1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am Dramas And this is the Street 2 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing your daily dose of timeless stoic philosophy 3 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: remix for the hip hop generation. We are combining Asia 4 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: philosophy with lyrics and quotes from some of the greatest 5 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: who ever grace a microphone. Now, with that in mind, 6 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: let's get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. 7 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: Now today we are going to be focusing around the 8 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: idea of not taking life so seriously and a little 9 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: bit different. Right now, I'm gonna start with somebody who 10 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: is not a rapper and not a stoic, but of 11 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: the culture, and that is halleb Harry. And she has 12 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: this really profound quote that I think it is just 13 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: perfect for what we're discussing today. And she says, don't 14 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: take yourself too seriously, know when to laugh at yourself 15 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: and find a way to laugh at the obstacles that 16 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: inevitably present themselves. Right, And I just think this is 17 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: such simple yet profound advice for the human experience. Right 18 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: as she says, obstacles, they are inevitable, and you have 19 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: to find a way to lessen their impact on you 20 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: and your overall quality of life. You know, and this 21 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: also leads to another quote that I pulled, and it's 22 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: from an actual rapper, and of course it's Pack and 23 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: he says, but through whatever you see, through all the 24 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: rain and the pain, you gotta keep your sense of humor. 25 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit. 26 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: And he's saying the same thing as as Hallie in 27 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: in a very different way, but they're both having the 28 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: same underlying message. You know, Pocket is talking about the bullshit, right, 29 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: the hard things that happen in life, and you know, 30 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: whatever's going on, the rain, the pain, you got to 31 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: keep your sense of humor. You cannot allow the tough 32 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: times in life to take that away from you. And also, 33 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: I think, at the end of the day, not taking 34 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: yourself too seriously in general, right, not hiding parts of 35 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: yourself for the sake of being scared to look foolish. 36 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,119 Speaker 1: It's important that we show people who we really are, 37 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: you know. And a part of that is being an 38 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: imperfect human being. A part of that is being silly, 39 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: being able to joke, you know, and and not you know, 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: trying to put on this face of perfection, you know, 41 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: and I do want to kind of preface all that 42 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,239 Speaker 1: we're talking about. Like, I know, we talk a lot 43 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: about and not wasting time on Earth, and of course, 44 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: you know, you want to take your time here on 45 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: this planet very seriously and you want to put all 46 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: of your energy into everything that you do. But you 47 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: also have to learn how to make peace with the setbacks, right. 48 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: I think that's what we're talking about today. You have 49 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: to have a sense of humor, you know. I mean, 50 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: life ain't that serious in general, right, Like not everything 51 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 1: has to be this huge meltdown and this sort of 52 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: like existential crisis. And this leads perfectly to a quote 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: from one of the stoics, Epictetius, and he says, he 54 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: who laughs at himself never runs out of things to 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: laugh at, right, And this to me speaks to the 56 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: fact that we're all gonna mess up eventually at some point, 57 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: right inevitably, and we're gonna keep doing it over you know, 58 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: we're gonna say something stupid. We are going to you know, 59 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: try and be perfect all the time, but it's just impossible, 60 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: you know. And I think that it's important to man 61 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: your livelihood, to your mental health, your sanity, your quality 62 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: of life, Like it's important to let your guard down 63 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: and just experience life as it comes to you. You know, 64 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: by trying to maintain some sort of like impossible perception 65 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: of perfection, you're again just hiding parts of yourself that 66 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: many people would find to be interesting, right, that many 67 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: people would actually end up being drawn to you if 68 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: you were unafraid to showcase that side of yourself, you know. 69 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: And for me, I relate to this in a number 70 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: of different ways. I mean, I think in general, I 71 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: have perfectionist tendencies and it shows up in various ways 72 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: throughout my life. And I think one of the ways 73 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 1: I've noticed is when I get a new job, I'm 74 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: trying to give off this level of perfection and I'm quiet, 75 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: and I am not trying to, you know, show too 76 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: much of myself, you know, show my cards, you know. 77 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: And this happened when I first started with the Breakfast Club. 78 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: I was there for like a year before I really 79 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: had any real connection with anybody. It was because I 80 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: was just too nervous to be myself right. And then, 81 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 1: you know, as things would happen because I'm not going 82 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: to be perfect even if I'm trying my best, like, 83 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: I would end up beating myself up if I did 84 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: something wrong or if I didn't say the right thing 85 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 1: every time they threw the microphone my way right. But 86 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: it's interesting about that, and the learning lesson that I've 87 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: found from that experience was that when I eventually just 88 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: stopped trying to be perfect and I allowed myself to 89 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: be silly and to play around and to just be 90 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: myself right, because all those things are characteristics of who 91 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: I am amongst friends and family. You know, When I 92 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: allowed those parts of me to show up in this environment, 93 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: that's when again, the real me started to be on 94 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: display for people. And as a result, that is when 95 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 1: I truly began to connect with those that I was 96 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: working with, you know, and build relationships with them, because 97 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: they got to actually see the human side of me. 98 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: I was no longer kind of keeping them at arm's length. 