In this episode, Karl Anthony revisits “We Are Young” by Fun, a song that feels like an anthem of unity and youth.

The melody is powerful. The hook is unforgettable.

But when he listens closer to the lyrics, the story shifts. What sounds inspiring on the surface carries themes of regret, substance use, and harm. It raises a bigger question: What are we really singing along to?

Karl reflects on how music shapes emotion before we process meaning and why influence matters, especially for the next generation.

The episode also includes a candid conversation with a Brooklyn native about faith, legacy, hard work, and learning to be present before it’s too late.

Not every jelly bean is sweet.

Some require you to slow down and taste carefully.

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In this episode, Karl Anthony reflects on two songs that pull in opposite directions, “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke and “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel.

One declares that change is inevitable. The other pleads for things to stay the same.

Through personal reflection, memories of church mothers, and lessons learned after a health scare, Karl explores the tension between growth and preservation. We change. The world changes. Technology changes. But memories don’t. Legacy doesn’t.

The episode includes a powerful sidewalk conversation with an 81-year-old mother who shares wisdom on faith, survival, health, gratitude, sharecropping, and preparing for uncertain times. Her words are steady, practical, and rooted in experience.

To top it off, woven into the episode is a harmonica tribute to honor the mothers who shaped us, performed by @mo.yella.p on Instagram.

Change will come. The question is how we prepare for it and what we choose to carry with us.

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What happens when a song you have known your whole life suddenly sounds different?

After surviving a brain bleed and emergency surgery, Karl Anthony revisits John Lennon’s “Imagine” — and hears it through a different lens.

The melody is still beautiful. The lyrics feel heavier.

In this episode, he reflects on perspective, culture, faith, unity, and how lived experience can reshape the way we interpret ideas we once accepted without question.

As always, the episode includes anonymous conversations with everyday people about health, discipline, legacy, and the choices that shape our future.

Some lessons are sweet.

Some are black jellybeans.

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www.lifesjellybeans.com

Welcome to the first episode of Life’s Jellybeans.

This podcast isn’t about telling you something new. It’s about reminding you of what’s already there.

In this episode, Karl Anthony shares the story behind the name Life’s Jellybeans, a childhood memory that became a way of looking at life. Growing up in the 1970s in a working class home, he remembers what it meant to divide up small joys, stretch what you had, and appreciate the love that covered more than money ever could.

What started as a simple story about jelly beans turns into something deeper. Learning how to slow down. How to handle the licorice moments in life. How to truly enjoy what’s in front of you.

Years later, during a serious health scare that left him flat on his back in a hospital bed, those memories returned with new meaning. When you are forced to stop, you start to see clearly.

This episode sets the tone for the podcast. Reflecting on the moments that shape us, the lessons we almost miss, and the importance of family.

Each episode will also include short conversations with everyday people. No names. No long introductions. Just their story. In this first episode, one theme rises again and again. Family matters.

• The childhood memory behind Life’s Jellybeans

• Growing up in a home that valued love, work, and resilience

• Learning to handle the flavors you do not like

• A hospital moment that changed perspective

• Why slowing down matters

• Introducing the anonymous interview segment

If this episode meant something to you, we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to share your story for a future episode, reach out. Stories can be shared anonymously.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs the reminder.

Thank you for listening.

This is Life’s Jellybeans.