Holy Shit!! With Nate & Esha
A beginners guide to spiritual awakening, the metaphysical, unconditional love and all things "whoo whoo". Told from the perspective an average dude and a majestic shaman. ;)
Holy Shit!! With Nate & Esha
Episode 24 - Our Purpose, Passion & Meaning
In this episode, Nate & Esha discuss our purpose passion and meaning. What are we here for? How can we best approach and navigate our life's? Where does our passion come in to play in all this? We discuss all that an more on this episode.
Hey everybody, welcome to episode 24 of the Holy Shit with Nate and Esha podcast. Man, um what is today? November the 29th. We're almost here at the end of 23. And uh today we're gonna be talking about um the purpose and meaning of life in general. Um, so lots to dive into that. Esha, how are you?
SPEAKER_01:I'm good. You just said November 29th, and I'm like, say what?
SPEAKER_03:Right, right.
SPEAKER_01:Like, when did that happen?
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Um, I am good. I'm I'm feeling uh like I'm coming out of uh a cave, a cocoon. Honestly, I've been in that space since coming back from my trip, and um, I've just been doing some integrating, doing some shedding, doing some releasing. Um, and it actually feels really, really good um to feel light again. Not that I was heavy before, but I was um moving through some shadow, doing some deep shadow work.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:No, I I it it always when I travel and get back, it always feels like I've I've got to just like shed some of the stuff I picked up, integrate some of the stuff I've learned, kind of work to get back to uh to balance. And it's uh it's a tangible feeling when you like are back, you know, like I get it. I know exactly what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, I remember a conversation I had with my husband many years ago um when I came back from a trip, and he told me, he said, you know, every time you come back, you're not the same person. He's like, I just want you to keep that in mind. He's like, one, you know, when you travel and you're experiencing things, you you're a shift happens within you. And when you come back, we've also changed. There's been a shift in us because there's been time spent away. And um, and he's he's right, of course, right? Like, I don't think we factor that in that especially when we take off on spiritual trips, sure. Um, and so not to come back from our from your trip expecting things to be the same, right?
SPEAKER_00:So he wasn't just speaking in general, he was mean, he meant literally with you.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Literally.
SPEAKER_00:I think I think I think it's a I think it's a profound, accurately, accurate statement just for in general. Yes. But uh, but literally um with you, um, yeah, I mean, uh, I think it I think it's true with all of us, especially those are on the the especially if you depart with the intent on doing some spiritual exploration. Um I mean, like I I mean I would did you say thank you uh because that's the whole point.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean, you know, it caught my attention when he said it, you know, because I think you know, we can take things for granted and we can take the people we've left behind when we go off for granted, right? Well, that's true. Um so we need to just have an awareness that every time we do embark on something like that, um, that change is not just happening for you, change is happening for everyone else around you as well.
SPEAKER_00:Right, right. Yeah, that's a good point. And you know, it's it's easy for us to always be the one that is seeking the knowledge or seeking the growth, seeking the expansion to not well, not not realize or even not even have the capacity to understand what it's like of being the one that is not at the moment. Um, and there's I'm sure that there's some concern, maybe even some anxiety that comes around with hoping that you come back in some way, shape, or form is the same version that you that left.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. And I think uh particularly for men, I think when men see that their women are beginning to expand in the back of their minds, there's this fear. Oh, okay, how much is she going to grow and expand? And really the question is, is she going to grow and expand so much that she leaves me?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think that's um that's a valid concern for the the other side too, because my wife specifically vocalized that concern to me whenever I started going through this awakening process about she's like, I'm just I'm scared you're gonna go off and meditate in the woods and then never come back, you know. I was like, Well, I don't think that's gonna happen. But I I mean I do understand her perspective. I mean, the whole point of this journey and and this path is to grow and not change in a way where your former self is unrecognizable, but change in a way where I think we've learned we learn from that former version of ourself and we're constantly learning and that like we're not doing maybe the same things we were before. We're treating ourselves differently, we're treating each other differently, we're looking um hopefully more in the present than in the past or in the future. And um, so change change can be an awesome thing, and uh, you know, and it's all about perspective. I mean, that's it. You may leave thinking that like the greatest change you've ever made is the best thing that's ever happened to you.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_00:And again, those people that were in love with and attached to the old version of you are not gonna feel the same way.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. That's right. And you know, for the person who is no, there is no wrong. And for the spiritual aspirant that that is on this path, it's just to keep bear that in mind that as you change, uh, the person that you're with may not uh may not be so understanding of this change. And they might become resentful that this is the person that they didn't fall that they did fall in love with, right? It's like, oh, wait a minute, this isn't what I signed up for.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think I think the most important thing, and and you know, we've both been through this, and um you've got a very unique perspective on on the on the journey than I do. But the question to me is always am I do I truly believe that what I'm doing is in pursuit of the highest and best version of myself?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Am I truly doing this because I think it's growth and expansion that it's going to allow me to show up as the absolute best version of myself?
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_00:If the answer of that to that is yes, then you have nothing to be concerned about.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, nothing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And and and and while it can be painful and and will be painful, um, as you can if if that's your path, if that's what you're doing, your vibration and your frequency will rise. And it will push away people um in a various amounts of different relationships um with you away uh if they are not able to rise, raise their frequency um to some level with you. Correct. We've talked about this in the past. And and like I said, it's it while that it we in the especially in the West, we always associate someone getting hurt or there being an emo there being discomfort with a with a wrongdoing. You know, like someone did something wrong because there's somebody that's hurting here. Right. There has to be someone to blame.
