1 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I am Dramas and this is the Street 2 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: Stoic Podcast, bringing your daily dose of stoic philosophy remix 3 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: for the hip hop generation. Now, with that in mind, 4 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: let's get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. 5 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: Now today we're gonna be focusing all around the stoic 6 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: idea of diminishing your ego and more particularly taking more 7 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: risks in this life and really living life to its fullest. 8 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: And a few lyrics that I pulled come from Saint 9 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: John and the record Best Part of Life, And in 10 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: it he says, who's scared? Who really afraid of where 11 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: this goes? Even though I know I know how it 12 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: ends up, ain't nobody scared. I put my hand up 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,839 Speaker 1: in the air. You put your heart up in the air. 14 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: You gave it to me, made it very clear, this. 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: Is the ride of your life. I'm excited. 16 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: I think he's saying a few different sort of things 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: here in this, but I particularly love that line where 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: he talks about you just you put your heart up 19 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: in the air and essentially you're just putting yourself out 20 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: there to whatever life has to offer. That's about taking risks, right, 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: That is you being sort of open to whatever life 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: is sort of going to throw your way as a 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: result of you going after what it is that you want, right, 24 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: whatever is interesting to you, and your ego in this 25 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: sort of scenario oftentimes will make you second guess taking 26 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: that risk because your ego is scared of looking dumb. 27 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: Your ego is scared of being embarrassed, of being wrong. Right, 28 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: And what ends up happening when you listen to that 29 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: part of yourself too much is it holds you back 30 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: from living your life to its fullest. And listen, we've 31 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: all been there before. We've all sort of succumbed to 32 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: our own ego in this way where it is trying 33 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: to protect us at the end of the day, right, 34 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: protect us from any perceived harm. But again, in life, 35 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: we're only rewarded based upon the amount of risks that 36 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: we take. And this leads to a quote from one 37 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: of the stokes, Marcus Aurelius, that I absolutely love. Actually 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: two quotes I'm going to pull. But he says, it 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: is not death that a man should fear, but rather 40 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: he should fear never beginning to live. I love this 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: quote so damn much because it sort of slaps you 42 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: in the face with the notion that just because you're here, breathing, existing, 43 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: doesn't actually mean that you're truly living. There are so 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: many of us sort of just going through the motions 45 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: in life and playing it safe, taking the easy route, 46 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: accepting the bare minimum. That's not really living. You're not 47 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: really opening yourself up to all that this beautiful world 48 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: has to offer. Right, And of course you have to 49 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: take risks within reason. I'm not saying to throw your 50 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: whole life away and on a whim just you know, 51 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: go move to a BISA and try to become a 52 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: DJ with no real plan or anything like that, no money, right, obviously, 53 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: like there has to be calculated risks in this life. 54 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: But you have to allow yourself to dream big. You 55 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: have to be fearless in dreaming big, in putting yourself 56 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: out there. And that kind of leads to the second 57 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: quote I pulled from Marcus Aurelius, where he says, to 58 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over, 59 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: it stands unmoved, and the raging of the sea falls 60 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: still around it. You are the rock in this scenario, right, 61 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: no matter how much nonsense life might throw your way 62 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: through the ups and downs, whatever it might be you're 63 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: committed to standing strong and just taking on life, and 64 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: I really think that's the only way to truly live 65 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: and man like. That's what my life really has has 66 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: been a series of you know, a series of just risks, 67 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: I mean, calculated risks. But like everything I've done has 68 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: been said to be crazy by somebody in my life 69 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: at one point or another. Right, But it's it's me 70 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: sort of refusing to accept what's considered to be the standard, 71 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: understand that there's more out there for me, and pushing 72 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: and pushing to really get the fullness out of this 73 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: thing called life. It hasn't always worked out the way 74 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: that I planned. I've fallen on my face, I've been embarrassed, 75 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: you know what people have told me. I told you 76 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: so before. But at the same time, the rewards on 77 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: the other side of those failures, on the other side 78 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: of those risks, have been greater than any of the 79 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: negative Right, The positive outcomes that have come in my 80 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: life as a result of the risks I've taken have 81 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: far outweighed the failures that came along with them. Right, 82 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: And it wasn't always immediate, but eventually those risks paid 83 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: off in a far better way. You know, I say 84 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: this as as somebody who left the world of radio 85 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: to go into the wild West of podcasting, right where 86 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: the zero consistency. 87 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: Right, I was under a contract, I was full time. 88 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: You know, I had the stability that we are all 89 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,840 Speaker 1: looking for, particularly when you work in the industry like 90 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: media and entertainment where there isn't real stability. And I 91 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: decided to take that risk. And it was scary, and 92 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: there I fell on my face a few times. But 93 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: now looking back, I'm so grateful for the version of 94 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: me that that decided to ride that out, decided to 95 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: sort of jump ship and be okay with the waves 96 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: crashing around me, understanding that it was going to produce 97 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: a far more exciting experience in this thing called life. 98 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: Now we've heard from Saint John, we have heard from 99 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: one of the Stokes, Marcus Aurelius, on this topic of 100 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: diminishing your ego. Now, let's talk about how you can 101 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: make it your mantra for today. 