1 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am Dramas and this is the Street 2 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: Stoke Podcast, bringing your daily dose of timeless stoic philosophy 3 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: remix for the hip hop generation. Now, with that in mind, 4 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: let us get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. 5 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: Now today we're gonna be focusing all around the stoic 6 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: idea of taking action and man, as we still are 7 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: here fresh in a new year, I feel like I'm 8 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: hitting you like these one two punches to light that 9 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: fire under you to really get moving on what it 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: is that you want. Right and today we're pulling a 11 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: quote from the artist's Tone Deaf song is called Optimist, 12 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: and in it they say there's reasons the week of 13 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: will never dream or believe before they leap. They concede 14 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: to defeat and agree to retreat. Now when fatigue has 15 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: really got you by the balls, remember that if you 16 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: really didn't believe you'd succeed, then you wouldn't have tried 17 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: at all. So jump regardless of the consequence, because even 18 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: on the night of the apocalypse, everybody's an optimist. We're 19 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: going to just kind of dive into maybe what the 20 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: hell he's trying to say for certain parts of this right, 21 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: but I think the general message that I take away 22 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: from it is that the only guaranteed loss in this 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: life is when you don't take any action whatsoever on 24 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: what it is that you want. And I love the 25 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: distinction here, and we've all, you know, sort of allowed 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: fear to take us by the balls, if you will, right, 27 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: and to not take action on the things that we 28 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: want to do. Right. So when he talks about people 29 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: who are weak of will right, who don't have that willpower, 30 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: why they never dream or believe is because before they 31 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: actually take any sort of action, they literally talk themselves 32 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: out of it, and they concede to being defeated off 33 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: the get they run back to where it's safe, They 34 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: run back under the covers, to where it's warm. Those 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: who have a weak sense of willpower never actually get started. 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: And that last line I kind of want to break 37 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: down a little bit and try to see if I 38 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: can analyze, in my opinion, what he's trying to say. 39 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: What he says even on the night of the apocalypse, 40 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: everybody's an optimist. Two things kind of came to mind 41 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: as I was thinking about those last couple of bars, 42 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,239 Speaker 1: and this is open to interpretation, but one being that 43 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: you know, even when we feel like, oh, you know, 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: the world's about to end hypothetically, right, let's say there's 45 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: a media coming towards life, there is still that little 46 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: hope that the media misses Earth or whatever. Right, there's 47 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: still I don't know why the movie arm Again is 48 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: coming to mind, right, but there's still is that shred 49 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: You're not just completely kind of sinking in like we're 50 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: all going to die type of thing. Right, even if 51 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 1: you are being told by the news that we're about 52 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: to be hit by this meteor, there's a small part 53 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: of you that still has a little bit of optimism, 54 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: like they could be wrong and we could survive to 55 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: live another day as right. And I think what he's 56 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: talking about there is like you're staring in the face 57 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: of the worst case scenario, but you still know there's 58 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: a possibility that you can come out on the other 59 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: side of it. And I think that alone is like 60 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: the idea of keeping some sort of optimism even in 61 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: the face of your worst case scenario. The other thing 62 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: I was going to say about that thing is maybe 63 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: even with the apocalypse, if you're a person of faith, 64 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: you just believe that this is God's will and they're 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: taking care of you, so you're like accepting of it 66 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: and it's okay. So whatever happens happens either way. I 67 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: think there's still some positive be found kind of in 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: those last bars. Now, let's talk about quote from one 69 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: of the stoics, Seneca, where he says, sometimes even to 70 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: live is an active courage. And I think what that 71 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: means is, whether you realize it or not, every day 72 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: you're taking action, like subconsciously, you're taking some sort of action. 73 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: You're going out into the unknown. If you're commuting to work, 74 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: you don't know what obstacle may face you on the highway. 75 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: A car may spin out of control, a deer may 76 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: run in front of your car, Like you just don't 77 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: know what potentially it could happen from you leaving your 78 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: doorstep to you getting to your job. Now, if you're 79 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: playing the odds, it's better than other risks, but there's 80 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: still is a risk involved. Right You're heading out into 81 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: the unknown essentially, And my point is you're accustomed to 82 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: taking action, whether you realize it or not. Yet when 83 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: it comes to taking action on our dreams or on 84 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: something that is a bit outside of the norm, we 85 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: all of a sudden sort of forget that we know 86 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: how to do this right, that we know how to 87 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: put one foot in front of the other and actually 88 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: just start walking forward. And I mean even for me, 89 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: you know, I think about this, like my career, my 90 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: life in general, has just been a series of risks. 