FAMOUS Musician Explains How SUCCESS & FAME Almost RUINED HIS LIFE | Mike Posner & Jay Shetty

because yeah usually when we're. listening we're. actually talking in our head about what. the other person is saying. and we're listening to our voice that. commentary as opposed to their voice. so when you can really listen in that. deep way it's. it's a real gift to give to someone else. i believe the world needs a new set of. real. models people who live with deep. intentions behind their actions. and this is the podcast where you get to. meet them hear from them.

and hear me ask them questions about. life the universe. then you work and everything in between. today i'm super excited to have with me. mike posner. an american grammy-nominated singer. songwriter. poet producer and podcaster. mike it's great to have you here thanks. for having me man thanks for being here. and i'm really grateful i want you to. know that i really am grateful that we. connected recently. and i really appreciate you being here. man you got it i'm grateful we connected.

also. yeah yeah i've seen your videos before. somebody there's the guy. man i was listening to your music for a. long time before too so. yeah that's kind of cool man that's cool. and and it was nice because i remember. tom who connected us. he he was he was like you guys are both. you both have three billion views you. should connect. and i was just like i think there's a. lot of other reasons we should connect. to but uh. yeah yeah man i wanted to start off by. just saying you've been a longtime fan. of your work and your music. so the fact that you let me listen to.

your album before this. i really appreciate it and so thank you. so much for doing that. but i want to start off by we were on a. call i think about two three weeks ago. and you were in a bookstore which books. did you end up buying. are any of the money good i ended up. buying. a gentleman in moscow okay i just. finished that. yeah it was really good okay what was. that about it's a novel about. uh it's fiction about a guy in um. the ussr in like the 20s and 30s and.

he basically is sentenced to live the. rest of his life in this one hotel. and it's a nice hotel but he's not. allowed to leave it ever again. and he gets into all these different. things and looks and. you know story takes turns and people. come and leave and. uh it was really fun it was really good. really good book and then i bought. uh the stranger by camu. that i started yesterday because i just. finished the gentleman in moscow.

and i haven't been like i'm not all the. way in yet. okay but we'll see okay yeah so i just. started that. and then i bought um brian wilson from. the beach boys. he has a autobiography i bought that. and then i think i bought some that's. why i bought three. you read a lot yeah i have been this. year. this year this is probably the most i've. ever maybe read like 20 books this year. wow it's like the most for me but yeah.

marine life that's a lot in a yeah yeah. what's been the best one what's been the. highlight standout one. honestly uh i read the uh the power now. by eckhart tolle which was a book i. avoided for a long time because it's. it's popular you know everyone's oprah. eckhart the power of now. and i thought if it's popular it's not. cool that's why i. you know foolishly out i always wanted. to be like find some like. secret exactly so i never read it for.

years and years and years. and i finally read it i was like oh it's. popular for a reason it's good man. i read that book like four or five times. this year. yeah and we were just looking through my. shelf and you said you'd read the. bhagavad-gita. yes yes when did you read that what do. you think of it i read that. actually when i was visiting india for. the first time. uh the only time so far that was. a year and a half ago i remember just. getting like. high reading that book you know was like.

a like a physical experience reading it. was really. something else yeah was the first time. you read it. the first time i read it i was 16 years. old so. i read it that time and at that time it. was very philosophical for me. really powerful for getting through some. things i got through at 16. then i read it again at 18 then i read. it again at 21. and then when i became a monk i studied.

and taught that book for three years. full time. so it became a huge part of my life and. even now when i'm working on writing my. own book. i'm taking a lot of principles from the. bhagavad-gita and making them relevant. and accessible. actually the power of now has so many. roots in chapter 14 of the bhagavad-gita. it's chapter 14. chapter 14 is all about. the modes. of material nature a mode that makes you. focus on the past a mode that makes you. focus on the future and the mode that. brings you in the present. and so chapter 14 of the bhagavad-gita.

really goes deeply. into the different modes that we operate. in i mean we do two hours just on the. gita man. you tell me stuff like that we could. that's what we're going to say for our. time. yeah did you ever have this experience. like i remember being. i don't what city i was going to but i. was in india on a plane i was reading it. i remember just feeling like the the. veil had been lifted like all this. weight came off and i was like goofy. smile i'm like i feel like i took drugs.

just from this book man. did you ever have something like yeah. for sure for sure that that. spiritual knowledge can be intoxicating. in a good way in a good way it's almost. like. detoxifying but in the process of that. it feels like you get intoxicated first. and then it's ripped away. right yeah spiritual knowledge does. spiritual knowledge is described a. feeling like a consciousness shower. like bathing the consciousness cleansing. and healing and letting go of. all of the other things all the toxins. all the negative beliefs all of the.

things that we've been. holding on to for so long all the false. identities are. stripped away we almost get to see. ourselves face to face after. such a long time when we strip away and. let go of all our false designations and. roles that we've been playing and what. do you do like. wait who's podcast i know i know i just. got a question for you though i got a. question for you. it's like i don't know if it's like this. for you but for me.

i will have the like that was one of. them on the plane i'll have these like. flashes of very high moments. high is like the best way i can explain. where it feels like. i've heard the word satori is this do. you know this words like. a flash of enlightenment yeah and. what do you do with that after is like. is that am i supposed to always feel. like that because it's almost like. it ends yeah right it's like i had that. moment on the plane but at some point.

that moment ended. yeah and i went back to a more. normal or default state and then you. kind of like like the default state less. because you experience this other thing. that's beautifully explained man. yeah it's true it's true so what it's. explained as. in the vedic literatures is shadow. experiences. so a good example is when you're touring. let's say i came with you. i would get to experience everything. like i was mike i'd get to be in your.

vip space if you took me as a friend i'd. get to be. in your zone i'd get to see things from. your perspective. but i'm not mike i'm just experiencing. the shadow. of experiencing it through you and in. spiritual. traditions whether we're with an. incredible teacher or a guru or. with a book that energy kind of is. infectious and spills over onto us. and we get that high and then what we. need to do is unpack it so that we can. live that high continuously every single. day. and what often happens with epiphanies.

or these moments is that we don't. unpack them we just let them be one-off. experiences but you can. feel like that every single day if we. choose to unpack. and learn through that process of almost. reverse engineering like. what was that moment trying to teach me. what did i really gain from it. like why did that happen at that state. what was i doing right. and then you can feel that way again but. it's also scary though. go on this is this is the reason it's.

scary it's because. if you're right this is a. what you should spend your life doing. but if you're wrong if. if you can't feel that every day if. that's not possible. this is a good way to waste your life. and. not only that you'd like um could very. easily slip into. hating normalcy because you've. experienced this flash and you think. something's wrong with not being there. all the time.

