Know Thyself - E110 - Omarion: Redefining Spiritual Growth, Betrayal, Celibacy & Becoming Unbothered

Episode Date: August 20, 2024

Grammy-nominated R&B artist Omarion opens up about the deeply personal experiences that have shaped his spiritual and creative growth. From navigating betrayal and redefining joy, to discovering the healing power of music and meditation, Omarion's story is one of unwavering resilience and self-discovery.Raised by a young single mother, Omarion shares how growing up without strong male role models taught him the invaluable lessons of integrity and living "unbothered." He reflects on his 3-year period of celibacy, and the difference between seeking joy versus mere pleasure.Omarion is candid about the ups and downs of success and his sense of self-worth, and how practices like meditation and fatherhood have nurtured his purpose. He emphasizes the importance of supporting children's excitement and natural talents.The video delves into Omarion's creative vulnerability, as he discusses the power of music to heal and the process of reinventing oneself. He shares his navigation of controversies with his former group B2K, underlining the value of forgiveness and compassion.Throughout it all, Omarion emphasizes the need to stay true to what's real, versus chasing popularity. He provides a glimpse into how he merges his artistry and business savvy, offering inspiring insights for creatives and entrepreneurs alike.André's Book Recommendations: https://www.knowthyself.one/books___________0:00 Intro 2:05 Living Unbothered & Choosing Joy5:47 Being Raised by a Young, Single Mother 11:25 Growing Up Without Male Role Models & Learning Integrity18:53 Lessons From 3 Years of Celibacy27:13 Joy vs Pleasure32:30 Self Worth in the Ups/Downs of Success 40:03 Meditation and Parenthood46:49 Nurturing Children’s Purpose & Excitement49:53 The Power of Music to Heal52:50 How Music Programs Us & Choosing Empowering Music55:39 Creative Vulnerability & Reinventing Yourself1:00:12 Staying True to What’s Real vs What’s Popular1:04:21 Merging Art and Business1:10:24 Navigating B2K Controversy with Grace1:17:42 Forgiveness and Compassion1:22:48 Starting Where You Are1:28:38 Conclusion___________Omarion is a Grammy-award nominated singer, songwriter, performer, and actor who rose to popularity in the 2000s as the lead singer of the iconic R&B boy band B2K. Among the ranks of R&B’s elite and aptly crowned by fans as The King of Unbothered, he is a pop-culture phenomenon that has remained in the top tier of the R&B/Pop Music World throughout his 20-year career with numerous multi-platinum, chart-topping hits. Omarion has two children and lives in Los Angeles, California.Book: https://a.co/d/iUYo4E0Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omarion/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/omarionWebsite: https://omarionworldwide.com___________Know ThyselfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/Website: https://www.knowthyself.oneClips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ4wglCWTJeWQC0exBalgKgListen to all episodes on Audio: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4FSiemtvZrWesGtO2MqTZ4?si=d389c8dee8fa4026Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-thyself/id1633725927André DuqumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/

It's not the world's job. It's not no one else's job but you to maintain your own peace and happiness. This is about emotional intelligence. This is about staying in your power. When I got nominated for a Grammy, they didn't even mean anything to me. That's how much I was not present. I didn't like that. They had to go through being disappointed, feeling betrayed.

A lot of the time, we feel that life is dealing us this bad hand. If you look a little bit closer, you'll be able to appreciate those moments. because what is life without them? The power of music has allowed me to connect beyond time and space. Once you really start tapping into certain frequencies, you're able to vibrate. Higher, now fans are coming up to me telling me how my music has helped them. If I'm going to do anything, it's like that's the effect that I want. And that's why it's important to know thyself, to get to know who you are so you know who you want to be.

Hey, everyone, welcome back to know thyself. Our guest today is a singer-dancer actor, multi-talented artist. You may be known him from the OG boy band group B2K or his multi-platinum-selling Grammy-nominated solo artistry or maybe as the king of Unbothered. He's got a lot of depth and insight to him. And I'm just excited to explore all the nuance of emotional intelligence, what it means to be a man of integrity and ultimately becoming your best spiritual self. Omariant, thanks for being here, bro. Hey, great intro. Thank you, my brother.

Yeah. Appreciate you. King of Unbathers in the house. Hey. Yeah, you know, when that thing came about, you know, shout out to my fans, I always shot them out. It was kind of a persona, you know, that was presented to me. And when I started really diving in deep, it's just I fit into that, you know, that King of Unbothered.

What does that word mean to you? Because obviously words are just symbols, right? And they show it an aspect of us. quality that we like to imbibe or embody yeah um so what is what is being unbothered what does that mean to you it means a few things the first thing that comes to mind is is you know staying in your power you know what does that mean a lot of the time throughout my career you know it seemed like things were happening and i didn't quite grasp or understand fully why they were happening what was leading me to, I guess just to pay attention a little bit more. Like, why am I finding myself in these

situations? You know, why am I dealing with people that want to, so to speak, press my button or push me, you know, into a space where I would maybe do things that, um, affected my life in a negative way, you know. Um, so first things first about being unbothered is staying in your power, not allowing outside forces to kind of push you in a direction that isn't a true representation of your soul, your spirit, your purpose, your mission, you know, situations and circumstances like led me to dive into what that meant. And like I was saying, you know, because of some of the situations I was going through publicly, you know, being a child prodigy, starting so young, and growing up in this game, you know, it's like two things that happen. You're kind of like, you know, a mirror for some people's experience. And then you're also a timeline, you know, you're a timeline to other people's memories,

you know, and because I was entertaining so young, you know, I created a lot of memories with a lot of people, you know. So when this concept of being unbothered came up and I was like, oh, this is about emotional intelligence. This is about staying in your power. This is about being unfazed in certain situations that might at that time seem really embarrassing. It seemed really like, why am I going through this? It's like that word, that concept, that idea.

When I embodied it and took it on, it really made me feel like this is temporary. This is something that, you know, this is not, I'm not going to be worried about this in a couple of days. You know, it made me really shift my perspective and take ownership of everything that was coming into my space. And that was kind of like the overview, but being unbothered is staying in your power, exercising emotional intelligence, and realizing that you have the power. I love that man. Yeah, I think sometimes maybe people would hear that word and think, you know, it's a way to stay detached, aloof, you know, float above life's challenges. And I think that there can be a deep sense of involvement and just reclaiming your sovereignty and not letting other people have power over your internal state being like self-sourced, you know? And that's a really powerful place to move from because then you're a real creator of reality instead of just a creature of circumstance that happens around you. And so, you know, I I think I'm really curious to hear a little bit more of your background of what forms you going way back to even childhood before you even got into sharing your artistry with the world that's such a young age, like 13, you know. How was being raised by such a young mother? Like, how was that formative for you at that time?

Also being in a household where your father was incarcerated at the time, you didn't really have that male role model to look up to look after? How do you, looking back, connecting the dots? How do you feel like that formed you to arriving at that place of being unbothered? Well, it definitely, you know, shaped me in a way that, you know, prepared me to arrive, you know, to being unbothered. I have to, you know, shout out my mom because, you know, when you're a young mother and you have boys, you know, it's a little bit different than, you know, when you have girls. Yeah, and she had you at what, 16? Yeah, she had me at 16. So, you know, I say me and my mom grew up together, you know, my music tastes, you know, the way that I deal with women was, you know, directly, you know, a reflection of her and my auntie and my nana.

You know, I definitely salute, you know, the women in my life who has helped me cultivate, you know, my personality and my reality. You know, they help me shape that, you know what I'm saying? And so I think that because I was, I think because my mom was so young, like I was able to feel the freedom of making my own choices. My mom trusted me. You know, I was like definitely one of those kids. And at that time, you know, we played outside. So, you know, I was walking places. I was curious about life, you know.