SPEAKER_01:Right. But but yeah, which which which is a clear sign that the the ego is very central there.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Well, I just think that yeah, if for those that aren't aren't trying to live some kind of you know non-dualist path, then that's the whole point. Like we're very, we're very there always has to be somebody. There always has to be a winner and a loser. There always has to be someone that's to blame. That's just how our society has basically started to to to to lay things out. But in this scenario, I mean, um if you're if you're if you're following that path and you're saying, no, no, no, I'm I want to show up the highest and best version of myself for for myself, but also for those around me and the collective and whatever, then and if people get hurt because of that, um, I think that you can be at peace because now I'm not saying that if you've got obligations, that you can't just abandon your obligations. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. That's not what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00:I'm not saying to like leave your husband or your wife and their kids and just say, sorry, I'm evolved now, I don't have time to be your parent. Like that's not that's not what I'm saying. Right. At the same time, um, you know, if because and through this growth, your perspectives and hopes and wants and dreams and passions and all of these things start to shift, and that causes a you know a grift in the in relationships, whether it be with friends or parents or whatever, then it's I I think that you can rest easy knowing from a non-dualist perspective that if it's all if if if your actions are all based out of love and growth and and trying to be your best version, um no one's at fault. It just is. And sometimes people are gonna sometimes people are gonna be hurt, and um that's just part of the gain of life.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and you know, it's I think it's something that you just mentioned, you know, uh becoming evolved isn't uh uh an opportunity to relinquish your responsibilities.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, you talk about this all the time. Like, like if you could just, you know, so so for those of you that are on this on this spiritual path and this journey, and you go back and you you you think about you know where you're at today, where maybe you were at before you had an awakening, or even if you haven't had one, like what you're going through right now, or or or however, and um you think about we've talked about this before, and you and you read, let's say, you know, autobiography of a yogi, or you read books you know from Ram Das or or whatever, and these guys that have or gals that have had these major spiritual you know growths and these like unbelievably impactful lives, and you say a lot of times there's a theme, uh yes, right, and that is that they're not married and they don't have families.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it makes it easier, 100%. It makes it easier, right? Because then you can go and travel and do this work, and but I have to say that the greatest um way to see yourself, the greatest way of transformation of even becoming evolved is through relationships. Because you need the other to re as a mirror, yes, right? You need the other as a mirror, and yes, there's some work that only you and you alone can do, but the other brings out like our triggers and our shadows, and that sometimes we can't see by ourselves. You have to have that other person, yes, you have to have that other person, and so while it might be nice to go take a little sabbatical in in a cave or wherever, um, and and have some alone time, but then you come back and you come back to uh reality and you come back to interacting with people, um, so you can put into practice what you received in the cave.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think I think living the game of life while also still pursuing your spiritual work is the point.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Um, you know, it it is, it's it's it's the work and remember the always how we used to always add the and it's the work and also going to school and life and being a parent or a father or a uh spouse or whatever, a a best friend. Um, but we we say this kind of tongue in cheek, but the point is is that when when we when we're faced with some type of deep work that we need to do or some type of like something that we need to release or something that we need to, you know, whatever, if you could just say, hey, pause. Um, I don't need to worry about making a dollar for anybody. I don't need to feed anybody, I don't need to clothing, I don't need to worry about anyone's feelings for six months. I'm just gonna go do me and not worry about anything else. And I'll come back once I fix this. Um, can you imagine? Like uh it would be a lot easier to to focus on your growth alone, your spiritual journey or whatever, and then just come back and do life. But that's not the way this works.
SPEAKER_01:So no, no. I mean, not all of us have that that luxury, you know. Like I take myself for example, and you know, last year I had an opportunity, it was an absolute luxury, yes, to to take off for three months and just focus on myself, right? Like I've never done anything like that again uh before, and I would love to do it again at some point because it was amazing. Um, but when I came home, my youngest daughter, she noticed, she's like, Oh, you're different. And she noticed it right away. She's like, You're not the same, you know.
SPEAKER_00:And so she elaborate on that at all.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, she just noticed, I think, even just because she's very good in energy, even energetically, she could feel it. Yeah, you know, I mean, and of course, I came back with you know, light language and body activations. She was like, Where is my that happened on that trip? Yeah, all of that happened on the trip. No, all of that happened in that that trip. And and so, you know, her mother came back with all of these new things that are happening to her, and you know, she had to get used to that. Now it's like constant roasting, right? It's all fun and games now to them because they just make fun of me. Right. Um, but in a loving way, it's it's done lovingly. Um, but just to say that you know it it happens, you know. Um but the change this practice of changing is actually really good for us because we become so attached to sameness.
SPEAKER_00:You have to change.
SPEAKER_01:Right? And and say the the the universe is constantly in flux, it's constantly changing, and yeah, um, and so are we. Um and things are constantly, I mean, in in our world, so we have to get used to this release and attachment to the way things used to be.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I I like I look at it like if you know, let's say you get married when you're 20 and um you get, you know, you you're you're married for 60 years and you're both 80. I don't know. If if you're looking at each other and you say, I'm glad that we both stayed the exact same for 60 years, I don't know that that would be that would I don't know that that would be the best. Like I I can I mean I I could guarantee it wouldn't be.
