YouTube, what it do man, it's your boy Josh. We back up in this thing with another one. We woke up this morning, it's another beautiful day. All praise to the most high man, let's get it man. I want to talk to you guys about obstacles. Obstacles are part of your journey, obstacles are part of your story. Your story, your path is leading somewhere, and this is a part of the story. They're not blocking you, it's not meant to keep you down forever, but it's meant to lead you somewhere, somewhere that's very important. Maybe somewhere where God has purposed you, where God has a purpose waiting for you to get there, waiting for you to get there. So these obstacles are not meant to keep you down, but they're leading to you. Obstacles are part of the path, they are the path. And to give you some ease at mind and for you to also comprehend this a little bit more, I got a Bible verse for you. We're going to be reading Proverbs 3:5 and it

reads trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. I'm going to read it one more time. Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight. Y'all hear the devil, man? That's how I know I'm doing something right, and that's how you know you're doing something right, is when you see stuff trying to stop you. Y'all see the devil working so man with this season of adversity that you're going through with these losses. Things just can't go right in your life. You're trying to find a reason, trying to find an understanding as to why this is happening to you. I'm here to tell you that it's not possible for you to understand. It's not meant for you to understand. But you are partially right, though. I can understand why you are looking for a

reason because you're like, Why is this happening to me? There's got to be a reason that's why this is happening to me. There is, there is a reason as to why it's happening to you. There is. I don't know, you don't know it, nobody has the ability to tell you why it is you're going through what you're going through, but there is a reason as to why you're going through it. It's not meant for you to understand right now. You need to understand that it's meant for you to endure, not understand. Endure for you to get up every single day and to not know why it's happening or why you're going through it, but just to get through it. Because what else are you going to do? What else are you going to do? Because I'll be damned if you going to let this keep you down. Because this obstacle is not a part of your journey, not a part of your path to keep you down. It's to lead you somewhere.

is to lead you somewhere. Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't try to find an understanding. Just get up, endure, and trust in God that He's leading you somewhere, that He's making your path straight, that He's working in mysterious ways, working behind closed doors on your behalf that you may not know of. You may not know what's being worked right now, but something is being worked right now. And to also help you understand this a little bit more as to why I'm saying this, don't look to the left and to the right and question why they're not doing, going through it, and why it seems like it's just something that you have to endure. Don't do that. Instead, you need to change your perspective. This obstacle, this big Mumbo giant of an obstacle that's been placed in front of you, has been placed in front of you for a reason. Maybe because there is a bigger purpose that you have to become, or you have to become a better version of yourself, a more stronger

version of yourself because of the responsibility and the purpose that's waiting for you. Because right now, your current self, you're not ready to shoulder that responsibility. I know it's a season of rainy days and a season of gloominess and dark clouds, but there's eventually going to be sunshine. It's not going to rain forever. You just need to be able to dance in the rain, to keep going, to not let the rain stop you. Don't look to the left and to the right. Their path, that your homie, that your home girls is going through, it's a path that's leading them elsewhere. Your path is leading to you, somewhere that's specific. God has a plan for each and every single one of us. God has a plan for each and every single one of us, and your path is leading on to something big. That's all I know because typically, people that I see, that I am inspired by, typically have a story where they had to go through something that I

cannot even imagine myself going through, and then you look at who they are. They inspire you because of the version of themselves that they are. You want to know what made them like that. You want to know why you inspire to be like that person or you're inspired by that person that you look up to is because they were on a path of a big obstacle. They've had to go through some stuff, bro. You're going through something right now, and if you're going through a big storm, that means you got a big purpose. You got a big responsibility. You have a huge calling that's waiting on you that, like I said, you are not currently ready to shoulder. You should be excited about what's to come. This video reminds me of a time where I had to go through one of the hardest things that I've ever had to go through in life, the time where I was depressed for a year and a half, depressed, bro. And what's funny is that before I had gone through that, I really didn't even