And I never, you know, felt like, you know, my mom never was worried, you know, like that. energy never stepped into my space my mom always trusted me and I feel now with being a parent I see how that cultivates confidence and surety and you know also a type of awareness that you know listening to your gut like I remember being in contact with that you know at a very young age so because my mom was so cool because my mom, you know, was also too of a hard worker. She was a hairstylist in the industry. So, um... My mom was a hairstylist too.

Oh, for real? Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, it's, you know, when you, when you do people's hair, you know, that's a different type of service. It's almost like, it's almost like, um, a job and, and also like therapy. You know what I mean? Like, the way you connect with people and you think about the hair follicles and how people

are in your head. And, you know what I mean? It's a responsibility, you know what I'm saying? So that's why all throughout my career, my hair always looked at. Okay? You know what I'm saying? Hey, that's your crown. You know what I mean?

So you want to make sure your crown is, you know, looking good. Just shout out to mom for that, you know what I mean? But I believe that, you know, I was able to springboard off the foundation of love, you know, confidence and, Don't get me wrong, you know, they weren't always like just championing and, you know, me. Sometimes they would tell me, like, why are you singing so much? Why are you dancing so much? You know what I mean?

Because it was really, you know, it was just something that I love to do, you know what I mean? But I definitely have to credit the women of my life, the foundation for really just allow me to find my way and trust in, you know, because she asked me before. I got in the group, funny story, we got invited to a New Year's Eve party and there used to be this house on Colfax in the valley. And literally like all the groups would come there like before Destiny Child was Destiny Child, B2K performed for Destiny Child. You know, we performed for Black, we performed for 3LW, we performed for all these girls group because there was this place, you know. We call it the Kofax House and everybody would come. So I was one of the kids that, like, my mom would ask me, you know, like, oh, you know, you want to go to this? You know, it's going to be a lot of, you know, it wasn't like, you have to do this or you have to do that.

You know what I mean? And because she allowed me to be free to find my way and my purpose, I didn't even really realize I was exercising this so young. I was, you know, you know, confidently, finding my way. Fast forward to now, you know, I was learning the lessons that were necessary because in my family, you know, there wasn't a manual script. You know what I mean? When you're 16, there's not a manuscript to be a parent. You know, there's not a manuscript to be an entertainer or what people call a star. You know what I mean? I learned a lot of that along the way. And she really gave me the space to do that. You know, she didn't overparent. Yeah, what a gift to have

somebody to help foster your passions and curiosities and what calls you. And at the same time, you know, there's the challenge side of, you know, so young and also the lack of the male role model. Yeah. I'm just curious as you stepped into being the man of the house so early and stepping into like your career so early, you know, I think that's got to be such an interesting test challenge to see who you want to be as a man when you haven't had great examples. Yeah. And so I'm, On one hand, the freedom is great to explore your passions and art at the same time not really having as much structure or examples for that. I'm assuming it was super formative for you deciding who you want to be as a man today. And so what was your journey just like as a man?

What do you feel like it means to be a man and show up with integrity? And how did you learn that on your own? Well, that was definitely a journey. You know, it was men around. But, you know, none of the men really took the necessary. time to, I guess, understand how I receive information, you know, and I think that that I'm even learning that with having, you know, my son and speaking to him a certain type of way, like, there can be men around, but that doesn't mean that they can be influential in your life

or that they can give you, you know, the information that you're looking for to help you to grow. My dad was in and out. We have a great relationship now, but I see the importance of the importance. of a father, of a man, you know, not just in our industries or in our lives, but just period. The purpose of a man, what is a man? You know, a man is a protector, a man is a provider, a man is a conduit to understanding, you know, how to show up in spaces maybe where you're not welcome. There's so many things that I can say about the importance of being a man.

And, you know, fathering my own son, you know, because there's various styles of fathering, you know what I mean, depending on who, you know, the student is, you know, for me, it was, it became integral later on. You know, I end up finding, you know, as I would call like some OGs or some elders that came in the latter part of my life. But seeing how important it is to have integrity, to keep your word, that's really, you know, a major thing. You know, I'm going to just say this raw, you know what I mean? Because this is all of the strong men that I respect that have shown me things, you know, as they say, stand on business. You got two things. All you have is your word and your boss. You know what I'm saying?

And you can't fart to warn any. You know, and I'm not going to elaborate how it's not, you know, the concept of the genitals is like this strong thing, you know, it's just about showing up in really meaning something, you know. And shout out to all my, you know, my OGs. Michael Beckwith happens to be one, you know. Scotty P. my trainer and head of my security, you know, Sa Guru.

You know what I mean? He's someone that really showed me the power of, you know, inner engineering and like how you, there's readily tools available for you to help yourself daily with certain practices. You know, so I have been gifted later on in my life, you know, with some powerful men that have shown me some things. And also the importance of brotherhood because, you know, I grew up with my brother and we pretty much raised each other. So seeing areas where, you know, I always tell people like I had to pay for my lessons, you know, and, you know, that was kind of like you said, that other side of not having a male figure to say, hey, wait a minute, oh, you don't have to look at it like this, you know, someone that I actually respected to listen to and not someone that was just manipulating me, you know. or staying close to me for their own personal benefit. Because, you know, that was a lesson that I had to, you know, get to.

And it's funny when people say, you being too nice, like, you know, there is no such thing. You know, it's just about who you're dealing with. You know, it's just about how you're being received and see a man, you know, shows you that in a different way. You know, a woman can definitely tell you, look out for. that look out for this when it comes to a woman you know or a girl you know i mean but men have a different way of communicating and identifying you know with people's character and what they do and i had to learn a lot of lessons you know on my own because you know i didn't have that elder or i didn't have that that that person you know to to say you know there's a different way you know and that's why

I think conversations like these are so important because, you know, if you can, you know, create a brotherhood that that's strong, you know what I mean. But if you can have an elder, if you can have someone that you listen to that you respect, that you appreciate, it's like you could definitely get some answers to the test and some obstacles you maybe can bypass even though, you know, in this life, everything is designed for you. you know, where you find yourself, the information that you have to extract from, you know, the lessons. We're not going to call them lost, you know what I mean, or you lost anything or you're losing. You know what I mean? It's important information for you to receive. So because, you know, now I'm in a position to understand fully why, you know, I may be attracted to this kind of, you know, man or, you know, My elders are, you know, men of integrity, you know, that also speaks to my personality.

I'm able to understand how I want to show up. And being integral, standing on your word, that is the epitome of a man. Those are some great names. Love Beckwith, Sadrrew also. Yeah. We are really in a lack, societally, culturally for elders. And, you know, we have these relationships. online, we can build, which is great.

But the lack of having those in-person connections, I think, is really, you know, detrimental to society. Facts. You know, as you came into an industry and a culture where it's so easy as a man to hide behind a mask or a persona and not be honest, take accountability. Right. You know, do no harm, but take no shit, you know. But, like, it's easy, especially in relation to women, you know, just being in that space

where you have so much available to you, so accessible. and a culture that is like normalized. It's really interesting to see how you've had like the decision to be a man of integrity, to go on periods of celibacy, to like be able to give up things to grow up, you know? And so I think that's really amazing is what it serves as a role, you know, as a role model, who you decide to show up as in your own family life and business and relationships. It's just an amazing example for others to be able to see that and be like, that's an option.

Yeah, it's an option. You can tap in. Yeah. Yeah. It's comfortable to conform to how everybody's acting around you. But later down the line, it's hard when you're not being who you actually are, you know? And when you reverse it where it's hard to show up and work through what you need to work through, but then it's easier when you actually can be who you are in the world.

