If I use the story you sent in an episode, I'll send you a free gift compliments of the Derate The Hate podcast!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 FacebooThe 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 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.