Welcome to another episode of Lurie Breaks It Down, a podcast where we dig deeply to connect the dots on the issues that shape our world.

I'm Lurie Daniel Favors, author, activist, attorney, and the host of the Lurie Daniel Favors show on Sirius XM's Urban View, Channel 126. If you like what you're about to hear, go ahead and give us five stars and then tell everybody that you know. And if you don't like it, just, child, keep it to yourself and pray our strength. Okay? Thank you so much.

Also, don't forget to check out my YouTube page, Lurie Daniel Favor's Media, where you should subscribe, like, and share, because then you'll get notified when I post videos from my show, which I do just about every single day and when I go live with my YouTube audience. The news be news regularly. And usually it's bad news, news that I try to put a positive

spin on and at least present in a way that's going to be encouraging. But before I can do any of that,

we have recognized that Black Talklandia work is difficult. And because Black Talk Landia work is

difficult, we have a ritual on this show that we incorporate every single day. Doesn't matter how

excited I get, we still got to follow the rules.

And the rules are that we focus on something that's going to give us a sense of joy,

gratitude, and appreciation.

Those emotions are particularly important because when you are rooted in joy, gratitude,

and appreciation, you cannot also be trapped by fear, loneliness, and depression.

And when you're trying to do the work

of being a better human being who is building and cultivating better communities so that we can

build and shape a better world, it's really important that we be tapped into the best,

most optimistic energy as possible, particularly because, again, Black Talklandia work is difficult.

So the ritual that we use on this show to get us properly attuned is called a moment of gratitude.

And it is so simple, it goes a little something like this.

In just a minute, you will hear music.

That music will be an invitation to you to join the rest of us.

Because when we hear the music, we are going to collectively begin taking the slowest, deepest, most lung capacity expanding,

joyful heart, invigorate, and troubled mind, cleansing, weary soul, uplifting.

We are going to take the most amazingly juicy breath.

...