And so, you know, when it comes to being a man, I know you've talked, you know, at links, It's also in your book in relation to your vital life force energy and sexual energy. As somebody who's made a lot of sexual music, you know, and is in that industry and that space, how did you come to celibacy as a man for three years, right? Wow. Wow. That was an interesting time. You know, being a dancer, always being the dancer, you know, you listen to your body, you know what I mean? And it's interesting that at that particular moment in my life, you know, I kind of took it on as a challenge, you know. You know, they kind of spooked us out when we were younger. You know, they told us all of the

horror stories of the other groups and celebrity and famous people when they were out on tour, some of the things that could potentially happen to them. And it was always this like, this or that thing, like, do you want to have a career or do you want to be out here making babies? And we're like, huh? You know, 15. 2016, you know, we're not thinking about that, you know what I mean, but it's a real thing. It's a real thing when you go out on that road, you know, you meet people and, you know, you're talking about making love and you're talking about sex. You know, you kind of call that energy out to you, you know what I mean? Um, so when I decided to become celibate, it was because I was really just searching for, um, something more, you know, something. You know, something. more from myself at the time I was practicing Christianity, you know what I'm saying? And it was just an interesting time. You know, I was like really studying my Bible, you know, and ultimately, like I said in the book, it wasn't for me. But it allowed me to kind of, you know, step out of this world and have the

responsibility of being a sex symbol, you know, and being a young adult. And actually, you know, in hindsight, it was preparing me for like my contribution to music, me being integral and my words and what I'm saying, you know, not having to really live a double life, you know. And at that time of being celibate, you know, it's very weird for some people. A lot of people would be like, oh, he's young, he's on top of the world, he just put an album, number one album like you ain't out here fucking eat those you know what I'm like nah it's more it's more to life than that you know what I mean and by and by no means you know I'm not you know here to judge anyone you know because we all have our journey you know I mean but yeah I just found

myself in that position of wanting to you know understand my energy give myself time to And also, I knew that, you know, if I could control two areas of my life, which was food and the urge of sex, then, you know, nothing can stop me. You know, because as a man, you know, we have trouble. We have trouble, you know what I mean, in those areas. We can have trouble in those areas. And I love women, too, you know what I'm saying? So being intentional with that, you know, being upfront about where I'm at, you know what I mean? that all came along with it.

You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, that was an ancient in time right there. And then come to find out that Lenny Kravitz has been, you know, celibate for however long. I'm like, wow. That makes sense. That dude's glowing. You feel me?

You know? That's a different glow. Yeah. When you, like, harness that energy in, you just start to see, like, you just start to radiate. That's facts. Life, yeah. That's facts.

That's facts. Yeah. And one of my other spiritual teachers, he was telling me how. He's been celibed for like eight or nine years too. Shout out to Gano Grills over at Galacticus. You know what I'm saying? And that's what I'm talking about. You know, in another word that I wanted to highlight was accountability.

Because that's something that I did forget to say just about the elders and the older people that I speak to. You know, they don't have no problem being like, okay, yeah, that was my bad. You know, and I thought that was cool, you know, because you don't see that a lot. You don't see a lot of men taking accountability for things. They kind of brush over it, you know. But yeah, man, celibacy, I believe that you have to be called to it. You know what I'm saying? Otherwise, it's like, why are you doing it?

You know what I mean? But that was an interesting time, and it was a great time. I'm glad that I got the chance to do that. Yeah, I find it's so, there's this limb of yoga called Pratihara, which is like abstaining from senses, fasting for food, celibacy for sex. And it's easy to give up things when you're not tested or when things aren't so available. No one wants to have sex with you. It's not that hard to not have sex. Right. When everybody, it was so available and you make that decision, you're going to be tested repeatedly and you're going to really show up and see what your resolve actually is within that.

And so as you made that decision, which I know is probably tough at the time, and of course, there's many paths to the same ocean bed. You know, there's many ways to find that true vibrancy to know yourself. Sexual energy happens to be one of the most potent forms is why we're all here, you know? Harnessing that energy really allows a lot of creativity to open up. And for you to harness those distractions, so many different things. What did you feel shift internally, like around your clarity of mind and how you felt internally? And then when you started to attract. because of that. What did you feel like really shift because of that period? My connection to, you know, the things that I were calling into my life and why. You know, I was able to clearly see, you know, listen to that inner voice differently. You know, my judgment wasn't so clouded, you know what I'm saying? And I was okay with that. So during that time and then also, too, my relationship with, the universe, you know, with the proverbial God, you know, even though I know that, you know,

that is within us in our scope, you know what I'm saying? We are, we are gods within ourselves, having the opportunity to choose how our experience is. It helped me come into that, you know, unencumbered of, like you said, you know, this is like droplets of, you know, this is like droplets of, of a vast ocean. And then it's like, once you start doing your research and you see how it's all relative and it's the same, you know, might have a different name, but it serves, you know, the same purpose energetically.

You know, that's what it allowed me to come into. And I think sometimes, you know, for me, with my experience, with religion, you know, kind of cuts you off from being able to experience and realizing that everyone is kind of in. that same space and you really just have to do the self-work in order to realize that actually there's many ways and a lot of the things that we think is wrong is actually not you know so that's what it really opened me to you know to have less judgment more understanding and more appreciation

and gratitude and how you can do certain things for yourself to i don't want to use the word be in control, but you know, you get to say so and how you feel about the natural things that occur. Yeah. Yeah, you can't have conscious choice of your life if you're so compulsive in regards to all things. Yeah. Yeah, like you said, food and sex being some of the two strongest pulls that we have.

Yeah. That and probably money is like around there. I've heard you talk to, and I felt this so strongly in my own journey too, the difference between joy and pleasure. Yeah. You know, because you can go pleasure seeking all day and it's pleasant. It's pleasurable, of course, obviously, in many forms. But I've found, and you see this in like, you know, certain athletes where there's just so

much of that, especially sex available to, or, you know, eating it out every day at different restaurants. You know, there can be a lot of pleasure in that, right? And I'm not saying, you know, that it's not okay to. sometimes dip your hedonistic toe in these different experiences of life or whatever all in balance right yeah but i often find a lot of those individuals can't find joy in their life like they can't find pleasantness within just being sitting alone in a room you know yeah and that and that's tough so what do you feel like the differences between joy and pleasure it's interesting because

we always talk about this we always talk about you know um what was it it's serotonin and dopamine yeah and how you know the difference yeah it's almost It's almost like, you know, when you get, and it's funny too as it relates to success too. We're building up for this moment. We're rehearsing. We're getting ready for this show. And the moment is like, like that. You know what I'm saying?

That's what I feel like dopamine is, you know. And I think we all have to be mindful of that, you know, because it's something that, you know, it happens so fast. It's like you don't even really get to enjoy it, you know what I mean? But once you get in the mix of that serotonin, you know what I mean, you do the thing. things that really allow you to feel and sit with it. You know, I feel like, you know, that's what joy is. Joy for me, outside of really fully understanding through my experience that it's my choice.

It's almost something that, you know, like when people be like, okay, well, if you had to transition, you know, like, how would you want to transition? You know, I would want to transition in joy. You know what I'm saying? I would want to be happy knowing that, you know, I did all I could, you know. And when you arrive to understanding that there's a difference, you know, you choose better. You know what I'm saying?

And joy is just, it's such a potent thing. It's, you know, my nana, she passed away two years. This is probably, you know, the most important in my life and my experience, you know. just she was the first person to touch me she was a dula when my mom you know had me so we have a really deep connection and when she transitioned she showed me you know a lot about life and how you know even when you transition you know there's still ways to stay in contact you know there's still ways to you know feel that love and when you're intentional about your relationships and And people do transition and pass on.

You're not sad. You know, you can really feel the full extent of love and a relationship. And she also helped me come to a place of joy, even though, you know, she's not here physically, you know, because through death, a lot of people get sad. A lot of people get, you know, boggled down that they're, you know, they're losing their loved ones. But you're not. You know, they are always with you, you know. And when you really do your work, then you realize, you know, we all decided to be here at this particular time to have these conversations to raise this type of awareness. Joy becomes then a different thing, you know, and it's funny.

