The Freq Show

26. Speaking out in times of censorship

• Sam Thurmond & Jaclyn Steele Thurmond • Season 1 • Episode 26

Share episode

Send us a text

The presidential race is on and there is a lot of heated debate happening right now.  - And for good reason.  Our country has a history of having great debates, but after the advent of social media, it seems people have gotten pretty brave behind the veil of a keyboard.  In today’s episode, Sam and I are outlining why it’s important to speak your truth and respond in ways that respect the dignity of someone else’s experience.


DOWNLOAD THE FREQ APP:
www.thefreqapp.com

VISIT THE SHOP:
www.thebeckonsouk.com

CONNECT ON SOCIAL:
Instagram: @beckonliving, @jaclynsteele, @samthurmond_rei
TikTok: @beckonliving

JOIN THE HIGH FREQUENCY SOCIETY:
Text us at 480-531-6858 and type the word FREQUENCY to receive periodic uplifting, high frequency text messages from Sam and Jaclyn. You can also join by following this link.

NEWSLETTER:
Sign up!

WEBSITE:
www.beckonliving.com

Jaclyn:

Hello and welcome to The Freq Show. This is episode 27, I believe and it is speaking out in times of censorship. We're so glad that you're here. Before we dive in to today's episode, just wanted to make an announcement. Last month, we announced we are releasing The Freq App, which is this incredible app that uses the power of frequency with incredible messages that will help you tune your mind to higher frequencies. It's incredible. The app is finished. We're working on a couple of kinks. We will release it live on Instagram and through our email list. I know we said it was coming out at the end of last month. It was ready at the end of last month, but there are just a couple little kinks we need to work through before we release it to the world. So if you are interested in this incredible tool that you can use every single day in your life, make sure you're on our email list, Make sure you're following us on Instagram and we'll let you know when it's all ready.

Sam:

Yeah, super exciting. Can't wait for people to start using it.

Jaclyn:

I know me too. Okay, so today, speaking out in times of censorship, why are we making this episode, Sam?

Sam:

Well, I mean, I think that it's timely. You know, we're at such a turning point in our country and in the world and it's important that people are courageous enough to share their opinions. O bviously want to be educated on what we're speaking about as as much as possible. I feel like there's so much information out there. Sometimes it's hard to even know what's true and what's not, and kind of wading through that. But it's just a really important time for people to be confident in what they believe and be willing to voice what they believe, because I think if that doesn't happen, then one side tends to drown out the other.

Jaclyn:

Sure, sure, okay. So we have several different points that we want to make in this episode and speaking out in times of chaos, and this first tenant that we want to address is the power of speaking the truth in love, and I think you should tell a story.

Sam:

Yeah, so before we get to more, you know like the political aspect of it, I guess, the foundation being, what is your intention when you're speaking?

Sam:

And when it comes to you and I and our relationship, uh, it's the same thing as in any relationship you have to have courage to, you know, say what that other person might not want to hear sometimes, because it's the best, it's for the best, it's that hard, honest feedback, and so many times in our relationship you've been that person for me, um, when I've needed that kick in the butt or that slap across the face. You know, not literally.

Jaclyn:

Proverbial, not physical.

Sam:

Not literally, but sometimes I really, really need it. And so there have been times when you have more or less just told me hey, you're not cutting mustard here, you need to evaluate how you've been approaching life, our marriage, our relationship, our business, all those sorts of things, and just been very honest with me, and oftentimes it's not what I want to hear, but it's what I need to hear. So in the moment, not what I want to hear, but it's what I need to hear. So in the moment it doesn't feel good because you know any. Any time someone, um, critiques you or, uh, you know, gives you an evaluation that's less than you would hope for. You know you can be taken aback by that, but, um, every time that that has happened, it's I've probably initially been frustrated and gone on the defensive a little bit.

Jaclyn:

You've gotten so much better, though, yeah.

