1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I am Dramas and this is the Street 2 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing your daily dose of timeless stoic philosophy 3 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: remixed for the hip hop generation. Now, with that in mind, 4 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: let's get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. 5 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: Now today we are going to be circling around the 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: the idea, the stoic idea of focusing on what you 7 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: can control, but specifically not looking for credit or looking 8 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: for that pat on the back when you do something right. Now, 9 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: j Cole says, quote, I don't live for the accolades. 10 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: I'm more so about the music, making it and putting 11 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: it out. Those are the two best feelings. And what 12 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: is he what is cal saying here? Right? He's talking 13 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: about not focusing on the outcome but instead the craft. 14 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: Like how often, you know, do we get an idea, 15 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, and it comes across our mind and we 16 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: might even get started working on it, right, but then 17 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: our our our brain just kind of runs away with 18 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: it self and it begins, you know, painting out all 19 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: of the next steps and what the results will be, 20 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: and we begin to obsess with that outcome, right, how 21 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: it's going to do for us? Or or we begin wondering, 22 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: you know, how are people going to respond to this thing? 23 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: Like we do all of this daydreaming, and we forget 24 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: that the only part that that that we're actually in 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: control of is what we create and how we decide 26 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: to share it, right, we can't control anything else outside 27 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: of that. Like we're placing so much emphasis on the 28 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: credit that we get for something or the accolades from 29 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: others that we ignore the fact that none of that 30 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: is in our control. Right, And this leads perfectly to 31 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: a stoic quote. And he isn't technically a stoic, but 32 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: you know, he's done a lot of research books on it. 33 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: One of my favorite authors, Ryan Holliday, and he says, quote, 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: you don't need credit. That's not what should motivate you 35 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: do the right thing because it's right. Pursue excellence because 36 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: that's what you do, right, And I love that last line, 37 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: Pursue excellence because that's what you do. Like, true greatness 38 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: is not determined by how it's received by the public, right, 39 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: it lies in the actual product and in the actual craft. 40 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: Does greatness now often bring accolades, of course, but the 41 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: product or the idea still comes first, you know, And 42 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: even With that in mind, accolades are nice, but again 43 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: they don't actually determine whether or not something is is great. 44 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you can look at a movie like like Scarface, right, 45 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: and that is a cult classic movie. It's loved by 46 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: millions of people around the world, and everybody quotes that 47 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: movie pretty much everybody has seen it. But the reality 48 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: is Scarface was a bust at the box office, and 49 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: people today don't love it because of how it was 50 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: received at the movie theater when it was released, But 51 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: instead they loved the movie itself because of the excellence 52 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: that was put into making it by those involved. And 53 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: this is something I constantly struggle with. I have an 54 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: internal struggle with coming up with the creative idea and 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: not allowing myself to get the voices of others in 56 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: my head. Right, Like, this is how I relate to it. 57 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: You know. I've always been the type of creative who 58 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: has a hard time staying in the moment, and I'll 59 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: end up, you know, thinking about the the outcome long 60 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: before I even start creating. And that's been helpful in 61 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: in certain ways. Right, It's allowed me to have vision 62 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: for for where I wanted to go once I I 63 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: did something and and trying to plan out what my 64 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: next steps would be. But I also think it's contributed 65 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: a lot to to me being burnt out a bit creatively. 66 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: You know, my creative identity has been tied with whether 67 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: or not the things I do are successful, or they 68 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: bring me some sort of accurately aid or if there's 69 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: a check involved, right, And as a result of that, 70 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: last year, I found myself incredibly uninspired and needing to 71 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: to find something just to man, just to scratch that 72 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: creative itch that I had, right, So I picked a 73 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: really obscure craft that I've never done before, has zero 74 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: commercial viability, and I dove into it, right, And that 75 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,239 Speaker 1: was spoken word poetry. So I wrote and I recorded 76 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,559 Speaker 1: a couple of tracks, and I just loved how how 77 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: honest I was able to be with no expectation of 78 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: anyone ever hearing it. And of course, while I was 79 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: falling in love with this, and it was supposed to 80 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: be just for myself, that old part of my brain 81 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: began to to start turning rent and thinking, wait, how 82 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: can I make this bigger? Let me go and find 83 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: a record lable to put this out with, you know, 84 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: And of course, you know, as things work with me 85 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: and my my hustle, my grind. I found a record 86 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 1: label and they loved it, and they wanted to do 87 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: an EP with me, and and I was so psyched 88 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: on And then once I kind of got back into 89 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: the studio started writing again, started recording, I ended up 90 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: overthinking the entire project right, because now I had all 91 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: of these expectations. Are the you know, label people gonna 92 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: like it? Are people going to judge me when I 93 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: put it out into the world, this is something so 94 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: different from myself. I overthought it. I began hating everything 95 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: that I was making, and I ended up scrapping the 96 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: project for almost a year, and then randomly I had 97 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: gotten inspired again. I listened back to it, and I 98 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: realized that I was just too obsessed with the outcome 99 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: and too worried about what other people's opinions would be 100 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: and whether or not I would get the accolades that 101 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: I was I was starving for. Right, I loved what 102 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: I had made, and again I allowed other people and 103 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: the thought of what they were going to think of 104 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: it to affect whether or not I finished it right. 