I think about this thing every time I see Saguru, you know, and I look at him and he'd be like, you know, he'd be like, I'd be like, I'd be like, what's up? What's up? You good? He's like, man, I'm blessed out. You know, he'd be on his bliss. You know, he'd be on his, you know what I mean? And it's like, wow, we all could be like that. You know, we don't always need these outside things in order to fulfill ourselves.

Joy is one of those things that you can choose and you can tap into that energy that is infinite. And it's not, you know, something that's temporary, like a high or like, you know, drugs. You know what I'm saying? Choose joy, y'all. I love it. Yeah, man. It's so good. I like how you brought up. It's the same thing in regards to instant and delayed gratification and serotonin and dopamine in regards to success with your career. It's always going to be fluctuations. There's going to be big moments, but our life isn't comprised of mainly big moments. Those are blips of time in the timeline of our life. Our life is consisted of picking your kids up from school, like the mundane moments, cooking food, eating, being with your family. So it's like, do you want to live your life for the 0.1% or the 99.9%? Period.

And so how have you come to change what you see, like how you value yourself as a human being and also in relation to self-worth when the externalities of success fluctuate with your career when you have a number one and then, you know, there's downtime or like, how do you see yourself as a, how do you value yourself and how do you come into relation with self-worth? Well, I definitely keep a daily practice. That is something that, you know, I would advise to all the men out there and young men. You know, keep a daily practice, you know, that allows you to tap in into the mental, the physical, and the spiritual. You know, I do that with working out every day or dancing and moving my body. Or, you know, I'll do some breath work. I think having a schedule has allowed me to, stay grounded and also just realize that you know like you said life is is it's ups and downs it's peaks and valleys and really what we experience more than anything is those downtime so you have to make sure that you build practices that allow you to still enjoy your life you know what I mean

but but know and realize and recognize that you know this is the cycle of life. This is not the success of life or this is not, you know, these moments that we want to kind of recreate in our life to quantify our life. Even in purpose, you know,

you got to work out in the gym. And sometimes in the gym means reading books. Sometimes in the gym means learning who you really are. When your family dynamic, finances, able to maintain a stable life so you can have these moments of reprise or a moment to go hiking. You know, like everything can't just be.

And this is something that I had to really arrive to because I started so young. You know, I didn't understand the power of like booking my own, you know, getaway until 2019. That was like the first real, like, vacation I ever took in my whole life, you know. because I've been a workhorse and I've been working since I was younger, you know what I mean? And I saw how much that affected me, you know what I mean, with getting frustrated with work when, you know, work wasn't what I wanted to be, you know, or at the volume at, you know, and then having to renegotiate things and my price and my value, you know, like just understanding that that is in, you know, the scope of my own power. Like, no, I can arrive at any job and no one could tell me what my value is, you know.

So, really just being intentional about understanding where I'm at in life, you know. And then also maturing, maturing have really helped me understand that going slow is going fast, you know, and being able to really be present. and all of the moments because, you know, I was just telling my boy this. When I got nominated for a Grammy, you know, it didn't even mean anything to me. You know, that's how much, you know, I was not present, you know, and I didn't like that. I didn't like that. I wanted to, even though it was a nomination and, you know, it wasn't that I won one. But it just was that like I had so much on my mind at the time that I wasn't even

able to be present. I didn't like that. You know what I mean? Um, so life has definitely showed me the importance of, you know, taking time for yourself, you know, enjoying your own company, showing up and giving people, you know, what it is that you want within yourself, the importance of that that in the workplace and everywhere you go, you know, even the grocery store. You know what I mean? just living in a way that's purposeful. Those ups and downs has gave me a great sense of value. And I understand even with, you know, my music, all of the art that I share and make myself available to that even in that, you know, I have purpose.

And it's not just about, you know, now we want number ones. Don't get me wrong. You know what I'm saying? but this season that I'm in in my, you know, entertainment experience, I've arrived to the point to where, you know, now fans are coming up to me. And people that have appreciated my music are telling me how my music has helped them, you know, through certain situations. And, you know, if I'm going to do anything, then it's like, that's the effect that I want. You know, that could be one person. And it could be 100,000 people to arrive to that point to where it's like, okay, yeah, the work is working.

You know, I'm doing exactly what I need to do, you know, and it's not just about one thing. It's about this life experience. So, you know, being able to look at that, being able to appreciate those down moments, as we would call them down. Maybe we should call them plateau, you know what I'm saying, because people think that it's up and down. thing, but it's really a, it's a rising thing. You know what I mean? And we just arrived to different plateaus. You know, maybe sometimes we have to go back, you know, to realize and recognize some lessons we may have, like, you know, forgot because that's definitely what the Millennium Tour was for me, you know, sidebar. You know, when I went on the Millennium Tour, and I speak about that in the

book as well, you know, it wasn't something that I wanted to do, you know, but the universe prop this opportunity for me to be able to go back and remember, you know, and that's what life is. And I'm realizing that more and more a lot of the things that we are already innately in contact with, we've always been in contact with. You know, we just had to remember. You know what I mean? So life is a grand remembrance. And I'm so, you know, happy to be in this position because I remember.

people would be like, why is he so happy? You know, why, you know, why is he dancing all of the time? You know what I mean? And I just realized now, like, yo, joy was just inside of me, you know, and it had to move around. It had to let loose. You know, I had to find out things. It had to go through, you know, being disappointed.

It had to go through feeling, you know, betrayed. And, you know, that's what my job. journey was, you know what I'm saying? And I'm happy to be able to go through this experience because, you know, without that experience, there's really, there's no information. There's no testimony, as they say. There's no realizations. You know, you don't come to nothing. You've got to go through some things. And life is just powerful like that. And that's why it's important for platforms like, you know, yourself, to know thyself, to get to know who you are, so you know who you want to be.

I love that, dude. Yeah, man. And there's so many tools that you mentioned some of them in terms of yoga, breathwork meditation that have allowed you to unlock really how you want to show up intentionally in your life. Because we're often so just living life and being blown by the wind and like what comes our way.

And we haven't decided a vision of the future that we want to create for herself in any field. And mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, sexual, sexual, yeah, relationship, social, all of it,

you know, like asking yourself really, what do you want? And you can't really hear the answer to that when it's so noisy. Facts.

And so I know yoga, breathwork, meditation, have been great tools for you to cultivate that clarity. When did that come in? And I'm just curious

to hear a little bit more about that for you. Yeah, so I remember after my, I had my first child at 30, and then my daughter came like a year and a half after that after uh my daughter came and then this and then my nana passing it was like a lot of things going on that was really making me ask myself

some tough questions you know what i'm saying and during those times and those moments you know i really started to figure out like okay i need to do something different i need to you know change up things and I need to do some research I need to read some books I need to dive into myself I need to ask myself why do I keep going through these certain situations

so I would give all the credit to the kids it's when my babies came when I really started looking with the magnifying glass because what do you do as a young man about to be a parent

you have to prepare you know for your children you need things to be able to provide for them. You know, so it stops being about you in that sense, but then it becomes more about you because you have to be in, you know, in a position spiritually. You have to be in a position emotionally to be able to make certain moves. And a lot of the time, you know, this is where people get stuck at

because they end up doing things for the sake of their kids. And if it's in a happy thing, it's almost like a prison sense. You know what I'm saying? It's almost like something you end up keeping up because it's a choice you may not really taking the 360 or overview of what's most important for you to be a great parent. You know what I mean? And that's taking care of yourself first. You know what I mean? And making sure that you are ready and prepared to be supportive, you know, in a way that is, you know, good for a child. You know, I'm saying. saying they're always listening huh and they're watching yeah they watching they watching like with the hawk eye you know they're you and also you know it's a beautiful thing you know when i'm able to like look in my children's eyes and see myself you know so then it motivates you and it helps you become something more than you know you maybe would have been without them so i got to salute my kids you know for motivating me to step up and take it to a whole other level.