Sam:

But, you know, as I process it, as I sit back and reflect, so most often I realized that you're right. You know that there is something that I need to change, um, or that my perspective does need to shift, or I need to kick it into gear more, um, and it's always, it's a breakthrough for me and I feel like we all need that in life. We need that person where iron sharpens iron and that other person that is going to hold you accountable, because the thing is is one. I know that you're coming from a place of love, and what I also know is you see a version, you see the best version of myself, and when you see me falling short of that version with things that are within my control, it's easy for you to identify that, when sometimes it's not as easy for us to identify it in ourselves, and I think that's why it's so powerful.

Sam:

And you always come from a place of love and you're never mean about it. Um, and you always come from a place of love and you're never, you know, mean about it. But there are times when you have to be a lot more forward than, uh, maybe the normal kind of feedback is, you know, but those times are really important for me because it really resonates. I need that jolt, I need that shake. That kind of uh wakes really makes me realize and put things in perspective and reflect and come back to the table with a better understanding. Yeah, and your perspective.

Jaclyn:

Well, and I think we all do, and I think if you are a human who wants to expand and we should all want to expand and grow and find our own growth edges and become the best versions of ourselves that we can possibly be right. That requires us to be open to feedback and while feedback can be uncomfortable at the same time, when it's coming from someone you trust, from someone you admire you trust, from someone you admire, from someone you love, that feedback can be the difference of multiple years of time worth of growth. You know what I mean. Having that truth, like the conversation we had with Leroy yesterday, who was a very experienced real estate investor, he may have saved us several years of time figuring things out in one conversation.

Sam:

Yeah, it's because most learning is just a perspective shift, or whenever you level up, it's always a perspective shift.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, and, like you said, iron sharpens iron, and we don't grow if we're not challenged. I think something that has worked well for me, because I've had a lot of difficult conversations in my life. I tend to be someone who wants to have harmony in all my relationships. I don't like to hold grudges, I don't like to let things build up, and so that has made me a person who addresses things fairly quickly.

Jaclyn:

But I do try and address everything from a space of love and with the intention of I want harmony for this relationship and that's why I'm bringing this up. It's not because it's a frivolous thing or something I'm just annoyed by. It's because I want there to be harmony and I don't want there to be space for resentment to build up. And I think when you go in with a specific intention and for instance, a few years ago, my mom and I got into a pretty big fight and we had to take a couple of days apart and just cool off and I remember writing this, writing out my feelings, and the first thing I wrote at the top of the page for when I spoke with her was my intention, and my intention was something like this this was a couple of years ago, but my intention was for us to have a harmonious relationship and for us to be able to know that both of us come to the relationship with the best of intentions.

Jaclyn:

There may be some points of miscommunication, but we're both trying and we're both coming from a good place and my intention is for us to both understand that very piece so that we can move forward through this difficult conflict, but knowing there is a basis of love and a foundation of love there, and so we can work through the conflict because we're both in it, and I think the same goes for our relationship. I don't bring things to you lightly and when you do the same thing for me, by the way, but we come at it from a place of love where we go. Hey, I see you and I see how incredible you are and you're just. You just hit a slump.

Sam:

Yeah.

Jaclyn:

And we got to get you out of the slump.

Jaclyn:

So let's figure out how to get you out of the slump, but you're not going to be able to get out of it until you have a baseline and you know where you're at, and sometimes you need somebody to call you out.

Sam:

Yeah and yeah, and so for our purposes, or our conversation today, it's it's less about you know there well, I shouldn't say it's less about the receiving end but it's more about being willing to voice that, those opinions, and voice those feelings when it's uncomfortable. And you know, no, no other time is it less comfortable than with you know the people you love and people you're in relationships with,

Jaclyn:

Absolutely! And a good litmus test is something that my favorite therapist, banya, said to me, and she said when you are going to try and do something for someone else, ask yourself this is it loving, is it healing? And I think that those are two great questions to ask yourself going into a conversation, especially a difficult conversation, before you say something is this coming from a place of love, even if it's a hard truth, and is it healing? Is this going to help someone become a better person? So speaking from a place of love is incredibly powerful and people who are willing to hear it, you're going to have a connection that is so deep and a relationship that can move forward when there is a basis of love there for your, for yourself also.