and this is i struggle with this because. i go oh yeah well let me unpack it and. do this work to get there and i can feel. like that every day. but then part of me is like what what if. they're what if you can't really feel. like that. what if this is what it's supposed to be. like now. you know or just make peace with this. yeah. well what yeah and i think it's both i. think it is both. i think having that flash the fact that. you've had that experience. is proof to you that there is more.

yes it's proof to you that there is a. greater purpose beyond our existence. there is greater meaning. there is greater fulfillment and right. now you're totally right our current. state is this. so if we don't make peace with this if. we don't accept this if we don't learn. to. navigate this and constantly live in the. chasing mindset. then yeah we're gonna we're gonna feel. depressed every single day. so that's what i was just saying earlier. that the. process and the destination are the same.

it shouldn't be seen as separate we see. the epiphany as the destination or a. milestone when actually. the process on a daily basis itself can. be rewarding. you know yeah it's like the creation of. the song and the song. you can't really strip them away from. each other right correct. correct we went right for it huh yeah. we're like five minutes in. i know i love it it's great it's great. man this is what makes. this hit the ground it's so beautiful. yeah i love it you start interviewing me.

though. you're you're the one with all the. insights this is a. yeah this is a because i struggle with. this yes. this up and down you know and. you know i'll go on retreat or something. or spend some time like. less this summer i spent some time in. solitude at. the monastery for like 12 days and it go. really high. and you come back in life and i get. tripped up you know. a fight with my sister or something you. know and.

and it's like party wants to go back to. the. monastery where you could like control. everything but this is in life. you know always and and and that's the. biggest thing. yeah dealing and that's the beauty of it. that when you come back. into reality you get an opportunity to. learn how to navigate it taking that. information taking that insight. taking those experiences from the. monastery wherever you're taking them.

from. and then getting them to play out in. life that's part of the. that's part of the experience i know. that when i left being a monk. i actually feel i've had more. reflections in realization since. leaving because i've had to put into. practice everything i learned. than when i was a monk because when i. was a monk it was protected it was. it was harder after i presume it was. harder initially. it was harder initially yes it was. harder but then it became. more fulfilling because i.

really had to dig deep i really had to. rethink. and i had to approach everything with. the new fresh set of eyes and. experiences. so it's actually become more meaningful. yeah i could. i'm not there no no no it's a daily. process i'm not there either man this is. like so. where i was on right i told you i was on. this retreat spent like. 12 days alone i was like all the way. alone in this little cabin on this. monastery. you know they drop the food off once a. week in like a box you know and you pick.

so you don't see anyone for a whole week. you know i'm like meditating five to. seven hours a day and. after like a week or so. i got to like i'll get to this point. where. i would my mind got quiet. quiet her you know where you know. usually i look at a flower and my brain. goes so this is a rose is the last time. i saw a rose. this one isn't quite as pretty talking. talking talking and.

a few times on this retreat i got to a. point where i would hear. a bird song like a quiet mind. and it's just like cripplingly beautiful. like i would start crying you know or. see the moon without my mind saying. anything and like. it just you can't even explain how. beautiful it is. so then it's like okay i want to go home. and like. do that with people too it's like. listening but i i can't do it. i like it when i talk with someone my.

brain is going all the time so it's like. yes like this. integration yeah you know and it's. natural because that. space is carrying that energy. because people for decades i don't know. about the particular monastery you went. to but. people for decades have been practicing. higher levels of consciousness. alternate levels of consciousness in. that space. so that's carried i always say that. location has. energy and time has memory so the.

location has energy and time has memory. so that location is carrying that energy. and the time that you spend there is. carrying that memory with you so now. what it's about is. being able to recreate that outside of. that physical space because if it is an. altered state of consciousness you can. carry it with you. and create that state in your space. because it's not bound by physical. boundaries correct so correct so it. takes time and i'm practicing a daily.

too like don't don't get me wrong i'm. not coming it. as a point of being an expert at all i'm. coming from uh. always trying to create the state i want. to be in. yeah not accepting the state that is. given to me. yeah yeah it's a it's a real gift if you. can listen to someone that way. with a quiet mind because yeah usually. when. we're listening we're actually talking. in our head about. what the other person is saying and. we're listening to our voice. that commentary as opposed to their.

voice so. when you can really listen in that deep. way it's. it's a real gift to give to someone else. it's difficult to do. that's why it's such a gift because it's. rare you know yeah. i did it once with my mom i was like. meditating and she walked in and i was. like. it felt so good because i could. recognize the things that like. usually would trip me up and i would get. upset. or judge her about and was just really.

listening to what she was trying to say. behind the words even you know it's like. this beautiful moment. you know did she feel different as well. i don't know okay. it's so hard to tell i've had both these. experiences where. i've like been in one of these like. flashes. there was once in hawaii i was just i. was with a friend of mine and. we were it was like it was one of those. moments. you know we weren't even talking and. just looking out over like this cliff. is beautiful and i remember i was like.

this and we gave each other a hug. and then later the day he was like man. something crazy happened when we. we hugged right there i felt this he. felt something. and i thought oh when i feel something. maybe other people are too. another time i was with the i was with. my. uh my girlfriend at the time. and i just meditated one day and i'm. like feeling like. high i'm like loopy at all riding in the. car.

and and i was being quite i was very. quiet because i was like having this. experience. internally and then later i talked to. her by like two days later. she was like yeah i i thought you were. really mad at me and i was like. she was in a different place she wasn't. high with me so i never know. exactly what other people are feeling i. used to think i could. i used to think oh they're feeling what. i'm feeling always but. i don't think so no not all the time.

it's harder yeah yeah. it's hard is hard and i think that's the. challenge that we have that. when we've had a moment and experience. our mind forces us to want to relive. that experience. rather than have a powerful new one and. the pain actually comes from always. going to go. back to where we were forward to where. we can. yeah yeah yeah absolutely and that's. that's actually where the pain comes. from. the pain comes from wanting to have the. same experience not believing that there.

is one that can. supersede that again in the future. and also it it's impossible to have an. experience twice. totally 100 just you can't even do it. yeah and it's just the trick of the mind. yeah my mind's always doing this. it's the trick of the mind that's. constantly trying to yeah whatever it is. not just spiritual experiences any. experience. even if it's a material experience your. mind is tricking you to want to recreate. it again and again and again. so we keep coming up with new ways of. having the same experience.

so here's a here's a good question for. you. i'm sorry i just care i'm just so. curious i know you're supposed to ask me. questions i've got so many good. questions anyway god this is fun. this seems to me to be like two kinds of. teachers nowadays when i think of like. contemporary spiritual teachers. there's one school that says you can. train your mind to think. better thoughts think more positively. get rid of like negative. stories or limiting beliefs etc can.

