God's Diamonds In The Ruff Podcast
Welcome to our uplifting podcast, where we aim to guide you on a journey to see yourself through the eyes of God and empower you to navigate life with this perspective. We wholeheartedly believe that you are as precious as a diamond, and it is our mission to constantly reinforce this truth.
God's Diamonds In The Ruff Podcast
#175 S5 EP 49: Changing the Way you Think with Cliff Yates
Ever wondered how a retired cop could find comedy and motivation as his guiding principles? Join us as Cliff Yates, a former LA County Sheriff's Department officer turned comedian, reveals his remarkable story of transformation. Influenced by motivational giants like Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, Cliff shares how he shifted from a bleak mindset to one of personal growth and gratitude, all while staying rooted in Christian values. This conversation sheds light on how changing our mindset can lead to profound personal and professional changes, allowing us to approach life with a thankful heart and share that positivity with others.
Together with Cliff, we explore the nuances of mastering mindset and emotional control through the power of questions and self-talk. Discover practical tools that Cliff uses to maintain positivity, such as altering physiology, focus, and embracing power poses to anchor positive states of mind. Real-life examples illustrate how simple shifts in perspective can transform setbacks into stepping stones and navigate life's hurdles with renewed confidence. This episode promises to equip you with the insights needed to conquer negativity and embrace each day with a refreshed outlook.
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Hello, hello, and welcome back to God's Diamonds in the Rough. We are so glad to be with you one more time. Amen, I hope all is well. I hope you're having a great day today. Unfortunately, michael is not here. Womp, womp, womp, he's not here. He's taking care of business. Yeah, amen and so. But I do have a guest with me. His name is Cliff Yates and we are so glad to have him with us. He is a retired cop. He's also a comedian.
Speaker 1:I'm excited about this conversation that is coming. We're talking about changing your thinking, changing your attitude. So, before we do that and get him in the room, we're gonna pray. Y'all know we gotta do it, we gotta pray first. So let's go, let's go, come on y'all.
Speaker 1:Father, we thank you so much for your grace and your mercy. Thank you, god, for allowing us this day, in this time, god to um be a blessing to the body. I pray, god, that we can be the light you desire, to desire us to be. I pray that we can be all that you, um, uh, all that you need us to be and that you will use us to be. I pray that we can be all that you need us to be and that you would use us to your glory. I pray, god, for everyone that is here, all of our diamonds, god, that they would continue to shine for you, that they would see the diamond that you have made them to be. All of us would see it.
Speaker 1:Father, we thank you so much for what you're doing in this season and we just pray, god, you continue to do through us what you desire to. We love you so much for what you're doing in this season and we just pray, god, you'll continue to do through us what you desire to. We love you so much, so very grateful and so thankful. We pray that this prayer and all of our prayers are pleasing in your sight. In jesus christ's name, we do pray. Amen, amen and amen, amen, hallelujah. So, uh, cliff, will you say hello to everybody and introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. Catherine, thanks for having me on the God's Diamonds podcast. You guys are doing great things and I know you're allowing the Lord to work through you, and I can use you as an example because I feel I could do a better job, like you're doing, and so I'm going to take your lead and try to do better each and every day, and so I'm just happy to be with you. As you said, I'm a retired cop of 35 plus years and retired from the LA County Sheriff's Department, and I also did stand up comedy, some acting, some producing, and I love podcasting and I'm happy to be a guest on your show.
Speaker 1:The devil is a liar, so we're glad to have you. The devil is a liar, absolutely. You heard me. I say it all the time the devil is a liar, amen. So today we're going to be talking about changing your thinking, changing your attitude. Why are you a voice for that? Where was your struggle and how did you get to this place where you are focused on that?
Speaker 2:Well, I had been with the LA Sheriff's Department for about 10 years and then I got into a negative place and so I decided well, I'm going to show them, I'm going to become a real estate agent, get my real estate license, and then I'll make my money from the work that I do and I'll be going to lead this profession. And so then I took the test and I got my real estate license, and then my broker sent me to Jim Lone, who was a business speaker and coach and spoke all over the world, and I went there for sales training, training, but it really was life training. And so from that one, one seminar that I went to with jim rohn that led me to tony robbins, and then I started to realize, oh, it's not the economy, it's not negative relatives, not negative friends, it's nothing outside, it's an inside job. We don't blame anybody else, I'm responsible for the reactions that I'm getting.
