Join Angie Austin as she catches up with Jim Stovall to discuss the importance of holding ourselves to higher standards and comparing ourselves not to others, but to what we know we should be. Jim shares thought-provoking insights on how societal and personal pressures can often lead us to forget our true value, and why aiming to be the best version of ourselves can lead to a more fulfilling life. Tune in for an enriching conversation about personal growth, overcoming adversity, and the power of a positive outlook.
Welcome to The Good News with Angie Austin. Now, with The Good News, here’s Angie.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hey, it’s Angie Austin and Jim Stovall with The Good News. Thanks so much for joining us. Hello, Jim Stovall.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, hello, Angie Austin. It is always a high point in my week to visit with you.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, I think that I was, you know, I’ve been to most of the states, right? Because actually, as dysfunctional as my childhood was, we actually did move around and travel a fair amount because my dad, was a professor you know a high a drinking professor but we you know moved around anyway and we took some vacations in our car you know six of us in like a Volkswagen hatchback you know shoved in there I remember once I had to like uh kind of sleep across all of my brother’s laps because there was no room you know to who travels like that right who travels like that I was like seven anyway I so I think I went to Oklahoma if if I recall correctly for the first time this weekend
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, great. I think everyone in life should have something to look forward to, and coming to Oklahoma is a good thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
There’s like a brick district or river district there in Oklahoma City where, you know, you can take a boat down the river and then there’s all these shives. Really, it was beautiful.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, Bricktown is there. Yes, that was it. And you’re lucky you came over the weekend. Were you there today and tomorrow? Oklahoma City’s in the NBA championship and the playoffs. And that area turns into, oh, it’s an amazing carnival atmosphere, but it’s a bit of a zoo.
SPEAKER 04 :
No, I don’t appreciate you putting salt in my wound because I was actually there at the end of the Oklahoma Nuggets game when the Nuggets were losing and we were the only Nuggets fans in sight.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, and that was not a pretty game, the one you were there, the previous one, because they lost by 50, but…
SPEAKER 04 :
No, I was there for the one where we just lost by a few.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 04 :
Not so bad. Not so bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, you’re right. So it wasn’t a home game. It was actually in Denver, and I was, oddly enough, in Oklahoma City. But, yeah, it was a cool experience. I’d like to come back when we’re not just there for a weekend. And my kids, my daughter made, oh, I’ll have to send it to you. She made a Caitlin Clark half. court shot was pretty funny.
SPEAKER 03 :
Wow yeah send me that.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah yeah it was it was funny because she just turned around like nothing happened right but then one of her teammates did a dance like that I mean like one of the best dances ever but my daughter acted like she hadn’t even made the shot you know she’s funny she’s like there’s no time for celebration you’ve got to move on to the next shot but it was like the light came on right because I think it was the end of the um it was halftime so like the light went on like a second after she made the shot so it was pretty funny it was kind of reminded me of uh not of uh Aaron Gordon’s shots that he makes or um Jamal Murray I’m not going to mention any of the Oklahoma guys but I actually think your guy’s probably going to get um MVP for the NBA don’t you I do, yeah. Yeah, I think so, especially because our poor guy, Jokic, has been having a little bit of a hard time. All right, so let’s forget about basketball for a minute. Let’s go back to your article titled Higher Standard. Tell us about this one.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you know, I think one of the biggest problems we have is in our society today is comparing ourselves to everyone else. We get social media, we get everything else. But then when we’re not performing well or when we criticize, and particularly the political environment has created this, we have a tendency to blame other people, you know. And it’s almost endemic. You catch a politician not telling the truth in D.C., And you confront them with that. They say, well, they lied over there across the aisle. They lied worse than we did. And then you lied before I lied. And, you know, I mean, you can always look good if you compare yourself to somebody. I mean, everybody’s better than Hitler. I mean, and if you’re not careful, it’s a race to the bottom. I mean, you know, okay, I didn’t do good, but I did better than that guy. Well, that’s not the standard we should hold ourselves to. We really need to, you know, have a higher standard in… Really, when we come down to it, the only standard that really matters is comparing ourselves against that which we know we should be. Look at our talents and abilities and how are we doing compared to what we’ve been given in this life.