believe in mental health or anything like that when people were saying, Oh, mental health is number key. Oh, you're in a depression. I would just look at it and be like, Man, I don't understand it. I couldn't relate to it. I couldn't understand, and so I didn't put much heed into it. I didn't really understand how somebody can be depressed, especially when their life looks so good on the outside. They're blessed. Why are you depressed? Looking back, hindsight 2020, I understand the importance of mental health, and I also understand the importance and the significance of going through obstacles. I'm talking to somebody that may be going through a rough time in life, that may be going through a rough patch, a season of depression, going through adversity. I'm here to tell you that this is not meant to keep you where you are. There is something on the other end that is waiting for you that you currently don't have the experience to step into that yet. Like I keep saying

hindsight 2020, but I went through a season of depression. For those who don't know, I'm in the Army. I'm an Army officer, and in 2019, I commissioned and began my career at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Back in 2019, in the fall of 2019, I was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I'm not going to name the unit, but it was a very good chill unit. It was at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and it was not within the main organization of Fort Campbell. If you know, if you're in the Army and you know what I'm talking about, it wasn't the main organization when you think of Fort Campbell. It was a tenant unit, a unit that wasn't in the main organization but just so happened to be at Fort Campbell. I was in one of those units, a chill unit, nice unit, LZ fear unit, a unit where expectations weren't high, a unit where you can chill, relax, get back some time, take a knee, you know what I'm saying? That's the type of unit.

I was in, and this is my very first unit that I'm in. All the people that are in this unit with me are telling me, This ain't the real army, this is too chill, you know what I mean? You need to enjoy it while you're last. And they're telling me this, and then I'm also seeing what all my peers that I went to college with, I'm seeing them at their units, and they being exposed to this and being able to go do that and being able to endure this and go, like, just do all the things that I thought I was going to be doing, but instead, we chilling at my unit, we relaxing, you know what I mean? And me, as a very eager person, as somebody who was ready to get after it, very motivated, this is my first unit, I'm trying to do this, do that, all the things I was waiting to see. Like, I get to this unit, and it doesn't happen, and I'm like, Huh, I wish I was in the other unit. The other unit gets to do this, they get to

do that we don't get to do none of this, you know what I'm saying. So, I got there in Fall of 2019, and then by summer of 2021, I volunteered to go over to the main organization. If you're in the Army and you know the main organization of Fort Campbell, it was in the main organization. I'm not going to say which Brigade or anything I was in, but I was in there, and brother, I instantly regretted what I had signed myself up for. I instantly regretted it. The people that was at the unit who didn't have a choice of being at that unit, they can't. They said, Oh, who are you? Oh, I'm Josh Hope. And they said, How'd you get here? Oh, I volunteered. So, you mean to tell me you came from there, and you came here, and nobody made you come here, but you just asked to come here? And I said, Yeah. And they said, Hope, I don't know what you was on, man, but I can't believe nobody tried to stop

you and I was kind of like what what what I I don't understand. I'm ready to go within 90 days of being in this unit. I instantly regretted it, and within the first 90 days, I was looking for a way out. I was looking for a way out. I had to go. I could not. I was like, Oh yeah, uh-uh. I didn't know this was waiting for me. I thought I was going to be doing this and doing that, and y'all got me depressed. I was learning what not to do from my leader, the person who was in charge of me. I wasn't learning and getting better and developing into this person who I thought I was going to be. I was learning what not to do, what I was not going to make my soldiers and my officers that were under me when I was in that POS. If when I got to that position, I was like, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. And everybody that was in the unit with me was on the same page. They

said bro this is for the birds man. I remember I was I was 23 summer of 2021 and I turned 24 that fall. And the day before my birthday I remember that something had went down. I'm going just go ahead and tell the story. We had a soldier the day before my birthday on September 15th 2021 un alive himself ended himself. And to give you guys some information about my job I am within the echelon or within a section that is in charge of accountability for of Personnel in the military. We have to make sure that every person is where they're supposed to be in the military. If you are not where you're supposed to be AKA awal also known as absent without leave. I know some of y'all didn't know what awal meant but it's an actually an acronym that stands for absent without leave. Um yeah if somebody was not where they were supposed to be they they were AAL and bad things happen. And I do this for about 700 people a 700

