Big Sean: 5 Ways to Get Unstuck From Where You Are Now (Simple Strategies to Eliminate Endless Hours of Work)

30:56Or like, I wish I could like, I'd be like, man, I wish I could like speak to them or like get advice from them now, you know? For sure, wow. I only known them as a little kid. And then I realized that the information is already in me. All I have to do is just go deeper within and really connect with that. And that's something that I learned from my son being born. Somehow that clicked is like he is the culmination of our lineage, all the DNA from my side, from his mom's side and so on and so forth. And he's got something special going on. So that's one thing I learned. And another thing I learned is to go back to the simplistic beauties of life.

31:36When we're on walks out in nature, he's so fascinated with the flowers and the birds and just like, oh, this or that or bug bee. He's like, and it just has given me a whole new excitement for that. Yeah. And I really appreciate him for teaching me. I feel like he's teaching me as much as we teach him. I feel like he's teaching all of us a lot as well And he's also teaching all of us that like Hey We can be happy right now He's like Even if he's like distraught or something He'll go do something and be happy right there And he chooses it And I love that Man I'm so glad I asked you that question Because I knew you'd have such a deep answer for it Like your answer the first part of it The idea that Your child has all of that within Like you were just saying You wish you could talk to your grandparents which I wish I could interview your grandparents.

32:29I mean, that sounds like a phenomenal journey and story to hear about it. And I want to know how much more you know about what they did or how much you don't. But I love the idea that we actually have it encapsulated within us. Like it's coded in us. It is. And even if we're unaware of it, and I was talking to a researcher the other day, I was doing some research for my next book, and she was talking to me. We were finding this research that was talking about how when kids are told their ancestral stories, they have a much deeper sense of belonging. And so the reason why so many of us feel so lost today is we've never been told deep stories about where our parents come from, where our grandparents come from, what they went through, not in a way to make us feel like a victim or feel at a disadvantage, but to hear a story from the perspective of this is your heritage.

33:23and then you feel like you belong to something so much more bigger and beyond you. Whereas most of us are just like, oh yeah, I'm from West Hollywood or whatever, right? It's like, it's such a like, you know, it's like a, it's like a temporary residence. But like when you know you belong to something eternal, like I was talking to the researcher, I was saying that in my life, the things that have helped me the most when I'm going through a tough time, a difficult time, I'm a real low is recognizing that I'm part of a 5 ,000 year old tradition. So when I'm repeating the Gita, which is a 5 ,000 year old scripture, which is the text I learned as a monk, when I realize I'm connected to that lineage, I feel unstoppable.

34:06Because I'm like, that survived for 5 ,000 years. I'm going to be all right. I'm going to be okay. Whereas when you just think like, oh man, I've just been on the planet for like 30 years and I'm trying to figure it out. it can feel quite uncomfortable. And so I love what you're saying that actually inside your son Noah, there is the coding of his grandparents. It is in all of us. It's like time traveling. People always try and figure out how to preserve themselves. You know, the expression, oh, I'm living through my kids or I'm living, that's real. I realize how much power these simple expressions have.

34:41Tell me more. I like this. Like communication can save a nation or like, you know, but like, yeah, I really feel like we always try and think like, oh, there's not enough time. There's not enough time. There's a real, real, real truth to I'm living through my kids or whoever, whoever you choose to. I don't even think it has to be your kids. I think that your blood, your lineage, it's like you really are, you really do time travel, you know, a thousand years from now, there may be some descendants that look like us, you know, or like slight, you know, you'd be like, oh, you know, I look like my dad's dad.

35:22You do? Yeah. I've never met him. You know, he unfortunately passed, you know, when I was super little and I never even met him, but he's a part of me too. And I think that's also why it's important to work on yourself and to heal certain traumatic experiences because with all this information we pass on, you also pass on the good and the bad, you know what I mean? Well said. You know, you heal things health-wise and you heal things traumatic-wise, you know, or trauma-wise and, you know, it's really important to work on yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually because you pass on all of that as well.

36:02Yeah, for sure, man. I mean, that's what's so interesting, right? Like within you, you have the coding of the greatness and the heritage and you have the coding of the unhealed generational trauma that keeps being passed down. What was something you had to look at in your background and past, generationally, traumatically, that wasn't healed, that you were like, I'm not going to pass this to Noah. Like this has to stop this time. Oh, so many things. So many, like worry one thing. I used to worry so much, create all of these scenarios in my head. And I think that's like a double-edged sword. When you have an imagination and you're creative, you create.

36:48So you can create good, you can create bad. But one of the experiences that life has taught me is to never worry. No matter what, you're going to be fine. I think one of my biggest fears used to be like, what if I lose everything? And what if I have to go back to growing up in Detroit and the hood, blah, blah, blah. And then it's just like, well, I was happy there too. Like, I shouldn't be scared to lose any of this stuff because this stuff is conditional. And it's like, I'm going to be good wherever I'm at. I remember when I talked to Sad Guru, I was like, where's your favorite place in the world?

37:23He's like, wherever I'm at. And I was like, damn. You know, so it kind of goes back to that, that like, that's one of the things I don't want to pass on to him. It's like, you never have to worry, you know. You know, you could be fueled. You could let something inspire you to be greater. You could let something light a fire under you. But like, don't ever worry because you have what it takes to get to wherever you got to get to, you know? Yeah, yeah. How do you kind of imprint that in a young child? Like, how do you? You imprint that in a young child by building up his confidence. And that's one of the things I love about my boy.

37:59It's like, he's so confident. He's like, you know, I never am like, that's something that I want to keep feeding him. even on the song I wrote about him on my album I said I see my inner child in him and still the remnants will he lose it to the world as an imminent or is it something that me and his mom have instilled in him and the confidence you lose you could build again it's like so good yeah and like I just want to water that I think that when I was a kid my mom and my dad came up in like a civil rights moment in the country Like my mom had to drink from like a different water fountain. You know, my family has been through a lot.

