1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am Dramas And this is the Street 2 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing you your daily dose of timeless stoic 3 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: philosophy remix for the hip hop generation. We are combining 4 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: ancient philosophy with lyrics and quotes from some of the 5 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: greatest to ever grace a microphone. Now, with that in mind, 6 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: let's get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. Now. 7 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: Today we are going to be focusing around the stoic 8 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: idea of diminishing your ego. And I found this quote 9 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: from Drake that I thought was incredibly relevant. And Drake says, 10 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: never let success get to your head and never let 11 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: failure get to your heart. Right. And he's hitting on 12 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: a couple of things here, but specifically when it comes 13 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: to your ego, he's talking about never allowing your successes 14 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: in life right, your winds to define who you are 15 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: and how you go about living in this world. Right. 16 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: And that's not to say that you can't celebrate. You know, 17 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: the moments that you've achieved something, right, you have checked 18 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: something off your goal lists, right, you have a man 19 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: gotten to this this great milestone that you've been striving 20 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: for you, you've gotten there. There's nothing wrong with celebrating that, 21 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: but you can't allow those winds, you know, that that 22 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 1: celebration to take you out of reality. Right. The truth 23 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: is that all you you know, acquire and achieve, it 24 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: can be taken away faster than it came. Right. And 25 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: he's also you know, I think talking about the idea 26 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: of just being like even keeled here, right, just just 27 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: kind of being straight and narrow, not too hot, not 28 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: too low, right, because he's also talking about, you know, 29 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: not only not overvaluing the winds, but also not stressing 30 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: too much about the losses, right, And this lends itself 31 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: perfectly into what the Stoics believe, which is that nothing 32 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: is inherently good nor bad. Everything just is right. And 33 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: this brings it to a quote not from one of 34 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: the Stokes, but it's William Shakespeare, and he says there 35 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. 36 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: And what he's saying here is that anything and everything 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: that happens to us is relative, right, like we give 38 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: it meaning and we give it value. You know, when 39 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: we allow our ego to take control and proclaim our greatness, 40 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: or we allow ourselves to believe the hype that is 41 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: around us, you know, it's important that we keep in 42 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: mind that that life has a funny way of bringing 43 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: us right back down to reality, you know. And again, 44 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with joy or celebration after a victory, but 45 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: it has to be done within reason, you know, and 46 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: not to the point that it gives us some sort 47 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: of false sense of in moreality or or superiority. And 48 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: you know, when when prepping for this this episode, you know, 49 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: I was brought back to a time in my life 50 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: that that man makes me relate to this idea in 51 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: such a personal way. And when I think about this 52 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: whole idea right of of diminishing your ego and so 53 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: much of what you know, Drake is talking about, you know, 54 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: I can't help but be reminded of you know, the pandemic. 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: You know, That's how I relate to this concept. It's 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: something that came to my mind as I was prepping 57 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: for this show. You know, the the pandemic was a 58 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: humbling experience for me. You know, I think it was 59 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: a much needed wake up call, you know, because I 60 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: think prior to that, while I was never, you know, 61 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: really a a cocky person, I think that my ego 62 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: did you know, kind of make me believe that I 63 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: needed to operate in a certain way. You know. I was, 64 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: you know, a DJ, playing at huge clubs, and I 65 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: was on big radio stations, and I was being considered 66 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: for some really large, you know, high profile opportunities, and 67 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: and I wanted to wear that on my sleeve, right, 68 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: So I spent money like it would never stop coming in, 69 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: you know. And when I did save money, it was 70 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: it was for things that were frivolous, you know. And 71 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: I surrounded myself with a lot of people who, you know, 72 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: not all of them, but but many of whom were 73 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: not real friends, you know, but they were instead people 74 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: who pumped up my ego because they were impressed by 75 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 1: what I did for a living. And they were quick 76 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: to brag about how they had this friend who had 77 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: this job, right and how they knew me. It was 78 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: an incredibly superficial life, and I believe that I did 79 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: allow that hype to go to my head, you know. 80 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: And then of course the pandemic happens and everything is 81 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: at a stand still, and I didn't have much to 82 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: show for it, right, Like those people that were kind 83 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: of these very superficial friends, like we didn't really talk anymore, 84 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: you know, Like many people I had to really, you know, 85 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: be concerned with with my bills because half of my 86 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: income was taken away from not being able to DJA