SPEAKER 04 :
You and I have talked so much about losing your eyesight, and maybe I can compare in that I had a really difficult start with my family. We wouldn’t be who we are had we not faced these difficulties. And, you know, you develop the grit, et cetera, and you say your life is even better had you not gone through what you went through, you know, with losing your eyesight and being, you know, such a tremendous athlete and then, you know, that. having to really just completely pivot, you know, in your life. And I think with me just having such appreciation for my post 18 years. And in fact, I said to my husband the other day, I said, Oh, I think this summer I’m going to get to see my foster sisters and my foster mom. And he goes, you had a foster sister. Because I was saying the one I was really close to, we were the same age. And I’m like, that’s how little, Jim, in the 20-some-plus years I’ve been with my husband, that’s how little I talk about the negative stuff that I went through. Yeah. That at 20-some, our kids are almost grown. And he said, you have a foster sister? You know, like, he was just, like, dumbfounded. And I think I mentioned I was in foster care a couple of times, you know, not through my own doing. It was due to my parents doing, per se. Yeah. But anyway, so those difficulties make me so appreciative of my life now that not many days are bad days now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, and opportunities come disguised as problems. You know, when you find anybody that has succeeded in life, they found a problem and solved it. They found a need and filled it. That’s how we succeed in the marketplace. And, you know, rarely do you see somebody, they had an easy life, a great life, everything was handed to them, and then they built on top of that. Most times people have overcome certain things, and… Those things make you strong. I remember the last time I competed as an Olympic weightlifting champion. My coach knew I was going blind. I thanked him for training me. We were done. He said, look, I don’t know the challenges you’re going to face from here on as a blind guy. but always remember a guy that can do what you just did can do anything yes when i wrote the ultimate gift and when we made the movie that great scene with brian denny when this young guy builds this fence that goes off into the distance and out of sight over the horizon Brian Denny said, look, a man that can build a good fence can do anything. Just remember that. And I think sometimes we have to build those up in our little success library in our mind and remember, okay, someday when it gets tough, I’m going to remember this. And a man or a woman that can do this can do whatever I need to do. And so the challenges you went through, have made the Angie that we all know and love.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, I think about the ultimate gift, and it just popped in my head, and I’m sure someone’s probably told you this a million times when I think about the movie and the success you had with that and how high that book ranks in the all-time Christian booksellers or inspirational books. And then, you know, how successful the movie was and that some guy tried to take your movie rights and with your books and you’re like, no, no, let me have the movie rights. And then you laughed later because he didn’t think you’d make a dime off the movie rights. And you made millions with, I think, 20th Century Fox, if I recall correctly. All right. So I was thinking about you as an athlete. This is just a total sidebar. I’m going to take a complete right turn here and then we’ll get back to a higher standard. But I’m dying to tell you, because I know how bruised you were after your football games. Right. Like you look like you were in a car accident. Right. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So my daughter, Faith, a complete right turn here, had so many bruises and cut seven from a really rough game where I really truly believe this girl got angry and was trying to hurt her and was trying to hurt other players. And I can’t believe she didn’t get fouled out. But my daughter took so many spills and so many cuts that they were mocking her, saying, like, is that all you know how to do is flop? Cause she’s not that big. And so she does go down pretty easily. Anyway, she went to school the next day and the kid said, wow, what’d your parents beat you up? And she goes, oh yeah. And the teacher looked at her and she had seven bruises and cuts and she goes, oh great. Now I have to turn you in, you know, cause you have to be investigated by child social services now because you’re so beat up. And I was like, oh my gosh, I sent all my relatives the picture. I said, I want to go on the record. The social services might be visiting us. And I just want to show you what faith looks like. And this is all due to the game. Like, it was ridiculous, Jim. But, you know, all this this grit that you get through, you’re going blind, which I know you can’t compare to a game. Me having that horrible childhood with all the drug use and abuse and the cursing and the dysfunction and the. murdered brother and the institutionalized brother and like all of that. Right. And then just the grit of being an athlete and getting through each game, not giving up. Cause I wanted to pull her and take her home. Cause I said, Mark, she’s got to get hurt. And she actually did get hurt on the very last play of the game. Not enough that she was out the next day, but the coach thought that she was going to be out for a while because of her knee and ankle. Anyway, these things that you go through, what did you say? Adversity is a chance to improve, to get better, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, that which does not destroy us makes us stronger. And that can be anything. It’s you growing up in a dysfunctional family. It’s me being blind. It’s a kid getting beat up in a competition. You know, we’re all only as big as the smallest thing it takes to divert us from who we need to be.
SPEAKER 04 :
Someone I read the other day said, if you ask me who I’m going to hire, if I’m hiring and I ask if you were a student athlete and for how long, like if you made it as a student athlete through high school and then through college, are you kidding me? Like that’s the stuff I want in an employee. That’s somebody who doesn’t give up. That’s someone who can problem solve. That’s someone who can work with a team. Like all of these adversities just help build you and give us those skills to get through life where we don’t give up. We’re that rock is in the middle of the river and we figure out how to, you know, repel it or, you know, go around it or build a bridge over it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, absolutely. You know, the people who have won in the past and have overcome in the past are the people that are going to do it in the future. And, you know, success leaves footprints and all you got to do is follow them. And the people who have been successful at little things will be successful at grand things in the future.