99 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: I was no longer wearing this veil. I was being 100 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: unafraid to show up authentically, good, bad, and imperfect. And 101 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: that is what allowed me to build friendships, build relationships, 102 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: and also what allowed me to, you know, utilize this 103 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: opportunity of working on such a profound show where I 104 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: now had the relationship built in a way that I 105 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: could lean on these people for vice or for possible 106 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: introductions to people that I was interested in meeting and 107 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: potentially working with. Right, but all of that came as 108 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: a result of me eventually just letting my guard down, 109 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: allowing the real side of me to show and to 110 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: stop obsessing with being perfect and taking everything so fucking seriously. Now, 111 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: with that said, we have heard from halle Berry, we 112 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: have heard from Tupac, we have heard from Epictetus, you 113 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: have heard from myself. We're hearing from a lot of 114 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: people on today's show. Now let's talk about you and 115 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: how you can make this whole concept of not taking yourself, 116 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: not taking life too seriously, How you can make that 117 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: your manstra for today. But first let's take a quick 118 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: break and then we'll be all right. So we have 119 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: heard the words of halle Berry, we have heard Tupac, 120 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: and one of the stoics, Epictetius, myself all around this 121 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: concept of not taking life too seriously. Now let's talk 122 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: about how you can make it your mantra for today. 123 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: And I think, first and foremost it starts with just 124 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: learning to let your guard down a bit, right, like 125 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: be okay with being human, being imperfect, being silly, just 126 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: just being you, right Like, you can't constantly be thinking 127 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: that every moment is the end of the world, or 128 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: that if you make this one mistake, everybody's gonna hate you. 129 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: Like that is no way to live, and that is 130 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: is probably the least productive way to carry yourself in 131 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: any environment. Right At the end of the day, people 132 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: are always going to relate to those who are real 133 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: and and being real, you know, is also being okay 134 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: with being imperfect, right Like, showcasing the human side of 135 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: yourself is what is going to make people relate to you. 136 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: It's what's going to make people drawn to you and 137 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: want to have some sort of connection and relationship with you, 138 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: right like that, that is what life is all about. 139 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: It's about being able to smile through all the book shit, 140 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: like like Pox said, right, it's about what what Halli 141 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: was saying, where you know, you have to learn how 142 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: to laugh at the obstacles that are inevitably going to 143 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: be presented your way, that are inevitbly going to present themselves. 144 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: You have to be able to just lighten the load, 145 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: take some of that weight off of your shoulders, and 146 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: give yourself some relief by not taking shit so seriously, right, 147 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: and of course we're in the midst of kind of 148 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: recapping everything. Epictetius old dead white dude has not been 149 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: around for centuries, is echoing the same message. Right. This 150 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: is a message and a methodology that is as old 151 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: as time because it's that important to our livelihood and 152 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: us having a happy and fulfilled life. Right, talking about 153 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: he who laughs at himself never runs out of things 154 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,239 Speaker 1: to laugh at. Right, The ability to laugh at yourself 155 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: and to not take yourself too seriously. That allows you 156 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: to enjoy life far more rather than sitting there and 157 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: and beating yourself up for every wrong thing saying that 158 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: you do that leads to a sad and depressing life. Right, 159 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: that is a lot of weight to be carrying around, 160 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: and even for myself, you know, in a professional sense. 161 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: And also it could be I think related to a 162 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: personal sense, you know, attracting friends or a romantic relationship. 163 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: Like when I stopped being so conscious of my every move, 164 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: you know, when I stopped being a robot essentially, right, 165 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: and I began to let my guard down and was 166 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: okay with the fact that I'm going to make a mistake, 167 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to make a bad joke, I'm going to 168 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: say something stupid like when I got over those fears, 169 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: that is when I built a real connection with the 170 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,599 Speaker 1: people around me, and that is what helped excel my 171 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: career and my life, and also in my personal life. 172 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 1: That same methodology has attracted all the people I could 173 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: have ever dreamed about into my orbit right because I 174 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: again was unafraid to showcase who I really am, and 175 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: people are attracted to that right. The ability to not 176 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: have a meltdown when life Eneviti throws something you're way. 177 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: That is a really easy way to bring more joy 178 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: and peace into your life. And I think that's what 179 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: we're all striving for at the end of the day. 180 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: And with that said, thank you so much for checking 181 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 1: out the Street Stoic podcast. Do your best to apply 182 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 1: these concepts that we discussed today into your everyday life 183 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: and I'll catch you next time. The Street Stoke Podcast 184 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: is a production of Ihearts Michael Blura Podcast Network.