1 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, I am dramas And this is the Street 2 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: Stoke Podcast, bringing your daily dose of timeless Stoke philosophy 3 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: remix for the hip hop generation. Now, with that in mind, 4 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: let's get things started with your daily shot of inspiration. 5 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: Now today we're gonna be focusing around the stoic idea 6 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: of taking action, And for today's SHAW, I wanted to 7 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: specifically kind of look at the lens of mental health, right, 8 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: and depression and anxiety, and these are things that I 9 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: personally struggle with and have for a long time, and 10 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: something I was going through recently and I sort of 11 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: was reminded kind of of the power that I have 12 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: in the actions that I take in sort of the 13 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: ability to reclaim my happiness in those moments where it 14 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 1: feels pretty dark or pretty heavy, right. So I kind 15 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: of wanted to bring that to today's show. And a 16 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: lyric that came to mind for me is from jay 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: Z from the song Renegade, And I feel like I've 18 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: used this lyric before in a different context, but a 19 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: jay Z lyric is a jay Z lyric those gold right, 20 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: and Jay says, just know I chose my own fate. 21 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: I drove by the fork in the road and went straight. 22 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: And I think for me, the main kind of idea 23 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: behind this lyric is the idea of choice and acknowledging 24 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: that something as I don't know, something that we sort 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: of idealize, right, the idea of fate and it being 26 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: this bigger thing than us, The idea that we have 27 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: a choice in that right, and that there's an action 28 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: to be taken within that right. He's talking about being 29 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: presented with a fork in the road and he chose 30 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: to actually just drive straight rather than allowing life to 31 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: sort of dictate what does or doesn't happen to him. 32 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: And I think this kind of speaks to the idea 33 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: that every single day we have choices to make. Right, 34 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: you hit the snooze button on your alarm in the morning, 35 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: and you're starting your day off in chaos a bit, right, 36 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: You're rushing, You're not having so much time for yourself. 37 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: You're not in a relaxed place. You have to rush 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: to get out of the house to get to work, 39 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: or to log onto your computer to get to work. 40 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: Or you can have the opposite of that, right, depending 41 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: on your choice. If you choose to get up on time, 42 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: then that means that you are going to start your 43 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: day on your terms. Right, You're not going to be rushed. 44 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: You're going to have time for maybe a more calm 45 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: breakfast or that cup of coffee before you have to 46 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: run out the door. Right, You're making that active choice 47 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: on what kind of day you're going to have, or 48 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: at least the start of your day. And this leads 49 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: specifically to a quote from Marcus Aurelius, one of the 50 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: stoics that kind of talks about anxiety head on, and 51 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: he says, today I escaped anxiety, or no, I discarded 52 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: it because it was within me, in my own perceptions, 53 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: not outside. And I want to make it very clear 54 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: as we talk about this, I'm not discrediting mental health 55 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: in any sort of way. I'm not saying that your 56 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: mental health issues are are not real, that your depression, 57 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: your anxiety, Right, I personally struggle with them, as I said, 58 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: But barring anybody who is dealing with a clinical disorder, 59 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: we do have some sort of power. We do have 60 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: a choice in it. And that is is what Marcus 61 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: is talking about here, right. He's saying that he personally 62 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: decided to get rid of his anxiety because he recognized 63 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: it's something within him. It's within his own power, right, 64 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: and it's how he chooses to look at things will 65 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: give him the ability to control his anxiety. And I 66 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: relate to this on a very personal level, having dealt 67 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: with depression and anxiety for years. And I had been 68 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: like thumbing through TikTok and saw this piece of advice 69 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: that popped up on there was like a quote somebody 70 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: had from like a speech or something like that, and 71 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: they talked about the idea of not succumbing to your 72 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: thoughts where you want to stay in bed all day 73 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: and have the blinds closed and not talk to anybody, 74 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: not return any phone calls or text or anything like that, right, 75 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: and talking about it from terms of like depression, of 76 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: not giving into the sort of negative voice that is 77 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: going on in your head, but instead fighting back against it, 78 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: and that the only way to get yourself out of 79 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: that hole that you're in is to be taking action 80 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: and to just get yourself out there into the world 81 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: doing things, and eventually you'll start shedding some of that heaviness. 