38:43My mom's great aunt, who was like an old woman, my mom would go visit her in North Carolina, was born a slave. So that just goes to show you how close that lineage is too, right? It's like it kind of feels like it's so far away, but it's not. She was an old woman and my mom was a baby, but my mom is alive now. So the connection of that is like few and far between. I mean, my point being is that my mom and my dad did the best that they could, but they came from an era where they had to really be, don't be too loud, be controlled, don't get out of line. My mom would be like, when you get pulled over, make sure your hat is off and they see your face and you be respectful.

39:27And I think there was a lot to that, but it was coming from a little bit of a fear-based place sometimes. And that's something that I recognize. And that's something that my mom has helped me recognize too, through all of the knowledge she's given me and my dad. But one of the things I want to pass on to him is that be confident in who you are because you have what it takes. You could already tell he has a great heart. He has a great spirit. He loves trying to make people laugh. Not even at two years old, he was like, before, like one-year-old, trying to make you smile. and it's just like, just want to keep watering that confidence in him, you know?

40:06Yeah, yeah. And that confidence kind of talks nicely to the second practice in your book. You talk about strategizing. Yeah, strategizing. And I love that you went there because I think a lot of people see spirituality and strategy as opposites or they separate them. Right. And I know we've always vibed on the fact that to me, they go hand in hand. Absolutely. Because strategy is just intentionality in action. right like that's that's what it is strategy is intentionality and action right yeah it's like you have intention and then you get activated around an intention and that's how you strategize but i think often people think strategy has to be conniving or like some sort of manipulation but but that's not what you mean so when you say we need to get strategic how do we build the skill of becoming strategic and what does it mean well i think you recognize like you said is this um strategy to me is the key to getting is one of the keys to move from where you are to where you have to be because you identify where you desire to be because you identify so much and you get to you get to research you get to plot and plan nothing you know nothing that is really amazing in life is a, doesn't come without a plan.

41:31You know what I mean? Uh, there are a lot of spontaneous things and I do believe in the energy of spontaneity and like, but, uh, strategizing to me is so important and there's so many ways to do it. You know, you could like study someone from afar. That's kind of one of the beauties of the internet is like, you can kind of study and know someone you really respect, or you may have someone in your family, or you may have someone in your neighborhood or you may have someone, but even say it's someone from across the world that you really respect. You can study a lot of their, um, what they have put out in the world.

42:07And sometimes that's all you need. There have been times where when you get to know someone fully, you might get let down a little bit. It's like, cause you have all these expectations and you meet them and it's like, wait, what? You know, but I think there comes again, the power of separation, you got to separate that. And, you know, so I know I'm talking a lot, but I do think that like strategizing is a real key to happiness, you know, and strategy, it doesn't have to be like a deep thing. Strategizing could just be as simple as writing your intentions down, strategizing your day. How are you going to approach this?

42:47I always It's like before I get into a studio session or anything, I always meditate and I write down what I would like to experience in the session. You know, what would I like to get done? How would that feel? And I kind of lock on to that feeling before I go and do what I got to do. Yeah, I'm glad that you pointed out that strategizing starts with studying because then it becomes you study something and then you apply it. And that's what strategy is. You study it first and then you apply it. And I was thinking about it, as you were saying, like strategizing your day. I was thinking about, if you think about New York, it's a grid system.

43:23That's a strategy. That's a strategy. It's a strategy. Like that's what it is. If you look at, if you travel to Europe, you'll see there was a strategy in how towns were built, where like the church would be in the middle of the town. Exactly. There'd be a river flowing through the middle. There'd be a bridge over the river. There was a strategy in how it was built in order to create an experience of the city. And I feel, you know, that's what it is. It's thinking about your life and thinking, what are the pillars and priorities in my life? Yeah. Like, what are the things that are like, almost like building a city.

43:54Exactly. Right? It goes, okay, well, a city needs a fire station because sometimes there's going to be a fire. Right. It needs a school because I need to learn. It needs a hospital because sometimes you're going to get ill. Like, what does a city need? And you've got to look at your life in the same way and go, what does my life need? And sometimes that's exactly what your life needs is structure. Yes You know when you feel like you're all over the place And things aren't happening Sometimes you just need a little bit of structure and strategy To jumpstart it and build the foundation to build on You know so that's a perfect analogy Yeah what was the best strategy you ever built To achieve something in your life What example would you give from your own journey When were you most strategic effectively There have been times where I was very strategic And times where I wasn't And one of the times in my life where strategy really helped out was just like, I would say securing my first record deal.

44:50I always knew I would get a record deal. I would talk about it frequently with my friends in eighth grade. I would talk about when I sell out the Palace, Auburn Hill, all these things that I ended up doing later. I just knew it was going to happen. I just didn't know how. and we all know that like you can make plans and God laughs at it but I really feel like when your heart's in the right place and you have the intentions and you put a little bit of strategy to it okay like one of the things that I always wanted to do is like okay how can I get on the radio you know how can I be how can I how can I be on the radio then I you know did some homework and my friend oh there's a radio show where you can battle rap and end up rapping on the radio you know and people okay that's a way to get on the radio so how do i get down there okay oh so i need a ride down there i would like plan out every aspect i need to make sure i have a ride to get to the radio station to be able to battle rap okay i need to plan i need to write a rap for the when i get on the radio so i have something to rap over you know and so it's like you strategize every aspect of it and it can be fun.

46:03It doesn't have to feel like homework. It don't got to feel like schoolwork. None of us want to do more work. In fact, when you strategize, you probably are eliminating a lot of work, a lot more work. Don't get fooled thinking that like you're getting ahead by not doing the work. I'm telling you, when you strategize and plan things out, you're eliminating hours of work. So that is the reason, you know, a lot of us may not have time to read this book, you think like, I don't have time to read a book. I'm telling you like reading a book, not just my book, but a book that impacts you saves time. It doesn't take time.