journal and meditate these things and. cleanse the mind make the mind more. healthy. that's what school won and then there's. another school. i feel like that says nope. the mind is inherently dirty and what. you need to do is recognize that you're. not your mind. and maybe it's both of those things i. don't know together but they seem to. i i have trouble because i.

i feel like i have a toe here and a toe. there. you know what i mean it's tough because. one day i'll be like. i'll notice myself thinking negative. thoughts and i think oh i need to stop. doing that. or do i just need to recognize that's. what minds do. yeah i don't know that's great that's an. awesome question man i'm so glad. this is a brilliant question so i look. at it from the point of the vedas or the. bhagavad-gita and that tradition that. school of thought because. that school of thought has given me in.

my research of stoicism. and my research of all alternative ways. of thinking i found a lot of good. answers there. so the principle is suggested is this. that. the mind its function is to desire. and want and and and will. right that's the that's the function of. the mind what's often missed out in any. of these schools of thought. is the position of the intelligence so. the mind is compared to a child. and the intelligence is compared to an. adult and so we are not the mind.

definitely that's for sure we are not. the mind we are consciousness beyond the. mind. but there is an interaction with every. thought between the mind and the. intelligence. so for example i'll paint a paint a. picture because it's easier. let's say you've decided that you want. to go on a diet right let's say you've. decided you want to go on a diet you. want to eat healthy stuff. the mind sees a chocolate fudge cake i'm. picking that because i love chocolate. fudge cakes so the mind sees a chocolate. fudge cake and the mind goes i want that. right now. i need to have that like i need that.

chocolate fudge cake. and and you think the chocolate fudge. cake is looking at you saying eat me. right like you think that and so the. mind's having this whole conversation. the mind thinks back to every time it's. had chocolate fudge cake and how happy. it feels when it has that. and you're thinking i need to have this. fudge cake i need it then. it's the role of the intelligence based. on how much you've strengthened your. intelligence. your intelligence will say to the mind. no we want to eat healthy. we want to be healthy we're going to. save that for cheat day.

but if your intelligence is weak your. intelligence just falls over and goes. okay let's just have the. you know and so that's actually the. interaction that's happening daily in. our minds when we wake up in the morning. your mind says i want to go to sleep. your intelligence says i want to wake. up. depending on how much whichever one. you've been feeding whichever one you've. been strengthening that's the one that. wins inside of you every single day. so that's one other school of thought to. add how would you. how would you one part of me goes well. is intelligence just another part of the. mind.

yeah it's it's it's the more mature. adult functioning part. but even that is not really us it's not. it's it's our ability to be able to use. it to. steer our life in a certain way so the. the analogy that's given is of the. driver in a car. like when you have a car accident. sometimes we're like oh that car hit me. the car didn't hit you it hit the car so. the car's like the body. right the intelligence is like the. engine and the the system that you're. using. the steering wheel is like the. intelligence and then you.

the driver of the consciousness so each. part of it is separate. but you're using a different element of. it to control the other part. and where and and how do you think of. personality in this. yeah personality is a mix of the mind. and intelligence. but do you think in like who we are at. our deepest level is. is our personality part of that it's. like the personality part of the car is. a mess. yeah yeah yeah yeah absolutely i think. so too yeah i think so too i think that. and i don't know but i think that.

when i die. oh obviously my body will expire but i. think my personality will expire. correctly but i will some essence. i'm with you i'm going i'm with you but. i i remember saying to someone i was. like man i'll feel pretty. bummed like if when i die i'm still. my personality like i don't want to be. mike posner anymore. like with the same neuroses and this. like i want to leave.

yeah yeah yeah absolutely yes. no for sure man i get you we went. straight in. all the way we went all the way i love. it. i'll let you ask a question yeah if. you're still listening. i hope you're not scared no joking it's. great awesome so. yeah anyway i've yeah i love this this. is great. we have to have this conversation. offline too so it's awesome i love it. and we should do this. me too but uh i really wanted to talk. about your new album.

i genuinely did i listened to it the. other day thank you for listening. and i have so many questions based on it. and they're great because they are all. about life. death and the world that we live in. which i love like that's. my fascination and fixation too is. figuring out our existence. and i feel like so many of your lyrics. that i've picked out that i want to. share with the audience listening and. watching today. i want to share so i'm going to pick out. a few things here. so here i want to dive straight in i. picked out a few lyrics and i want to.

dissect them with you. so one of your lyrics says my heroes. all die young they hung themselves with. fame. right i want to know who are some of. your heroes and how did they hang. themselves with fame what does that mean. this is like. uh my hairs have kind of changed. you know as i've gotten older but the. heroes i'm talking about then you know. it's like. growing up like the kurt cobain uh tupac. shakur. you know um not really jay dilla but.

he he died young as well not necessarily. from being famous but. you know these kind of guys you know. that. um they're just incredible they seem to. burn really brightly. for a short period of time. they don't fade out they explode. you know those are the kind of guys i. was referring to. but as i've gotten older i thought. why am i idolizing them.

i should probably idolize even if. even if they're like myths or it's not. real it's like. i thought it'd probably be better to. idolize like jesus or like the buddha. right even if they're like stories are. fake or. or myths or not entirely factual like. there's no like flaws there like that's. a good nor better north star. you know what i mean than like but there.

is something just really. really intriguing about this kind of. like um. like you know. genius talent that self-destructs at. times you know. when did you first start learning about. like jesus and buddha and. when did they start becoming your role. models and why or your heroes. later in my life i mean the last like. four three four or five years yeah. why was that why did that shift happen i.

i. actually was i met um this teacher named. ram das you know rom does. um i had a friend. whose mom was sick. and she was friends with ramdas. and they were gonna go visit him in. hawaii. but she died my friend my friend's mom. died and he called me say hey look i. still want to go on this trip. i want you to come with me though so i.

said okay i'm gonna come. and i went and uh we went to ramdas's. house. and you know he's had like a stroke so. he has like a. motorized chair he came in the room and. i. i had read some of his stuff and. listened to some of his lectures. and he said a bunch of words i'd heard. him say already. you know like because i i knew his stuff. and uh he said one thing that stuck out.

he said you know he could say. all day long your your. you're categorizing you say i i love. this and i hate this. you're doing that all day he goes it's. much easier if you just love everything. you don't have to then you don't have to. categorize anymore it's just easier. it takes less energy and he sort of just. like. he held this space it was less about. what he's saying.