82 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: And for me, that kind of that little quote or 83 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: that little video popped up at the right moment for me, 84 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: and I decided to just keep fighting back against the depression, right, 85 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: and I listened to my body. When I needed rest, 86 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: I took rest, but I also forced myself to get 87 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: out of bed after I had rested adequately. Right, I 88 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: forced myself to do some of those creative projects that 89 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: I had been previously excited about and that I know 90 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: sort of bring me joy. I kind of pushed past 91 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: the part of me that was like, yeah, we'll do 92 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: it tomorrow, and eventually I was able to like find 93 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: a little bit more happy and a little bit more 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: joy in the day. I was proud of myself after 95 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,919 Speaker 1: doing a project. I enjoyed going out to go visit 96 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: my parents, and I took the dog for a walk, 97 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: and little by little, I dug myself out of that 98 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: sort of depression, that hole that I was in. But 99 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: it was all because I decided to take action and 100 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: to keep fighting back against the sort of weight that 101 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: was holding me down. Now we have heard the words 102 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: of jay Z, we have heard from one of the stoics, 103 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: Marcus Aurelius. I've given you some insight into just personally 104 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: how I've been dealing with this as of late. Now 105 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: let's talk about how you can make it your mantra 106 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: for today. But first's take a quick break and then 107 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: we'll be all right. So today we are talking all 108 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: about the Stoic idea of taking action, right, and we've 109 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: heard from jay Z, we have heard from Marcus Aurelius, 110 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: one of the Stoics, giving you some insight into my 111 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: own battle with taking action when it comes to depression anxiety. Now, 112 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: let's talk about how you can make it your mind 113 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: for today. And I think what we first kind of 114 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: have to recognize is that the voice inside of our 115 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: head is not always on our team, right. They're not 116 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: fighting for the same outcome that we're all hoping for, 117 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: which is, you know, a happy life. Right. We have 118 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: a side to us that at times will implant negative thoughts, 119 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: negative emotions, and it's up to us to not allow 120 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: them to control us, to not dictate how we spend 121 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: our day or our mood. Right. And of course, when 122 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: you're talking about things like depression or anxiety, like that's 123 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: all easier said than done. But I think the key 124 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: is to develop a mindset that wants to fight back 125 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: against those thoughts, right, that wants to push back and 126 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: actually bring happiness and take actions that bring you happiness, like, 127 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: you have to reclaim your happiness at the end of 128 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: the day, right, you have to pull yourself out of 129 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: that hole that you're in, and the only way to 130 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: do that is to be taking some sort of action 131 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: and to follow it up with more action. Right you 132 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: laying in bed all day in the dark, by yourself 133 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: and isolated and not taking care of yourself physically or 134 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: spiritually or emotionally. Those aren't actions that get you back 135 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: to being in a happy mood, in a happy place. 136 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: They actually set you back from whatever a short term 137 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: goal or maybe even a long term goal that you 138 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: might have for yourself, so understanding that you then actually 139 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: are in a fight. You're in a battle right now. 140 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: The depression only wins if you allow it to. And again, 141 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: this isn't minimizing anybody actually struggling with with mental health issues, 142 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: but I think there is something incredibly empowering, as somebody 143 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: who deals with it himself to know that it's not 144 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: all out of my hands. I have a say in this. 145 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: I can put up a fight, and even if it 146 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: takes me a week of fighting back against these negative thoughts, 147 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: eventually I know I can come out on the other 148 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: side as long as I keep moving, as long as 149 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: I keep trying to push forward, Right, And that's what 150 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: I've seen in my own life when I get into 151 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: these sort of negative periods, like it really ends up 152 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: ending when I've hit upon something that brings me joy. Right. 153 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: If I do a creative project that I've been wanting 154 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: to do, and all of a sudden, eight hours deep 155 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: into it, I get to the end of it, or 156 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: even I just sort of get to the end of 157 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: my day with it, all of a sudden, I'm like, man, 158 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: I feel just a little bit better. Or if I'm 159 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: maybe being brought down by certain people, if I disconnect 160 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: from them and just go off and do my own thing, 161 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: taking that action oftentimes will make me feel so much 162 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: better whatever it might be. Right, Like, you have to 163 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: be proactive and take those actions and fight back against 164 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: whatever negativity is happening in your mind, so to recap 165 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: all of them. Talking about today around the stoic idea 166 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: of taking actions, specifically when it comes to our mental health, 167 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: you have jay Z talking about he is in control 168 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: of something like fate, right, which we always think is 169 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: the universe. It's something some higher power, and I believe 170 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: there's some sort of truth to that, but we also 171 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: do have a say and in recognizing that taking action 172 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: towards what it is that you want, and specifically when 173 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: it comes to anxiety. Of Marcus Aureli is talking about, 174 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: he discarded his anxiety because he recognized that it was 175 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: within him, it's within his own control, and he took 176 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: action to discard it. The life that you want is 177 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: always on the other side of the actions that you take, 178 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: and that can just be from the internal struggles that 179 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: we all go through. We all have to make that choice, 180 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: and we all do have a choice. It's just up 181 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: to us to fight back against whatever is going on 182 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: internally and remind ourselves that we have the power within 183 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: us to solve pretty much any of the issues that 184 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: we are currently facing. Now. With that said, thank you 185 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: so much for checking out the Street Stoke Podcast. Do 186 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: your best to apply this concept that we discussed today 187 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: into your everyday life and I'll catch you next time. 188 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: The Street Stoke Podcast is a production of Iheart's Micothura 189 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: podcast network.