46:39Oh, I'm so glad you said that because that's all it does. All it does when you're learning, all it does, it's save time. It stops you from making mistakes. It helps you avoid the ones that someone else made before you. You'll probably make some new mistakes for sure. but you'll avoid so many and I loved what you said the way you broke it down like ultimately strategizing is building steps to that goal and you're trying to break it down to the step that I can do today and now that is small and easy all the way up and I love the way you worked backwards where it's like alright I want to be on the radio alright let me break that down wait a minute that means I need to go this that means I need to do this that means first I need to do this okay that means right now I just need to do this And I think sometimes we live on level 21 of where we want to go, but then we haven't got the elevator down to level zero to go up, right?

47:35Like we're just, our mind is in level 21. And we get mad that we're not on level 21. And I'm a victim of that. And I think that, you know, I've gone through experience. I'm not a victim. I have done that before. I've experienced that. So I know how frustrating it could be. But don't let it stress you. Unless it's eustress, there's distress and then there's eustress. And that eustress can motivate you. It really can. It could light a fire under you, go through it. Distress can kind of weigh you down. So you have the power to take any aspect, even depression, and let it either weigh you down or let it fuel you.

48:12You know what I mean? So, yeah, I think that I know it's a lot of people frustrated. I get frustrated still. I'm nowhere near perfect. I'm not talking to you as an expert in any way, shape or form. I'm literally talking to you as a reflection of you and someone who has gone through these experiences and have just like given the game that I've learned, you know, in straight black and white and examples of how I've done it, you know. Yeah, for sure. You gave us an idea of when you were strategic. What was the time when you were chaotic? So there are times where, yeah, I've let things go. I didn't strategize.

48:52There's always things you haven't thought about that you got to come back to later. When I had to fail out with some family members, even my mom, our relationship got tainted for a long time. It was like I was not calling her. I was not checking in. I wasn't doing anything that a son. Now having a son, I really feel the depth of that. I could have strategize that better. You know what I mean? I could have strategized a lot of things better. And you always have 20, 20 in hindsight. Totally, totally, totally. No. And I agree. It's, it's just good to know because yeah, it's the same for me. And I love how you said that strategy is also sometimes with people, you know, like we, we say the wrong thing at the wrong time or you say the right thing, but at the wrong time, or you say the right thing, but in the wrong way, or Or you say the right thing, but in the wrong place.

49:46Or you say the right thing to the wrong person, right? It's like, it has to be strategic. It does. Because otherwise it's not digested. We just think, as long as I'm saying the right thing, everything will be okay. Yeah. But if you say the right thing in the wrong place to the wrong person at the wrong time, in the wrong way, with the wrong word, the wrong language, it doesn't matter how true the thing you said was. Right. And that's what strategy is, is going, wait, how do I make sure this lands? Wow. Like what is required for this to actually have an impact on someone and to serve them and help them?

50:20Yeah, and that's what we're here to do is to serve really in every aspect. This always comes down to being of service, you know. And anything we put out there in any interview, in any book, in any song, is really of service to whatever the moment it relates to. Do you know what I mean? So, yeah, you're right, saying the right thing to the wrong. And the thing is, you're kind of the only one who can dictate, you know, right and wrong is so opinionated depending on who you talk to. For sure. You know, there are a lot of people who think that, you know, anything that we could think is wrong, somebody could argue how it's right.

50:58You know, even down to black and white, somebody can argue that this text that says the exact same thing means this thing or this means that thing. you know so i think it's important to come from a place of understanding and this leads to something else i want to talk about because just because you understand something doesn't mean you have to accept it just because you understand it and that's something that i had to learn the hard way i thought that i was being this spiritual guy by if i get into a disagreement with someone understanding where they come from. And then ultimately turns to me not respecting myself because I'll understand where they're coming from and be like, okay, I get it.

51:46But the fact that I still get it, it doesn't mean that I can't express myself and I'm not valid. Yes. So I want to make sure that everyone knows that because I think that that was something that I learned is to set boundaries. And that's like that big B word. That's like the biggest B word there is as boundaries that I've learned this year. And like that has really, really, really changed a lot of dynamics with people and it changed a lot of, it's really created a lot of happiness in my life. Parking shouldn't slow you down. ParkWiz gives every driver a shortcut. Book ahead, save up to 50 % and skip the hassle of circling the block.

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53:37Why did boundaries become so prominent in the last year, as you said? I think I was trying to be a hero in every situation I was in. I'm such an empathetic person, so I love to... I really can feel when people are going through something. Even when the world is going through something, it's like I kind of really have to like really protect myself energetically because I take on a lot of people's problems. You know what I'm saying? I can't help it. And it's not a good, I don't look at it as a bad thing. I just look at it as how I am. You know, do I wish sometimes that I could just cut things off?

54:11Yeah, but it taught me that I can. I just have to set boundaries on what I can and can't accept. And this year, yeah, there are a lot of things that I was tired of feeling uncomfortable in certain situations. I was tired of letting people walk all over me. And just because I understood or I get it, I'm not respecting myself. And I didn't realize that I wasn't respecting myself in that. You know, there are times where, yeah, I need to, I can't go to this thing. I can't do this. Or, you know what, I can't go here. I can't go to Dubai and do this show because I have to be here for my son. I got to take my son trick or treating.

54:50You know, I had to set some of those boundaries that may have cost me one thing, but I gained another. And one of the most important things I gained back from setting boundaries is the trust in myself. You know, the confidence that I feel like I have been building up for so long. Yeah, and I think we're scared of setting boundaries because we are scared of what we lose when we do. I know. And it could be FOMO. It could be, you know, the fear of becoming irrelevant, the fear of becoming insignificant. The fear of losing a person. The fear of losing a person. But I learned that too. I remember a time in my life where I had so much compassion fatigue where I just felt like I was there for everyone else, but I had no...