And even still now, you know, the challenges of communicating and being able to talk with them, you know, on a level that they can understand, you know, because as their father, you know, I have certain duties. I have a certain job. My position is different from everyone else, including their mothers, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, even having consideration with our differences, you know, and our different styles of communicating, you know, still being able to, like, talk to my son a certain type of way and be like, hey, you can't do that. You know what I mean?

I never would have thought, you know what I'm saying, that I would be basically talking to my future self because that's what your children are. You know, they're just a combination of you, you know, in different, you know, things that you may have not got, you know, in your life experience. or received in your experience, it's like they're you times 10. So it's like you gotta be in tension and when you have to be thoughtful,

you have to be considerate. So shout out to my babies, I love y'all. Yeah, I could only imagine that's such a potent reflection to see obviously they're their own being and they're always recording and watching subconsciously being programmed by what's around them and how you decide to show up. And so it's such a big mirror.

I could imagine I'm excited one day to, experience that yeah man yeah you gonna love it man yeah you don't love it in the right time yeah for oh no take your time take your time man because you go through a whole just type of evolution anytime you you you you put someone first yeah anytime you you know you you put yourself first and then you put someone else first you know what I mean that's true true selfless unconditional love yes yeah like no question right what you need you know what I mean like it's a different version of you, you know, that only, you know, love can really call. You know what I'm saying?

Like the depths of love. Like you thought that was love, you know, like you and your girl, you know what I mean? You know, unless she just has a really special way of, like, working with you, you know what I mean? That childlike love is different. Yeah. It hit different, you know, because it really is not judgmental, you know, and it knows, no harm and those you know it's all of these things you end up building later you know if your kids as mad as you is because of what you did you know what I'm saying or or what you didn't do

you know what I'm saying so what's been the journey with that and also your own journey you know how your mom fostered your curiosities at such a young age now you having the opportunity to do that for your kids I heard in your book you mentioned that you feel that the things that call you are meant for you yeah and I I think that as kids, like we are so intelligent and connected to ourselves. And then education honestly puts us into this kind of intellectualization. And it doesn't foster a lot of the creativity. I'm a big fan of Montessori and Waldorf schools that, you know,

say that you really shouldn't be focused on developing the left brain of a child to like seven. You know? Right. I'm just curious kind of the wider umbrella of how you feel the things that call us are uniquely meant for us to explore. and then that becomes the means in which we discover our purpose and how we can really be of service in the world and find our gifts. Yeah, that's so interesting because I think the same way. And my kids go to a creative school like that.

So it's a small community of creative kids that learn different ways to be able to express themselves. Yeah, I feel like it's so interesting now because my son, like, He was playing soccer first, and I don't know, it's like soccer's bigger than ever or football is bigger than ever now. So, you know, he's a Bernardo fan. And, you know, he was doing this whole soccer thing, and then it switched. Then it went to basketball.

You know what I mean? So now he's like, all the basketball, you know, and he's telling me, he's like, yeah, dad, you know, I'm going to have, you know, a soccer championship and an NBA ring. And I'm like, wow. It's just so, you know, creative, you know what I mean? But I feel like really allowing a child to naturally see what they arrive to. And it's funny because, see, I feel like he wants to play sports, even though I understand why sports are so important. You know, just for cognitive reasons, you know, when you see a person's speed, you know,

you're a young man and you start getting competitive and you start looking at, oh wait a minute so he just okay he went to the right and he went to the left i think that those were like for me my earlier development understanding to you know like connecting with people you know it was through sports first you know i mean and then i arrived to music but my son like you know although he talks about um sports every time he comes in the house he'll play the piano you know he'll play the piano he wants to make a beat you know i'm doing vocal lessons he's singing it, you know, they upstairs, same thing with my daughter. So I feel like, you know, as long as you create an environment where the pressure of doing one thing, like with you and I both know, that a lot of

cultures, you know, force their children into certain professions that don't fulfill them, you know. It's what they want. Yeah, it's like, no, you're going to be a doctor for the fam, you know what I mean, without them taking any natural curiosity towards it. I took a page out of my mom's playbook, and that is allowing my kids and allowing myself to kind of be free to create, free to fall into different things. I'm even fine and still with entertaining today because I asked myself many times, like, why am I still doing this?

Is it just like a little, you know, like to perform or like? like people to scream at me, you know what I mean? And it's like, it's so much more for me, you know, so I want to impart that to my kids, too. You know what I'm curious to dig a little bit deeper there. Yeah. You know, as what you started as this creative passion and, you know, you're such an amazing dancer and singer. And what have you learned about the power of music and sound and these arts to heal to? Yeah.

I feel like music is the one thing humans have not messed up, you know? That's true. That's true. It's got so much power in it. Yeah. I love it. And when you think about the power of music as it can serve as a bridge for connection and coming together, how have you evolved your perception of music? Yeah, well, the cool thing, you know, like I was saying, about still being able to explore is, you know, music has so much depth, so many genres, so many ways, you know, to do it. I definitely have an appreciation for it. being a connective tool. And also, you know, once you really start tapping

in a certain frequencies, you're able to vibrate higher, you're able to maybe see things, you know, that you wouldn't normally see listening to certain music. The power of music has allowed me, you know, I always say this, has allowed me to connect beyond time and space. There's people in other places, you know, that's on a completely different time zone.

You know, I would even say, in the future. You know what I'm saying? Like when when I'm, when we're here in LA and like people are, you know, almost, you know, 20, a day ahead. You know what I mean? Like that's the future y'all. I believe that, right? Yeah. So still being able to like just realize that music has been, you know, a springboard for me to travel the world. It's something that I will always honor. It's something that I always appreciate and you know um music is such a powerful tool and um music is is not something that you play with you know when you have been given that gift you actually sit in that seeking you take responsibility for it you know so music has definitely been a conduit and something that um

has you know uh taken me out of the thought process and understanding of even my own culture you know I mean, I'm able to go places. I'm able to learn things about people. And that's what this whole life experience is about. You know, if you're not collecting data, having new experiences, you know, and it's like, what are you doing? You know what I mean? Are you just here for the party or whatever? You know what I mean? Like the party has to stop sometimes and then we can keep the party, keep you going. But music has definitely been, you know, a part. powerful tool for my life and my experience. It can be such an incredible tool to uplift our vibration at the same time.

Anything can be used to lower your vibration too. So how important do you feel like it is to reflect on what is our sonic diet and how a lot of music programs is negatively, right? Like our subconscious is always on record. And if you're constantly listening to disempowering words and tones, you know, that has an effect on us. Yeah, it's so crazy because it's like, you know, like we're all having these conversations now, you know, about the importance of what we're playing in our mind over and over again.

You know, manifestation has been the other part of that. You know, if you want to manifest things, you know, you have to be in a certain mindset. And I think it's so cool that we, you know, get to speak about what we love, you know, as far as music goes. So I would definitely encourage people to make sure that they are, you know, keeping a healthy sonic balance. You know what I'm saying? I get it. You want to turn up when you go into the club. I get it for sure.

You know what I'm saying? But just know that 808 is, you know, it's addictive. You know what I mean? It's addictive. It can make you do some things, you know what I'm saying? You know, unless, you know, it's in some beautiful R&B. No, no, I love hip hop and there's definitely an area of conscious music. You know what I'm saying?

But yeah, like, you know, for me, it's always been about, you know, and as I've matured, you know, I've had more of an appreciation for, like, instrumental music, you know what I mean? like not just words and song you know i mean but also beats you know i mean rhythms you know i mean yeah piano you know what i'm saying so i would definitely uh encourage people to just explore find new music that you like you know what i mean i'm thinking about brazil you know like brazil's one of those other places that understands music you know um i'm going next month oh congratulations Yeah, first time. I haven't been yet. And they're like, yo, come over here, Omar.