and more about like he'd look at us. these big eyes. and it felt like we could have been. serial killers or whatever he just would. have loved us. this way and i remember we walked out of. his house. and this was one of those high moments. and maybe one of the. first ones i had where i was like. i almost like keeled over and start. crying i was just like. looking around i felt like i was in a. new world and i felt like i was in love.

with all the stuff. like like the rusty gate and the dirt on. the ground i just loved it all. and it ended you know a lot i felt like. that the rest of the night and it. ended and i didn't feel like you know. i didn't feel like oh i should pray to. ramdas now. no i felt like oh this is a guy who's. been doing the work for. the however many years he's been doing. the work and. i thought i wanted i. want to be that for other people this.

would be a. good way to spend my life as if i could. hold that kind of space. so it was one of these moments where i. thought oh that is. possible you know to. to to be in a space like that a mindset. like that that. people can feel like you could feel it. you know. and um so after that i started listening. more his lectures. and i think he made a point like this in. one of his lectures. which was you know if you read someone.

else's. like if you read my book on spirituality. you're gonna get. all of the reasons that i am not. enlightened does that make sense. but if you read that something from an. enlightened being like that guitar or. something like this. you get you just get that you know. switch i you know. i don't i read everything you know but. but this is what he said. and it kind of makes sense to me you.

know yeah. it's beautiful man yeah i remember that. moment when i was 18 and i met. the first monk i ever met i had a very. similar experience where. my role model switched it was the first. time where. i'd always looked up to celebrities and. entrepreneurs and ceos. and influencers of any kind at that time. when i was 18 years old. and when i met a monk that really. shifted my journey. and and shifted how i was aspiring to be. and to do because.

similarly to what you said it kind of. opened me up to a whole alternative path. that i didn't know existed so. i can identify with that and then and. then the end of that lyric you say. they hung themselves with fame tell me. how you came to write that. this fame thing is funny i'm sure you. deal with it too. maybe better than me but uh. it's just so easy to get addicted to it. you know i mean still like to this day.

you know i went to the monastery grew my. beer whatever but. i like when people like me you know. and uh you can you can just totally. self-destruct. it's like a real addiction you know um. you get it's like you people would do. anything. especially when you get a taste of it. you do anything to get more of it. you know and can kill yourself this way.

people do you know yeah you know the the. cause might be a. overdose something like this but it's. it's that you know it's. you know like my friend avicii died this. year you know. this kind of thing is it's it's it's a. it's a. weird vortex the fame thing to be in. you know and i'm not like really famous. i have like some friends that are like. super. like like like i walked in here you know.

like no. if someone recognized me it's like one. person i can like talk to him for a. second and i could go on with my day. you know i have friends you know like. they can't go in public they get like. mod it's not like that for me. which i like um. [Music]. it's just a weird you get into a weird i. feel it on tour. on tour because each night i'm playing. the show. people are there for me you know. so in that building i'm like super.

famous you know. and and then when i go on. back on the tour bus. everyone that i'm living with works for. me. which is a weird it's just weird. it's not real life and then i i get used. to it. and i'll go out of that vortex and. expect everyone to like be waiting on me. and this kind of thing and it's like. well no no that's not reality you know.

yeah i want to dive into that thought. that you were saying about. liking being liked yeah like we all like. being liked. yeah is that a bad thing is it a good. thing how do you how and this whole. process you're talking about of. of fame how have you worked through it. how have you seen your friends. work through it successfully like what. have you found what have you learned. i know there's no perfect antidote sure. the first thing pops up is i think it's. probably a survival thing. right you know if you're liked by the.

people around you. less likely to be killed by them you. know like yeah. it makes sense that we have that we like. being liked. um if it indeed is a universal thing. which i think it pretty much is. and i'll tell you the wrong way. that i've tried dealing with it and. i see other people doing this all the. time. from afar and from close which is.

i will try to prove my autonomy. by doing the opposite of what i know you. like so there was a point in my. career like two three years ago where i. thought everyone knows me it's one way. i'm gonna do the opposite. so i feel like i can i'm still my own. guy i'm making my own decisions i'm not. pandering to other people so. i remember i stopped i. like i was eating every other day and i.

lost. 30 pounds and i was already a healthy. weight when i started so i was really. skinny. and i dyed my hair green i had a green. mullet. and i was doing photo shoots where i was. wearing like makeup and women's clothes. and there's nothing wrong with that they. actually look pretty cool. but it wasn't the reason was messed up. that i was doing it not the. not the actual thing some of the photos. are very beautiful and this kind of. thing. and the reason.

was. i was doing the opposite. to prove to myself. hey i'm i'm not i'm not attached to your. opinion. but if you really think about it i'm. still very much attached to your opinion. your opinion is still dictating what i'm. doing even though it's the opposite of. it. instead of just me just being me. so i don't know if i explained that very.

well but i did really well. i i see that all the time with musicians. artists and you know just people in. general where they'll be going one way. and they want to they don't like. they feel the they feel themselves. becoming attached. to other people's approval and so they. flip 180. to prove themselves that they're. unattached but this this is actually. still. just another form of attachment yeah the.

gita says attachment and aversion are. two sides of the same coin. so that's totally right when you're. trying to be a verse you're trying to be. opposite all of a sudden. right but it's still an attachment. correct yeah. the gita says it in one line you explain. it. no no but you explained it beautifully. it's a great it's a great point i. i never even thought of it like that i. never realized that that's how. a lot of people try and deal with it. that's an interesting observation i. didn't know that. yeah um.

so i think i'm still figuring it out. one way i think that really helps is. just the way i spend my time. in a day make sure i'm not. you know take time to meditate each day. exercise just like with a couple of. friends. you know play basketball or go to the. gym. and then you just get this time away. from where you're not even thinking.

about any of these things and you can. kind of revisit them with a little more. perspective yeah um. and you know the other thing is i take. like tons of time off between. albums two years yeah where i'm. where i you know i'm writing but i'm. also like. experimenting exploring going to the. monastery or. you know like you did like a vipassana. retreat this summer.

and just just playing around with. different. different modes of consciousness and. trying to tap into these different. things reading different books and. you know hopefully give a little more. perspective i know that's not a super. sexy answer but i don't know if there is. oh that was a great answer yeah i just. love your uh. it's not for me i'm not looking for uh. when i'm doing these podcasts if. everyone listening i'm not looking for. the right answer or a perfect answer or. a sexy answer.

i'm looking for original. unique you answers like observing. answers and your observations are. valuable to me. your observations of your fame the fame. of others. is interesting to me and i think it's. interesting to everyone listening. because. that's how we start learning about how. different observations can help us as. opposed to you saying. here's my three-step formula for how to. deal with fame yes. you know some people have that that's. cool but i get more fascinated by. observations.