SPEAKER_01:Who would want I don't know if that I don't know if that would be the truth.
SPEAKER_00:Well, it wouldn't be the truth, it would be an impossibility. But I'm just saying, like if it was possible, would you even want that? No, no. So I mean, not only is it an inevitability, but it's also like I think a preference and like I think it's I think it's destiny. I think it's the and and actually let's get getting into what we're talking about.
SPEAKER_01:It's the purpose yes of what we're here to do, right?
SPEAKER_00:Like I think the purpose is change. And um, you know, let's dig a little bit more into that now that we've we talked about it. So like just like the purpose and meeting in life, like where does where does that like just purpose of life, where where does that take you? What what what do you what do you have in mind?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I want to start off by saying that I have had purpose-driven anxiety for years and years and years, meaning that I have spent a lot of time kicking myself, worrying, stressing about what I'm here to do. And figuring out, like, oh, when is it gonna happen? I I don't want to miss it, you know, I want to get on that before I die, I want to make sure that I'm doing what I'm here to do. And I've realized how much that how much anxiety that actually caused me, like a huge amount of stress that there's some some someone I'm supposed to be before I die. And it's only honestly, really recently within the last year, that I've begun to actually peel that back a little bit and come to this conclusion that I am the meaning, I am the purpose of life. My mere existence is the purpose. Um, and when that realization hit me over the summer, it was like I instantly felt in my body and energetically like something released. Because I was no longer trying to figure out something to be. And again, that that is my ego, right? Like I have to be this, right? And uh my purpose is to be, because that is also the universe's purpose. The universe doesn't have a specific purpose for us. We think it does, but the universe, if the universe had a specific purpose for us, the universe will be um dabbling in duality, and it doesn't. Universe only dabbles in unity, in oneness. Well, that's we dabble in in in duality.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean that's that ego and programming coming through you know that we're 10 years old. And what are you gonna be when you grow up? Like what's what what's you know, what's the purpose? What's the perp? What's the purpose of your existence here, child? Um tell me, tell me now. Tell me now. And and then you know you reach a point where let's say you're 18 to 25 years old and maybe you're still not sure about it. And now the the opinion of society starts to shift on you and say, Well, maybe you're a little bit less than because you're not sure who you are. Maybe you're a little bit less than because you're you're not sure what your purpose is. So a lot of us, myself included, um, in some situations um manifest some purpose just to appease others, even though it's got nothing to do with what we really want to be doing. Um, let alone, let alone um, you know, uh some type of spiritual path, which I mean to me, if if if we're gonna get deep into this, we could talk about this depending on what type of teacher or um um practitioner you want to talk about, there's a lot of there's a lot of validity in my opinion to the fact that your purpose is your passion. That when someone says, what's your purpose of being here? You and your your your strict, you mean your response is well, what are you passionate about? What do you love to do? What could you do every single day and never earn a dollar for it? You know what I mean? Like will you what would you do for free all you know, and and just do it on your free time? That's that's your passion. And I mean, our purpose in this world is is to is to be in our spot are in the in that frequency of acting on our passions um as much as possible. Um so yeah, I mean, I know I just went on some like roundabout tangent there, but like the the point that I'm trying to make is that um I have put myself through a tremendous amount of anxiety trying to figure out the thing that I'm supposed to be here doing, just like you. And then, like I told you before, before we got on this call, not only was that, it was like once I thought I had figured out the thing, it was a bunch of pressure that I was arbitrarily putting on myself about a timeline to make it happen, you know, and to bring it into existence. And it's just like if you take a hundred steps back and look at this whole thing comprehensively, and you say, two things, in my opinion. One, if it was meant to happen, if what you're supposed to be doing, you're not gonna have to search for it. It's not gonna be some like major stretch. It's gonna come to you. You're gonna know it with every single ounce of your being. If you're doing something right now that doesn't feel like it's absolutely just meant for you and that's what you're supposed to be here doing, that's probably not it. Um, if there's a major stretch, and I'm I'm not saying that like that you won't face any adversity. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that like trying to figure out the thing, if it's like a major stretch for you, um, that's also saying that if you're trusting and listening to your gut and your and your and your heart, now if you've got a problem, you know, tuning into that, that's a different story altogether. But um, that one, it's not gonna be, it should not be some like major trial and tribulation to figure out. The chances are that if it is like me, you know what the thing is deep down, but you've just lied to yourself for years, maybe decades, about the thing that you're supposed to be doing because you have other issues like self-worth or all of this other stuff that you maybe think that you're undeserving of being able to do what you love. So, anyway, um, there's a lot to unpack in that sentence or that paragraph or whatever you want to call it, what I just said. But the point is that um your heart and your gut knows what you're supposed to be here doing, and um everything else really doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's that thing that brings you the most joy and excitement, right? And I think you know, you talk about how we kind of when with our children at a very young age, we start asking them what they want to be. We're asking them the wrong question, right? It's like they are being, they are actually, they already are fulfilling their purpose, they're being, they're already hacking, they already are. So, you know, we don't need to ask on what they're gonna be because they're actually doing it already. Um, and as we get older, we simply continue to abide in what's bringing me joy. What am I doing that excites me? But the issue with that is most of the time the things that excite us are the very things that the world says you will never make money doing that.