Jaclyn:

Love for the other person, but also love for yourself and respect enough respect for yourself to voice those opinions. And I think that, that that is a good transition into you know.

Jaclyn:

I think that that is a good transition into you know the next point.

Sam:

Yeah, the next point more about speaking out into the world and kind of why you've decided to be more vocal with your worldviews.

Jaclyn:

Yeah. Well, I took a risk, I don't. I mean, I've always been pretty outspoken in my personal life, but online I have tended to be a little bit more like Switzerland. You know, not always. If I feel really strongly about something, I always speak out about it. But over the last four years the vitriol online has become so bad that most of the time I just don't want to participate in it because I don't feel like it's a good use of my time.

Jaclyn:

But over the last few months, and especially since former President Trump was almost assassinated, I have felt the need and desire to speak out more publicly. I'm doing that primarily through Instagram. I've done it a little bit on this podcast. I'm sure I'll do it more on this podcast. But the reason that I'm doing that is not because I want to shame anyone or I want anyone to feel stupid, or even that I need anyone to verify or make me feel like I'm right by joining my side. It is because, well, I can take it back to a poster that was in my fourth grade classroom that said stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone.

Sam:

Of course you can.

Jaclyn:

It was in my fourth grade classroom. Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone, and I loved that poster so much I asked my mom to get me a copy of it, so I had one in my room as well, and that's just stuck with me. Stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone. And I have seen several things that have just been so unjust and so skewed by mainstream media, one being the conflict in Israel and Palestine and how one-sided the media is reporting it, and so I've been speaking out on that. I've been speaking out and for RFK Jr and a lot of his policies about cleaning up our food system, protecting our children, and to me, these are just. These are things that I have been following for years, years, like maybe even over a decade, things that are so personal to me because I have been fighting them in our home Toxins, finding healthy foods and healthy alternatives, holistic practices. I also studied Middle Eastern studies in college.

Jaclyn:

My stepdad is from Israel and so I am able to have a very unique perspective on what is going there, because we have access to boots on the ground, and when I feel like something isn't being reported in a 360 degree way, I feel very responsible for sharing information that I feel like is absolutely essential in order to form an opinion, and so, because of that, I have been speaking out a lot online and I've lost some followers, but I've also gained some followers, and none of it is about the followers.

Jaclyn:

For me, it is knowing on my deathbed that I did what I felt was right, no matter the consequences. No matter the consequences, and that is one of the things I think I want to encourage people to do, and why this subject is so important is, no matter what side of the line you are on, we need to be well-informed, we need to be well-researched, but we have to be able to sleep at night, and for me, that means speaking truth and speaking out on behalf of people that maybe can't speak for themselves, and speaking out for causes that people just don't have enough information on. That the mainstream media is often vilifying, but once people have enough information, then they can form a well-informed decision.

Sam:

Yeah, and it also encourages others who have similar or the same feelings to feel like they have the ability to speak out as well or share their opinions, which is super important. I feel like we're in some ways getting to a tipping point as far as that goes. And look, we'll be straight up. Our views are, you know, for the most part, I would say, politically conservative. With you know, I don't necessarily want to say libertarian, but middle-of-the-road kind of social views.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, I registered as an independent and I have voted for Democrats.

Sam:

Yeah, live and let live. Live and let live.

Jaclyn:

Very much.

Sam:

But that has been, at least from the media, from Hollywood, from all you know, majority of the influencers online, it almost feels like they want to make it seem like we don't exist and our opinions don't exist.

Jaclyn:

People who are moderate.

Sam:

We're in the middle. We're not extreme, whatsoever.

Jaclyn:

Or, even worse, that we are uneducated and that we are dumb if we think any differently than they do.

Sam:

Yeah, and if someone wants to, if someone's approaching it like that, they are, they are the ones that are closed minded. I think the differences and a good point to this conversation is you, you should be brave enough to say speak your opinion, but, at the same time, always gain perspective and have open communication, as opposed to what it is now, where if you, if you share a different opinion from the popular majority or narrative, you are immediately put in a box as an idiot or less

Jaclyn:

A racist?