Speaker 2:And as soon as I changed, everything started to change for me. And so I got hooked on personal growth, personal development. And what I found out, catherine, was many of these I don't want to call them gurus, but you know business professionals and motivational speakers. A lot of their messages were I didn't realize it at the time were really based in Christian, bible-based principles, and so that kind of even though I had accepted Jesus a few years before that led me to be more active in my walk with Jesus and God.
Speaker 1:Awesome, awesome. So what exactly are you doing to teach more? Teach this principle of or I call it a principle because it really is a choice and a standard to live by that I'm going to walk with a good attitude, but that attitude only comes from how I think. So what are you doing to teach this thing? I guess you could say I don't know what else to call it.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm sharing these principles, Catherine, and all these things that I keep learning, and so, because I want to talk about them and I feel I should share them, then it leads me to, first of all, when I share motivational things and inspirational things, I get to hear these things over again in my own head, through my own voice.
Speaker 2:So, you know, you can't help somebody else without helping yourself. And so when you go with that kind of attitude and I'm just grateful all the time, especially as I get a little bit older, catherine, and I realize, hey, this person's gone, that person's gone, hey, they passed away and they were younger than I was, and so I'm grateful every day that I'm here. And so then I feel you know God's using me. So, as I try to, I feel I'm getting a message to maybe share more of. You know scriptures and gospel things, even though I sometimes think who am I to share these things? And as I'm learning more and more each day that we're all responsible for, you know sharing these messages, and we don't have to be the expert in the field, we can just point people in the right direction. And by doing so, you know you feel obligated, right to meditate on the word and being the word daily, and so that's kind of where I'm at okay, okay.
Speaker 1:So, um, what's my question? So, man, I lost my question. I had a question I was getting ready to ask you as you were talking.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, I'm gonna have to come up with another question, tell you that you know, yeah, and you know, I just found myself and, uh, you know, bible-based uh churches and I, we found a wonderful bible-based church in in florida. We had one in california too, and it just just really kind of the bible is the leading, is the lead of that, and so I'm really finding myself trying to understand better. You know, and I and I found, you know, things are revealed to us right as we read things over and over again. Sometimes, you know, tomorrow I'm going to be a different person, so when I read the same scripture over again it's going to mean something different to me, and so I'm coming to learn and know that the Bible is alive and well and it's a living word.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's exciting right, okay, I got my question. Well, how would you, what would you describe I got it? What would you describe I got it now? What would you describe to be negative thinking Like, what type of thinking needs to? Is the thinking mind that needs to change? How would you describe that? So that I asked you that question? So that, so that if there is a listener who's trying to understand, well, why do I keep on ending up in the same position, like, how am I getting here? So my question to you is what would you, in what you've learned and what you've experienced, what are the signs of a mind or thinking that needs to be changed?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think you have to do it with intention. And what I've learned and from these people that know better than me, and it seems to be something that's taught over and over again is that I mean, the biggest thing I learned and did was change the questions and how I was talking to myself. So it's so, this amazing body and brain and mind we have it doesn't argue with this, right. So, no matter what question we ask it, you know, hey, why am I so screwed up? Why, why, why am I always messing up? You know your brain won't argue with you. It's gonna look for those reasons, and so what I had to do was just change my questions. And so when I did that, starting in the morning okay, what's good about this? What am I most thankful for? What am I grateful for? What am I going to try to focus on today? Then your brain looks for those answers. So just changing your questions is going to change, first of all, your thinking, and the thinking is going to precede actions, and then your actions are going to change and so the results are going to change. So I think that's one of the major things that I learned, catherine, was changing questions and also learning to really be in more control of my state of mind.
Speaker 2:And you know we're all human, as you know. You know and everybody knows that you know I'm subject to negative thinking and that's kind of. You know, we're built that way as a default because you know we're built to survive and we're built to look for dangers and hey, that might kill me. So we have to intentionally override some of these thoughts and say, no, you know what's really happening. So I've learned to change my state on demand. So I know I can do that with like three tools. And these are the three things, not from me. I've learned these from other people. But the first thing I can do is change my physiology, how I'm moving my body. Right Motion affects emotion. If I can change how I'm moving, that's going to help me change my state. Number two change what I'm focusing on, change my focus and then what I'm saying to myself, what are the things I'm saying to myself in my head? And, man, if you can do those, you can change on demand your state of mind.
