Never Let Go
- DJODOT
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Sometimes the life we build isn’t the life we were called to live. In this powerful testimony, recording artist DJODOT shares how losing a twenty-year corporate career led him back to his God-given purpose. His journey is a reminder that when we stop running from our calling, God restores what we thought was lost.
You ever spend years… pretending to be somebody you’re not?
I did.
For almost twenty years, I walked into corporate America wearing a costume.
A tie. A suit jacket.
Glasses I didn’t even need.
Not because I wanted to — but because I thought that’s what survival looked like.
I was the HR guy.
The policy expert.
The one who knew every state leave law like scripture.
I played the part so well, I almost convinced myself it was who I was.
Before Corporate America
But let’s rewind.
Before the cubicles.
Before the conference calls.
Before the six‑figure salary…
I was a kid in Philly with a gift.
I could write songs about anything.
I sang in church.
I won talent shows.
I walked into Philly International — the same building where Teddy Pendergrass, Michael Jackson, Lou Rawls recorded — and I felt like I belonged.
Music wasn’t a dream.
It was my identity.
When Life Tells You to Be Practical
But life… life will tell you to “grow up.”
To be responsible.
To be practical.
To trade your calling for a paycheck.
So I drifted.
Still singing here and there.
Still writing occasionally…
But the spiritual fire I once had?
It dimmed.
I talked to God, but I wasn’t connected the way I used to be.
The Moment Everything Changed
Then one day, everything changed.
My position — the job I’d given twenty years to — was eliminated.
And you know what I said?
“Okay. Are you done?”
Not out of disrespect…
But because I wasn’t disappointed.
I was relieved.
For the first time in years, I didn’t have to pretend.
I didn’t have to shrink.
I didn’t have to hide the artist God created me to be.
I made a vow right then:
“I’m going back to church.
I’m going back to God.
I’m going back to me.”
And God… God met me right where I stood.
Returning to the Gift
I started singing again.
Joined a quartet — my first love.
Went back to rapping.
Started creating with intention.
Then came the writer’s block.
The kind that makes you question everything.
Until I heard a whisper:
“Put some God in that song.”
So I changed one word.
Just one.
Love → God.
And that’s how Church was born.
That song carried me.
Six months on the gospel charts.
A Rhythm of Gospel Award nomination.
A short film — Outside — picked up for distribution.
And in 2026… I’ll be headlining the Rhythm of Gospel Awards.
All because I stopped pretending I wasn’t who God made me to be.
Living the Scripture
Philippians 4:13 says,
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
And I’m living proof.
I didn’t become an artist.
A Word for You
I stopped denying that I already was one.
So if you’re listening…
If you’re watching…
If you’re standing where I once stood — stuck between who you are and who you’re pretending to be…
Hear me.
Don’t give up on your dreams.
Don’t bury your gift to fit into rooms too small for your calling.
Don’t block your blessings by believing you’re unworthy of them.
Because when you stop running from your purpose…
Your purpose runs toward you.
O. Robinson is a Philadelphia-born recording artist, songwriter, and filmmaker whose journey reflects redemption and purpose. After nearly two decades in corporate America, he returned to his first love—music. His gospel single Church earned a Rhythm of Gospel Award nomination, and he now performs as DJODOT, sharing faith, resilience, and hope through music.
DJODOT's music is available on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.