55:38And when I say income, I don't mean financially. I mean, there was no energy income coming in. And you were just a piece of you. You were just a part of you at that point. Exactly. And you're just, and it's what you just said. You're trying to be a superhero and you're trying to be the guy, not in an egotistic way. You actually just care about people. For real. But I realized very, very quickly at that time that unless I was full, rested, complete, you know I wasn't actually able to help anyone I was just giving people my leftovers yeah and not the best of myself and I would enjoy it and you got to enjoy your life too totally yeah totally and I just found that what what really helped me was remembering that I didn't have enough to give anyone else if I wasn't in a good place myself period and that didn't mean I wanted to get to a good place just for myself the reason i wanted to get to a good place is so i could give more good to others and therefore there had to be a structure there had to be an order of all right well i need to take care of myself right i need to be full i need to be ready and then i can extend myself but if i keep extending myself to everyone else chances are i get bitter at them i'll get mad at myself yeah and then i won't have anything to give yeah that's right right yeah and it just it's it's an interesting one boundaries because i feel like like a I think we also think we set boundaries for other people, but we do it for ourselves.

57:08We do it for ourselves Because people always be like Oh this person keeps breaking my boundaries And I'm like Well no You keep breaking your boundaries Exactly Right No yeah It's you know It's like The boundaries Forgiveness They're not just They're for you You know Forgiveness is for you as well And boundaries are For you as well Yeah it's been tough I think that I grew up Letting people walk all over me I think I grew up By letting people take advantage of me Straight up you know just to be real um and i saw that in my parents especially my dad he let he would let people take advantage of him he was a very nice guy and there's nothing like i said right or wrong it's an opinion you know it's just a perspective so i'm not criticizing him or saying he was wrong in any way it's just the kind spirited hearted person he is but along with that you do have to set your boundaries and respect who you are because you will lose a sense of yourself by trying to take care of everyone else.

58:08You will lose a sense of yourself if you don't set these boundaries. You will lose a sense of yourself if you don't take the time out to keep connecting with yourself, even if it's something you love. I lost the passion of watching anime. I remember when I was working so hard. It's like I hadn't sat and watched anime. I love watching anime. I I love Dragon Ball Z. I love like My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer and Evangelions and all these things. And that's just one thing that I love. Right. So it's like I have to take time out to do that because it is really important to me. Yeah. So I know all of us have demands.

58:44Some of us have family. Some of us work two jobs, three jobs. Some of us and you say it's impossible. But I'm telling you, if you make that time, you will create more time to be the better version of yourself in any of those situations. I promise you. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. The other thing that really helped me as a boundary, and this doesn't apply if something's life-threatening or urgent. But sometimes someone would call me up and be like, oh, I had a fight with my wife. I had a fight with my husband. And my natural inclination was to like fix it. So like, yeah, let's jump on the phone. I'm going to help you through it right now.

59:22Because that's how you were as a 10-year-old. Because that's how I was as a 10-year-old. Yeah. And so on and so forth. Yeah. Go ahead though. And then I realized that actually my new response started to be, yeah, let's talk in three days. And the reason was A, because maybe I had stuff on and I couldn't run to it. Like I said, it doesn't apply to life. Of course, of course, of course. If someone calls me and goes, I go to the hospital, obviously I'm going to be there. But if someone's saying, hey, this happened, that happened. I realized I may not be in a position to quit everything in my life to go and be on this call and those three days that person actually had to do some processing exactly for themselves and when I was just jumping on the phone with them trying to save and solve their problem I was actually just enabling them to not have to process it themselves so most people in three days would say to me they'd text me and go Jay actually I think I figured it out exactly and And I'd be like, great, I'd love to hear it.

1:00:17Let's jump on a call. And now they talk to me, be like, look, I thought about it. You know, they said this, I said that, but I've, you know, and it just showed me that so much of the time we think we're saving people, we're actually just enabling them. And every time we think we're going to solve their problem, we're actually just creating more issues for them because everyone needs to learn to process mentally and emotionally themselves. and so sometimes like jumping in to help someone you actually end up hurting them wow because because yeah because they need to do it themselves and so sometimes i just set that boundary with myself it wasn't like i don't want to be there for my friend or a family member i just realized being there for them meant not being there right now and they didn't know that but then when i saw them benefit from it i realized that actually space sometimes gave them what they needed more than my words could.

1:01:12Yeah, because it goes back to like we were talking about a lot of the answers are in you. You know, a lot of the things you're looking for, the resolutions, they are in you. And sometimes it may take a little while to rise to the surface and sometimes they'll figure out. But one of the worst things you could do is impact somebody in the moment of them being emotional or in the moment of rage or in the, you know, influence something, you know, because you're feeding off of their emotions. It's like, yeah, yeah. Just leave. Yeah. You should just leave. Like, oh, instead of just being like, hey, take some time to, you know, talk through it.

1:01:52You know, it's really, that's a, that's a real important, great lesson, man. Yeah. It's, it's helped me a lot. That's a great way of, of, um, of exercise and boundaries. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. What have, what are the daily habits? You talk about journaling and meditation in the book And I want to talk about both of them Because I think they talked about a lot today But I want to hear about your deep specific habits And how it's become such a ritual for you So let's start with journaling Like obviously you're a writer anyway Doesn't make it easier I would say Yeah I was going to say What's different about writing music Writing the book versus journaling Oh completely different So music I don't even like Like, I kind of just, when I get in the studio, I kind of just let it flow through me.

1:02:39And I learned that from, like, Kanye and Jay-Z and Common. Now, there are a lot of people who do write on pads, like Eminem, you know, who's amazing to me. And a lot of people I know. But how I do it personally is I just kind of, like, feel through it and let it stream to me. And I, like, go on a mic and, like, not necessarily freestyle it. But, yeah, just piece it together. You got to come for a session one day. But then when it comes to journaling, that's my time where I put like my sword. You know, your pen is like your sword to paper. And you are setting, you're strategizing and you're setting your intentions of, you know, things you may would like to experience.