Speaker 1:So I think those are some of the key things that can help anybody change. Ok, all right, I'm just writing these down because I'm getting excited just talking about it.
Speaker 2:Every time I share these ideas, I get worked up, I get excited. Yeah, because you know I associate these kind of thoughts with excitement. My wife and I both went to a Tony Robbins seminar right, I went twice, she went with me. And so now when I'm thinking about these concepts and principles, I've anchored a feeling with these thoughts and these words. So now when I start talking about them, I'm anchored to being excited, to being in a positive state. So anchoring, you know, a physical movement with a state of mind will also is something that you can bring to your mind whenever you want to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what you're saying just sounds like you know when you're having a, if you're having a rough day, you kind of think about the things that you know, Not that you don't focus on the thing that's wrong, but you look for what's right, Kind of like looking for the good, even a bad situation.
Speaker 2:Or change the meaning, right, I can change the meaning of this thing, right. So this flat tire is terrible, I'm not, I'm not going to make it to my meeting. So what's good about this? Well, I needed to change my tires anyways, or maybe I'll put a made-up meaning to it. You know what, bob? What if I knew? If I hadn't had this flat tire, I might have gone to an intersection where somebody ran a red light and hit me with their truck and killed me, and so, oh hey, I would have been real happy if I knew that ahead of time. I can put that meaning on that and all of a sudden, you know, I feel some calmness and all of a sudden it's not that big Right. Or I can look at it from a distance, I can pull back. Okay, it's not such a big deal If I. I'm a very emotional person, so I have memories or I start thinking. You know, I get sad, like anybody else and I try to.
Speaker 2:Okay, you know, that's enough. I need to change that right now. Right, I've sat in that sadness long enough. Or maybe I have a meeting coming up and I need to be in a positive state of mind. So what I do is those three things. The first thing I do is change my physiology, how I'm moving my body. They did a Harvard study, right. If you stand for two minutes with your hands on your hips right for two minutes like a Superman pose, it actually changes how your brain is functioning, to a more positive, confident state. So I changed my movement, right. So have a confident movement that you can actually anchor.
Speaker 2:You can play motivating music and then make a movement. Play motivating music, make a movement and then later on you can make that movement. It'll help you get into that state. Then, also change your focus, what you're focusing on. My dad passed and I've been focusing on that day and how sad I was. I'm going to change what. I'm going to think about this now instead Body movement, change focus. And now what I'm saying to myself in my head hey, what's good about this day? What am I grateful for? Stuff in my head, hey, what's good about this day? What's what am I grateful for you. Start doing those things, and then you're in control of your emotions intently.
Speaker 1:That's deep, that's good, and I'm so glad that you said that clearly again. Um, because a lot of times I mean it's just a random thing. I mean anything can kind of like push you the wrong way. But you know, when you're intentional, like I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna let you steal my joy today, I'm not gonna be, I'm not gonna let you take my peace away from me today, and you just kind of, and you do that. We do that subconsciously, without being conscious of it, right? Yeah, you know, we really do do that when you think about it yeah, yeah all the time.
Speaker 2:so part of that was katherine. You know those, those, you know that positive anchoring that I said. So this was the example that was told to me that made sense to me. Let's say you're, you're at a funeral, you're in a very sad state of mind, feeling down, depressed, patting you on the shoulder Ten years from now someone could pat you on the shoulder just that way and all of a sudden you're in a state of depression. I mean, you don't know why, because that was anchored with you. So when we're conscious of that, we can intently change that. So yes, like you said, something can just, you know, derail us and we might not know why that is.
Speaker 1:Right. So this question I think you kind of answered it as I wrote the question. I think you kind of answered the question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Yeah, how do you?
Speaker 2:I'll do it again.
Speaker 1:How do you keep? How do you through what you learned and experienced? How do you keep, keep this mindset, this new way of thinking, without finding yourself hiding and tucking away really how you feel?
Speaker 2:you know what without you know I'm pretty open to being vulnerable and I don't mind doing that. But you know, we all, you know things happen to us. So you know it's not that everything's a hundred percent. You know, I'm never going to feel down again, I'll never be depressed. And if I went to scripture right, even Jesus wept. Right, he became sad and he weptpt and he had to overcome the human emotions that he was feeling. He was God right.