SPEAKER_03:Right. Right.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And so people who are very artistic and want to do music or or acting or writing or whatever it is, right? Or will become a port. Or exactly. These are the things that are looked down upon and frowned upon because it's not gonna bring in six figures.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, and I mean, there's you're you you're uh you're unpacking and uh looking in under some rocks there about there. I think that there's some legitimacy to as to why that might be the case, because the frequency and vibration of um of working and enslaving to for money and at the cost at the cost of uh of your passion is um what we don't want. And um, so no wonder why it it's uh looked upon negatively if I am sacrificing my passion for hours at work when someone else is not it is chasing their their soul and their passion and not having to. So when you get to the when you when you have sold your soul to chase someone else's dream for them, um working, working, working, working, of course it's easy to look back at someone else that didn't do that and and condemn it.
SPEAKER_01:Imagine if we actually had a world where people were doing the thing that brought them the most joy. We wouldn't have the world that we have now.
SPEAKER_00:You know, it's it's and it what's what's a shame, Esha, is I think I honestly believe this on November the 29th, 2023. I think the technologies, the capabilities, the resources, the people on this planet as we currently stand, that that type of world is 100% capable of happening. Tomorrow, if if there were some select individuals and groups that were no longer in power, um, I believe that those things could happen. Um, I think that we I think that currently today we have the capability to be um free of cancer and heart disease and all of these other things. I think that we've we have the capability today of being able to be completely self-sufficient energy-wise, thus then making us self-sufficient from a food perspective and a water perspective. The problem is, going back to the point that you just made, is every single thing of the every single one of those points that we just made is tied to someone somewhere making billions and trillions of dollars. And it would have it would have cause them having to relinquish that control to be able to allow the collective to be able to do that. And it's not gonna happen without some significant shifting in our um in our um consciousness, which I think is happening slowly. Uh but um and I and I do think it will eventually happen. I just don't know that it will be in this lifetime for me or you, right? To see it, you know, and uh Nate Nasha might not see it, whoever we come back as or don't the next time we might see it then.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because you know what what it is, and I I think we all need to realize that we are actually living, and and I heard Jason Gregory, who we had on on the podcast several several weeks ago, um, and I heard him say this, but current modern day, we're actually living now in the in the in the highest slavery that we've ever lived in.
SPEAKER_02:Right, right.
SPEAKER_01:Most of humanity is enslaved, and people can't see that. They think, well, I'm working for, I'm working, I have my money coming in, you know. Uh, but you have to go out a little bit more to see, right? The the powers that be have created a slavery system so stealth-like that people actually can't see it.
SPEAKER_00:You're you're spot on. And I I saw, and I'm not, I'm not, I will not make this podcast political, but I did see something the other day that I just want to say, and it's if this is this is bipartisan, um, it has nothing to do with with either side of the aisle. I saw this, I saw this picture. And it was of the Boston Tea Party. Okay. And it said back then they they as in England wanted three percent three percent taxes from us. Right. So we so we had a damn revolution and started a brand new country because of it, because of three percent of our income. Three.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Today, if you take property, sales, income tax, that it's almost like 40% of our income. And we're just like Yeah, yeah, we're allowing it. Keep my Netflix and my DoorDash, and we're good. Yeah, yeah. So I mean, and so the only reason I say that is that is a form of enslavement.
SPEAKER_01:100%. But we don't see it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it isn't necessarily like when we think when we say slavery, it isn't the it isn't the image that comes to a lot of our minds, but we uh we as a society in this world are are enslaved in various different forms, but um absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, but mostly it's it's mental, right? What's at stake here is our mind. Um, and so our minds have become enslaved to comfort, to these, you know, uh uh prevention of discomfort, right? And and the society keeps giving us more of that to placate us. Yeah, well, let's keep giving them things to keep distracting them and keep, you know, and when when that happens, uh we keep numbing out. I mean, we can go back and talk about why this country is the most violent country.
SPEAKER_03:Sure.
SPEAKER_01:Right. And again, not getting political, but we we need to all of these things uh we need to wake up and to see um and ask ourselves the question, where are we headed? And not just for us, but for our children, right? And and and I think for those of those of you that have young children and can begin having these conversations with yourselves and then decide how do I actually want to rear my my child? What type of human being do I want to bring forth into this world and what will be their offering to the world? Will it be more of the same? Or will it be um to create a higher vibrational society?