105 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: And to make a long story short, you know, I 106 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: ended up falling in love with it again, like I said, 107 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: and then I finished it. I sent it to that 108 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: record label and they ended up loving it. And and 109 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: you know, now we have a project to be released. 110 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: But again, I almost you know, ruined something that was 111 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: so pure for myself, that was providing me with men 112 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: so much uh free therapy, and and was the creative 113 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: thing that was getting me excited uh each and every day. 114 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: I almost allowed myself to you know, remove that that 115 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: passion from my life, just because I got so concerned 116 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: with what the outcome might be that I made it 117 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: second guess my own talent and my own love for it. Right. 118 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,679 Speaker 1: And oftentimes when we're worried about you know, other people's 119 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: opinions and the outcome, we end up chasing this this 120 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: idea of perfection, which we all know does not exist, 121 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: and perfection ends up being the thing that kills all 122 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: creativity and all forward moving progress, right, because it's an 123 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: impossible thing to reach. And when you're looking at what 124 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: you're creating through the lens of trying to be perfect 125 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: for the sake of impressing other people, you will never 126 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: be able to truly appreciate the thing that you're working 127 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,919 Speaker 1: on for what it is. And when you don't have 128 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: that appreciation, when you don't have that love for what 129 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: you're working on, you are not going to produce your 130 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: greatest work. Now we have heard from j Cole, we 131 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: have heard from Ryan Holiday. I've given you some of 132 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: my own story of how this, uh, this idea has 133 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: has played such a big role in my life, the 134 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: idea of of focusing on what you can control and 135 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: not looking for that credit or that path on the back. Now, 136 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: with that in mind, let's talk about how you can 137 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: make it your mantra for today. But first let's take 138 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: a quick break and then we'll be right back. All right. 139 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: We have heard from the words of J. Cole, I've 140 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: shared some some quotes from Ryan Holiday. I've brought you 141 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: into my life. And and how this idea of focusing 142 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: in on what you can control and not chasing the 143 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: credit or the accolades, how it's affected me. Now let's 144 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: talk about how you can make it your mantra for today. 145 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: First and foremost, do you want to get noticed at 146 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: your job or or for your craft. The easiest way 147 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: to do so is by being great at what you do. Right, 148 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: We oftentimes get so inside our heads about outcomes that 149 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: we sabotage ourselves before we even start. Like the reality 150 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: is a great artist, a great leader, or or a 151 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: great boss is great regardless of if they are are 152 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 1: shown love by the outside world. Right, greatness will always 153 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: be great, you know. The the high that that we 154 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: get from somebody giving us creditor or patting us on 155 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,119 Speaker 1: the back, that only last for for a short period 156 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: of time. But true greatness, the thing we're all chasing, 157 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: or the thing that we all should be chasing, true greatness, 158 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 1: that lasts forever. So let's recap a bit we've heard 159 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: from from j Cole right, and he talks about he's 160 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: not worried about the accolades. He's focused on making music 161 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: and putting it out. Those are the two best feelings 162 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: for him. He prioritizes the things that he is in 163 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: control of and doesn't worry about the outside world whose 164 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: opinion he can never change. And we talk about Ryan Holiday, right, 165 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,839 Speaker 1: he says, you don't need credit pursue excellence because that's 166 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: what you do. Okay, you have to get any business 167 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: of pursuing excellence, of creating greatness. That is your brand. 168 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: You are somebody who creates greatness. You do that and 169 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: all of the accolades that you dream of will come 170 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: your way. And when you talk about my story, what 171 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: held me back from putting out one of the things 172 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: that I am the most proud of, my my spoken 173 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 1: word poetry EP. I got in my head and began 174 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: chasing perfection because I was concerned with what the outside 175 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: world might think of my work, and that made me 176 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: scrap a project. And thankfully I didn't scrap it forever, 177 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: but sat on it for the better part of a 178 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: year because I got two in my head, chasing perfection 179 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: rather than chasing actual greatness. The credit from others, the accolades, 180 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: the pats on the back, those are all here today 181 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: and gone tomorrow. You want something that last, You need greatness, 182 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: because true greatness that lasts forever. Now, with that said, 183 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: thank you so much for checking out the Streets So 184 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: It podcast. Do your best to apply these concepts we 185 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: discussed today into your everyday life, and I'll catch you 186 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: all next time. The Street Stove podcast is a production 187 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: of I Hearts Michael Tura podcast Network.