SPEAKER 04 :
I can’t believe how you met John Wooden, your great friend and mentor, the late great coach John Wooden, later in life and how you got to be like one of his friends, that you got to talk to him so much. And you talk about him in this article and you often talk about him. So what is it that you bring up in this article about John?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I think the standard we need to look at is his standard, what would I do right now if I was amazing? Was that my best effort? Not adequate, not good. What would I do right now if I was amazing? Before you undertake any task, you do your radio show, you make a phone call, you go to a meeting, you do anything. What would I do right now if I were amazing? What would I do if I decided to make this day the focal point of my life? Something I’m going to do today is going to be transformational. And if you go out with that kind of attitude, and every time you have an opportunity to interact with somebody, you say, what would I do if I was amazing? Now, I’ve had people say, Jim, what if you’re just doing something that doesn’t matter? Then don’t do it at all. I mean, if it doesn’t matter, don’t do it. If it matters enough to do, to take your time, effort, and energy, go be amazing. Just be amazing. You know, right now the bar in our society is so low that, you know, I mean, I referred a guy the other day to a neighbor of mine, and I said, you know, the guy shows up on time, does a good work, and bills you what he said he would. And the guy said, isn’t it sad that that’s now a great recommendation? I mean, just to meet the expectation, just… Because most people don’t show up on time, they don’t do good work, and they try to charge you more than they said they would.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, you talk about your grandpa in this too. Like if I could come back in another life, which of course as a Christian I’m not planning on that, I would want to be your sister and grow up in your family. What did your grandpa tell you about opinions?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you know, nobody really wants your opinion, including those people that ask for it. Most people just want you to endorse what they’re doing right now. And, you know, before anybody asks me for my opinion, I always say, do you really want my opinion or do you want me to just congratulate you for doing what you’ve done and leave you alone? I get books, oh, three or four a week from aspiring authors and they want me to review this. And I always tell them, you know, I don’t know any more than anyone else. I look at your book as I would if I were a reader, not a writer. And, you know, but if somebody sends me a book and cares that much, you know, we’ll go through a couple of pages and I’ll tell them, you know, the writing seems good or, you know, or not. But, you know, and I generally tell them you need to find an editor and You know, and but so did Ernest Hemingway. He had to have an editor. So, I mean, it doesn’t mean you can’t write. But, you know, I am slow to give my opinion on anything unless unless I’m really asked.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I want people to find you, Jim Stovall dot com. So appreciate you, friend. Thank you. You’re the best.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 06 :
Littleton is listening to the mighty 670 KLT Denver.
SPEAKER 04 :
Hello there, friend. Angie Austin here with the good news. Well, the good news is I’ve got my person joining us today. You know how we all have a person like a heart person? Well, mine is my cousin, Lori, who is probably, you know, other than like my husband, I think she might feel the same, like the closest person to me in my life. Welcome to the show, cousin Lori.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you. And you are my human, too. I love you, Angie.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s just cool. Like when you have a person, you know, since we didn’t have sisters, we kind of have each other. And the one thing I’ve always admired about you and the reason that I’m having you join me on the show is just you have such a positive attitude. And, you know, like some days I’m not motivated or I feel kind of grumpy or, you know, I don’t want to get up. And if I call you, you’re already in the middle of life. Seven different projects that day, you guys might be grinding tree stumps or you’re cutting down trees and then building a picnic table or you’re redoing your deck in the back or you’re prepping for wildfires on your property in California and you’re getting all of the brush away from the home so that you don’t have to worry about wildfires or they rigged this thing from the stream where water gets stuck. sucked up from the stream and goes uphill and you can use it in a shower that they have some burner in and then the shower water heats up. I mean, the things you guys do, it’s mind blowing to me, the energy and like just your drive and your attitude and just the way you are. It’s just, it’s so impressive to me.
SPEAKER 05 :
I appreciate that so much because we’re in the midst of doing all kinds of fire safe things in our off-grid property right now. We’re over here for a week, and with two properties, you never get to stop. There is always something to do, and right now, we are here for this week, and my husband And we are prepping the property for fire season because it’s coming. It’s coming. So we have wrapped our water line, the exposed water line that goes down to the hump at the creek. We’ve wrapped that with a fire-resistant blanket. lined foil system that they use to cover houses to prevent them from burning down during forest fires. I had some extra, so we covered up that pipe. Tim has been working on cutting down some of the dead trees and getting them out of the way, picking up branches, blowing leaves. Next is to work on the Fire line around our property or at least around our homes. We have a dirt trail that we keep open every year. And that way, if it was a ground fire, it would stop at that dirt trail.