SPEAKER_00:You know, and it gets harder, it gets harder the the further, the further as we move forward with technology and individualism, um it makes it harder for that what is my purpose and the the pursuit of that purpose, and then the actual acknowledgement that this is my purpose. And I can live in this space, it makes it harder because think about think about what happened, used to happen, let's say, I don't know, three, four hundred years ago. Let's let's just say for like um for the sake of example, um a Native American tribe. You've got, let's say, 300 people. Okay, maybe a little bit less, maybe a little bit more. And every single person in that tribe experienced uh discomfort, overcoming that discomfort as a group of people. Um and the the the overcoming of those those things as a group of people, the the there was there was a lot of a lot of pride and a lot of purpose in that. And then furthermore, each individual purpose had something that they brought to the table. Now, I'm not gonna sit here and sit and pretend that in some situations, like what they were asked to do wasn't probably given to them and told them. They probably didn't always get to say, well, I think I'd like to be, you know, I'd like to paint the drums and or the horses. That some of them probably had to do what they were told. But the point is, is that there was a lot less separatism back then, and there was this this unique cohesiveness of the community, and that, and that your value to the community was never in question. Was never in question. All you had to do at any point in time was look around and see maybe you wove baskets, or maybe you made the the maybe you made the teepees, or maybe you were the hunter that killed the buffalo. Like your value and that you brought to society, pretty much the only thing that mattered, all you had to do is look around. And uh and today, today that's a lot harder. It's a lot harder to do. Yeah. I mean, you can maybe look around and see how you're impacting yourself and maybe your immediate family, but yeah, there's not, you know, there's not a whole lot um unless you're super active in some type of philanthropy or something, which you know, we all should be, but um, it's just it was a lot easier to feel much more connected with um a group other than yourself uh back then. And and and furthermore, I think because we are so disconnected, there is more of a search and a longing for people to find that purpose to fill that gap. So the purpose has to be the purpose has to seem like it's some huge magnitude, like big thing that's gonna change my entire existence because I find my purpose, right? When back then, maybe you were just the good, maybe you were just really good at going and getting water from the creek. Like, and you just happen to be a badass at that, and you kept people alive because of that. And then and you every single day you got up and you said, you know what? That's my job, and this tribe would not survive without it. And I'm at peace with that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I I think what you bring up is so so insightful and so important um for us to understand that our purpose was whatever our gift was, what we were good at. And so, you know, taking the example of living in a tribe, you know, the basket weaver was excellent at that. Right. That's their that's their role. The the medicine man or the medicine woman, you wouldn't see them going out and and hunting, right? Because that's not their specialty. Their specialty is to be the medicine man and woman. Those who were good at at hunting, there were the hunters, and so everyone knew their role, which was determined by their capabilities and their gifts. Doesn't mean that they couldn't do that, but it wasn't what they were gifted with.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And I think we've kind of lost that in our modern day, um, because what we're gifted at um isn't held in esteem, so to speak.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And in some in some situations, your gift the way we set up your your it's it's hard to understand how your gift could contribute to um your immediate financial needs.
SPEAKER_01:Right. That's it.
SPEAKER_00:And that's become the soul the sole concern um in a lot of situations. And and and what's what what's sad about this is it it kills a lot of people's dreams and passions.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes. And yes.
SPEAKER_00:Go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, no, no. I I I just I mean, what you just stated there could be the root of why we have so much depression.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, come on. Unfulfilled dreams. I I uh one of my best friends is uh is a um a high school uh teacher um in my hometown. And um he asked me to come speak at his um to his class like three months ago. And uh if you guys have been listening to this podcast for the last 23 episodes, you know that I can I can go off on a tangent sometimes. And maybe that's not the best, uh, sometimes it's not the best content or context that has to be speaking to a bunch of 18-year-old kids um in a in a classroom setting. Um so I I got to thinking and I was like, okay, what am I going, what am I going to talk about? And and and and furthermore, what's the perception or what's the what the what the perspective that I'm gonna you know approach this was? And I said, well, what is what would I what would I have benefited the most to hear when I was 17, almost 18 years old, getting ready to start my life and take on the world. And and I can't believe I didn't think about this until just now that we're talking about this uh podcast. Um, but um the story, I mean, so I said, all right, I got it. Um I went in and we we got to talking, and um and I'm I'm using a lot of the context here from my own journey. Um, and that was a journey of which that someone who at the age of 16, 17 years old, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Um, but it did not match the space suit that I was wearing at the time uh and the suit that everyone else around me wanted me to wear. So I condemned it. Uh and I told myself that I wasn't worthy of that. And uh furthermore, so so and I and I and and and and through my growth and discussions with others over the last five years, I have I have learned that that story, that I'm that I my story is not unique, that it happens to a lot. And um kind of to Esher's point. So when I went in and I started talking to these kids, I asked them, I said, two questions. The first one is people have heard before. Um and it's if you knew that it was impossible to fail, if you knew it was impossible to fail, what would you do with your life? Right? If you if you like if you knew that there was if it was impossible, right? So come come to terms with that thing. Okay. Um, or actually, actually it would be the the actually it would start it started differently. The first question I'd say is who here knows what they want to do with the rest of their life? What's what were they passionate about? What do they want to do? Right. And then about I don't know, probably 25% of the kids raised their hand. And then I said this who here knows what they would do if they knew it was impossible to fail, and then about another 20% raise their hand. And this one, Asha, it it it brought tears to my eyes when I said this last one. I said, Everybody think of the most important five people in your life right now. Think of those people. Maybe it's your grandfather, maybe it's your mother, maybe it's your I mean, these are 18-year-old kids, right? So maybe it's your uncle, maybe it's your football coach, maybe it's you know your band teacher, whatever, okay? And as morbid as this sounds, just bear with me. Imagine that those five people don't exist anymore. That in a snap of a finger, that those five people's opinions, perspectives, judgment, any of that does not exist anymore. If that happened, who now knows what they would do with their life? The rest of the kids raise their hand, Asha. Wow, wow. With the exception of maybe like one or two. Right?