Yeah. I'm like, I'm coming. But Brazil is one of those other, their music, like, is just on another level. So, yeah, I would encourage people to like, yo, make sure you keep your sonic diet up to par. You know, I'm not saying don't have a good time. And listen to the future, you know what I mean? But I'm saying, like, blend that in with some, you know, some instrumentals. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? some jazz, you know what I mean, some classical music. Like, you'll be amazed at what it does to your mood, you know, and to you as a person. You know what I'm saying? When it comes to reinventing yourself musically, how have you found the courage to explore new creative outlets or genres? Like, you've been in the game for a while, you know, like, what, 20 years plus? So how have you had the courage when in the studio, not to just go back to what's comfortable

or what you have done, but allow what wants to emerge and a new type of music or exploration come through you. How do you really listen to that, have courage to go down that path? The magical tool that I use is vulnerability. That's something that, you know, anytime you put in a song, someone's going to feel.

You know what I mean? The good thing about being vulnerable is it also allows you to experience where you are. That's the tool that I use. But yeah, music is, like I said, it's infinite, you know what I mean? So there's always new approaches. You know, I definitely keep my finger on the pulse of, you know, producers outside of, like, who are on the billboard charts, you know what I'm saying?

So music is an ever-evolving thing for me. And also, too, you know, just on the production side, like I was telling you, you know, I was getting prepared for my tour and I would have a pianist come out and show me some new ways. Music has so much depth, you know what I mean? So because it does, it's almost something that never gets old. And, you know, I always, because a lot of people like to compare sports to music, like it's this thing that you can get old at, but it's actually something you can get better at as long as you keep your physical health.

and I always correlate to LeBron James because, you know, we're born in the same year. He's 84. And I always say there's something special about the 80s babies moving into the 90s because, you know, we were coming out that analog era, you know, into the digital era. And, you know, it's almost kept us young. It has almost allowed us to, you know, go a little bit further, you know, than, you know, we're used to seeing with some basketball players. or some, you know, sports people or musicians. It's like, y'all, I'm still growing. I'm still discovering thing about myself.

Because, you know, once I, you know, come in to understand how dope Stevie was, he was always dope to me. I never got to see him grow, you know. But now it's like, you know, you can literally watch people get better. And I think that that's something special and unique. And that's why I'm so happy that, you know,

music chose me. I chose music as a profession because it's literally something that you do not have to get old in. It's something that you can constantly get better at. So I'm looking forward to that as a musician, you know, with picking up diving more into the piano, with picking up a guitar, like, there's no limit. I could be 70 and just picked up a flute. You know what I mean? Andre 3000.

I'm just saying. You could. You know, and I think, you rips it. I'm just saying that. And that's a powerful thing because. You know, sometimes with our gifts, you know, we feel like we could become jaded. We could become people that just like, oh, I did that already for 20 years. And it's just like, no, there's more.

So I'm so happy, you know, that I get to still explore and renew my palette and find different ways to tell stories within my music. And I don't have to get old. I don't have to get old. Who even invented that word? You know what I mean? Like, I can still grow in my music. mature in my passion and what it is that I love to do.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like there's no way you could keep the passion alive for something when you're not, when you don't have that vulnerability, like that as a tool, as it means to share your real-time experience because we all want our stuff to be received well, right? Of course. We always want it to be impactful in the world. And I feel like, and I'd love to hear a take on this, the best way to do that, to have things that really impact people is for it to be real for you first and foremost and like actually find that area that genre that tone yeah that new um lyrical exploration that that feels really true and

alive for you yeah how have you like stayed true to not just what is going to be maybe perceived or received successfully yeah but like being okay with the fact that something might not be received as well but it's but it's more real for you you know it's more true for you and and that's a different version of of what it means to be successful in a way. Yeah, I would say that I have, you know, like if there was a pot, you know what I'm saying, and, you know, you want to cook something up for everybody, you know, you have to be aware of all the genres,

the food genres, you know what I'm saying? And then you got to know who your audience is. Some people don't like Asian food. Yeah, you know, or some people might not like Mexican food, you know what I mean? they might like Brazilian food, you know what I mean? So you have to really know your audience. And then also you just have to have a little consideration.

And I think that, you know, as it co-relates to food, you have to know who you're serving. You know, you can't serve up meat to vegetarians. You know what I'm saying? So for me, that's kind of like been that thing that, you know, allows me to constantly cook different dishes. And also explore the different. you know um seasons seasonings or seasons yeah you know the different palettes you know what i'm saying like to have an appreciation you know for it is you know to be well-traveled to have a you know a well-traveled palette you know i'm saying um so i always consider those things when i'm creating

things and or recreating things and also looking at things that allow me to dive in deep and see why you know, that's a thing for other people, you know what I'm saying? Like, well, I might not like that thing, but why is it a thing for you? You know, and it's like, oh, okay. So I do my due diligence and I, and, you know, I make sure that, you know, I'm always coming from a truthful place because people can feel that. You know, people can feel, you know, when it's not authentic. And also, I'm smart enough to recognize and realize that, you know, times are different from before, You can literally do an audience segmentation on the people that like what you like and see why they like what you know you like.

So it's like, do you do diligence? You know what I'm saying? Like really do your research and figure out like why is it that you like what you like and how do you really want to show up? And I'm always intentional in my art that way. Having consideration for the person that will receive. it and also having consideration for myself to be authentic because that's something that you can't I don't want to say it's not something that you can't buy but it's almost it's something that you

should sell you should sell your authentic self you know you shouldn't just do something that is popular or something that is it's like it don't hit the same when it when it's not authentic And I understood that very early on in my career, that if it's not coming from me, it's probably not going to work as good as I think that it should. Sometimes that doesn't work. Sometimes there's projects that I've taken on that are, you know, like maybe I saw it one way and then it happened another way. You still got to look at that as, you know, fulfillment with understanding that, you know, you needed to extract certain things from it. And also, you needed more context. You needed more experience, you know, in your experience.

You know, everything is not going to just fit inside of this box, you know? So, yeah. I can imagine being a dancer, I mean, really help. Most dancers I've met, like, they're just really connected to themselves and their body, you know, that they're better at listening to that internal process, you know? And that's got to be such an amazing help in regards to all of that. I'm just curious as, like, making music, making art is one thing. and there's a lot of incredible artists out there

and music and painting and podcasting is on our there's so many infinite ways to creatively express yourself most people don't realize and often struggle with the business side of the thing because marketing, the business, the selling of it is a whole different completely skill set that we're not taught, you know? And so as you started coming into the business so young,

I'm just curious how you've come to see the business side of, music and making art and also how you've dealt with feeling maybe being taken advantage of at times. Yeah, that's what really shifted my focus and my intention when it came to the importance of being in contact with that as a creative, you know, you got to handle your business in this business. This is this business is the most unlike business business. You know what I'm saying? and there's a bunch of people that don't know what they're doing, you know what I mean, that are in positions. And I had to pay for a lot of those lessons.

I had to pay for a lot of those lessons, you know, being represented, misrepresented, and understanding how, you know, it is important that I am representing in the way that I truly want to be represented because, you know, misrepresentation is just, it rarely gets you in a powerful position, you know. So once I started coming into the understanding of the importance of it, I really started taking a closer look. And then also, you know, like being taken advantage of it, just it doesn't feel good at any corner. You know what I'm saying?

Like, you know, buying a pack of nolators and somebody's like, you know, $5, you're going to be like, wait, man, hold up. I know this don't cost that much. You know what I mean? It kind of interestingly, you know, helps you focus on, you know, your integrity. You know what I mean? Because you still want to be able to protect yourself, but you also want to stand for something. You know what I mean?