man organization or 700-person organization, and it's not me going and checking all 700 people to make sure they're there. I have about seven leaders that are over this 100, this 100, and they come and report to me, and they say, Hey, they say, uh, uh, yeah, we got all our people, or No, I'm missing somebody, or That whatever case may be. So, on September 15th, 2021, the day before my birthday, somebody had told me, Hey, this person is there. When they told me that, the commander who I worked with or worked for, um, when the accident happened, actually across the street in the parking lot at work, he immediately came directly to me and blamed me because we didn't have positive accountability of this Soldier, and this Soldier unived himself while we inaccurately reported him. They said he was on leave, but in all actuality, he was supposed to be at work. But I'm looking at myself, and some people are probably watching, it's like, Well, Josh, how could you have known? What about

the person that I told you that they knew where they were and that they knew everything. Um, I don't know. Um, I'm pretty sure that person had gotten chewed out or anything like that, but I didn't see it. I don't think he would have had any sort of repercussions or any sort of blame was headed his way. There should have been no blame for the situation that happened, but it seemed like this guy, this Commander, had put the blame on me for this Soldier unaliving himself because I didn't catch the error when the so-and-so reported to me that they knew where they were and that they had positive accountability and control over this said soldier. Like I said, 700 of them. No, I don't see all 700 of them. There are some over here, some over there, some over here, some over there. I just trust the people that are working with them over in these locations, have seen them, have had, and you know what I mean. The person did not report to me the right information, and so happened this was

also the day that this person unived himself in the parking lot across the street at work the day before my birthday mind you I got plans right for the the following day and for the night and everything like that I was blamed and I was an easy person to blame I guess because of my who I was I guess and the thing that was told to me was man I knew I should have made you do this policy because that night we had to in place a policy that soldiers that do this something that to to help us accurately account for people so where we're never in a situation where we don't know where soldiers are before that had happened the guy had told me I should I know I knew I should have told you to in place or draft up this policy memorandum or this policy for me to sign and bless off on because it came in my head and because I didn't because I didn't what instead I'm going to do is I'm going to make you draft up this policy.

now at 6 o'clock at night, right, right after it happens, and what you're going to do is you're going to draft it, and you're going to come over here and let me see it, and then we're going to go off on it, this person. So, I draft up the memo saying, Hey, this is the policy so we can accurately account for all soldiers. I go and show it to him at 7:00. He says, Nope, this is wrong, this is wrong, that's wrong, go do it again, make this correction, make this correction, make this correction. I said, Okay, got you. Go back in there, 15 minutes, get on my computer, make the corrections, bring it into him again. He goes, N see, now that one's wrong, that's wrong, that's wrong, and kicks me back and makes me. I do. I repeat this process starting from 7:00 all the way until midnight, and I knew that I was in some deep mess when this happened. It was midnight, and my

girlfriend at the time called me, said, Happy birthday, it's the 16th, happy birthday. She said, Where are you? You're not excited. Why do you sound so dull? Why you? It's your birthday, happy birthday. B, I'm still at work. Why are you still at work? I tell her what I just told y'all, and so I realized that this person didn't care about me, that they didn't have my best interest at heart, that they could care less about me and my things that went on when they told me, Hey, I should have, as your commander, as your boss, I, I, it came in my head to tell you to put this in place, and because I didn't, we're, we're going to make sure that we're going to take care of it tonight, so let's do it, and you're going to do it. And I felt like I was to blame for this Soldier, for this service member going and doing what they did to themselves. It, it was, it was completely them blaming me for it, it happening to

me and so from that moment on, there was just the one significant story that I look back on that I can think of. But if that's some things that I had to endure, those are some of the things that I had to endure for the next year and a half, where I'm not being able to go home when I want to. And to give you guys a little bit of backstory, the military is very serious. It's not something like, Oh, I would have quit then and I would have just walked out. Well, the day that you defy orders, or the day that you stop coming to work, and the day that you go absent without leave, also known as AWOL, that's the day that you get arrested. If I wanted to separate from the military as an army officer, that is not under contract obligation, but I am in indefinitely, basically in until I decide I don't want to do it anymore. I don't have to. It's not a two weeks' notice; it's a one-e notice.