Sam:

Yeah, exactly, and it's just not true so far from the reality of things.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, that are so damaging.

Sam:

Yeah.

Jaclyn:

So I think the next point we want to make is that there are two sides to speaking out giving and receiving and we touched on this. But of course, we are talking about free speech and giving our own opinions, but there's also something to be said for listening to the way others feel too, and really hearing them. I think you should take this one.

Sam:

Yeah, so we listened to. The other day we were driving back from Sedona and we were listening to the Tucker Carlson and RFK Jr interview, which is fantastic. If you haven't listened to it, I would highly encourage you. Anybody who I just don't get it, anybody who paints RFK in this picture of someone with a brain worm or eats dogs all this kind of BS. It's just so ridiculous. They obviously haven't taken the time to actually listen to the man speak.

Jaclyn:

Whatever kind of brain worm he has, I want it.

Sam:

Give me a couple of those, but yeah, that brain worm is probably smarter than, anyway, now I'm coming at the person. But so, anyway, we were listening to that conversation and Tucker was asking RFK Jr how to speak to others that are kind of so deep in an ideology that you know, oftentimes, you know, if you have those family members or those friends that share that have different opinions than you and they seem so locked into those opinions that you can't really even understand how that is their perspective and how they can't see a broader picture, how that that is their perspective and how they can't see a broader picture, um, that means that they are locked into an ideology. And Tucker was asking them how do you effectively, you know, speak to those, uh, those people who just don't want to hear, don't want to see? And it was insightful because it was not about speaking to them and giving information, it was about asking the right kind of questions to encourage them to explain their perspectives and explain their stances on things to that which would, in turn, force them to kind of go a couple layers deep.

Sam:

And if someone can do that, if someone can go layers deep into why they believe what they believe, that's when you get the opportunity to get that added perspective and you can gain from that. But if someone can't go a layer deep, that means that they don't really know why they feel the way they feel or have the perspective that they have, and then that's what, in turn, gives the ability to maybe plant that seed of okay, maybe I don't really know what I'm talking about, Maybe my perspective is off and it's more of a, it's less of a direct approach, I guess, and more of a, you know, let them kind of figure it out for themselves.

Jaclyn:

Which is debate. That is what debate is, and this country was founded on debate. Our forefathers debated as they were creating the constitution, and we come up with better ideas when our ideas are challenged. And I think something that we are really missing in our country right now, especially on social media, is respectful and real debate, where you can have a conversation with somebody that thinks differently from you, but you respectfully ask them questions and engage and respectfully share your opinion, without calling people names. Um, and for me, as I have started to speak out more and gotten feedback, and people have said, like you know, for instance and none of this even matters but like I can't believe I was following you, um, where's the door? Blah, blah, blah, you know, like kind of mean comments. I just say I wish you the absolute best and bye. Yeah, because I don't want just karmically, spiritually, frequency wise, I don't want to have nasty conversations hanging in my psyche. I don't want to be mean to people.

Jaclyn:

I don't want to regret things that I've said. So again, healthy debate is a really powerful thing, because our ideas become better and better and better as they are challenged, or they change to be better as they are challenged. So we need to be challenged. We need debate.

Sam:

Yeah, I think I've always kind of especially on social media set back and well, in general, I've sat back and taken in. I'm more of an observer and I want to understand everybody else's perspectives. But you know, I've been encouraged to be more vocal as well, um, based off just what you've been doing, and I think that there's there's a.

Sam:

We went to, uh, see Russell Brand speak the other night and, um, he has recently become a Christian and he's very vocal about that, but he spoke about the freedom that comes along with basically just surrendering to God, to the higher power, and allowing God to guide us, and then operating and speaking from a place that's fearless, because there's no, it's not about yourself, it's not about your ego. Because there's no, it's not about yourself, it's not about your ego. So it doesn't matter necessarily what someone else thinks of you, as long as you're speaking from a place that you feel is truth and, ultimately, love feeling, when you discard those limitations of being judged or having people not like you or not being popular most of the time, movements or people that are doing really big things.