Like, are you just going to get ripped off because you know people are ripping people off? Or are you going to try to change something about it? So having the maybe not so. business savvy and having to learn those lessons not having anybody in my family to help me understand the importance of managing my finances working so hard for something getting all of this money and then looking up and then it's not there anymore you know those were some hard lessons and then also too understanding that like you know you can start certain trends you can you can motivate people and then not get credit you know what I mean and it's like well

Is it about credit or is it about acknowledgement? You know what I mean? And then being okay with the simple fact that maybe you motivated someone and, you know, that was a wonderful thing and maybe, you know, you want to get some type of acknowledgement. Why do you want to get that acknowledgement? You know, going through all of that, you know what I mean, inspiring people being okay with, maybe not getting credit. But understanding that comes with the purpose.

That comes with sometimes, you know, you get. it's not about people seeing you give, you know, and then understanding the power of that, understanding how even people can manipulate the power of being seen giving. Is that truly giving? You know what I mean? So business has done that number on me

to help me understand the importance of, you know, patents, you know, really wanting to be acknowledged, handling your business, you know, and that being an important tool in this business. So, yeah, man, I learned all my great lessons, and I'm still learning. You know what I mean? But I would encourage, you know, everyone, whatever field that you're in, do your due diligence and make sure that you know how to handle your business.

And I would also encourage people to be their own boss. And I know that there's a lot of rhetoric and conversation about, ownership but what I really love about ownership is it really ownership holds you accountable you know what I mean unlike working for someone else you know I'm saying maybe your boss holds you accountable but if you're your own boss you have to hold yourself accountable you know what I'm saying and um it's something powerful about that when you're able to take responsibility and that's something else that I saw in my business that I wasn't doing you know as an artist and as a creative I wasn't taking full responsibility of how I wanted things to be, you know, the outcomes.

You know what I'm saying? It's like, well, how could you, you know, want this maybe material thing? You know what I mean? If your business is not being handled. You know, you want a house. You want a particular house. You want things to look a certain type of way. It's like, well, you got, you need to take some more responsibility.

You need to look at your finances. You need to look at how much you're spending. weekly and monthly, you know, you need to figure out how to get that number up. Being independent has really shown me the importance of taking accountability within my art. And I love that for me. I love that for me.

More artists should take accountability. I really feel that there's an infinite, just as many people there are, there are paths to discovering who we are and being in the world of actively being on the stage, the stages and creating music and creating art and the business side of things like these are all paths to declare who you want to be and you're often going to get tested i feel like so frequently in life to see if you're going to actively show up as the person you say you want to be and

you declare you are yeah and those adversities and challenges and tests come in the in many different forms yeah and i know that the controversy and complications with b2k with your ex those were really trying times for you to show up as the person you say you want to be right up And so if you just want to reflect on that time a little bit and how you were able to stay in alignment with who you want to be and not regress back into, you know, what would have been easy to react to in a negative way. Yeah, man, that that time was really tough for me, you know, having to go to the courthouse, you know what I'm saying, but to also still be a present dad, you know what I mean? to any time you help people, anytime you do, you know,

you do things for people and then somehow you become the villain in their story, you just scratch your head and you just be like, but that wasn't my intention. You know,

and then also to be able to just see where you can improve so things like that don't happen. You know, I can go on and on, you know, about how, you know, those times in the moment

didn't feel good. but how it really transformed me, motivated me, and made me a better person, a better father, a better entertainer, a better businessman. You know, even it inspired me to write a book, you know. It's like, I can't really be mad, you know. I can't really be upset. I just have to be able to appreciate that my path

and my journey is different from others. and what I've come to really truly recognize is that a lot of the time we feel that life is dealing us this type of bad hand or when we go through situations that are like unfavorable you know we always feel like

ah man you know why is this happening or you know but if you look a little bit closer you know and you extract exactly what you need to extract you'll be able to appreciate those moments you know um because what is life without them you know if everything was just a straight line it would just be a boring story if it was a movie it was a boring story your life was born yeah and also if it all happened the way you wanted it to happen would also be boring facts and it's just like you know really uh arriving at uh spirituality and you know spirituality is just it's just magical you know what i mean

It's just the way that things happen for you, you know, the timing, the timing, the timing really be on another level. Synchronicities. Yes. And, you know, just how you're able to think about one thing and then, you know, it could really just become reality, you know, reflecting on those times and just really recognizing my head space and knowing that it would be, just become reality, you know, reflecting on those times and just really recognizing my head space. and knowing that it would be okay, you know, has really given me a deeper understanding, sense of purpose, and also an appreciation for my experience. You know, so I wouldn't take nothing back, you know, even though in those moments, you know, I may have felt embarrassed, you know what I mean?

Yeah, I did, you know, countless amount of, you know, times where I was just like, I wanted to respond, you know, get some monetary gain, you know, whooping somebody's ass, you know, would definitely have fulfilled that for me. You know what I mean? But, you know, being able to take that bird's eye view and be able to be like, is that the best move? Well, if I do that, that might, oh, okay, you know what? Know thyself.

Know thyself. What do you really want? Oh, you know, what kind of outcome? Well, if you did that, then that might affect that, and then this could happen. But if you do this, oh, you're in the clear. It's all up to you. And I'm like, oh, you're right. You know, to be able to go through those experiences to realize, you know, how easy it is to be violent.

You know what I'm saying? Or to do something, again, that maybe feels, you know, like, well, I got my lick back. You know what I mean? It's just like, grow up, grow up, man. You know what I mean? Shift your perspective, change, you know, realize what other people are. And no, they can't really touch you. You know, I really love Bashar, you know, and a lot of his perspectives, you know, when it comes to, you know, how he thinks and how you can really just take on certain things that.

really aren't productive for you, you know, and not helpful to you, to your soul, to your spirit, to your energy, you know, so I definitely appreciate the things that I went through, but I am now, you know, in a space where, you know, if something is happening adverse, then, you know, we acknowledge it, we take it, you know, we take it in stride and we move on, you know, I mean. So I would encourage everyone to just, you know, if you're going through something and, you know, at that particular time, it may seem unfavorable and you're embarrassed and, you know, you want to just go in the house and crawl up under a, you know, a sheet, you know what I mean? Like, you could do that, but don't stay there too long. You know what I'm saying? Don't stay there too long.

You know, move around, do something different, try something new. Yeah, I think those moments where you're really tested and you want to have retribution or vengeance that can feel like good in the moment, but then it's bitter later on. Taking the higher road is often just that in reverse. It's bitter in the moment being taking the higher road. But then it's sweet later on, you know?

And it's like, which one do you wanna, where do you wanna feel the pain? And the pain that comes from acting unconsciously hurts way more, you know? Facts. And it's more long lasting. It's fact. And so,

when you, you know, looking at forgiveness, really, which is often like self-forgiveness is really where it kind of comes to where it's like, we're all doing the best with the level of awareness that we have. And it's really hard to judge and actually understand something at the same time. Yeah. You know, like if we understand people's conditioning of how they learn love. Yeah. Then we would have a lot more compassion for the missteps they did that we were often on the other end of, you know?

Yeah. It doesn't sometimes always take the pain away of like the circumstance. that that's difficult, but it does take the edge off of, you know, saying somebody maybe learn love to be conditioned, chaos, you know, and not everybody's privilege to like learn love in a holistic kind of unconditional fashion, you know? That's true. And so how have you learned to see the pain behind someone's actions and not just the action on the surface that you're a victim of, but kind of really becoming wise and seeing that people are hurting, hurt people hurt people in many ways. Facts. Yeah, that was a very important lesson to my growth, you know,

to be able to recognize that people can only do, you know, what they have the capacity to do. And a lot of the times, you know, people are coming from, you know, a lack of knowledge, a lack of self-love, lack of understanding. And not taking things personal has really, allow me to be unbothered. You know, it's kept me in that energy, it's kept me in that space, you know, to maybe, you know, not hold certain people to, you know, a judgment that they can't even fathom.

