1 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am promos And this is the Street 2 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing your daily dose a timeless stoke philosophy, 3 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: a remix for the hip hop generation. Now, with that 4 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: in mind, let's get things started with your daily shot 5 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: of inspiration. All right, So today we are gonna be 6 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: focusing around the stoic idea of diminishing your ego. And 7 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,639 Speaker 1: we have a quote from from one of the greats man, 8 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 1: the late great DMX, and I think it just kind 9 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: of hits the nail on the head around today's idea 10 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: of just kind of diminishing your ego, letting go of it, 11 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: not letting it lead you right where X says, the 12 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: minute you get too big to mop the floor a 13 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: wipe a counter, that's the exact minute you have life 14 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: fucked up. And man, this is like one of those 15 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: one of those like harsh truths right right down to 16 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: the point. And what he's talking about here is is 17 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: never being too proud to do the hard work or 18 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: whatever is needed. Right. And when you think that you're 19 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: too good for something, you're actually focusing on the wrong things, right, 20 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: rather than focusing on what should be done or what 21 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: needs to get done, you're more concerned with your ego, 22 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: which I think in the big picture is not going 23 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: to get you where you want to be right. And 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: this leads perfectly to a Stoic quote, although he's not 25 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: technically a Stoic. He writes many of the books on 26 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: the Stokes, and that's Ryan Holliday, and he has a 27 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: book called The Ego Is the Enemy, right, And in 28 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: it he says, this is what the ego does. It 29 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: crosses out what matters and replaces it with what doesn't. 30 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: And in the context of what we're talking about today, 31 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: like you maintaining this inflated idea of who you are 32 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: and what you are above doing, it's not more important 33 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: than the task at hand, right, patting yourself on the 34 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: back and scratching that that it's to sort of, you know, 35 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: inflate your ego is not getting you closer to where 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: you want to be or where you need to be right. 37 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: And this goes for anything like this could be in business, right, 38 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: or it could even just be in maintaining a relationship, 39 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: you know, in either one of those things. When you 40 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: become too much in your own head and you think 41 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,399 Speaker 1: that you're too good to do all the little things 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: that are necessary, that's when those things begin to fall 43 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: apart and not yield the results that you had been 44 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: hoping for, right and for me, you know, I relate 45 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: to this on a very deep level because I feel 46 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: like a lot of my career has been sort of 47 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: built on my ability to sort of just never, never, 48 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: you know, think too highly of myself in a way 49 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: that affects my relationship with others. Right, and listen, I 50 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: haven't been perfect, you know. At times, my ego of 51 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: course gets the best of me like anybody else. But 52 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: I also know that my ability to humble myself like 53 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: it's given me this reputation that oftentimes precedes me, you know, 54 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: as a DJ, I've been so blessed to have played 55 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: you know, like festivals and done concerts with thousands of 56 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: people and open for big acts and all these different things. 57 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: But I also understand that, like all of those successes 58 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: are the result of a combination of of course, my 59 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: talent and hard work, but also, and maybe even more importantly, 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: the relationships that I've sort of developed along the way, 61 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: you know, just from sort of being a good dude. 62 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: Right that the relationships I've built along the way from 63 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: being a good dude are widely. You know, the things 64 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: that I can look back on and say, man, that's 65 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: probably what got me that opportunity or got me to 66 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: this place that I'm at right now. When I end 67 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: up doing an event, I'm djaying somewhere, you know, I 68 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: always try to introduce myself to the staff. You know, 69 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: I'm not above helping people set up or man, if 70 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: I see somebody struggling, I'm going to always go and 71 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: help them carry gear, you know, like I'm not above 72 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: doing any of the things that even if I wasn't 73 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: hired to do that, Like, just as a human being, 74 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: I want to help people out. And I think even 75 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: when it comes to my peers or people who are 76 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: younger than me or on the come up, whatever it 77 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: might be, like younger DJs in this particular example, I 78 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: always try to show them love. I always try to 79 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, check out their sets or you know, hang 80 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: back and have conversations with them and give feedback when 81 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: ask all those different things. You know, I understand once 82 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: again the humanity that is is also needed to maintain success, 83 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: you know, and the consistent feedback that I tend to 84 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: get from people that I work with. You know, before 85 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: you know, skill or anything is mentioned, it's that I was, 86 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, a pleasure to work with, right, And that's 87 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: why I've been able to make this whole thing a 88 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: career for myself, right starting out with DJing and then 89 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: media and all these different things. It's because I never 90 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: allow my past accomplishments to convince me that I, you know, 91 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: can now all of a sudden stop doing the things 92 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: that got me here in the first place. Right now, 93 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: we have heard from one of the absolute greats in DMX. 94 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: We have heard from r And Holiday, the author. We've 95 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: heard a bit about myself and my story and how 96 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: the idea of diminishing my ego has really been a 97 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: huge sort of thing that has helped my career trajectory. 