“You’re Either Grateful or You’re Depressed” – Steve Harvey’s Life Lesson to Bubba Wallace

In 2019, 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace, appeared on the Steve Harvey Show. During the conversation, Wallace talked about how music helps him bring his spirits up and also discussed his exceptional love for daiquiris.

Hearing about how he copes with his down times, Steve Harvey asked Wallace if he could give him a piece of advice.

Drawing from the experience of his mother’s death, Harvey told Wallace; “This is what I learned about falling into the valleys in life. Gratitude destroys all depression, all down moments.” 

Wallace shook his head in agreement while Harvey asked him to make a list of everything that is going right in life. Explaining how making a list can remind a person about everything one has in life, Harvey said that joy and depression cannot exist in the same space. 

He said, “Those two things cannot exist side-by-side. You’re either grateful or you’re depressed. Once you’re grateful, you can’t be depressed ’cause you gotta be glad to be grateful.”

Saying that gratitude erases negativity and depression, Harvey told Wallace to remember a few things whenever he feels low. He said, “You’re 25 years old. You race cars; you’re living your dream. You’re on the Steve Harvey Show. You got money for daiquiris. You’re in a club that’s only got 40 other men in it, and you get to drive race cars every weekend.”

“Man, that ain’t a bad life.”

READ MORE:When Did Bubba Wallace Start Battling Depression? The NASCAR Driver Had Bravely Revealed His Mental Health Battle

Asking Wallace to keep going, Harvey told him that the world needed people like Wallace. The only full-time African-American driver on the current NASCAR grid is an inspiration to many. However, despite all his achievements, Wallace did not have an easy time. 

When Bubba Wallace opened up about his depression

Back in 2021, Bubba Wallace opened up about his mental health battle. As a celebrity, everything Wallace does is scrutinized, and this adds to mental pressure. Especially as someone battling something as challenging as depression, it became difficult for Wallace to balance his public life and driving career.

During the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, Wallace refused to interview with Fox News before the race. Viewing the incident as Wallace being rude, fans were unhappy with his actions. They thought what the 23XI Racing driver did was disrespectful. However, this was not the case and Wallace explained his side of the story through a Twitter thread. 

Apart from his tweets, Wallace also opened up about his battle with depression in an interview with Autoweek Magazine. Talking about breaking the stereotypes, Wallace said, “There’s a stigma that, if you’re on TV, are an athlete or celebrity, that you don’t have problems.”

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Saying that depression does not differentiate, Wallace continued, “That’s not true. I’m trying to erase that stigma because I continue to say it, depression doesn’t care who you are.”

“It doesn’t care how much money you make. It doesn’t care what you look like.”