But understanding, you know, that when we come in contact with people, when we come in contact with certain experiences, you know, it's really trying to tell us something about ourselves. and when we're able to kind of like, okay, wait a minute, let me do some back search. And I really came into understanding this when I had my kids because once I had, you know, kids with the mother of my children, I started understanding her background and understanding where she come from and those things where she kind of felt in disposition, you know, of. And same within myself. You know, I mean, my thought process and how I would handle certain situations.

So having that knowledge really gave me a different sense of discernment and understanding, you know, again, people can only do what they know. You know, so then it becomes a responsibility of, you know, if we want to tell them or not. Or if we want to see if they have the capacity to see where they may, you know, can have room for him. Because there's always room for improvement. Yeah. But maturing, you know, and being able to sit back and say, oh, that's why that person did that. Oh, I get it. Oh, he's never had another.

Oh, she think like that because, oh, wow. She didn't get love. She didn't, you know, have friends. She's out here by herself. You know what I mean? How else is she supposed to respond to that? You know what I mean? This is an opportunity, actually, for me.

me to be able to communicate and exercise what it is that I know, you know, maybe that's not received, but at least I try. You know what I mean? All of these things are important, you know, when we want to have a greater understanding of ourselves. And I feel like, you know, understanding that has been a powerful tool for me to maintain my emotions and not, you know, I guess, take things so personal. when you're smart enough to recognize, like,

people only work within their own capacity. And that's it, unless they want to learn something else. It's so easy. There's that, you know, the saying of what is often wrongly attributed to malice or bad intention could be explained with just ignorance, you know? Yeah. We just don't know what we don't know. Yeah.

And we got to be on the receiving end of our own ignorance, you know. they're going to have to deal with those repercussions and consequences for the rest of their life. So that's kind of karma in its own way. Life does it. Life takes care of that in so many different ways. Oh, my goodness. And some crazy ways, too. So you got to be careful, y'all.

You know what I'm saying? You want to make sure you put in good energy out there because it will come back to you. And that gives you the opportunity to like purify yourself in the moment, you know, to build that good karma, you know. Exactly. And, you know, man, there's this song, this track from Kendrick that I really love, Mother I Sober. Man, it's so poetic and beautiful in how it explains and shares his own process. Yeah.

With taking accountability and stopping the generational trauma that you experience, you know? Yeah. And it takes somebody that's big that can take that accountability and responsibility to what's often uncomfortable, which is like exploring your own shadow material and seeing where you haven't shown up in integrity and alignment. But then when you do that work, that's difficult. Then you stop passing it on to your kids, you know, and you start to really change the trajectory of your bloodline.

That's fair. And that's a big responsibility. And, you know, I think that as maybe we start to head towards, you know, wrapping up this podcast, I think it's just important to invite us all to just start where we're at, you know, because it can get quite overwhelming when you look at, like, all of this from above, but when we all can become aware of where are the little things in my life that I can make more in alignment, that I can tweak and take actions, that's going to be more integrity and whatnot. And you start to build momentum towards the positive, just like you

can spiral down and have bad habits that affect your state of mind that make you have worse decisions. You can also see the progress of growth, of like feeling better in your body, feeling better in your mind, seeing progress in the gym, you start to make more actions in alignment with, with more life. And so any invitations or like kind of thoughts you have on just starting where we're at and how we can all just take one step

in the direction we want to move in. Yeah, starting where you are is the best thing you can do. You know, taking a look around, taking a look at what you would like to cultivate for your life, you know, in a positive way. way. Starting where you are is, I would say, definitely have some goals, but starting where you are keeps you in alignment and awareness of self and not always like, I guess say, overreaching or, you know, trying to model yourself after someone else's path. Because a lot of people do that too. A lot of

People see, you know, oh, this person is here, you know what I'm saying? Like, I want to be there. You know what I mean? When it's really like, no, you have your own place, you know. So, yeah, I would just add, you know, find some practices, find some things that motivate you. One of the things that helped me transform was riding my bike, you know. it was like a childhood joy that came back that became, you know, like an adult pleasure, you know what I'm saying? Because whenever we're riding, you know, when we're riding in a car or if we're riding a bike, there's this like thing that happens that allows you to meditate, you know, and it's almost like you are where you are because you're obviously using your body and your legs or you're driving, you know what I mean?

but it allows you to kind of just, you know, break down, you know, some things, you know, I call it shadow work, you know what I mean? Like, you have to do your shadow work in order to really peel back those layers for yourself to start where you are. So, yeah, that's what I would add, you know, do your shadow work. Like, who are you when you're mad? You know, who is that, you know, inner voice? how does your gut sound, you know, when it's telling you, you shouldn't be eating that.

You know what I'm saying? Other than the ur-sound, you know what I'm saying? It's like, you know, yeah, tap in with yourself. Tap in with yourself. Get to know yourself. Know thyself. I love it. We've got to like have all the, somebody's got to edit a chop up together,

all the guests saying that into some sort of thing. That would be cool. Yeah. like self. Yeah, I love it, bro. Is there anything else you want to share with our audience that's on your mind or heart today? Yeah, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for, you know, doing this work, you know what I mean? Because it is work, you know what I mean? And being able to have this place for people that are searching, you know, for more, for more within themselves and more from the world, you know what I mean? Because this is a shared experience. I always tell people that,

yeah, of course you come here alone. You know what I mean? But not really, you know. You came from somewhere, you know, where it was energy there. You know what I mean? So we're always, always all together. You know what I mean? So, you know, put forth what you want.

And I would just, again, encourage people to put together, you know, a daily program. This is what's really helped me transform and keep myself accountable. and maintain my own peace and happiness because it is not the world, it's not the world's job. It's not your friend's job. It's not your mama's job. It's not no one else's job, but you to maintain your own peace and happiness. And when we all take accountability and responsibility for that, we really can see how beautiful this life experience, this shared life experience, can be because I've met so many amazing people, you know, even like yourself, you know what I'm saying?

Like our work, our spirituality is what has gotten us into contact with each other. You know what I'm saying? Not us being in the same place. This place is invisible. This energy is invisible, but it's all around us, you know what I mean? So I'm always, you know, in honor and in appreciation of that. You know what I'm saying? that my experience has carried me and got me into contact with people that, you know,

like we all in a space where we're exploring this journey, you know what I'm saying. And if we could help each other, why not? You know what I mean? So thank you for doing, you know, this work, man, and allowing me to be able to express my unique experience and share with your viewers. And, you know, it's a journey. And let's enjoy. a journey. Yeah. Amazing, man. Honestly, blown away, like, digging into your book, which is unbothered,

people can check out. We'll link stuff in the description below, but like just getting more into your work and seeing, obviously, your art is so well received and so prolific in the world, and it's amazing. But the man that's behind it is equally as amazing, you know, and it's really cool to see. You just share as a man with so much vulnerability and authenticity, and I can see the sincerity of you being on your path. And this is, you just, you know, and it's just, you know, It's just an honor. And it's such a gift for me to, like, have this podcast for just the people that I meet and the threads of connection. Yeah.

You know, it's, it's, I'm so grateful for it and it's so, such a pleasure to have a new brother now. Come on, man. Yeah, man. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you, man. Thank you, bro. Yeah, sir.

Appreciate you. And anything else you want to plug or share before we wrap up or what you got going on or anything? I just want to say, know thyself. Yeah, no, we good, man. Thank you. Beautiful, bro. All right. Everybody, thanks for tuning

into this episode of the Know Lyself podcast. Let us know how this episode uniquely impacted you. I absolutely loved it. Having a blast. And until next time, be well. Take care.