Report transcript in: From Pauper to Prince: Part Four

Please Report the Errrors?

So, Patrick, um,

as a kind of last of five questions what have been

the greatest advantages to come from what previously were for you?

Disadvantages.

OK, well, I'm, like, really lucky and really fortunate that I get to do a job where, um

a lot of it is based on things that was, like, previously, um,

disadvantages in my life.

So I live the experience of, um, you know, addiction, mental health,

criminal justice system and all these kind of things. And,

um, I got to draw on that experience to try and make things better for others. Right.

Um,

and one of the things that I think come out

of going through the experiences that was most meaningful to me

was that it gave me and

I understand it

with people that are going through that kind of stuff.

It can be the ability to connect with people

that are going through that kind of stuff because,

uh,

there's some things where you form bonds through shared experiences in there.

And, like, uh,

when I go into certain environments,

I can connect with people that other people might not be able to,

because I know what they're going through.

Do you know what I mean?

Or like, we have, like an understanding of what it's like to be in that situation.

So it gives me the ability to connect with certain people.

It gives me a measure of empathy for people.

Do you know that are so

say if their disadvantage with depression,

some people might look at a depressed person and think, Well,

pull yourself together. Do you know what I mean?

So I man up, as they say or whatever, right? But like

when you've actually experienced that and you've had

the weight of that bearing on your shoulders,

right, And you like

you wouldn't say something ignorantly, do you know?

Or you would certainly be considerate

for how you approach the conversation with that person.

Because you know what it's like to feel like,

you know what? I can't even get out of bed today. Don't want to face the world today.

I actually don't even want to go downstairs and see your parents

today because I just don't feel like I've got any conversation in there

like I am like,

I'm actually fearful.

They want me to sit down and speak with them because

I just feel like I am really morbid and really boring.

And, uh,

I just want to hide away like

and like, if you've had an experience of like

what it's like to kind of

to what? Asleep all the time? Because you just can't face being awake.

And then you actually wake up and you realise you've slept for that long,

that there's no way you can possibly get your head back down.

And you're just despairing.

Then, like

you have an understanding of what that's like to pass through that.

And when you see somebody else that's passing through that

you have nothing but, like

like compassion in your heart towards him, Do you know?

And if you could do anything to relieve that burden for him,

then obviously,

you know,

it doesn't feel like a chore.

It doesn't feel like something which is, like, um, burdensome to yourself.

To do it feels like something which you're motivated to do.

So I often think that the things that I've been through that

was classed as disadvantages such as mental health and things like that.

I've given me a motivation.

Do you know?

I think they've given me, uh, a

degree of like, uh, qualification.

If you like to talk about some of that stuff because

I have an understanding of it, which some experts probably won't even have, uh,

people that have gone to school and studied that kind of stuff.

Um, you can learn about something inferior,

and you can learn about, uh,

you know, the scientific aspects of a certain situation.

Um,

but to then

actually live through something and experience something,

um, you get a different kind of knowledge.

You know, Uh,

so I could tell you about driving a car. You could read a book about driving a car,

but until you actually get out and drive a car,

the understanding that you have found that is like is is is limited. Yeah.

Uh,

so, yeah, so

I would say that, uh,

that's one of the really good things that that is, uh,

the advantages, I suppose, that have come out of

what were one's disadvantages.

I mean, I mean an advantage.

Now, I suppose even in a practical sense in that my job, uh, I have a position.

I have a career

that has come out of

all the things that are passed through,

do you know? And I help people actually help people to turn

their what they deemed as disadvantages

into advantages.

I think sometimes that like

what people see, is disadvantages and not disadvantages.

You know, it takes like, for example, I used to always say, You know,

there could be people that live on the streets, right?

And it takes a real resilience to live on the streets.

Do you know, like there's something that there's a real toughness that's required?

There's like, there's

there's an inner strength that's required to pass through some of that

stuff that people who haven't passed through it know nothing about,

you know?

And I think that some of the things that you

pick up in what people would deem to be disadvantages

are, um, some of the characteristics.

Some of the traits, some of the nature, some of the strengths

are like totally transferrable.

And people don't have to identify that they don't have to identify the potential.

That's, uh,

that's overlooked

in people that may have

mental health are people that may have, uh,

you know, experiences that have been really traumatic.

They've had traumatic challenge.

Are people that may have gone through domestic violence

or people that may have experienced drug addiction.

You know, there's certain things which people that have passed through, you know,

um, in terms of addiction

that, like

that, take a real kind of

courage, a real tenacity, a real humility, often times which people are aware of,

you know, And, uh

so I think that, like,

um, I think that characters

can be shaped and forged in the fires of life, and I think that we should never like,

uh, overlook that, especially in other people.