SPEAKER 04 :
And for people, I just want to kind of give them a visual, too. There’s many outbuildings. I jokingly call it a compound, but they have like… A gym building, they have a laundry building, they have little cabins that we stay in while we’re there that might have, you know, like a fireplace inside of them to stay warm. And then they have their main house and then they have a garage building. And so there’s lots of wood buildings on the property and then it’s in the middle of a forest. you know, where people were gold mining used to be big. So literally in the backyard is like a gold miners like graveyard where, you know, handmade little, you know, tombstones are back there where, you know, 100, 200 years ago, people were buried. And so this property takes a lot of work. And you guys aren’t spring chickens like Tim’s. This is 75th birthday and you’re in your 60s. So you guys worked as hard. Did you always have this work ethic and this positive attitude? Because every day, anytime I call you, you’re happy.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, I think I am my father’s daughter. He was constantly working on something, and it wasn’t a choice. It was, come on, Laura, we got to go get something done. And you just did it. Both my brother and I worked real hard next to my father. And you had to have a positive attitude. Look at what you were doing. Look at what you were accomplishing. So there was always… You know, something really great to celebrate, you know, a car being painted or, you know, a wall being built. Yeah, I think positive things happen to positive people and you’ve got to find the good in anything you do.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, if you do feel low, which I know has been very rare to you, you’re an animal person and you’ve lost several of your dogs over the last decade or so. And and so, you know, if you if you are feeling low, how do you boost yourself up? Because I just don’t I don’t remember an all in my entire life because you’re a little bit older than I am. So I’ve known you my entire life. And, you know, when we do the family reunions and you and I get together sometimes more than once a year, you know, we really make an effort to keep our relationship going. If you are feeling low, what do you do to boost your mood?
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s a really good question. I would really have to think about that. I mean, I experience the low and let it work itself through. You have to understand why it’s a low and accept consequences of whatever’s happening, whether it’s my actions, other actions, or just nature, and move on. you can’t let it keep you down.
SPEAKER 04 :
And you’re so encouraging. Like, you know, of all the people, it’s so funny because somebody once said, like, I was a favorite cousin, and Lori’s so used to being everyone’s favorite that she’s like, Angie’s a favorite because I’m a little funnier than Lori. So, you know, so. But you’re the most encouraging in the family. Like, you’re so encouraging. Was this just how you are? I mean, when you see people in our family, you’re like, or my kids, you’re like, oh, my gosh. Oh, I love you. Oh. You’re so excited to see our family.
SPEAKER 05 :
I don’t know. It’s just me. I was a teacher growing up, and I think that’s a big part of who I am and who I’ve always been. So that might be part of it. But I really do love seeing your kids. They’re all my cousins.
SPEAKER 04 :
I know. Oh, yes. My kids love you so much. You’ve had such a positive influence on their lives. All right. Stick around because, you know, it’s Mother’s Day and faith. My youngest told me the other day she goes, what are you getting me for Mother’s Day? Because thanks to me, mom, you’re a mother. She’s such a little stinker. So I just stand by. I’ve got another guest joining us. If you need something meaningful, a meaningful Mother’s Day gift. Well, we have the gal for you, mom on the run. Colleen Burns is back. She’s a mom to six boys. Wowza. She’s worked as a TV journalist like myself, and she shares tips on parenting, travel and also looking and feeling good. Welcome back, Colleen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you, Angie. Great to talk to you again.