1:03:24But I also like to do like gratitude. for some reason gratitude just seems to magnetize more of the things um that i'm thankful for in my life um i've seen it work in a lot of ways and that's my belief you know so the things that you are grateful for you have to let the world know that you're grateful for because how else is it going to know to give it back to you you know or to bring it to you or to the people around you. And, um, it also is a great way for me to, you know, and I practice, I am so much power. So I am grateful. I am this, I am happy. I am confident. I am happy that I get to sit down and talk to my friend Jay today.

1:04:06You know, I'm, I'm happy. I get to whatever the case is. Right. So that's what I do. And then at the end of it, of the journal of the, when I do the gratitude stuff and there are times where I write how I feel not as much I also speak out loud by myself there are a lot of processes I do but when I do that journal I sign it at the bottom of it like a contract and I like sometimes I put it is done or I put like so be it because it's a declaration when I do that and I sign it because it's that important to me I have to sign my contracts I have to sign things that will be upheld as an important thing and that's how the level of importance even more that I hold that to.

1:04:52So I sign it every time. That is so good, man. I've never heard that before. I'm going to start doing that. It's powerful. Yeah, I've never signed it. That's dope. It's powerful. And Jay, does everything I write down come to fruition? No. Sometimes it does. A lot of them do. And then I realized that I'm also on God's time. So the things that I've always wanted and things that I've desired it may not just be the right moment in my journey for that but that's the beauty of it man I'm like I'm still here I'm still able I'm still inspired I'm still passionate you know beautiful yeah so that's how I that's how I do my journaling I also have like a there's a book I have of like poetry too that I like write poems and stuff I've only I only write a few a year, honestly, but like, I'll like fully write and draw around the poem.

1:05:46And like, it was really like a beautiful art. It's just some, something I do for fun. I haven't actually, I've only written one this year and last year I wrote a few. So maybe I'll, maybe inspire me to write one today, but that's kind of all it is, but I don't spend too much time on it. It takes me about five to 12 minutes. That's great. Max. And then I meditate after that because it's kind of like a good transition to the energy is set for me to meditate because when I meditate, I feel like I'm attracting these things more and giving myself the best shot of being the most productive, the most impactful that I can be.

1:06:27So that's kind of the first thing I do when I wake up, if I can. Being a dad, though, there are times where I get woken up and I have to go immediately. you know and so I come back to it later on it's not preferred that way but it's a good trade off yeah what does your meditation look like I love because I've learned so much just now you journal I've never heard so be it it is done or the signature at the end I'm gonna start practicing those three I like those a lot yeah because it's that important that is beautiful man I get that like what you just said about we sign contracts sign checks There's very few things we still sign.

1:07:10Exactly, right. And they're very important things. Yeah, they're important documents. And that is an important document too. I love that. So what about your meditation? What does your practice look like? It depends. I love doing guided meditation sometimes. I love doing, I kind of have my own process where I like visualize the light of creation, like the light of the sun. And it like really filling my whole body up. And literally everything that doesn't align with that, anything that isn't that light and bright, you know what I'm saying, immediately leaves my body and goes back into the earth.

1:07:44And like, so, you know, there are times where if I'm not in nature, I imagine myself in nature and like things going back into the earth. And I like surround myself, you know, from my, I forgot the word, the esoteric body. I think it's like one inch off you, then your emotional body, then your mental body. and like I just do the same thing like it's like a shower of light it's like hopping in the shower after you work out like a bit of light and whatever it is I kind of like cater to how I'm feeling so from there I'll like if I have like something wrong with my stomach I'll like for some reason I associate green with healing energy right and this comes from years of like practice or I associate royal blue with power you know the power of the universe I associate like read with the love of the universe, the love and support of the universe.

1:08:34And I represent the violet flame of St. Germain to cleanse things that are holding me back. So I have quite a process, and I break it down in a book. And afterwards, I feel just, it really makes a big difference. And you know, I read this book, The Hidden Messages in Water, I believe it's called. and it talked about, you know, there's like itty bitty microscopic crystals in water. And they, one of the part of the book, they experiment of like how positively when you speak to water, like, Hey, you're amazing. I love you. Keep going. Like you're beautiful. And then they had another water glass or container of water where they said like, You suck.

1:09:22It's never real negative. And you look at the crystals and one is like a beautiful snowflake looking crystal. And then the other one is like distorted and all damaged. And we are 70, 80 % water. So these things, when you write these affirmations down or when you say them out loud or when you journal, these things have a real effect on you tremendously. Scientifically, it's not even like a woo-woo type of thing. It's not even like, it's not even up for debate. You know what I'm saying? It's literally scientific for the people who are more, you know, need the proof as opposed to, you know, more analytical than like opinion based.

1:10:03So I just want to stress the importance of it. It really is. And by the way, the most honorable people that I've met and like what I consider to be successful. And I don't mean richest. I just mean successful in like the impact, what they're doing, how they are. Yeah. They meditate. They all, you know, from my favorite rappers down to my favorite, down to you, you know, down to anyone who I just really admire. Yeah. And you can meditate in your own ways. They're like, I know like Janae does different meditations, you know, through sound healing or mirror meditations. I know people who do shower meditations, walking.

1:10:44There's no wrong way to meditate either. That's another misconception. There's no wrong way to do it. The fact that you take the intention out or if you focus on your breathing, the fact that you take the time out to be that conscious of yourself, over time, you will get more and more into it. It's like anything you do and you will see the effects of it. Yeah. Have you ever meditated with another rapper that was interesting or anything like that? Meditated with another rapper? Anyone that had an interesting practice that I wouldn't know about? Does Eminem meditate? You know what? I have never meditated with Eminem, but he is a very, Eminem is a very, like, amazing person.