SPEAKER_01:Wow, wow, wow, that's profound.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, what the hell? Yeah, yeah, and true. And I mean, and and look, I lived it. I I know that to be a fact, but um if you're sitting there as an 18-year-old kid knowing what you want to do, but you're so worried about the opinions and judgment and per and and what's gonna come down the pipe of these five people that if they were not alive, you would know what you wanted to do. Yeah, I think parents need to hear that. I gave I gave that same speech three times that day to three different classes, and every single one of them was the same.
SPEAKER_01:Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I wish parents could hear that because you know, all parents are wish well and want the best for their children, but we have to ask ourselves as parents when we are telling our kids to be something that they really don't want to be. Um and we know that they're doing something not for them but for you. Like that's a that's a little sour for me. Like, even with my own children from the get-go, I told Mazda, I can't tell you who to be or what to do. You're gonna have to figure this out for yourself, right? And um, because I didn't want to have that level of responsibility, um, nor did I want to create children who would at some point become resentful and frustrated um on a on a deeper level, not for themselves nor towards me. Because, you know, and so many parents are living vicariously through their children.
SPEAKER_00:Your kids are lucky because that is not the common, I don't think that's even anywhere close to the even the common perspective of most parents. Um and and and what's what's what's unbelievable about this is it's that in most cases, yes, there is a large portion of kids that don't chase their dreams because they themselves are scared. But there's a lot of kids that don't chase their dream dreams because their parents are scared, or their their uncle is scared, or their grandpa is scared because of something that, you know, because they're scared of the person not making it and being judged, because they're scared of whatever that feel is, of them thinking that it's less than, or like whatever, or maybe that, maybe that this is who we are as a family. This is our box. We don't we don't play outside of this sandbox because anything out of this sandbox isn't is less than.
SPEAKER_01:Um, yeah, yeah. The Joneses and the status. Well, what will what will our neighbors say? What would the community say if you wanted to, you know, go and become a poet when we're a family of doctors and lawyers?
SPEAKER_00:I saw an article the other day. It was like um it was like some clickbait crap, but it was intriguing to me because it was talking about the the people that have been alive that have that they they they know have had the highest IQs. I don't know the kid's name, uh, and I don't think this is that old, but you know, I uh Albert Einstein had like a 160 to 160 to 180, I think, depending on who what kind of test you took. This kid has a 400.
SPEAKER_01:What?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01:Is that even possible?
SPEAKER_00:I I think it was it was somewhere between a 260 and 420, depending on what so regardless, it's double or triple the amount of Ibert Einstein, right? Okay, okay, so so here's the deal. Or double double or double to two to two and a half, I should say. Um, he currently today works at Home Depot.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I believe that.
SPEAKER_00:And and and and they interviewed this kid, and he said, from the day that I was born, my parents told me that the only thing that ever basically mattered to me was that I was supposed to win the Nobel Prize by the time I was 16. And when that didn't happen, he was like, I just he was like, I I just he's like those those that I was gonna be a doctor and win the Nobel. And then he was like, it just it just it ceased to matter to me anymore. Right. Wow. And I mean, I I don't know where he's at today in terms of his like life, uh his his happiness or his peacefulness or any of that, but um, and not that, and not that because you have a 70 IQ that your life or your passion matters any less. I'm just simply making an example of how how parents who who think that they have the good best intentions in mind can absolutely squander the dreams of their children. And imagine with that kid had he been able to chase his dreams, um, and maybe his dreams is to do nothing. Right, exactly. Maybe his dreams is to do nothing. Yeah, yeah. IQ, and it'd be the most uh ironic existence of any person that ever lived. Yeah, whatever, it's his.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Maybe he would still be at Home Depot and he's content at Home Depot, right? I mean, you know, we we just don't know.
SPEAKER_00:What does that say if somebody with that level of IQ and perspective can be content working at Home Depot, right? That's right. It speaks volumes. It may speak more volumes than winning a Nobel Peace Prize, right?
SPEAKER_01:Right. Well, you know, the what this brings up for me, I'll use my my niece as an example. You know, I I love her dearly, and my niece is very she's very intelligent, right? And because she's very intelligent, everyone in the family thought that she should go to college and major in something big, right? And so, but my niece is also very creative, yeah. And so she majored in engineering when she went to college, and she majored in it because it's what everyone expected of her, sure, and and when she graduated, she went into a little depression because she realized this is not what I want for myself, right? Right, and I think sometimes we see a child that is uh very intelligent, and we automatically start programming them for great things, right? Versus allowing it to naturally unfold for that child. We begin to insert our will in into their destiny.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and and not only that, but when you said great things, I really want the I want the audience to hear to see the quote end quote like it's great things from the parent's perspective, right?
SPEAKER_01:Right. Oh, they're gonna make a lot of money and yeah, and everything else that comes with that, right? And so I mean, so circling back to to purpose and mission, you know, it's it's um we really are threading in a direction where we're really being asked to be super honest with ourselves. Yeah, am I living a life of joy, which is my inherent right as a human being? Right. And if if I'm not there, where is my joy? Where does that live in my world within me? And and how can I, and and so maybe you're not doing it full time, maybe you can allow yourself to do it on the side, but I think it's so important that we connect with this thing that allows us to feel a deeper sense of wholeness of who we are, yes, and and and and you made a great point right there.