SPEAKER 04 :
You as well. All right. So let’s just start with gifts that you recommend that you kind of think, you know, they’re thoughtful and they’re personal.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, whether you’re buying a gift for the moms in your life or you’re dropping hints for yourself, which, by the way, I highly recommend. I do have some ideas. As you mentioned, I have six sons. And when I think about my favorite gifts, they’re personalized. And you can make personalized gifts yourself using Cricut Joy Extra. It’s powered by Cricut Design Space, the all-in-one intuitive platform. Cricket’s new guided flows, they’re called, offer step-by-step guidance so you can create with confidence whether you’re a DIY expert or you’re just starting out. There are so many projects you can make this Mother’s Day, from flowers and artwork to custom mugs and hats and T-shirts. Cricket gives mom a gift that she can treasure forever. And speaking of treasuring forever, I don’t know about you, but caffeine is one of the main ingredients that helps me work as a mother. And I love this Jura C9 automatic coffee maker. It gives mom a cafe-style coffee experience at home. It’s extremely easy to use, and I can start each morning with a choice of 17 different specialties. From strong espresso to flat white to an aromatic light brew. I’m having a Cortado right now, and it’s absolutely fabulous. Jura’s exclusive light extraction process prepares a light brew that is smooth, aromatic, and ready to enjoy immediately. I don’t know if you know much about the light brews. They’re kind of trending right now, especially with younger moms. But, you know, it’s… It’s made with 10% fewer coffee beans, and it’s a little bit lower temperature, but it pulls out the aroma, the nuance of citrus and acid. So it’s akin to enjoying different kinds of wine or teas because it’s very… aroma and um nuanced forward so anyway that’s something to try if you’re looking for something new for your mom is try light brew but also with this jura they have a grinder that professionally grinds fresh whole beans every time for every cup so it doesn’t get fresher than that
SPEAKER 04 :
Ooh, I love that. You know, and my, my brother does all of his coffees at home. He saves so much money doing that. And he sent me pictures the other day. Yeah. I mean, some of the stuff, I mean, and this stuff lasts, you know what I mean? Like he’s had one of these things for like 15 years that he uses. It’s, and I always think it’s so complicated. Like, oh my gosh, all the things you do. No, it’s not. He does it every morning when I’m visiting and it’s better than when I go out for it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. And I wish I could have waited till I knew exactly what we’re going to be talking because I’d have you listen to the steam, the milk that steams out. And it definitely feels like you’re at a cafe getting this lovely cup of coffee. And it’s just such a great way to start in the morning.
SPEAKER 04 :
And believe me, it pays for itself. Let’s put it that way. Oh, absolutely. In terms of a gift that mom will use every day, well, that’s certainly one of them.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right, right. But also another one, I don’t know if you’ve seen these around. They’re called Hulken bags, H-U-L-K-E-N. They come in a small, medium, and large, and really beautiful colors, like cosmic red and rose gold. But if you picture sort of a large shopping bag, but yet it’s more elegant looking. four steel spinner wheels on the bottom so that you can fill it with as much as you need to fill it with, you know, whether it’s kids sporting equipment, snacks, things for an outing, whether you’re going grocery shopping or visiting friends, you fill it up and you can just pull it effortlessly through, you know, shopping malls and parking lots and parks. It’s great and it folds flat so you can just leave it in your car or your closet. And when you need it, which you’ll need it every day, it just pops up and you’re ready to go. So that’s something that you can get for your mom. They’re very inexpensive, under $100 for the first one and I think $125 for the large. They’re great and your mom will find a way to personalize it because of the things she has to schlep around, but now in a much more elegant way.
SPEAKER 04 :
I love elegance. All right. I like to always ask you about things like kind of outside the box because we’re used to the traditional gifts. So do you have any of those type ideas and outside of the box idea?
SPEAKER 06 :
I do, because and this is outside the box. But when you think about it, it’s very it’s very thoughtful because nothing matters more to a mom than keeping her family safe. And a doorbell camera that many of us have or have seen that record events alone isn’t enough. SimpliSafe has developed a new proactive approach with its latest outdoor camera and active guard monitoring service. So get this, Angie, the outdoor camera actually uses AI to quickly identify potential threats approaching your home. And it alerts SimpliSafe. and speak to potential intruders to deter them from causing harm to your home and, more importantly, to your family. And leading up to Mother’s Day right now, you get 50% off any SimpliSafe system, plus the outdoor camera when you sign up for professional monitoring. And, you know, when we’re talking about outside the box, this is something that gives your mom peace of mind because, you know, this is a way to protect her home, her family. And it also will give you peace of mind if you happen to have an elderly mom who’s living at home alone.
SPEAKER 04 :
Like my mom. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say she’s not really alone, but she has her own apartment, per se, in our house. But so many people, I’m shocked at the number of people that, you know, live on their own. I was just talking to somebody every day. She’s like, my dad’s 99. He still lives by himself. He calls me every day at this certain time. And sometimes, you know, I can’t reach him. And it’s so concerning. I was just out of town, Colleen, and I couldn’t reach my mom. And you just, you’re so, anyway, that’s wonderful. I love that idea. And it is outside of the box. Where do we go to get more info on all of this? I know I’m out of time. I’m rambling with you as I always do.
SPEAKER 06 :
No, no, it’s always nice to ramble with you. You can visit dailylounge.com.
SPEAKER 04 :
Dailylounge.com.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you, Colleen. Thank you so much. Have a great Mother’s Day, and thanks again.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you. Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