1:11:23So I wouldn't be surprised. I know Jay-Z does. Wow. I haven't meditated with him, but I know he does. Yeah. And, you know, there are all different ways and forms. Of course. You know, sometimes just sitting and visualizing and, like, seeing these things is a form of meditation. It could be your way. So you have to find out these ways that work for you. Yeah. Just like therapy, it's like I can't tell you how therapy worked for me, but you may go to a therapist that isn't right for you and be like, oh, therapy is whack, but that's just my specific situation. A lot of times therapy for me has pushed me to the edge of realization and has been the extra push that I needed to sometimes I already knew the answer, but sometimes I needed to talk it through and sometimes I needed to really exercise.

1:12:08And sometimes I did learn something new that awakened the truth in me through therapy and having someone that I could confide in that wasn't a family member, that wasn't a best friend, that I wasn't in a relationship with and was able to apply it to all of those other relationships in a very successful way. Parking shouldn't slow you down. ParkWiz gives every driver a shortcut. Book ahead, save up to 50 percent and skip the hassle of circling the block. Park smarter, park faster. ParkWiz. Download the ParkWiz app today and save every time you park. This week on a very special episode of Health Discovered, we're taking a closer look at a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of men each year, prostate cancer.

1:12:53I first found out about my cancer on my birthday at the age of 45. Found out my cancer has spread to my pelvic bone. And from there, life just changed. About one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and the risk increases with age. Anything with cancer, you just think death sentence. And the only thing I could think about was, who's going to take care of my family? You have to go out there and build your support system. You got to build your team. In this episode, we'll explore the science behind detection, along with the practical steps men can take to protect their health.

1:13:34Listen to Health Discovered on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app, search Health Discovered, and start listening.

1:13:48So your AI agents, they make the team that uses them more productive, right? But if they aren't connected to other agents or your data or your existing workflows, how productive can they really make your teams? any business can add ai agents ibm connects your agents across your company to change how you do business let's create smarter business ibm yeah yeah for sure i mean in the book you talk about how i think it was like in 2016 you said you nearly got addicted to adderall when you were touring with rihanna and i was thinking like how do you stop yourself like in that moment like what was the habit or the tool or the practice?

1:14:33Was it therapy? Was it meditation? What was it that helped you recover from that? Man, so first of all, Adderall is like synthetic, you know, I don't know, they say like heroin, all these things, right? Like, there's just a lot to it. And I'm really into Eastern medicine personally, you know? I used to have heart, a real bad heart problem that I fixed through literally taking magnesium and some other supplements that a doctor told me that I had to get surgery for. They told me they had to cut my heart open and put a pacemaker in it, you know? So when I started taking Adderall, it's because I was putting myself on a clock that didn't exist.

1:15:16I was putting myself under pressure, and I was living in a fear-based way. And I started taking Adderall because I wanted to accomplish more and it was very work it worked but at the expense of so many things i honestly the expense of like my like affecting my soul and changing the person that i was and depleting my body it shut it off it creates synthetic dopamine in your brain so it creates all this dopamine but your natural dopamine that is responsible for your happiness, for your inspiration or your creativity, who makes you who you are, it shuts off. It shuts it off. And after a while, you're kind of relying on this synthetic dopamine only.

1:16:06And I remember as time went on, I would go in the studio and I feel like I couldn't do anything without it. And that's when I knew I had a real problem with it. So I went cold turkey and that is like, that was probably the second bout of depression in my life that I went through, that was like, that's when I was like wanting to kill myself. Like I was just like, my mom was playing all these tricks on me. Right. And it didn't matter that I had like, I would have had a big ass house in Beverly Hills. It didn't matter that I had millions of dollars in the account and it didn't matter because as great as a lot of those things are, they're still separate.

1:16:41I'm wearing a Lincoln Park shirt. You know, Chester, I can't speak for him, God rest his soul, but like who would think that like, oh, that someone, you know, who's one of the biggest rock stars in the world and a band, regardless of, you know, what they talked about in their music, like would do that, you know, or this, you know, Kurt Cobain, you know, all these things, right? So it's because it's all separate, you know, and I'm not saying that money can't make you happy, by the way. I don't like when like, you know, I don't like when rich people get on camera and be like money isn't everything like it isn't everything but it's a lot it's a resource that is very needed in every in anything you need to do in this world i agree you need it so it is important it's very important i'm not gonna like sit in here and say it isn't but it was separate from what i had to deal with at the time so yeah it was um i went cold turkey and that's when I stopped everything I was doing and I called my mom who we weren't on great terms and she came out and was in my house with me and entered.

1:17:46My mom has always, shout out my dad too. My dad is with me today too. I love my dad. He's like, man, make sure you shout me out too. Like, yeah, I'm gonna shout you out too. Like my dad is great. But my mom at that point, in those certain points in my life, just a few key points, She knew what she had a solution to offer me always. And I really appreciate that. It's something I hope to do for my kid and kids. And she was like, introduced me to, you know, she was who put me on meditation. She just would always introduce me to certain things. Try this, try this method. And then I started realizing how connected physical, mental, emotional, spiritual are.

1:18:24And I started working out. I started prioritizing myself and started putting me first. Started reconnecting with things I wanted to do. started trying new things, jumping out of planes. I was doing, going to the gun range, just trying things out that I was like, Hey, that's interesting. Let me try it. And it really helped me reconnect with myself. I started watching anime again. And then, you know, I had to take a break from the studio because I wasn't, I couldn't think of anything. And then I finally got back in and was inspired again. And life is the greatest inspiration. But what I can say it's the people who are addicted to Adderall and like other drugs that that synthetic high is is very temporary and it's at an expense and it's different when people who have ADHD who necessarily need it but there are even other ways to deal with that and I guarantee you they will take less of your body you know these things like when these prescriptions they mess up your kidneys your liver.