SPEAKER_00:Just because you're not able to turn your passion into a career does not mean it's a failure. That's right. Right. That's a great point, Ash. I'm I'm so glad that you brought that up. Like, listen, some of you are gonna be like like me and and not be able to um realize your passion in a sense that you're saying, okay, this is it, this is what I want to do, until you're 38 years old and a house with a mortgage and two kids and a bunch of bills to pay. Like, I can't, and for those of you that have that, you know, that are aware of my story, is you know, songwriting and music has has been a passion of mine for years. And I I neglected it until recently. And but I just can't drop everything right now and say, Oh, I'm gonna, I'm gonna just be a full a songwriter full time. I just uh you know that I mean that would be I mean I I mean it would be a little bit irresponsible, right? So it's it's not it's not saying that once you identify the thing that you know you're like, okay, well, just screw everything else. I'm just which you know that in a perfect world, that would be great, but it's not realistic. But it's this and right. So now it's like figuring out life while also still pursuing your passions. And the thing about it is as long as you're making time to pursue your passion enough to where it fills that cup. Yes. It fills that cup. And when I say fill that cup, you can just equate that to raising your vibration. When you're filling your cup, you're doing things that are raising your vibration. And if you're doing that and your neighbors doing that, and your friends doing that, and your cousins doing that, and everybody around the world starts doing that, the vibration, the collective vibration frequency of this planet raises. Um, and that's the whole point of all this.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And I also want to say that, you know, like I I asked my my youngest, both both of my kiddos, what do you want to do? And their response, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I say, you know what, that's okay. Because in truth, and you know, and I really want to drive this home. The purpose of doing something is just doing something. What I want to tell our listeners is that you are the purpose.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You yourself are the purpose. So you don't have to go outside of yourself to look for a purpose. It's you, your existence. You are the purpose.
SPEAKER_00:Do you want to just expand upon that a little bit before we go? I mean, and and I this is this is pretty profound. Um, but I mean, it's it's you're gonna have you're gonna have to step outside your understanding of of your individualism here and understand like from a more comprehensive perspective. But will you please dig into what you mean by that?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, you know, so let's let's let's go out into the macro, right? And so the universe doesn't have a goal, the universe doesn't have a mission, it doesn't have a purpose. It's if it was it the universe exists in unity, in oneness, and so everything is all happening all at once, right? And so that's if it was to have a purpose, its purpose is simply to be, it's just now to exist, just to exist. Yes, now we are a part of that universe, we are the universe on a microcosmic level, and we are exactly the same, our purpose is to be. And so if you come back in and you realize that there's nothing for me to move out of myself to be something because I already am.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_00:I am already, and so I am already the thing that I'm supposed to be.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly, and so anything else is just um an opportunity to experience life fuller based on what your innate abilities and capacities and abilities are, what brings you joy, and then you begin doing that thing, which is what we equate as purpose. Yes, um, and so if we can dance with this idea that oh, I am the purpose, for me, it it releases any sort of deep, heavy energy of I have to do something.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Well, we we come in the West not pre-programmed, but by the time we're four or five, we understand that we're supposed to be something better than we are.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:And what what go ahead? And that and that is uh obviously in major contradiction with what you just said of saying just be, just exist, just and that's not that's not to say to be um, you know, um a nihilist and not care about anything. It's not to say to not participate, but it's just saying that like the act of existence and exploration and life is the point, right? Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I love how uh Matthias Di Stefano, and you know, he's a spiritual teacher, he says, you are your own purpose and mission. Yeah, you are your own purpose and mission. Universally, there is no purpose and mission, and so part of this is coming to a place where we can begin to unify our our our bodies, our souls, our spirit into this sense of oneness, um, and then to stop looking outside of ourselves for the answer. We are the answer. Yeah, we are the answer. Um, and I know that's hard to believe, but you know, there's so much shame, shaming that goes into when we don't know what we're supposed to do. Yeah, and that brings up a sense of lack and a sense of feeling unworthy for many of us, right? Um we we want to uh be rid of that, we want to release these things that make people feel less than, that make people feel um depressed or or just unworthy to be here. I mean, there's so many people. When I used to take kids on college trips when I worked in New York, and we would go visit some Ivy Lake schools, and particularly there's there's one particular university where uh the suicide uh they had a gorge, the suicide rate is pretty high. And part of that is because if you get a B, um, oh my god, I'm a failure. What is my family gonna think, right? And so what are we doing to ourselves? This is my question. And for what? What is it that we're trying to prove that I'm I'm really good, I'm worthy. It all comes down to as a human race, at the core, the central, central core. And and I can say this for myself because I have felt unworthy for much of my life. Shame is at the issue for us. Shame and unworthiness. I'm not good enough, and I will never be good enough.
SPEAKER_00:I have to be better than I am now so I can reach a place better than I currently am.
