1 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am Dramas And this is the Street 2 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing your daily dose of timeless stoic philosophy, 3 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: a remix for the hip hop generation. Now, with that 4 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: in mind, let's get things started with your daily shot 5 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: of inspiration. Now today we're gonna be talking all about 6 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: the stoic idea of taking action. And I don't have 7 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: a lyric to pull, but more so just a bit 8 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: of a quote. It's a bit of an excerpt from 9 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: one of the greatest of all time, Jay Z. This 10 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: always really stuck with me ever since I saw the 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: Kanye West documentary on Netflix. And it's a scene where 12 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: they're in the studio jay Z's recording Blueprint Too, and 13 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: there's an open verse on this record called Bounce, and 14 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,839 Speaker 1: Kanye automatically volunteers himself as saying he has a verse 15 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: ready for it, and Jay tells him to get in 16 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: the booth. He lays it down, and now Kanye is 17 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: a part of this song. And this is before Kanye 18 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: was Kanye, right, Kanye didn't even have the first album 19 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: out yet, right, But as Jay put it closed, mouths 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: don't get fed. And I just thought this was a 21 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 1: really profound kind of moment to witness, you know, obviously 22 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: via the comfort of my living room years later on 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: my television screen, But either way, it had a big 24 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: impact on me in sort of the idea of advocating 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: for yourself, because again, this is Kanye before he was Kanye, right, 26 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: And Kanye had to be the only person essentially in 27 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: that room to really believe in himself, and he spoke 28 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: up and ends up getting a Verse on a record 29 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: with one of the biggest artists of all time time, right, 30 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: But it's all because of his own ability to advocate 31 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: for himself at the end of the day, right, And 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: that's taking action, that's seeing an opportunity right there and 33 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: not allowing your fear or your self doubt to sort 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: of hold you back in that moment, because I think 35 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: a lot of us, even if we were far more 36 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: accomplished as an artist in that moment than Kanye was, 37 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: would have had some sort of trepidation about just raising 38 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: our hand when Jay Z is, you know, in the 39 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: studio recording his album and suggesting that we might be 40 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: worthy of putting a Verse on one of his records, right, 41 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: And this leads perfectly into a quote from one of 42 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: the stoics, and more so someone around during that time 43 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: Musonius Rufus where he says, quote, you will earn the 44 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: respect of all men if you begin earning the. 45 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 2: Respect of yourself. 46 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: And I think what he's saying here in that really 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: powerful statement is you have to begin to operate as 48 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: the person that you want others to see you as 49 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: I think there's this tendency as human beings that we 50 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: are a bit complacent. We are frustrated that people aren't 51 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: giving us the opportunity that we want in our career, 52 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: or maybe the right person has it come along in 53 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: our life romantically, but most of us, when we sort 54 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 1: of have those thoughts, we're sitting there on the couch 55 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: not actually doing anything about what we are asking for, right, 56 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: We're not actually taking any sort of action. Whereas I believe, 57 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: when you begin to show up and act as the 58 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: person that you want to be, right, you carry yourself 59 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: as somebody who has had the success of a of 60 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: a j Z right. 61 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: In the form of Kanye West, or you carry yourself with. 62 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: The confidence and sort of the polite demand of where 63 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: you feel like you should be in your career. Others 64 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: are going to begin to notice and they're going to 65 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: acquire and wonder why you're walking around that confidence, and 66 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: that leads to them considering you for the opportunity you've 67 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: been wanting, right, And for me, I had this moment recently. 68 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: You know, I was fortunate. 69 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: Enough to go to iHeartRadio's Fiesta Latina, and I was 70 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: hosting and doing some interview. 71 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: With various artists at the event. 72 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: And you know, I was there amongst really seasoned media personalities, 73 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: amongst legendary artists within our culture and our community, and 74 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: you know, I was sort of the new kid on 75 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: the block, right, not a lot of people familiar with me, 76 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: or really a lot of people probably wondering what the 77 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 1: hell I was even doing there or why I was 78 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: given that opportunity, right. And for me, the thing I'm 79 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: proud of looking back is I commanded a certain level 80 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: of respect, and not by being a hard ass or 81 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: being a jerk or anything. 82 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: Like that, but because I walked in with a level of. 83 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: Confidence, right, and when there were suggestions made about things 84 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: that weren't in line with who I am, right, you know, 85 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: I don't really speak fluent Spanish, so there were times 86 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: where people might have said, oh, can you say something 87 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: in Spanish. I had to politely decline because that's not 88 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: authentic to who I am. Right but in me sort 89 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: of dictating this is who I am, take it or 90 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: leave it. People had no choice but to respect me 91 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: and sort of meet me where I was right and 92 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: understand that this is my point of view, this is 93 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: who I am, and this is what I do. And 94 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: you are coming into my world rather than me sort 95 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: of making myself smaller and just conforming to whatever it 96 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: is that you expect. And I think that obviously there's 97 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: a way to do this politely where you are are not, 98 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: you know, being a terror to everybody in the room, 99 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: but at the same time respecting yourself and carrying yourself 100 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: as who you want to be. Now you've heard the 101 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: words of jay Z, you've heard from Musonius Rufus. Give 102 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: you some insight into my own life of how I've 103 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: tried to apply this whole concept into my everyday career. 104 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: Now let's talk about how you can make it your 105 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: mantra for today. Well, first let's take a quick break 106 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: and then we'll be. 107 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: All right. 