1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I and dramas and this is the Street 2 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing you your daily dose of timeless stolk 3 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: philosophy remix for the hip hop generation. Now, with that 4 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: in mind, let's get things started with your daily shot 5 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: of inspiration. Not today, we are going to be focusing 6 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: around the idea of presents, right, and the Stoics talk 7 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: a lot about presence. They view it as an essential 8 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: part to enjoying life, to avoiding anxiety, you know, not 9 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: having fear of the future, and being able to do 10 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: all that you do with efficiency. And a song that 11 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: came to mind for me was was J Cole with 12 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: the record let Go My Hand and the outro it's 13 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: a prayer to God. But the part that I pulled 14 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: was keep us forever in the present, for presence makes 15 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: the strongest fathers, teach us how to lead, show us 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: how to love. And I love that acknowledgement right there, 17 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: of the idea of presence making the strongest fathers, right, 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: And I think you can interpret that a number of ways, right, 19 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: be it literally as someone who has a child and 20 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: being in the present moment allows you to tend to 21 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: your kids needs right and into what they're they're asking 22 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: for in that moment. You know, by you focusing on 23 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: what they're telling you and being right there and hyper 24 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: focus on the little signs that they're giving you, especially 25 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: before they can speak. You know that that is the 26 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: essential part of being a good parent, right, being able 27 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: to be hyper focused on what is happening with your 28 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: children in the moment and what they may or may 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: not need. And then I think beyond, just like parenthood 30 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: and being a father as it speaks about in the song, 31 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: I think it's also a way to view us as 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: human beings or what we should be striving for, I 33 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: should say, as human beings. Right, to be present in 34 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,959 Speaker 1: the moment is to become stronger because you are aware 35 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: of what needs to happen. You are aware of what 36 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: parts of yourself need to be tapped into in order 37 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: to make the best of a particular situation. Right. And 38 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: this leads perfectly to a quote from one of the stokes, 39 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,119 Speaker 1: Marcus Aurelius, and he says, the present is all we 40 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: have to live in or to lose. I found this 41 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: to be so profound because when you are not embracing 42 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 1: the present moment right, you are inevitably losing it. Right, 43 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: When you're not enjoying what's going on in front of you, 44 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: when you are not observing the signs or the lessons 45 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: that aren't in front of you, they are passing you by, 46 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: they are fleeting right. You are losing touch with what 47 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: is actually happening. And again, when something crazy is happening 48 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: in your life, when you need to be there for someone, 49 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: when you need to step up to the plate in 50 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: problem solved, If you're not being present to the information 51 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: that is coming outwardly in front of you and you're 52 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: just freaking out, you're losing your mind. You're losing your head, 53 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: You're getting anxious, You're you're worrying about what this means 54 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: for your future. You're not going to be able to 55 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: problem solve because you're focusing on too many other random 56 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: things rather than what is right in front of you, 57 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: the thing that you can control right the present moment, 58 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: the signs that are that are popping up in front 59 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: of you, the the problems that are in front of 60 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: you that need to be solved. If you're losing your 61 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: head and focusing on anything other than the present moment, 62 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: you're not going to be effective in that moment. And 63 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: like J Cole is talking about when you're talking about 64 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: someone who's a father or or what is a father 65 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: represent a caregiver? You know, you know, historically the leader 66 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: of something, right, the leader of a of a family. 67 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: And of course I'm not going to get too caught 68 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: up in in gender roles and things like that. Let's 69 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: just kind of talk, you know, in a sort of 70 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: broad sense, just for the sake of clarity. But you're 71 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: not going to be able to lead, You're not going 72 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: to be able to problem solve, You're not going to 73 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: be able to provide for those who are depending on 74 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: you if you are losing your shit and not focusing 75 00:03:58,160 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: on what is in front of you and what you 76 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: can do right. And and this like literally makes me 77 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: think about something that happened to me recently. You know, 78 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: I have been in a bit of a battle with 79 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: the town that I have my studio in. Right, I 80 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: had purchased this commercial building and it's a place that 81 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: has historically always had businesses here, and for whatever reason, 82 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: when I decided to now open up my studio here, 83 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: a neighbor complained to you know, the powers that be, 84 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: And now the town is giving me a hard time 85 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: about operating here, right, and there's all kinds of expenses, associate, 86 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: I have to get a lawyer, I do all these 87 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: different things. And I had gotten a quote back from 88 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: one lawyer that was recommended to me, and it was 89 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: this crazy ten thousand dollars this is going to cost me. 90 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: And I have to hire an engineer to look at 91 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: the parking lot, and I have to hire this expert 92 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: and this expert. Then I have to go and do 93 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: all this paperwork and go in front of some border 94 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: or whatever it might be. And in that moment, I 95 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: got mad, I got frustrated, I got upset, I started 96 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: getting down on myself. I started telling myself, Oh, this 97 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: is just my luck. You know that I would go 98 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: ahead and make my first investment, and then of course 99 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm about to lose it all. After I just finished 100 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: my studio, I just like put the finishing touches on it, 101 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: and I'm getting ready to open it to the public, 102 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: and then this happens. Now I'm losing my life savings essentially, right, 103 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: And I lost my shit a bit the night that 104 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: I got this quote back from that lawyer and heard 105 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: what his argument was, right, and he wasn't too confident 106 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: about the case, and in general just seemed like he 107 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: was trying to push me away. Right. He didn't want 108 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: to take it. It It wasn't worth his time. When I 109 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: woke up that next morning, I immediately got present to 110 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: what am I in control of? Right? And that was 111 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: the flip side. The night before. I felt helpless. I 112 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: felt like my life was ending. When I got up 113 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: that next morning, I recalibrated, and I knew that I 114 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: was in control. I went to the town I demanded 115 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: all paperwork, all records that they had. I went and 116 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: spoke to other business owners who had a similar problem. 