102 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: First, let's take a quick break and then we'll be. 103 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: So today we've been talking all about the stoic idea 104 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: of diminishing your ego. Right, we've heard from Saint John, 105 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: we have heard from one of the stokes, Marcus Aurelius. 106 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: I've talked about it myself, how I implement this into 107 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: my own life. Now let's talk about how you can 108 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: make it your mantra for today. And I think first 109 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: and foremost, it's just a reminder that life is meant 110 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: to be indulged in right and of course within reason. 111 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: But this world has so much to offer each and 112 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: every one of us, yet so many of us refuse 113 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 1: to take real advantage of it. We refuse to challenge ourselves, 114 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: we refuse to put ourselves out there to new experiences, 115 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: and we're just missing out on the sort of endless 116 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: potential of just happiness that is out there for us 117 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: if we just push a little bit harder past that 118 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: fear and don't allow our ego to make us live 119 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: in the fear of failure. I mean, think about even 120 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:28,679 Speaker 1: the most trivial things that we could. 121 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 2: Tastrifize, right. 122 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: I think this is a good example to kind of 123 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: bring it home for you. Think about like approaching somebody 124 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: you find attractive at a bar. That's talked about as 125 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: one of the sort of biggest fears, like alon like 126 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: public speaking and things like that. One of the biggest 127 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: fears that we as human beings inherently have. But what's 128 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: the worst case scenario? 129 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: Right there? 130 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: You approach somebody that you find attractive at a bar, 131 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: you tell them you find them attractive, whatever it is, 132 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: they're not interested. 133 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 2: Life goes on. 134 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: Literally, it's not like you die, you know, It's not 135 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: like you know, you lose all your money, everything you've 136 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: worked for in this moment because you took this risk. 137 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: It's literally the lowest level risk. 138 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 2: Of human being. 139 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: A pride take is just literally going and having a 140 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: conversation with another person. Yet we build it up to 141 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: be the most difficult thing in our minds. Right, So 142 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: many of us do it, and we do this with 143 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: so many different aspects of our life. 144 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 2: And that's the ego talking. 145 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: Right, Because my ego doesn't want me to go up 146 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: and approach this person and then get shut down, and 147 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: then now I think lesser of myself because. 148 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: My ego gets bruised. Right. 149 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: My ego wants to maintain the facade of confidence, right, 150 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: rather than potentially having to have my confidence shaken in 151 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: a moment of somebody not being interested in me the 152 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: same way I'm interested in them. But is that really 153 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: living life. Do I really want to look back and say, 154 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: what if I would have gone up to that person, 155 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: what would my life look like? And that's sort of 156 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: the thing that holds us back when you know, kind 157 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: of recapping what we're talking about. What Marcus Aurelius talked 158 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: about is you should fear never beginning to live. And 159 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: that's what moments like that one are, right You living 160 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: in regret because you didn't actually live this moment to 161 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: its fullest potential. You left something on the table, and 162 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: now you have to live with that. 163 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 2: And that's why I love the. 164 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: Quote from Saint John, and he's sort of talking about 165 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: how this situation might end up badly. He says, even 166 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: though I know how it ends up, ain't nobody scared, right, 167 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: He's saying, even if this thing crashed and burns, which 168 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: it probably will, I'm putting myself out there for the experience. 169 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: I'm putting myself out there to live this in its 170 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: fullest way. Hand is up, you know, you put your 171 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: heart up in the air, like I'm laying it all 172 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: out there, even if it ends badly. I'm trying to 173 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: get the fullest experience out of this thing called life. 174 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: And I think that's just such a beautiful kind of 175 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: proclamation and something we should all be striving for, and 176 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: even for me. You know, this is the thing that 177 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: I'm the most grateful for. As far as when I 178 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: sit back and thank myself for all that I've done, 179 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: it is for taking those. 180 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 2: Risks, calculated risks, but risks. 181 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: Nonetheless, I'm so grateful that I decided to challenge myself 182 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,839 Speaker 1: to not play it safe, to not accept the bare minimum, 183 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: and to really say, I want to get the most 184 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 1: out of every situation that I possibly can. Right I 185 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: want to be as fulfilled and happy and have as 186 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: much experience as I possibly can. And I'm going to 187 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: follow my face sometimes It's gonna be difficult at other times, 188 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, I know I'm 189 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: really getting the most out of this thing called life, 190 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: and that's all that I could ever hope for all 191 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: of you listening to this podcast. Now, with that said, 192 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening to. 193 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 2: The Street Stoic. Do your best to apply these. 194 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: Constants we discussed into your everyday life, and I'll catch 195 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: you next time. The Street Stoke Podcast is a production 196 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 1: of Iheart's michaela podcast Network