Um,

I don't just like to think about that myself and like, talk about myself, you know,

um, in a proud way. And, you know, I can be really arrogant and be thankful for

what I've passed through, and I believe that

it's got me to the point where I am.

I believe that God's

God's used everything in my life to be shaping

me and farming my character and forging my character and

making me into a better man,

and everything about it has made me want to become a better man.

Everything that I've passed through,

uh,

but I believe it's much more about other people than myself

on that, um,

as a thread, um, alongside it,

Um,

you are, um, an active, born and Christian.

You're a man that does what it says on the 10th,

you believe in Jesus, and you live him out in a daily process.

How do you find that balances with in your work life balance in respect of,

um,

the way the world is right now

towards faith and towards in particular Christianity.

How do you find that you can,

um how do you

manage to share your faith in opportunities

where, um maybe you come under fire for what you believe in?

Because it's so integral as part of your

person, of who you are

as a man of God.

OK, um,

I think that people that know me know that I'm a Christian.

Uh, I make no secret of that. You know, it's it's something that I really,

uh,

I'm more than proud of if you like it like there's a There's a

word in God's word and it says if you're gonna boast in anything,

I'm gonna boast in God, you know,

and I they're grateful for my salvation. I'm grateful for my faith. I make No.

Although all the other things, um, helped me along the way,

especially in my recovery, were very significant.

And I take nothing away from that. I believe that the, uh

the biggest factor, you know,

like me get into this part now has absolutely nothing

to do with me or any world of things.

I believe that it was,

I believe that it was God, I believe that it was my faith. I believe that it was, uh

it was a It was

It was my love, that type

they delivered me and, you know,

took me off a slippery path and put me back up on a rock and steady ground.

Right.

Um, and I have no kind of, uh

so I have. No, um

I have no reservation about letting people know about that, right.

And I think that most people that know me do know about that.

I believe that, um,

that I have to be considerate to other people. I suppose what? I mean,

my workplace, Um,

I know that not everybody

shares the beliefs that I have.

I know that I'm employed to do a certain role, and I know that, um,

and I know that, um,

when I approached the subject of faith

in a workplace has to do it sensitively.

I have to do it far away. I have to do it. Considerately.

I don't always have the freedom of expression that I would like in that respect,

I suppose in terms of, uh,

what I like to be, you know,

thanking God and glorifying God more in my workplace.

Would I like to be, you know, expressing my faith in a more,

uh,

open manner?

Sure. Yeah, I suppose. But,

um,

I also have an appreciation,

um, for the people and where they're at.

And I believe that, uh,

one of the best ways that a witness

it's through like it's through character and integrity.

It's through, like, I suppose, um,

I suppose he's not being

hypocritical.

I think one thing that the world has seen too much

of I'm honest and one thing that I hear about a lot

and it's a shame, you know, it, like breaks my heart is that, like people talk about,

they've seen so much hypocrisy in the church.

You know, they've seen people that speak religiously,

you know, and they talk. They talk, and they have high expectations on people.

But they don't want to work themselves. And

I just always committed in my heart that

I wouldn't be since in this walk of faith do you know, I would be like,

uh,

I would give everything to try and live as my love live,

you know, and try and, uh,

try and do things from,

like from the heart because righteousness is born in the heart, you know,

And true righteousness.

It's not.

It's not how people think I am.

It's not how I present myself. It's about what I think in my heart.

Do you know? Because if I have, like,

if I act like I'm your best friend But in my heart, I'm thinking evil towards you,

you know? Then

ultimately, regardless of what you think and you know I'm working at that point,

you know, and I'm having evil intentions and

I never want to be a person that has evil intentions,

I understand that people might misunderstand me.

I understand that people will misinterpret me.

I understand that people will accuse me gossip about me

and slammer me because that's part of my work.

That's part of that's part of life. And I think that happens to all of us.

But my protection in times like that,

the thing that guards my heart, the thing that keeps me

is that I can look within myself and examine myself,

and I will make mistakes. But

what was my intention at the time? What was I thinking in my heart? You know,

And if I can

with all

you know, honest to say

that I was thinking

the best,

you know, for the people involved if that I was trying my hardest to do the right thing

if I was, uh,

loyal to God in that situation,

and I can have a measure of peace regardless of what comes,

you know,

um,

so I I always just want to be sincere in my heart and what I do. And, um

and I believe that if you are,

it takes a lot longer to witness to people.

It's not something I can just go and talk about.

It's something that people will have to seek over consistency over time.

But I believe that that witness is

much greater in breaking down people's perspectives

than me telling you something.

And like and

so that's what I try and carry, and that's what I try and do.

And I don't say I'm successful. It's a you know, it's a

it's a process and God's been working on me, but I know I've got a long way to go.

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Author

Georgia Davenport

Post date

28/04/2023