yeah so i i love it it was sexy to me. thank you. sexy to me i'm gonna move on to the next. song that i put out lyric on because i. think there's just so many and i. and i want to i have to say that the. music on this album. is you being the same like when i listen. to it. it it made me want to focus and be. curious and be an. explorer of the music it wasn't just. enjoyable i had to. be more curious as a listener and i.

enjoyed that process. because it required more from me and and. that's powerful. that's powerful when you feel like. intrigued to listen more. so when i was doing that i picked out. this line another lyric. i worked the last 10 years i'm a. multi-millionaire. and it's supposed to all be good and. it's not all good. right i think you took out an. explanation i think i did. i think i did i haven't sworn since i. was 16 years old. is that right yeah sounds beautiful man. yeah for a while i had a rubber band on.

my wrist. and i st and it worked every time i. cursed i'd snap. myself and then. and then i started cursing sorry i took. it off i took it out no no it's great. it's great but here you say that so the. question i have here is where do you. think that picture of success comes from. because you're saying that you've you've. achieved everything that the world would. have deemed like if you were 10 years. old. and someone told you you'd have all of. this now that you're 30 right.

you'd think that that would be yeah. exactly right we both. i'm done yeah you're done but it's not. so where did that. weird and i really want to talk about. that where do we think the ideas come. from like where was that put into our. psychology i don't know. because i remember my parents saying. things like money doesn't buy you. happiness. you know which is a cliche for a reason. that most cliches are cliche because. they're. probably in some way true and i remember.

hearing people tell me this and i'm. thinking. nodding my head and putting my head. going you just didn't make enough. yeah i'm gonna make more than you i'm. gonna be i'm gonna. take it to another level. and it's just a never-ending chase. you know and and actually when you. achieve your goals. can be in some ways. can be more depressing than not. achieving them because you can achieve.

them and realize. hey i thought this was actually going to. solve like all the problems in my life i. thought my insecurities would disappear. and and in my case like you know i got. the record deal. i had like the sports car and the house. in the hollywood hills and. the whole thing yeah the. the whole thing you know and so i'm. sitting there. and i realized that my experience of. life. moment to moment is the same i have all.

the same insecurities. i'm not like a different person i'm not. any happier i'm not. actually i don't think sadder either. but it's the same and it's the. disillusionment that came with. thinking there was this magic bullet. finding the magic bullet. and then it not working and going oh. shoot. now what.

and that i think is is what the next. chapter's. my life has been about is the now what. you know. and it there seemed to be some pro. promising leads on this. yeah you know like we were talking about. earlier yeah yeah. but yeah yeah that's one of the reasons. why i've loved missions more than. goals for so long explaining. to you yeah so the difference to me is. goals are. temporary milestones a mission is a. lifelong project a mission is eternal.

a goal is temporary so a goal is i want. to be a multi-millionaire. reached next goal i want to be a. billionaire reached. now we have trillionaires right jeff. bezos is going to be the first. trillionaire so. trillionaire right whatever it is like. that's a goal it's temporary. it it moves it's ephemeral whereas. a mission is something you're committed. to on a day to day. a goal is something you experience every. so often.

as a milestone a mission is something. that you can experience every single day. because it's a path it's a lifestyle. it's a cause. you're committed to something that. you've. you feel responsible for something that. you feel like you're trying to drive a. change or a cultural shift. which takes longer what's the example of. a mission. so let me. uh i guess even if we take let's take. martin luther king right so his mission. of wanting everyone to be treated by the.

content of the character and not the. color of their skin. like that's a mission like you don't. just solve that overnight like that's. something that he wanted to. implant into humanity and that can go. beyond color that can go. beyond gender it needs to it needs to. that kind of thought process of. loving and trusting and being. compassionate and empathetic to all. people is something that goes way beyond. do we have independence or do we have a. goal or did we get the right policy in. place.

which is so temporary and doesn't. necessarily. push a shift even for myself like my. mission that i've always stated very. clearly. clearly is making wisdom go viral it's. like how do i make wisdom. that has been very hidden away or has. only been accessible. to people who have gone to monasteries. etc how do i make that really accessible. to everyone in the world. that's a mission i i've got to do that. every day there's no goal there's no. like. i'm never gonna have a button that says. oh eight billion people now have wisdom. like. you know it's not a it's not a number.

yeah uh so anyway that's how i see the. difference. but but i love what you're saying and i. agree with you that. that's why i'm i think shifting to a. mission versus a goal life. still keeps you motivated it still keeps. you meaningful and it moves away from. numbers to emotions. you know but anyway that's just my. thoughts yeah good thoughts man. some of my thoughts you asked the. question. in one of the songs do you ever get. tired being perfect.

right and my big question around this is. what is perfection does it exist and how. do you define perfect like how do you. see perfection. the meaning of perfection having changed. in the world that we live in today. i think what i was yeah what were you. hinting at i think. i don't always know what i'm hinting at. sure it's kind of like sometimes the. thing. pops in the head and i just put it down. yeah yeah and almost like it's not. me you know oh really that's how. sometimes the songs come out.

it doesn't feel like i'm possessed or. anything but it's like. look you know you have an inspired. thought or a good thought. do you really get credit for that. because it's not like you'd you design. the thought that's the whole point. of inspiration is like it came to you it. came. and so you know when i write a song it's. like. i don't know if i really get credit for. that it just popped in my head and i. basically repeated what i heard. you know well if i write a crappy song.

same thing i don't. i don't have to i don't get blamed for. it. but um yeah so that's right but. so yeah it's it's not always cerebral. but what i. when i hear that back or you know what i. think. is. people that are trying to have the veil. of perfection. which i you know i've been one of those. people and i am at times still.

what about you know yeah it's it's do. you ever get. tired of doing that you ever get tired. of like trying to convince everyone that. you can have it all figured out. you know that's what i meant yeah i. think and i think we do get tired. it's exhausting it's exhaust i had a. friend. actually we have a friend comment in. queue oh yeah we're talking to him. because we do him and i do this. where we we go out in social situation. and there's some.

there's a little bit of a persona i'll. take on. you know even i'm just at a party or. something i'm do i'm doing something i'm. like. trying to be and it's very close to me. but it's not quite me and it's not. always detectable. even to me at the time but the. difference is. it's exhausting and i'll leave a social. interaction like. ah yeah whereas i.

believe if you're being authentic and. you're. there like in the ramadas interaction. like that. that was rejuvenating as opposed to. exhausting. yeah absolutely you ever felt that. exhaustion 100. yeah i compare it to i compare it to. method acting. it's like being a method actor where. you've so engrossed in a role that. you're trying to play. that you forget who you are and and. you're just playing that role the whole. time. you're basically acting yes acting just.