Speaker 2:So we need to give ourselves a break and say you know, if you're a feeling person who has empathy for other people, you're going to take on those emotions sometimes. So I think we can't always be 100%. We're not, you know, made in stone. We are human and we're subject to these things. But we need to be on guard, right, we have to guard the mind and the heart and if we turn over our cares and our worries to God, you know, who transcends all understanding, he'll, he'll take care of us and he'll guard our heart and our minds. So I think that's a mindset that we can take to any of these problems that they're going to hit us. Life's going to happen to us.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, yeah, I thank you for saying that as well, cause that's because I believe that, especially as Christians, we want to put on a present, we want to present a I have it together face all the time. And the problem with that is is that when you have it all together and when you fall to pieces, then it's like sometimes people, I feel like sometimes we lash out in different ways. I believe that sometimes people hold it together so long that when they do fall to pieces, their response is wrong. Would you agree? Their response was wrong.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree, catherine. Yeah, yeah, and that's where we have total control, right in the response. You know, our power is in our response, right, not in what someone else is going to do or say. So our power is in that response. So that's what I try to remind myself too that my, my power is my response. Do I want to give this power? You wouldn't let somebody you know grab you and and kidnap you you would fight that, right. And then we let other people kidnap our thoughts and our emotions, right, we let them affect how we're feeling that day. Why would we, why would we give them that power?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like it, I love it. Cliff is there. You want to tell us a joke. Since you used to be, you used to do. You want to tell us some jokes Just because we got about three minutes left. You want to give us a joke or two before we get ready to go or share anything. Take this opportunity really to share anything that is laying I really can't think of.
Speaker 2:You know, I used to. I used to do humor on my real job that I was, you know, when I was a police officer, you know okay I used to always talk how a lot of cops will approach a car and don't they have that constipated look on their face? You feel like when they put the car listen, let me go, and you go to the bathroom because it looks like you got to go back.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was good. That was a good one, cliff. I like it For all you're doing.
Speaker 2:Catherine, you guys are putting out a positive message and I really love it.
Speaker 1:All right, well, we appreciate it. So give us a final word, whatever the Lord is laying on your heart, before we get ready to pray and go about our day.
Speaker 2:Man. Do you know what's something that hits me all the time is? I guess it's Philippians 4. Not that I know the Bible very well to quote it, but I think it's Philippians 4, something where you know rejoice in the Lord always. And Paul wrote I'm going to repeat that again rejoice in the Lord always and let your gentleness be evident to all. So I think that we, you know, we can really always be rejoicing, and so that's my message, and it's not that we don't accept the reality of what's happening in the world, but, like you said, we can choose to rejoice in the Lord. So that's my message, and I want to thank you for having me on. I appreciate you sharing great, positive things with everybody else.
Speaker 1:I thank you as well for being here. I mean, I can't say every guest that comes. They always bring words of inspiration and words of life. And you know, this is what we want here we want people to, when they finish, they have some type of encouragement to go on another day and really look from within um, not at their circumstances, but really looking within. This is our design, so that we, you know, because we have to look in to find that diamond, the thing that's shining, because you know, we are so flawed and we don't realize that the more flawed you are, the more valuable in the sight of God you are. And even when you're talking about worldly diamonds, the more flawed it is, the more value, the more expensive it is to buy. So absolutely powerful. Thank you again, chief. I was going to call you Chief.
Speaker 2:Are you going to call me? I'll tell you, catherine. Catherine, come over to me today, everybody, I am now the chief. Hey, I'll take it.
Speaker 1:I love it. Cliff, could you please pray us out before we go, please? Thank you.
Speaker 2:Oh Lord in heaven, please, you know, give us, you know, let us get out of the way of our earthly selves and let your word work through us so that we can have a positive impact on other people. So they will ask us why are you so joyful? And we can give them the answer that's the best one as to lead them to your word and the faith in you and man. I pray that for everybody today. Amen, amen, amen, y'all, y'all. I have that for everybody today.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen, amen, y'all, y'all. I have so enjoyed you. I love it. I love it when we have guests who make us laugh a little bit. Amen, absolutely so. Cliff, thank you again for being here and y'all know, remember until the next time that you are a diamond in the rough. Amen, we love you, we appreciate your presence and we want to invite you to come back on next week. Y'all have a great one and we'll see you on next time.