108 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: So today we are talking all about the idea of 109 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: taking action, and we have heard the words of jay Z. 110 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: We have heard from Ausonia's groups. I'll give you some 111 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: insight into my own mindset when it comes to this. Now, 112 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: let's talk about how you can make it your mindset 113 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: for today. And I think we're really basing it today 114 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: the conversation of taking action off of you putting the 115 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: energy out there into the world of how you want 116 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: to be treated. Right, you carrying yourself in a particular manner, 117 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: You taking a particular set of actions. It's going to 118 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: yield a particular set of results, but it first starts 119 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: with you commanding a certain level of respect and a 120 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: certain level of treatment from others. 121 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: Then they're going to fall in line. 122 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: So with that mindset and with that vantage point of 123 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: taking action, I want to kind of talk about the 124 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: idea of you two point zero right. And this is 125 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: something I discussed a lot in my wellness group. Just 126 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: b this idea of you two point oh. It is 127 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: you deciding who you want to be and then how 128 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:56,679 Speaker 1: you're going. 129 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 2: To live your life accordingly. Right. 130 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: And for me, I've done this a million and one 131 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: times and I kind of continue to reinvent myself. But 132 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: it's the idea of from the simplest form of power. 133 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to dress, how I'm going to present myself 134 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: physically to the outside world. What sort of respect am 135 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: I going to demand? What are the boundaries that I'm 136 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: going to want? You know, what is the sort of 137 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: type of person I want others to view me as? 138 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 2: Right? 139 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: And it's breaking it down in every single aspect of 140 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: your life. Again, it could be physically, how you dress, 141 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: could be where you live, how much money you make, 142 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, what kind of car you drive, what type 143 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: of job you have, you know what your position is 144 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: in the community, how you want strangers to perceive you. 145 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: You have to identify I feel like all of these 146 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: different parts of yourself. You have to create the ideal 147 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: life for yourself mentally right, and then work backwards. 148 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: How does this person live? 149 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: How does the person that I want to become, how 150 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: do they live their everyday life? And that's what you 151 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,679 Speaker 1: begin to build off if you begin to take action 152 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: on those steps. And I think that's been incredibly powerful 153 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: for me. You know, if I want to be a 154 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: successful media personality, right then I have to carry myself 155 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: as a successful media personality. I can't wait until the 156 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: rest of the world recognizes me as one I have 157 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: to first show them and demand the respect of somebody 158 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: who is a successful media personality. Right, That's the only 159 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: way I'm going to get the opportunities. That's the only 160 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: way people are going to see my talent or my 161 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: ability is by me first and foremost showcasing it, even 162 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: if they're not necessarily asking for it yet. Right, And 163 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: I think it starts with even small steps. I'll give 164 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: you a tangible example. You know, I want to be 165 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: somebody that energizes those who I work with, those who 166 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: are around me, that we create a fun environment that 167 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: everybody can feel creative. They're a part of it. We're 168 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: all suggesting, you know, various ideas and we're all having fun, 169 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 1: thus leading to. 170 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: The best product. 171 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: And I brought up that experience of being in Miami hosting. 172 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: So when I walked in there, I made sure I 173 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: introduced myself to every single person in the room, from 174 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: the lighting person to the person who's just carrying stuff in, 175 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: the people producers working behind the scenes. I made sure 176 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: that I created an environment where everybody feels like we 177 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: are on the same playing field and we're working together 178 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: and we're just here to have fun. And it's not 179 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: going to be some stuffy, you know, miserable four hours 180 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: with somebody who thinks he's better than everybody else. Right now, 181 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: a recap all we've been talking about today. You have 182 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: this example of Kanye in the studio with jay Z 183 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: and volunteering himself to get in on an open verse 184 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: on one of Jay's records, right, and even jay Z 185 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: appreciating that saying closed mouths don't get fed. 186 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: Right now, when it comes to this quote from Marsnia's. 187 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,439 Speaker 1: Rufus right talking about how you will earn the respect 188 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: of all the men if you begin earning the respect 189 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: of yourself, you have to first operate as the person 190 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: you want everybody else to see you as. 191 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: Right. 192 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: If you don't respect yourself, if you don't carry yourself 193 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: in a certain manner that demands respect from others, they're 194 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 1: not going to volunteer it. 195 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 2: For the most part. 196 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: Right, So you first and foremost have to be the 197 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: person that you want others to see you as. You 198 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: have to first and foremost take action on being the 199 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: ideal version yourself, even if you're not yet living the 200 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: life that you're dreaming of. It first starts with you 201 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: and the energy that you give off to the outside world. 202 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 1: Then they treat you in accordance with how you respect yourself. 203 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 2: And how you view yourself and even me. 204 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: You know, this is sort of something I've been adapting 205 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 1: and being very intentional about, is if I want to 206 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: be respected in my field, I first and foremost have 207 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: to carry myself as somebody who is confident in his 208 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: ability so that I can get those big opportunities that 209 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 1: I am hoping for. And again, it all starts with 210 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: me and the actions that I decide to take. So remember, 211 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,719 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it all starts with you. 212 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: People are going to treat you the way that you 213 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: treat yourself. And with that said, thank you so much 214 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: for checking out the Streetstone podcast. Do a best to 215 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 1: apply these constants that we discussed into everyday life, and 216 00:10:49,960 --> 00:11:00,839 Speaker 1: I will catch you next time. The Streets podcast is 217 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: a production of Iheart's Micoltura podcast network.