actors. yeah no absolutely no i've done that. before tons and and it's been the same. for me i think that's a great way you've. put it it's exhausting. that's number one and the second thing. is you start playing it so well that you. forget who you are. right so you think it's your reality. right and this i think is compounded. going back to by fame because with fame. like i think that's a pretty universal. thing right what we just talked about. it gets compounded by fame because not. only.

are you doing uh an act that you think. is you. other people now have an expectation. of an act and you don't want to. disappoint them so this. pressures is um. exacerbated yeah yeah yeah you're. spot-on it's compounded by. the fact that all these people are. expecting you to show up. as that person correct and now you have. to show up as that person even if you. don't feel like that person today. correct yeah it's like having to put on.

a. halloween suit every day yeah doesn't. like having to put on it it's so funny. like. it's i go through so many ebbs and flows. every day and i don't know if this is. like normal other people but like. look every afternoon i get kind of. depressed every single one like. you like i feel it already like i'll get. a little tired you know it's like. you know it's like in the mornings like. when i first wake up i'm like kind of. sluggish then i'll like meditate.

exercise then i'm up you know and i feel. like kind of high. in the more and it's like this all the. time. and there's all these colors and. emotions and. and shades of colors of of how i feel. each day and then. i'll put them i have like one song of. the thousands of songs i write that. becomes super famous that's. a glimpse you know just like a snapshot. of one of those moments. and then there's expectation that that's. you.

you know it's like 11 13 three years ago. on a tuesday that's you it's like no. that. that's that's me at 11 13. three years ago that's who i was right. then well. but this is me you know. yeah i love that i think it's great. and i think you just repeating that and. saying that it's putting that message. more out. into the world for everyone else who's. listening to actually get that message. too.

that let's not be defined by just that. one glimpse of our life whether it's. good or bad even. right because we just let ourselves be. yeah a human being isn't. impossibly. this is it's just impossibly complex. and beautiful at the same you know this. moment this summer i was thinking about. how. like the difference between what's real. and what's not. you know like the microphone here this.

is real. i would say for just our sega discussion. let's say this is real like it exists in. reality i can touch it it's there. and i was on retreat and i was thinking. i have this mat like. map of in my head like where what i've. accomplished what i want to accomplish. it's like a trajectory. but then i thought that map is not real. because it doesn't exist anywhere but in. my thoughts like i just.

made it up. in the same way that that is not real. who i think i am which to me was like. my facts of my personal history my name. my occupation. my age mixed with. like memories of emotions that i have. like emotional reactions mixed with like. honestly archetype characters from.

movies or books. all that mashed up that's like that's. who i am it's like my personality that's. who i. am in my head i thought. that's not real either it literally does. not exist. and other people have an idea of who i. am but it's not even the. same one that i have in my head and it's. just. like i was spending so much energy like. curating this. thing in my head and like making it look. perfect.

but a no one else sees it. b is not there it's not a real. thing you know it's just so silly. we do that like all day long like i have. to. do this or accomplish this or act in a. certain way in order to. um keep this idea. of myself this picture of myself that i. have looking. beautiful or add some stroke to it but.

it's not. it's not there. no yeah no it's true that you've. reminded me of. literally my favorite quote i say this. everywhere because it's. it's such an inspiration for so much of. my work. in 1902 a sociologist named cooley. said that today i'm not what i think i. am i'm not what you think i. am i am what i think you think i am. right so right we live in a perception. of a perception of ourselves meaning.

if i think mike thinks. i'm happy then i feel happy and if i. think. mike thinks i'm weak then i'll feel weak. so we're. basing how we feel about ourselves on. how we think others feel about us. and that's that picture you're. constantly trying to mold in your mind. constantly like what does this person. think okay. what do they think what do i think how. do i what do i add to this. and then we get lost trying to build. this. and it wasn't even real in the first. place right it was just a perception of.

a position yeah a funny flip on this. is our audition perhaps is. what i believe is going on in your head. is a function of what's going on in my. head. does that make sense so. what i what i suspect you're thinking. about is really just. the crap i think about because that's. all i have. i've never been in anyone else's head. i've only been in my head and i know my. thoughts. so i assume you're having some these.

kind of thoughts. um i use the example of of weight. like because i when i stopped eating i. had this thing. i would get hung up on weight i was. always looking at people's weight. all the time obsessing over it and. i thought oh people people think i look. fat or. this way and i realize they're not. thinking that's what i think they're. thinking. and what i think they're thinking is.

based on what i think. yeah and so it's like just to simplify. it it's like. in order to not feel judged. judge less because then. you know if you're not walking around. judging people you'll assume you won't. assume they're judging you. that makes sense i love that that's. beautiful. in order to not feel judged judge less. yeah. yeah it's nice it's great advice.

that's great advice that's yeah that's a. great flip i like it that's awesome man. that's awesome now you. i want to talk about this because i. think it's important for the album that. we're talking about right now like. you lost someone really important to you. last year your father there's you know. someone obviously extremely special to. you how's that. affected built created this album how's. that how have you been processing that. a lot of different ways in in some ways.

real explicit in other ways. very ambiguous and i'm sure in some ways. i don't even see or understand yet. but. look i e you know i had an amazing. father for. 29 years so the first thing is like when. you. when you have loss you had to have. at first had in order to even feel lost. so vary this like gently and subtly you.

can. go from this like feeling of being. cheated or something like this to just. having gratitude for. the thing being there in the first place. and be. you know look i'm sure you do and i i. certainly do. you know have a lot of friends i grew up. with in detroit and southfield that. either never knew their dad or dad was. in their life. the way mine was and.

it almost feels like silly to me. to. be too sad because i had this amazing. gift. and how could i complain about having. something awesome for. 29 years and say hey i should have had. it 30 or i should have 31. like. nah man you don't get to decide that you. know.

that's not for you to decide um. so i deal with it in different ways this. is how i feel on this couch. there are other times where i'll be. playing my guitar alone. in the hotel and i'll start crying and i. miss him and i'll go dang he's really. gone. and there are other times where i'll be. meditating. or i'll be performing. and i feel i swear i can like feel them. around.

it feels like an inner like a energy. such like a buzzword but it feels like. it's not like he's standing there in his. body it just feels like his and. it's weird thing to talk about no good. way to talk about it but it's not weird. at home. yeah i feel like i could i could feel. him around his energy. and uh. yeah the second part like there's. another part of death. which is it's.

it's quite a beautiful reminder. for you to get your life together. because the real thing about death that. people get tripped up on is it reminds. you you're gonna die this. can be a really good thing to get that. reminder. because it puts in perspective what. really matters. hey am i doing you know a lot of us have. a list of things that we.