SPEAKER_01:That's right. That's right. And heaven forbid and and and you know, social media has just made it 10 times worse.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you you I was just fixing to say in in in the world where you're trying to find yourself, trying to figure it out, and you constantly see highlight reels of other people who may or may not be happy. I would I would say that um the most of them are not. Um it just adds fuel to the fire of the pressure and anxiety around finding that thing faster and doing that thing faster and bigger so everyone else can see you and say, Oh, they're somebody.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Yes. Uh, you know, and and in in response to that, I wanted to invite our listeners to listen to Jason's chasing Jason's Gregory, his latest YouTube um reel. Um, I think it's it's six uh six steps you can take uh to come back to enlightenment. But in it, he talks about the attention economy that we're in right now.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Right? So we're in the economy of companies and and and uh media and social media, all medias um are in the business of wanting our attention, the number one commodity on the planet. That's right. So we have to be the ones to be one step ahead to realize what what the hell is going on, and for our children, I mean, my my I have young 20-something year olds, they're always in their phone, right? So they they have the attention economy, yeah. They've been they've been nabbed, yeah, right. And even for us, right? Like there are moments that you know, I'm on Instagram or you know, I and I'll find myself strolling until I catch myself. I'm like, wait a minute, what are you doing?
SPEAKER_00:Right. No, it's it's it's it's and what's what's what's unbelievable about it, and I don't want to go on a tangent here, but it's it's an unfair advantage. They have psychology and science behind them, they know exactly how to do these things to get that dope dopamine hit, and then we're hooked. So yeah, it it is about being intentional. And um, but you know, the the other thing that I think that you know we we talked about and and just to wrap up this this this idea of purpose, I mean it's it's doing the thing that fills your heart and soul up that you know that if I could only ever do this, this is what I would do it, and I would do it with every ounce of my freaking being every single day of my life. And it would, I would never get tired of this. That thing. Okay, yeah, yeah, and you're doing it from a sense of unconditional love and and hoping that the thing that you do impacts others the same way that it impacts you.
SPEAKER_01:100%. Well said.
SPEAKER_00:Well said that that is, and I think I'm gonna butcher this. I'm gonna butcher this, but I think what was Picasso said something about like um he said, like the meaning of life is finding your purpose, the purpose of life is sharing it with others, something like that. I could, I could, I'd be I could be um I could be butchering that, but it was a it was a very beautiful quote by Picasso that was on something about like part of the journey is finding your thing, but the real purpose is sharing it with other people. Um and um, you know, that that always strung true for me is that as long as you're operating in a place of service to others and love and you know, the thing that you're doing makes you feel that, um you can't go wrong.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and you know, something just uh came to me, you know, when we look back at the golden age of our society, which was not our modern day, um, but the time of poets and musicians. Look at what amazing creative works were created for us that has spanned generations and centuries because people were doing what they loved.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and immersed themselves in it. I mean, and it's it's it's hard to look, you know, three feet away from it and know what in 100 years from now, what people are gonna look back at the art and creation that came out of the last hundred years from us. But I venture to say that in comparison to the previous 500 years, that they're gonna be super impressed with the artistic expression that we allowed to happen in 1900 to 2000 or 2000 to 2000 to 2100. I don't think it I think it pales in comparison because we're we're all we're all distracted and we all are focused on survival. And that's and that's what's happened is it's it's it's that that addiction to finding that money has has put has put us all in constant survival mode. And it is, I saw this the other day. It's the most difficult place to create from is being in school.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. Oh, 100%, 100%. And you know, and look, we we've taken music and art out of our schools. That's that's that's by design. Yeah, that's by design.
SPEAKER_00:We hate to have a bunch of people there walking around completely at peace and fulfilled, knowing what they want to do with the rest of their lives, yeah, yeah, changing other people's lives with the bit. Uh Picasso, the meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away.
SPEAKER_01:That's right, it doesn't belong to you, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I knew it was a much more beautiful quote than I could recall, but it was it's it was I think it's a nice little bookend to this. And like I said, guys, if you're doing what you love, if you're doing what you're passionate about, if you're doing what um fills your heart up, and at the same time also Um helps others. And listen, it doesn't have to be some massive thing that you know impacts a bunch of other people's lives. The fact that you yourself are now raising your vibration and you are doing what you love. And because of that, you're impacting, you're interacting with people in a positive way. Because you're you're fulfilled, that's it. It doesn't have to be some massive thing that changes a hundred other people's lives in a in a you know in an obvious intentional way. If you're walking around fulfilled because you're doing what you love and you're tuned into your purpose and your passion, then that's it. That's enough.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Well said. And I think people really need to understand that because there's this thing that, you know, I what I'm here to do has to be something big, and it doesn't. It could be simply that you're impacting your family and and your community and the person you walk in the street. Uh so it could be something as simple as that. And and that's enough. That's enough.
SPEAKER_00:As long, as long as what you're doing isn't 100% in service to yourself, that's the that that that's all that matters. But I I'm doing this for I'm doing this because it fills me up, but I'm also understanding the fact that because I'm going to be in a better place, I can also help impact the lives of others in whatever other way, shape. Listen, I I know for a fact that when I take the time in an intentional way to write, to draw, to paint, that my interactions with individuals throughout those days and weeks, they're always more pleasant. Yes, always because I'm coming from a much more peaceful state of mind.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so that's right.
SPEAKER_01:You got anything else to end on? No, you know, just wherever you are, trust in you. Not don't trust in the world, listen to what feels right for you. And I think this is part of a great reclamation for each and every one of us, reclaiming the pieces of us that belong to us solely and not to the world. Because the world in society will always tell you to be this and that, and it'll lead us down a path that doesn't actually belong to us but belongs to someone else.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah. Be true to yourself.
SPEAKER_00:Find your gift and give it away, guys. Thanks. We'll talk to you guys later.
SPEAKER_01:All right, bye, everyone.