1:19:21And as simple as that sounds, your liver, your gut, messing up your gut, your gut is your second brain. It dictates so much more than we've been let on to know. I think that's why Roddy is so into the food because it's not just food. It's so much more than that. So I know I'm running on and on, but my point is that it was very tough, but you can get through it and you there on the other side of it you you you come out as like a true champion and you're the source of it yeah and there's no better drug or high than being high off life there is no better thing because you're the actual drug you're the actual source of it it's not something you have to take to get to there it's like you are it and there's you'll be you could soar you go go higher than ever yeah yeah go higher yeah yeah for real how do you feel your grandmother would feel reading this these pages my grandma was one of the first people to give me a book of um it was a book about uh king solomon and that book changed the my life and it talks about the strategies of king solomon how he had his ran his business how he strategized how you know how king solomon he didn't he wanted wisdom that's what he wanted and that's why he was granted everything else that's why he was the richest man who ever lived is because that's not what he was saw he didn't he didn't seek the power he sought the wisdom to help people and god gave him the resources by making him the richest man right so anyway you know so my grandma she was like one of the first female black captains in World War II.

1:21:11She was one of the first like female police officers, a teacher, a counselor. She was incredible, right? Her and my granddad met in World War II. And she was the example of hard work, the example of nothing is something. She lived on the street called Otter Drive, which was a, that's where Marvin Gaye used to live when he lived in Detroit. It's like a real prestigious street. and I can imagine that that was like one of her proudest accomplishments. So I really got love for her. I think she would read this book and be proud. You know, I think so. And I think that, you know, as a scholar, she would probably be like correcting some of my grammar and work and, you know, things like that.

1:21:52But she would be very proud. She was very strict in a lot of ways and she believed that education, going to college, was a way to a better life. and I went a different way. I didn't go to college. I was like, instead I went to the music and she knew I had respect for her because I always had good grades. But even when I chose the exact opposite of what she wanted me to do, she supported me wholeheartedly. And I spent all the bonds. She saved up all the money. She saved up for college. I spent it all on studio sessions. And I can't imagine how mad or how pissed off that might've made her. But through it all, she supported me and I just appreciate, she just shows me how much she valued family.

1:22:35And I was able to buy a house for her and my mom before they passed. She actually saw the music pay off. And we used to watch all these Westerns and Jeopardy and all these things. And I remember she was watching Jeopardy and I was actually a question on Jeopardy. And I talked to her on the phone and she was so like, wow. And it used to tear me apart when things weren't working out and I was spending her money on the studio sessions and we would have Sunday dinner every Sunday and I would have to go and sit there and she'd be like, well, what's going on with the music? You know, you need to, why don't you just apply to community college?

1:23:09Like you could have been halfway with a degree by now. It's been two years. It's been, you know, all this time and it broke my heart every Sunday. And I did give up, you know, at one point I did give up. So at one point I was over it. I was over music. It wasn't going anywhere when was that that was after i met kanye yeah so you rap and then he didn't get in touch with you for two years after yeah and it was like a blank you know and i turned down my scholarships i had the college i graduated school with like a 3.7 gpa i was like you know i had like a lot of academic scholarships all these things and i turned it down and then i was it was non-responsive but in hindsight i look back he was blowing up in his own right he was busy you know it's not the same, you only see things from your perspective, especially when you're younger.

1:23:58And yeah, I just was like, I felt like I tried and gave it all I had. And I gave up. And my mom, who was a teacher as well, she was the only one who was like, yo, what are you doing, man? Come on. You're registering for, come on, you got it. Just keep going. You got it. This is what you're meant to do. This is what you believe in do it and literally months after that that's when things started picking up so it's like you can keep digging and digging and digging and before i struck the gold i gave up and that's what i mean i had those guardian angels around me to keep it going one thing you spoke about that you know i'm really sorry you had to go through it because i had so many friends who've actually gone through it recently which is why i'm asking but you suffered a miscarriage which you know and like that i was talking to so many of my friends who are trying to have kids right now yeah it's super common yeah but it's like that doesn't make it any better right right no it doesn't like yeah so many of my friends have had it this year literally in the last 12 months wow and yeah and it's and it's hard because they're going through a loss their partner's going through the grief but it's and like you said it's super common but that doesn't make it any easier or any better when it happens to you right what was something that really helped you through that experience that you think could help others what was it that helped both of you because it's a two-way thing it's not just about you yeah a lot of our problems we're just processing ourselves well every situation is different right so to someone who is experiencing miscarriages and I can only speak from a man's perspective I can't speak for a woman who really their perspective is the most traumatic but I can say that first of all you're worthy I don't want you to think you're not worthy.

1:25:44I don't want people to think that because they have a miscarriage that they're inadequate or that they're broken. I think that this life is complex and there are things we do and don't understand. And I think there's beauty in everything that's meant for you. And instead of trying to control exactly how you want your life to be, accept that it's going to be the life that is meant for you. And you may get blessed with a child later on. You may get blessed with a child that comes into your life a different way. You may get blessed with, you have to keep your, sometimes we get so set on a goal, we don't keep the rest of our doors open of how the universe could bless us in that way to not only fill that void, but even make it even greater.

1:26:35so I just want to you know keep an open mind but you to anyone who does experience such an insufferable loss like do you know go through it like express yourself deal with that grief but don't let it consume you yeah you know um sometimes you got to go through it just to get to it yeah for sure no I appreciate that man I think it's gonna help a lot of them we've got two last questions for you Sean before we wrap how do you personally find the light in really dark times Like when you feel distracted from that spiritual light, what do you do to reconnect? Well, to find the light in really dark times, sometimes you have to realize that you are the light, but sometimes you got to embrace the darkness.

1:27:22You ever notice how when you're in the dark for a long time, you start to see better and things actually get lighter? For sure. I think that it's a natural human instinct to go into a mode of fear-based. And it's like, I need the light. I need the light. Where's the light? And instead of just accepting that you are for certain, not only are you the light, that there is a darkness to you, too, that's beautiful. and that you have to accept all aspects of yourself. So, you know, once you do accept it, I think it's easier to find the light or be the light. I think, you know, once you really are comfortable in your environment, you will find and see the way to wherever it is you're trying to go.