Sam:

It's ugly in the process. Until you can kind of see the big picture, it doesn't look all that great or it might not be something that you want to rally behind, because you're not there yet. They're a visionary, they're moving toward that and it's unpopular until it isn't.

Jaclyn:

The scripture says a prophet is not welcome in his hometown.

Sam:

True.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, and that's absolutely true. I think, piggybacking off of that, one of the things that really encouraged me to speak out and be more vocal to was the censorship, the extreme censorship, that is happening on all forms of social media basically, except X right now, and when we reduce free speech, when we take away free speech, it is a very, very slippery, slippery slope. And so people who are free thinkers, who don't subscribe to one party or the other, but maybe fall somewhere in the middle, like Sam and I, who like to look at the issues and get some information and then form an opinion, free thinkers, are needed in a world where we are encouraged not to think freely but to subscribe to whatever information sometimes propaganda that is fed to us, and so protecting our free speech is absolutely essential to me, because if we don't, we are in danger of becoming like China or North Korea or Russia.

Sam:

We're already. There are so many similarities already. Of course I love this country and we do have freedoms and safeguards that those countries don't have. But we already have state corporate run media. Yeah, our agencies are captured by corporations all those sorts of things. And all pushing. Not anything new I think it's, especially since COVID it has been. You know, a hockey stick kind of accelerated curve toward this, but it's nothing new. And with the advent of social media it's been much more prevalent.

Sam:

You know we see a lot more that's going on. We're more aware of things that are going on.

Jaclyn:

I think it's become a lot more extreme. It may not be new, but I think it's become a lot more extreme and just like Mark Zuckerberg's letter outlined maybe a week and a half ago, that he was involved in censoring information related to COVID on Facebook and was pressured by the current administration to do so, that is a direct violation of free speech. Giving their opinion on, let's say, vaccine injuries and their posts are being erased or pushed to the bottom of the algorithm. That is pretty extreme. And I feel like that is the first domino in many.

Sam:

It's more extreme because now we have those vehicles for people to have voices. We didn't have all these voices in the past. You know, you didn't have an outlet to share your opinion, which you know there's. There's good that comes along with that, as well as bad that comes along with it. But you know, with social media now, um, I think it is more extreme because now the powers that be have to, in order to maintain that, um, uh, what am I trying to say? In order to maintain that narrative that they want to maintain, they have to shut up a lot more people.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, they do, and I think here is the caveat to free speech If you are somebody who is going to engage in free speech, you also need to allow others to engage in free speech, even if it's something that you don't agree with. So people who are for free speech are for people of opposing opinions also sharing their opinions.

Sam:

Yeah, yeah. So to put a positive spin on it, you know now that we, as we're talking through this and I think it's a good thing um, the silver lining of all of this, it feels chaotic because we're in a time that we haven't experienced before where so many people can have a voice. But if we can have the proper perspective and see it as an opportunity of now, I'm able to interact with people way different than me, with way different perspectives than me, versus in the past, where we were limited to our neighborhoods, our schools, our communities, our jobs. Now we can have a more holistic perspective of our country, of the world, and be able to grow in that aspect. But it's going to be painful and it is painful. We're in that painful period now where we're learning how to communicate, really and isn't that funny, because I feel like everything comes down to communication.

Sam:

Our relationship has always come down to communication, so it's so important. But I think you know this the silver lining in all of it is it's a real opportunity if we can just uh rise above our natural instincts to want to, our egos to want to, you know, just uh be, be uh vicious to someone who has a different perspective than we do and open up to a broader perspective.

Jaclyn:

Yeah, and as, as you respond to a nasty comment or just don't respond at all, I feel like a couple of questions that I like to ask myself is is this going to encourage respectful debate or is? Am I writing this to shame or embarrass someone? And I don't ever want to shame or embarrass someone. I want to encourage respectful debate. So if I respond to somebody in a respectful way and then they come back and they're super nasty, that's when I take the opportunity to say hey, I wish you the absolute best, but I will not be spoken to this way and I wish you well.