military is very serious. It's very structured and has very strict policies. You are bound by law. So, as a 24-year-old going through this, I felt like I had no control over my life because it was something like that every single week, constantly somebody on my calling my phone, Hey, I need this. I need that done. I said, Okay, I got you. But 10 other people just asked for something. I need this right now. Why you ain't did it? People always calling me, asking for something. Every time my phone would ring, it would be someone asking something for me, not to give me something or to uplift me, but to ask me for something. I'm going home, I'm sitting here off work, watching TV, and I can't even enjoy my free time or relax or enjoy the show that I'm watching because I'm thinking about work. I'm thinking about what's to come tomorrow, who's going to be draining me, and things of that nature. I felt like I had no control over my life, and so

I could not understand why I was going through what I was going through, but now since I've gone um, now since I'm past that situation, I know why I was going through that situation. I know why I was going through that season, and it felt like that season was going to be endless. I felt like I was, that was when I was going through it. I felt like each day was a month, and each week was a year, and I felt like I was just trapped in a cycle of just being drained, having 300 messages on my phone, having 20 missed calls on my phone, understanding that if I respond to a text message, that if I call somebody back, it was going to be somebody sucking the energy out of me, somebody from that unit, and it was all because of that Commander, that leader, and the environment, and the environment he made to the point to where everybody was just trying to make sure that they were good and everything, and oh Josh, you need to do this, Josh, you need to do

that being completely drained, so I understand if you're in a season of depression. I kind of understand how you feel when you feel like you don't have control over your life, you have no control over how you're feeling, and all you want to do is step out of it and step into a better version, step into a realm where you're not being drained all the time, but where you can be at peace. If I didn't go through that version, I wouldn't have become who I am today. I wouldn't have been able to provide the wisdom that I'm providing now on YouTube, this community, this channel. Thank you for everybody that's recently subscribed. I appreciate you. I'm glad that I'm helping other people get through their day, get through their seasons of depression, or their seasons of adversity. I wouldn't have been able to help and to step into this calling or to step into the peace, into this version of who

I am if I had not gone through that. Here I am, outside of that situation, glowing, feeling great, learning, so learned so much from that year and a half situation. Even though it was beating me down, draining me day after day after day, to the point to where there were some days I was crying going into work. I was crying going into work because there was nothing I could do. I was trapped by law to go to a place that I did not want to go into. So, I say that as somebody who is an example that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You're not going through that for what you're going. You're not going through that because God hates you, and God loves you, and he's has you going through that for a reason. I did not understand why I was going through that. I could not understand. Looking back now, I completely understand. Looking back now, I'm grateful that I went through that situation. I was saying in the situation, I was like, Bro, I don't care as soon as I leave from this.

place. I don't know why I'm going through this, but I'm looking back, and I'm thankful for that situation. I'm grateful for that situation, and you will too. Like I said, the bigger the obstacle, the bigger the purpose. The bigger the storm, the bigger the purpose. And so, that's all I got for y'all boys, man. If you guys want to talk to me one-on-one consultation, you guys can do so. Link down below in the description. If you guys need a 12-week training program to help you get in shape, link down below in the description. If you guys want to reach out to me, say what's up, or anything like that with any questions, you guys can do so. Hit me up on Instagram, send me a DM. Link is down below in the description, man. Before you guys go, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, share the video. I'ma holla at y'all boys.

Obstacles don't block the path, they are the path.

Obstacles don't block the path, they are the path.