1:28:13Absolutely. Great answer. Last question I want to ask you. One of my favorite things you ask people to do in the book, which I want everyone to do when they get the book, is list five miracles that they've experienced in their life. I love this idea because when I read this, I was just like, oh my gosh, if you actually stop to think about the miracles that have happened in your life and to really take them in and to really embrace them and let them pervade your entire being, you start believing in more miracles. You start living in the miracle because often it's so easy to live in the negativity and to live in the toxicity and to live in everything that's the opposite of a miracle.

1:28:56What gave you this idea? Where did it come from? And how do you live in the miracle every day? I mean, what idea came from like when you highlight, when you really recognize the miracles and you're kind of supercharging them and you're, you'll see more miracles. There are so many miracles every single day. The fact that the sun is at the exact right place. And the moon is at the exact right place. And the oxygen is at the exact right. The fact that we are orbiting is a miracle, bro. For real, if you think about it, because one slight thing, everything is gone. You know what I'm saying? Everything is gone to shit fast.

1:29:42So that's one thing. But for me, when you list the miracles that you experienced personally that impact you Personally, I feel like it breathes more. So for me, man, being on a pursuit of happiness and being able to actually see my dreams come true to a level is a miracle for me. This is in an order, by the way. Having a son, that's for real a miracle because that's like creating something out of nothing. Being able to, man, waking up is a miracle. Everyone don't get to wake up, man. Being able to set goals and pursue them, you know, not even necessarily check them all off, but pursue them. Being able to eat food and let it give me nutrition is a miracle, bro.

1:30:37Yeah, yeah. You know, so I'm not trying to just sit up here and like be preaching positivity in that sense. but there are so many miracles that happen. I remember one time I was down at the fireworks in Detroit and somebody was firing a gun and I saw it and it looked like I saw it and it went past me and it was a miracle I didn't get hit by any bullets. It was a miracle that when I got into a car accident and told him my car when I was 16, I was able to climb out of the window. I couldn't even open the doors and nothing was wrong with me. I had a little bruise on the side of my pinky. That was it.

1:31:11It's a little like somebody died in there. There are miracles that happen every day that you may not consider miracles that you have to recognize and you don't even have to question it. That just shows you, bro, that you're here. We are in it. I love that, man. That was one of my favorite activities and practices and I hope everyone has been listening and watching today. If you do one thing, it's do that. Yeah, for real. Spend time just mapping out your five miracles. because the book is called Go Higher, Five Practices for Purpose, Success in a Peace. And thank you for writing the forward. Of course, man.

1:31:48It was beautiful. Nah, just congrats to you, man. I'm really proud of you. Come on, man. I know I was just at your house like a few days ago. Three days ago, four days ago. We loved it. Eating some amazing food. You really are an amazing person, not just on camera like some people. You really are amazing on and off camera, man. Your heart is big. It's very inspiring. we have these in our fridge you're the best I have all your books on my shelf I've read them and you know just thank you man thank you for being an outlet thank you for being such a connection especially between all these amazing people and being able to open up and be vulnerable what I can say is that to everyone watching you're a product of your environment and you are the you are the chemist of your environment.

1:32:40You have the power to change it in any given time or moment. If you're unhappy with where you are, realize that you have the instant power to change it. It all starts with the mentality first and foremost. That is the key ingredient to making anything amazing. amazing, you know? So, uh, I hope you guys realize that we only have this moment, anything you've done in the past, you have to let go of anything in the future can change, you know, that you have an idea of how it should be and that, uh, what else, you know, what are you going to do with the time you got left? It's up to you. I love that, man.

1:33:26Thank you for writing this book. The book is called Go Hire, everyone. go grab your copy, share it with your friends, your family, people in your life who are looking for really insightful, simple wisdom that can create shifts in your life, practical advice, practical stories as well. Sean, I'm really glad you've done this with your platform because I think that, you know, it's very rare these days for people to see what masculinity means. And I I feel like with you, the strength and the vulnerability, which in one sense are the one and the same, but I also think they are different in that I think there is a need to be strong, set boundaries, be to stand up for yourself.

1:34:09These are all strength as well. And then at the same time, the softness, the courage, the bravery, the vulnerability, that is too. And so I love how you put those both together. It was an honor to write the foreword for this book. Thank you. a real honor like for you to ask me to do that was i was very touched you could have asked anyone and uh i i genuinely genuinely hope that people are going to pick this book up and i i think people are going to hand it to their friends their family people in their life if you want this year 2025 to be a great year yeah you gotta go higher yeah that's right and so i'm excited for you i'm excited for this next chapter in your life thank you and i'm excited about this book for many, many years to come will have an impact on people, not just now, not just this year, but for many years to come, people will look back and say, I loved all the music he wrote, but I also love that book he wrote.

1:34:59Thank you, man. That means everything. Yeah, thanks for allowing me to communicate. Always. You know, communication, I always say the communication is the bridge to salvation that God is holding our hand to walk across. And just like any other bridge, you can't skip a step to get to the other side. So thanks for allowing me to communicate. And thank you for communicating so well in your life. It's very inspiring. And yeah, I'll see you soon, man. I'll come back over for dinner. I can't wait. I can't wait. I appreciate it. Thank you, Sean. Yeah, that is part three. That is part three over. Part three.

1:35:30Part four coming soon. Yeah, part four coming soon. Thank you, man. I love it. You're the best, man. Thank you, brother. Thanks for being such a dear friend. If this is the year that you're trying to get creative, you're trying to build more, I need you to listen to this episode with Rick Rubin on how to break into your most creative self, how to use unconventional methods that lead to success and the secret to genuinely loving what you do. If you're trying to find your passion and your lane, Rick Rubin's episode is the one for you. Just because I like it, that doesn't give it any value. Like as an artist, if you like it, that's all of the value.

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1:37:58This is an iHeart Podcast.