we want to do when we're done doing what. we think we have to do. and you know my dad died i was like. i'm next like i look just like that guy. you know when i look at a picture of him. he's 30 it's like it's me. you know so the next guy you know. is me and. i started looking back at this list of. stuff that i actually want to do and. start doing it you know start doing it.

and obviously you know my album is a lot. he's on my album you know recordings of. us talking. so he influenced my music this way in a. big way. with this record and um. so yeah it's just a lot it's a lot you. know. implicit and explicit ways um. he's a he's a great guy great man. you know and i i the older i get.

the more i understand how beautiful of a. man he was. you know when i think about where i see. friends that like. have families or or kids and really. seeing what that actually entails. it's a lot you know and i think about. you know when i was on the basketball. team. in high school i never played i was. really short. and i just sat on the bench and he would. be at every single game. he'd be the first parent there i.

remember one time he said mike. i'm really sorry he was an attorney he. said i have a case i can't move it. i'm gonna miss the game i remember. thinking like. all good man i don't play anyways i. don't know if you notice. but i just sit there. and uh i remember our it was an away. game this was like in pontiac which is. you know. 34 minutes right our bus pulled up. and we get off the bus like we're there. like an hour too early to warm up.

and there's one guy in the stands it's. my dad. he's like i moved the case you know i. got in he was always there he always. showed up. you know one perfect man no one is. but yeah i love that i love that guy man. forever. he was funny too man he was a goofball. man. silly guy and beautiful i just this is.

loving loving you know. that's beautiful man thank you so much. for sharing so openly and. that's you know for anyone who's ever. lost anyone i'm sure. [Music]. something that you've said here today is. going to help them too. yeah you know and another thing i i've. i've spoken. there's a guy i know he's become a. friend he's a. hospice chaplain so he helps people die.

and helps families and people he says. the one thing you can count on grief. to do is to surprise you. so often we we feel something you know. when we have this loss. and and the next or the biggest question. is like is this right. should i be feeling this way and the. answer is. there's no right grief is surprising. it's gonna hit you when you're not. suspecting it. sometimes longer you know people expect. oh.

it's been a year yeah why am i you're. good you know. that's not how it works it's not how it. works and for me. i actually wasn't even sad when my dad. died i thought man. i had my dad it was beautiful he wasn't. in pain. all my family's here we're having this. beautiful funeral. celebrating his life i didn't cry was. smiling. that's hard that's it's not wrong right. or wrong it's just how i felt. you know later my mom was playing eight. months later she's playing like i'm.

checking her voicemail you know and. she's going through and what. she gets to want my dad when he's alive. and he was sick. i lost it i was weeping like a baby i. started weeping. it's not right or wrong it's just we. each have our own path. with grief you know yeah yeah i think. it's so. it's so easy that with a physical scar. you like watch it heal. you can see it you know that you're. applying something on it that's.

letting it heal that's getting a scar on. it etc you can see the wound getting. covered and then it disappears but. emotionally it's almost like oh yeah. it's been a month you must be better now. but it's. you know you can't see it and so the. only person who's experiencing it in. different ways all the time. is you yourself and that healing process. is totally unique totally different. for each person and you can't put a time. limit on it or you can't put a. expectation on it but because we can't. see it we kind of just pretend like it's. not there.

yeah yeah we make up a schedule hey it's. been a year i should be over this yeah. yeah. yeah not based on anything yeah yeah. thank you for sharing that man i really. appreciate it no problem your dad sounds. amazing. he's a good guy yeah i'm so happy to. hear you celebrate his incredibleness. you know for the time that you had and. it's so beautiful to hear that man. it's so beautiful to hear that thank you. thank you. yeah and and now you're at this place. where you're. 30 and you talk about being stuck in the.

middle. on your album that's how i feel right. and and i feel like we've talked a lot. about. getting to 30 and what's happened before. and the songs and the. the fame and the money and all of this. like where. when you're saying you're stuck in the. middle how is your perspective currently. on the next not i'm not even going to go. too far but on the next like 12 months. the next. you know how what is your perspective. what's changed where is that stuck in. the middle. song inspired by it's it's you know it. was a funny thing it's like a lot of.

times. songs they'll come before i actually. live them. the song come first and then i'll live. the live. out the song after sometimes this is how. it is we're stuck in the middle. the last verse of this song is um. people love the old me i don't know. where he's gone. too too tired to be famous. too vain to be unknown this is how i. feel like i have a toe in both. like like i know that i know becoming.

more famous or more successful is not. really going to change my life. but there's part of me still that like i. really want like. have more hit songs and this this kind. of thing it's like. the grip has been loosened but my hand's. still on it. and then there's this other part of me. that like doesn't care. it's like you know off at the monastery. or in. like i ca you know what i mean it's like. it's the polar opposites.

it's like pop star. like monastery like like. one day i'm like at the grounds the. other day i'm like there you know it's. like. that's for like in stuck in the middle. yeah but maybe my friend said maybe. you're not stuck. maybe just in the middle yeah that's. where you're supposed to be. you know yeah i can relate to that i. love paradoxes. i i myself feel like a paradox i felt. like a paradox my whole life.

and i i i'm right in the middle too i. lived as a monk and i do media and. i feel so much but what i do know is. that. in my own way i'm refining my intentions. on a daily basis. aspiring to use any platform i have for. something higher than myself. because i know myself that after having. been a monk for three years and. lived in a monastery in ashram for three. years. i didn't feel like i was fulfilling my.

purpose either because i wanted to. really. give what i learned and i had this. desire to share it. because i can't get away with who i am. as a person i've always been driven. i've always been motivated i've always. been someone who wants to share etc so i. can't get away from that artificially. and if i do i'll only end up feeling. useless and then at the other end i. also know that i have to be wary that i. don't get too caught up. in the world because then i can lose. that monk. and so for me i couldn't agree with you. more i think being in the middle is such.

a beautiful place to be. it requires a ton more work and that's. our challenge like that's how i see it. like. you're reminding me of my own challenge. to myself that. when you want to operate at either end. ignorance is bliss. or wisdom is bliss and then you're. trying to be in both you're like in the. middle yeah you're having to. you know make sense yeah does that make. any sense yes it does. ignorance is bliss and you're like full. in the world like full hedonistic. yeah wisdom's bliss you're full in the.

monastery yeah. and like having both those in your life. integrated is. yeah that's the real small task yeah. yeah we're like setting ourselves up for. the hardest thing. i'm gonna have to learn from you i'm. gonna have to no bro. no bro i'm here learning from you that's. why i was trying to hijack your. interview and ask you all the questions. man. no it's all man you've given like what. i'm listening to you like this. by the way for everyone who's listening. when you listen to this album which i. really really recommend that you do. because when i was listening to her i.