117 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,239 Speaker 1: I spoke to everybody who's ever been to my property 118 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: and getting all the historical facts and documents, and now 119 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: I have a solid case, right. And all of that 120 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: was just from me saying, no, I'm going to get 121 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: hyper present to what is in my control. What can 122 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: I do right now. I'm not going to lose my 123 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: shit anymore. I'm not gonna lose my head. I'm not gonna, 124 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: you know, just bow out gracefully and allow these people 125 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: to take everything that I've worked so hard for because 126 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: it seems like an uphill battle. No, I'm getting present 127 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: what can I do? And that's what is saving me, 128 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 1: and that is what is keeping me sane as well. 129 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: So I think that's just for me. What immediately comes 130 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: to mine when we talk about this idea of presence 131 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: and all that Jake Coole is talking about and all 132 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: that Marcus Aurelius is talking about. Now, with that in mind, 133 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: let's talk about you and how you can make this 134 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: your mantra for today. We'll first take a quick break 135 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: and then we'll be right back. All right, So we've 136 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: heard the words of Jake Cole, we have heard the 137 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: words of Marcus Aurelius. We have a man heard a 138 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: very personal example of something I am going through and 139 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: how I am applying the idea of presence as a 140 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: problem solver, how I'm applying that to my life. Now, 141 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: let's talk about how you can make it your manstra 142 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: for today. And I think first and foremost, you have 143 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: to recognize that problem solving takes presence. Right when we 144 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: agonize over what could be or how unfair it is. 145 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: You know that I'm going through this particular situation, we 146 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: lose sight of the action that is needed to take right. 147 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: We are then essentially relinquishing our power to someone else, 148 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: to some outside force because we are choosing to believe 149 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: that we already lost, we are looking to the future 150 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: for a reassurance of how terrible things are going to 151 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: be because of this terrible moment, or we're looking to 152 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: the past and creating a case about how we have 153 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: the worst luck in the world. When again, focusing on 154 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: the present moment, it's not going to solve everything right now, 155 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: but at least it gets the ball rolling towards putting 156 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: you in a better position to fight against whatever it 157 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: is that you are going through. Right and again to recap. 158 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: Like Jacole said, presence makes the strongest father, and you 159 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: can replace fathers with the strongest people. Right when you 160 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: are present, when you're tackling the problem head on and 161 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: you are not avoiding it, you are not feeling bad 162 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: for yourself. You are inevitably going to learn something new 163 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: and put yourself in a better position to defeat whatever 164 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: issue it is that is at hand. Right and, like 165 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: Marcus Aurelius says, right present is all you have to 166 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: live in or to lose. When you relinquish that control 167 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: of focusing on what's directly in front of you, you 168 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: are inevitably losing out on the current present moment and 169 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: again the current opportunity to correct whatever it is that 170 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: you are going through, and when it comes to to 171 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: me and my story in this battle that I'm in 172 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: right now with my town. Had I have kept up 173 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: the same attitude of woe is me and life sucks 174 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: and I'm just screwed right now, I would be screwed. Right, 175 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: that actually would be the result. But instead, when I 176 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: woke up with a better attitude and got present to 177 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: all the things that I could do, you know, without 178 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 1: having to hire a lawyer, without having to go in 179 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: front of the town. What are the things that I 180 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: can take into my own hands. And once I did that, 181 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: I was able to put myself at an advantage where 182 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: I have all of this proof that combats what the 183 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: town is trying to tell me and what they're trying 184 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 1: to implement against me. Right. But again, had I have 185 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: just kept that negative mindset, I would just be sitting 186 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: here waiting for the day that the town potentially shuts 187 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: me down and I lose out on my life savings. Right, presence, 188 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: that is how you fight against whatever is happening in 189 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: your life. That is how you build strength, and that 190 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: is how you can push past, whatever hardships are going 191 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: on currently, remember focus on what is directly in front 192 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: of you. And while we're on the topic of presence, 193 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: I did write an entire book called just B that 194 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: is about trying to cultivate presence. You can check that 195 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: out www. Dot just B dot NYC, hu stbe dot nyc. 196 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: You can pick up the book submerge all that kind 197 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: of stuff, because presence is something that I am trying 198 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: to cultivate more of because I've recognized it's importance. It's 199 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: not just empty words. I literally wrote a book on it. 200 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 1: And with that said, thank you so much for checking 201 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 1: out The Street Stoke Podcast. Do your best to apply 202 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: these concepts that we discussed today into your everyday life, 203 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: and I'll catch you all next time. The Street Stoke 204 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: Podcast is a production of Ihearts Michael Tura Podcast Network.