Sam:

Yep, yeah, and that's it. It doesn't need to go beyond that, because that person hasn't learned how to communicate

Jaclyn:

No, they haven't. And you can't make them do that. Okay, last two points. Follow the facts. My dad is a lawyer, I grew up in a house whe re we were constantly debating, constantly asking questions, and he said to me over and over, you can't argue a fact. A fact is a fact is a fact and when we do our research, when we look at the facts, we create more well-informed decisions and opinions. So, in this election cycle, it is vital that we move beyond clickbait and reels to really understand what is happening. Is it constitutional? Is this something that coincides with what a democracy actually is? Is this going against free speech, which is the first domino in so many things that you can study in other countries that have happened, and then you become communist China or or you become Russia or you become North Korea.

Jaclyn:

So, asking these critical questions does this coincide with democracy? Is this going to help people live healthier lives? Is this going to be a country that we can proudly give our children and encourage our children to live in and invest in? I think those are all really important questions. We need to know the facts and unfortunately, mainstream media for the most part has very skewed, very one-sided perspectives, and I've seen this over and over as I flip between news stations, because whenever we're watching the news, we like flip from CNN to Fox to MSNBC and you can see that each side is just trying to attack the other. I don't think they even care what the truth is anymore. They just want to beat the other. And so we've got to be diligent to seek out truth and seek out fact.

Sam:

I think that the thing to recognize now is for one, when we say we watch the news, we're not watching news, we're watching entertainment. Tv is all that it is, and I think that for the most part, people understand that at this point, but shoot, I lost my point.

Jaclyn:

Well, think about it

Sam:

Let's go on to the next thing.

Jaclyn:

The last thing that I wanted to bring up is give people the dignity of their own experience.

Jaclyn:

We're allowed to have different opinions, and so often we have differing opinions because we've had different life experiences.

Jaclyn:

And just because somebody has a different opinion doesn't necessarily mean that they are wrong or that there's something bad about them. I know so many people who, on very important political issues, believe something totally opposite from me, but I know that their heart is good and I know that they believe in their hearts. They are doing what is aligned for them, for them, and so when I take that into consideration and I take the whole person into consideration, it allows me to have a very respectful and when you take um what's the right way to say this A respectful view of them and an opportunity to take potential venom out of the conversation, if that makes sense, because I think most people in the United States are good people who want what is best for their communities and for themselves. And so when we understand that fighting each other and dehumanizing one another and making the other person the enemy is not the answer, then we're going to be able to move forward much faster and create the country that all of us really want, which is a country in harmony.

Jaclyn:

The other point in that that I'm making is there's so much danger in dehumanizing people. When I studied the beginning of genocides in college, every single beginning of a genocide starts with dehumanizing other people. It is a very dangerous thing to do and we cannot do it if we want to move forward and create the kind of country we want to live in.

Sam:

Yeah, but that's what's happening. That's what the left does to the right. It's what the right does to the left.

Jaclyn:

Yeah. So let's be people who live on a higher frequency, who refuse to dehumanize other people, even if they think differently than us. And I'll say this Sometimes when people think differently, they are wrong. I'm not saying I'm always right, I'm not always right. But even if someone else is wrong, it doesn't make them any less human, and so we need to treat them with respect and love.

Sam:

Yeah, you shake the dust off your shoes and move on.

Jaclyn:

Yep, encourage respectful debate. Don't hit below the belt and even if someone hits you below the belt, be the bigger person. Live on a higher frequency. You have that opportunity and you can do it. Okay, question. Leave them with a question.

Sam:

Okay, here's our question, all right, so we talked a lot about speaking the truth, even when it's uncomfortable. What would it feel like to use your voice more often, if you aren't already?

Jaclyn:

All right, guys, we wish you peace and love, and thank you so much for tuning in. Cheers to high frequency living!

Sam:

Cheers!

Jaclyn:

Thank you so much for listening to The Freq Show with Sam Thurmond and me, Jaclyn Steele Thurmond. We would love to connect with you via our website beckonliving. com and on social media.

Sam:

You can find us on Instagram and TikTok @Beckon Living and you can join our email list to receive uplifting messages, podcast and business updates and discounts on high-frequency products just for our Freaky community. Cheers to high-frequency living!