This is a fantastic discussion! Here is the blog post based on your transcript snippets, focusing on the theme of intentional choices in community and due diligence.

Choosing Your Community: Why Intentional Due Diligence Matters

Welcome back to the Choices Podcast! (You can find us at choicespodcastofficial.com—go to YouTube or just Google us; we’re easy to find. Please subscribe as we’re growing!)

Our recent conversation dove right into what it means to be “wound up”—not just with personal energy, but with the complexities of the world around us. From the simple confusion of Daylight Saving Time to the larger concerns about the political landscape, it’s clear that things are hectic.

But rather than letting the chaos dictate our mood, we turned to a fundamental question that impacts everything: How do we make the right choices about the people and places we surround ourselves with?

The Power of Proximity: You Are Who You Hang With

It starts with us individually putting ourselves with the right people. As we discussed, you are who you hang with. This means being intentional about your inner circle and community.

Choosing your community requires due diligence, and as Brett noted, that’s not just a big word, it’s a plan.

• For Churches/Groups: Should it be a big church or a little church? What kind of preacher? What kind of songs? The old rule of visiting three churches, three times each, before making a choice is still a great rule. Don’t fly blind.
• Do Your Homework: Just like record shopping, where you want to see the condition of the vinyl in person, you need to examine a community firsthand. In a world where it’s hard to trust, you can’t just rely on outward appearances (like “entertainment churches” with a feel-good vibe).
• Follow the Rules You Choose: Whether it’s an HOA or a highly conservative religious school, if you know the rules upfront and choose to be there, complaining later is pointless. We vote on those rules, and we agree to them.

Seeking Kindness Over Greatness

The conversation quickly moved from organized communities to personal philosophy. In all the choices we make—from football rivalries to political discussions—there is one common denominator that cuts through the noise: kindness.

Brett shared a 30-year personal contract: “I’m a kind, loving man.” Carcass John echoed this, adding “honest, trustworthy, and a good friend.”

We asked: “I’ll be kind over great any day of the week, wouldn’t you?”

There are plenty of “great” people in the eyes of the world—famous, wealthy, superstars—who are simply not pleasant or good people. Choosing to surround yourself with kind people, whether in a large organization or a small group of friends, is a fundamental choice for your own peace and development.

Your Homework: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

The final challenge we issued was about actively contributing to your chosen community:

What community are you going to reach out to that’s out of your comfort zone and be kind in and contribute in on a short-term basis?

Carcass John shared how he practiced this by engaging two people who absolutely despise his ideology. He simply asked them to try a game: “What if Carcass John is Right?” and to find and read a copy of the Constitution. The result was a dramatic shift away from “venom and vitriol” toward an appreciation for what they have.

Ultimately, building a better life and a better community takes effort. It’s easy to “sit there like a lump on a log,” but if you want to make a difference, you have to create a game plan and see it through.

The Choices Podcast: Show Summary

Today’s discussion centered on intentional community building through due diligence, defining personal principles (like kindness), and purposeful action.

This conversation perfectly encapsulates what the Choices Podcast is all about: Lessons in life that remind us that we all have choices. It doesn’t matter whether the path is right or wrong, good or bad; every single person, every day, has the power to choose. As the saying goes, even if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. We encourage you to make choices that benefit you and those around you.