98 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: Now let's talk about how you can make it you 99 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: a mantra for today. But first let's take a quick 100 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: break and then we'll be right back. All right, So 101 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: today we're talking about the idea of diminishing your ego. Right, 102 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: and we've heard from DMX, We've heard from the author 103 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: Ryan Holiday. I've given you some insight into my own 104 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: life and my own career. Now let's talk about how 105 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: you can make it your mantra for today, and I 106 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: think first and foremost, it's important to make a distinction, right, 107 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: Like you should never allow people to take advantage of 108 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: you or ignore all that you've done. Right. I'm not 109 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: saying that. I'm not saying you should make yourself small 110 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: and humber yourself to the point that nobody knows what 111 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: the hell you do or what you have done, and 112 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: they treat you like you like you're lesser than right. 113 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: But there is a balance, right, And I think that 114 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: balance comes from your ability to have big picture thinking, right, 115 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: like always asking yourself in any situation that you find 116 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: yourself in, like, what is the goal in this situation? 117 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: You know? Am I trying to have a healthy relationship? 118 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,279 Speaker 1: Let's say so, maybe the answer to that is I 119 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: should keep doing the little things that make my partner happy. Right, 120 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: even though I feel like I've proven my work to them, 121 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: I've proven that I love them and that you know, 122 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: I enjoy them, It doesn't mean you should just stop 123 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: doing the little things along the way that keep them happy. Right. 124 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: Or if it's like in your career and your business, 125 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: am I trying to run a successful business? Okay, then 126 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: I need to make sure that the focus is on 127 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: what needs to get done, even if it means you 128 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: know that it's something that is is you know, not 129 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: in my job description anymore, right, if it's something needs 130 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: to get done in that moment for the success of 131 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: my business. Forget my ego, forget about what you know 132 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to be doing or not doing. I need 133 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: to get this done because the greater goal, the bigger 134 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: picture thinking here, is making sure my business is operating, 135 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: you know, in the way that I would hope it 136 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: would right in in a successful manner. I think our 137 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: pride and ego, you know, often allow us to lose 138 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: sight of what is important, you know. And I'll even 139 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: go a step further when it comes to, you know, 140 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: conversations you're having with other people. Maybe you are you know, 141 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: in the midst of an argument, or or somebody says 142 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: something that you know rubs you the wrong way, or 143 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: you're trying to just trying to heal a situation that 144 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,239 Speaker 1: is you know, a bit distressed, be it like an ex, 145 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: or be it somebody that you got into an argument 146 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: of friend, family member, whatever, it might be like checking 147 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: yourself in the moment, and maybe they say something that 148 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: you want to respond to, right that you want to 149 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: correct that, you want to snap back in that moment, 150 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,239 Speaker 1: but stopping yourself and thinking what was the greater purpose 151 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: of me even having this conversation? Right? Am I trying 152 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: to heal this relationship? Am I trying to mend it? 153 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: Am I trying to find some closure? And if the 154 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: answer is yes to that, then you have to think 155 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: to yourself, does me responding quickly or me trying to 156 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: check them or correct them, does it actually lead us 157 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: down that road towards my ultimate goal? Right? And again 158 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: that's putting your ego to the side. Even if somebody 159 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: is saying you know something that you know makes you 160 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: feel the type of ware you feel like it might 161 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: not be true, or it's a skewed version of what happened. 162 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: Like again, sometimes it's just not worth getting into that 163 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: back and forth if the greater goal is some sort 164 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: of closure or trying to mend that relationship. Right. So 165 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: to recap all we've been talking about today on this 166 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: idea of diminishing your ego, right, if Dmax is talking about, 167 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: you know, the moment that you are too good to 168 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: basically do the little things is the moment that ye, 169 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: your life is going to go Awry right, and Ryan Holliday, 170 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: you know, kind of underlining this talking about how ego 171 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: ends up replacing what matters with what doesn't. Right. When 172 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: you choose ego, you are then focusing on something that 173 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: is not usually in the best interest of the greater 174 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: good of what you're talking about. Right. And then even 175 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: in my own story, you know, a lot of people 176 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: are always curious as to best lesson and it's best 177 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: practices to kind of make your dreams happen, your goals happen, 178 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: or to maintain relationships and things like that. And for me, 179 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: it's never allowing myself to stop doing the small things 180 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: that got me there in the first place, right, never 181 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: feeling like my past accomplishments or my credentials now make 182 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: me too good to have to do the little things 183 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: that allow others to have a great experience when I'm around, Right. 184 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: And for those of you who are able to put 185 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: aside your own ego and to just do the little 186 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 1: things that allow you to show up as a person 187 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 1: trying to get things done and prioritizing what really matters, 188 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 1: you're the ones who are going to inevitably get the 189 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: opportunities that you've been searching for or the happiness that 190 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: you've been searching for for talking about personal relationships. Now, 191 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: with that said, thank you so much for checking out 192 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: today's episode. Make sure you do your best to apply 193 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: these concepts that we've discussed into your everyday life, and 194 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: I will catch you next time. The Street Stoke PODCA 195 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: Cast is a production of Iheart's Macutura podcast Network.