91 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: When I quit my job at the Breakfast Club, that 92 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: was a risk, that was a dream job for so 93 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: many people, that opened so many doors and continue to 94 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: it gave me leverage in so many situations, and not 95 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: having that backing behind me made it more difficult to 96 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: make certain things happen right. And then beyond that, I 97 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: had a job after the Breakfast Club. I was, you know, 98 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: producing podcasts full time, and I quit that within a 99 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: few months of having it, you know, because I just 100 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: recognized this wasn't for me. And man, at that time, 101 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: that was early on where I was really rolling the 102 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: dice on like if this was gonna work out, this 103 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: whole self employment thing. But I knew that I had 104 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: to follow my gut. I knew that I had to 105 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: be courageous and take the leap of faith and bet 106 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: out myself. And of course I tried to do it 107 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: in the smartest way possible. But it was still a risk. 108 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: There's no way that I was able to get around 109 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: the idea of this being a gigantic risk and there 110 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: being a possibility of me losing everything I had invested 111 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: my time and effort and money into. Right, But I 112 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: understood that in order for me to live the life 113 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: that I wanted, I would have to be courageous. And 114 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: I think that's sort of the message that we're getting 115 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: at today with all that we're talking about. Now we 116 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 1: have heard from the artist Tone Deaf, heard from one 117 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: of the stoics, Seneca, giving you some insight into how 118 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: this is just sort of my daily life right now, 119 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: always you know, taking some sort of action, taking some 120 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: sort of risk. Now let's talk about how you can 121 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: make it your mantra for today. But first let's take 122 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: a quick break and then all right, So today we've 123 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: been talking all about the Stoic idea of taking action. 124 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: We have heard from the artist Tone Deaf, We've heard 125 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: from one of the stoics, Seneca, give you some insights 126 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: in my own life. Now let's talk about how you 127 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: can make it your mantra for today. And I think 128 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: what I'm trying to kind of get at here is 129 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: the idea of courage, and I feel like we don't 130 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: give ourselves enough credit for how much courage we each 131 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: put on display each and every day. And oftentimes it's subconscious, 132 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: oftentimes it's a part of our routine, but we are 133 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: all putting on displays of courage every single day, just 134 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: living out our normal lives. So I think the key 135 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: is really to stop building up this idea of taking 136 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: action right the moments that you do have to go 137 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: out and do something that you do have to put, 138 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: you know, an idea out there and actually put some 139 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: sort of action behind it. Stop allowing yourself to build 140 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: it up in your mind as this new and crazy thing, 141 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: and remember that each and every day you are taking action. 142 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: Each and every day, you're taking some sort of risks. 143 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: Each and every day, you are putting courage on display. 144 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: You do this every single day. Action is a normal 145 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: part of our routine as human beings, just living our 146 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: lives each and every day. And I think once you 147 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,239 Speaker 1: begin to recognize that you are accustomed to taking action, 148 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: it becomes far easier to train yourself to not just 149 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: allow your ideas to live and die in your mind, 150 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: but recognize that you have the tools already to begin 151 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: bringing them to life if you choose to do so. Now, 152 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: to recap all we've been talking about today, you have 153 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: the artist Tone Deaf talking really about the people who 154 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: are are a week of will. He says, right that 155 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: before they ever take any sort of action, they just 156 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: decide to give up. And I think this is where 157 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: ninety nine percent of the people who are not living 158 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: a life that makes them happy, this is the category 159 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: that they fall into. This is the category of people 160 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: who always have that great idea, who always talk about 161 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: what they could have done, what they would have done right, 162 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: who live this sort of life of regret. They drive 163 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: to work upset each day, they drive home upset each 164 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: and every day, and it's because of the decisions that 165 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: they didn't make. It's because of the risks that they 166 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: didn't take right, the action that they didn't take. And 167 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: then going on to a quote from one of the 168 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: stokes here Seneca talking about sometimes even to just live 169 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: is an active courage. And I bring this up to 170 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: remind you that you already have the tools that you 171 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: need to take the action that is necessary. Each and 172 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: every day you're putting that on display. It's reminding you 173 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: that just living life takes courage, right, So why would 174 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: you sell yourself short when it comes to the things 175 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 1: that you truly want, the things that can potentially make 176 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: you happy? And even me, My life is much of 177 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: what I dream but it was because I kept taking risks, 178 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: and I continue to take risks. I understand that the 179 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 1: reward comes from consistent action, from consistently betting on myself 180 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: and my ability to even in failure, bounce back even 181 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: when things don't work out according to plan. Know that 182 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: that is not the end of my story and a 183 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 1: commitment to myself that and I'm not perfect at it. 184 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: But for as much as I can, I want to 185 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: avoid living with any sort of regret. I want to 186 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: know that I at least tried, and that I can 187 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: say that I at least tried each and everything that 188 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: you know I've been wanting in this life. Now, with 189 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: that said, thank you so much for checking out The 190 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 1: Street Stoke Podcast. Do your best to apply these concepts 191 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,959 Speaker 1: into your everyday life and I'll catch you next time. 192 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: The Street Stoke Podcast is a production of Iheart's Michael 193 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: Tura Podcast Network.