anymore, 87 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: you know. And for a couple months, I struggled of 88 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: having to cut back on certain things to make sure 89 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: that I could still keep paying my rent and my 90 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: car payment and all that kind of stuff. But it 91 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: was an incredible opportunity for me to kind of refocus 92 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: and realign with what was actually important and kind of 93 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: push my ego to the side, you know, and and 94 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: stop letting my ego drive the car right. And and 95 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: the beauty of it is that when I began to 96 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: do that, and I got very clear on what was important, 97 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: and I stopped getting caught up in the hype, and 98 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: you know, I stopped allowing myself to overvalue things or 99 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: to see things as you know, great, or see myself 100 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: as somebody that was inherently great. When I began to 101 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: shed you know, all of those very superficial notions about 102 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: myself and the things that my ego was pushing towards me, 103 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: you know, that is when I was able to get 104 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: my life together. And it's something that that took me 105 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: from living, you know, check to check at the top 106 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: of the year to then buying my first property by 107 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,239 Speaker 1: the end of that same year. And that was only 108 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: possible when I pushed my ego to the side and 109 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: got very clear and very focused on what was actually 110 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: important and and stopped worrying about anything else. Right now, 111 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: we have heard from from Drake, you know, one of 112 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: one of my favorites. We have heard from from William 113 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,559 Speaker 1: Shakespeare randomly and uh, and I've given you a really 114 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: personal window into how this idea and this struggle of 115 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: diminishing your ego, you know, how it can play out 116 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: in our in our lives. Now let's talk about you, 117 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: you know, and how you can make this your mantra 118 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: for today. But first let's take a quick break and 119 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: then we'll be right back. All right, So we have 120 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: heard from Drake, you have heard from William Shakespeare. I 121 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 1: have given you my own man personal story into this idea, 122 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 1: the stoic idea of diminishing your ego. How this has 123 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: played out in my life, and how I've had to, 124 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: you know, kind of push against it and adapt it. 125 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: Right now, let's talk about you and how you can 126 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: make this your manstra for today. Now I think It 127 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: starts with adapting the idea of not taking the winds 128 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: or the losses to heart right, try and be as 129 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: even keeled as possible, you know, remembering that everything is 130 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: what we make it. You know, you really do have 131 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: to kind of like react to the haters and the 132 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: people celebrating you with the same energy. You know, is 133 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: there any truth in what they're saying? Is there a 134 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: lesson to be learned from what they're telling you? If so, great, 135 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: If not, keep it moving right. We can't harp on 136 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: either one, not the good not the bad. You know, life, 137 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: I think at the end of the day is is 138 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: very cyclical, and things come and go and you never 139 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: truly know everything right. And there is always going to 140 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: be someone out there that is that is better at 141 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: the thing that you do. So it's incredibly important to 142 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: remember to stay humble, to stay hungry, and to stay curious. Now, 143 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: to summarize all that we talked about today, you have, 144 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: you know, Drake, you know, talking about the idea of 145 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: never letting the success go to your head, nor allowing 146 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: failure to get to your heart right, never allowing your 147 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: stuff to go to the extreme of either one of 148 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: those things. Just remaining even keeled. Remember, you define what 149 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: something means at the end of the day, right, So 150 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: never let it get your head too big, and never 151 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: let it get your spirits down either, right. And and Shakespeare, 152 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: you know, piggybacking off of the stoic idea, right like, 153 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: nothing is good nor bad, it's whatever we decide to 154 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: make it. And then again my own personal story, you know, 155 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: I allowed my my ego to to kind of take control, right, 156 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: and to put me in in positions and to allow 157 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: me to, you know, overthink my greatness, have delusions of grandeur, 158 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: and to kind of be thinking that I had lived 159 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: life a certain way because of my outside greatness, right, 160 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: And that the second I began to move away from 161 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: that and get clear on what was important, my life 162 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: became exponentially better. And I'm in such a far better 163 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: place and at peace in my life, you know. So 164 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: I think it's important to remember that what goes up 165 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: must come down, and that's neither good nor bad. It 166 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: just is a part of life. Now, with that said, 167 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: thank you so much for checking out the Street Stoke podcast. 168 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Do your best to apply the concepts that we discussed 169 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: today into your everyday life, And I will catch you 170 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: next time. The Street Stoke Podcast is a production of 171 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: Ihearts Michael Bura Podcast Network.