was exploring like if you're fascinated. by. what mike's saying on the podcast right. now if you're watching this hearing this. when you listen to the album you'll be. able to see a mirror across it's. such a profound piece of work it's. profound like that's that's the right. way to put it. and and yeah if you're a fan of mike or. if you've. i'm sure you've heard some of this stuff. if you haven't this is. this is the stuff that you know i want. you to listen to. thank you but yeah we spent a lot of. time yeah it's.

weird making these albums like. perhaps like a dying form of. art the album because people as. don't as much listen to them through. um but i sort of don't care because i do. listen albums through and i. i love albums and so we spend like. months on transitions in song order. and transitions like a lot of my songs. will connect you know the.

you'll see the the the marker go from. like track four to track five but. the music doesn't there's no change you. know there's no like break. and so yeah we spent like a lot of time. on that you know it's like i don't know. if anyone's gonna listen. yeah we did yeah no i i still remember. the feeling of looking forward to an. album coming out. and like going to buy this the cd and. like opening up the pack. and like i i still love listening to.

albums because. the songs that you hear on the radio are. never anyone's best songs in my opinion. like they're a good starting point but. they're like the taster. right you know they're like the free. free meal but it's like you want you. want the. you want the full experience and with. your process is different right like you. don't. you don't put a single output a single. output a single out and test you kind of. build the whole thing. because you don't want to be affected by. that's what i read from your work when i. was doing my research yeah. yeah i don't think it's wrong to do it.

this is have a friends you. know they they will they'll make you. know. half the album they'll put a single out. and if. and they'll they'll see what people say. about it and then they'll finish the. album. get with that information i don't like. this way i like to do the whole thing. just and i don't let anyone hear it. except for my friends that are working. on it. but manager doesn't hear it no one at. the record label hears it. no one until i make this thing.

how i want how i i think is great. and then i'll play it for a few friends. i trust. get feedback i'll go from there if the. feedback. hits me in that tender place where i. know that it's right. i'll address it and if enough i think. they're wrong. in my heart i don't address it. and then i go to record label and say. here's my album. it's done yeah and.

that's it it's done it's awesome man. i've got the five big questions for you. that i always. talk about i want to hear you play as. well but these are five big questions so. the first big. question is what's the best thing you've. ever let go of. best thing i've ever let go of that. you're happiest about letting go. because you've really cleansed you've. healed your work you're doing the work.

so. i would say. there's been a few times where i. i've moved into my van not because i. i had fallen on hard times because i. felt like my possessions were weighing. me down. so like yeah i i had this i owned a. house in the hollywood hills and. i had a porsche sports car and i had. like more. sneakers than i even knew i had.

and everything i was moving to my van i. bought this like a little conversion van. and i put this stuff like some clothes. in it that i needed. in there in my guitar and. it doesn't fit very much and the rest i. just i donated. so i would say all that stuff. well let go of it man and i just felt. lighter. nice yeah it's awesome.

question number two i saw that on your. website you have a hate mail section. yeah tell me how that all came about and. how you deal with criticism. i copied this from my friend amanda. palmer. okay who's an amazing artist and writer. and. um for me it's just a good way to like. prop. when i was on social media now i have. someone. post for me right i'll write the post. and they do it. because i try not to read the comments.

but before i used to be on there and i. probably will have to go back to. just because i like having dialogue with. my. listeners um but. involved with that is reading some. pretty negative things about yourself. and before they just really hurt my. feelings but then i started amassing. them and i made this section my website. called hate mail and i would repost. and suddenly the same message that. seemed really. mean and hurtful it.

became funny yeah they ever just became. fun and i'd like read them out loud with. my mom and we'd both. just be cracking up you know it reminds. me of the last scene of eight mile when. eminem goes and. shares all the bad stuff he already. knows about himself. yeah he said tell these people something. they don't know about me. they don't already know about me right. yeah yeah and it's like when you've done. that. it's like no one else has got anything. left to say exactly because you've. already said it exactly. i love that man okay question number.

three the worst. you know the best advice you've ever. received. the first one that comes to mind. probably that romdos advice i like to. just love everything. it's way easier it's way easier. don't don't i'm repeating it but. the you know all day long it's just it's. like i. like this i don't like this i love this.

i hate that. just love everything it's easier it's. less exhausting. i love it i love that too thanks for. repeating it. what's the where do you feel. change in the world is going to come. from individually collectively. positive change where is it going to. come from. there has to be i believe. an internal shift in everyone.

individually i mean look all of us know. like war is bad and we know like we need. to. do more for the environment and we know. the planet's getting warmer. but. our action is not lined up with. our knowledge right it's the same things. like everyone knows how to lose weight. everyone knows like they know everyone. knows what. foods are unhealthy exercise more but.

still. many people with that knowledge do not. lose weight even though they want to. so what so people have. there has to be a shift in the i think. like when we talk opened up about you. know that we are not our minds. you know we are more than our minds and. how to deal with. how to deal with minds that have crazy. thoughts. and have thoughts that.

don't serve us and don't serve us as. as a species either and. um there's to be a shift. to where we actually see. our species as a collective. we don't really you don't really you. know it's like. you know i see the thing about someone. starving in africa and it's like.

i understand it's bad but people don't. people don't stop what they're doing. there's still a degree of apathy there. so and i think this is moving in the. right direction i think we're getting. there. but not yet it's great answer man. final question would you like to play us. something yeah. have a yeah request have a special no. you no. your inspiration i always go with your. inspiration i don't want to think about. what i think you're thinking about. playing so.

i'm gonna let you go with your. inspiration. uh your answers are inspirational so i'm. excited for this. are you stuck in the middle okay. [Music]. perfume on my shirt.

puts me in the past. too tough to be without her. but too afraid to us. [Music]. here i am again stuck in the middle. here i am again stuck in the middle.

too young to settle down. [Music]. too old to be in bars. it's hard to take it easy. it's easy to be hard. here i am again stuck in the middle.

[Music]. here i am again stuck in the middle. [Music]. here i am again stuck in the middle. here i am again stuck in the middle.

forgive me i am building my ship. as it sounds how do i become who i. wanna be while still remaining myself. people love the old me. i don't know where he's gone. too tired to be famous. to vain to be unknown. [Music].

here i am again stuck in the middle. [Music]. here i am again stuck in the middle. here i am again stuck in the middle. [Music].

here i am again stuck in the middle. home. [Music]. [Applause]. wow that's amazing man thank you you're. creating from such a deep place man. thank you man i'm being serious thank. you i'm i'm excited to. it's it's fitting that's i love that. song and it's fitting that. i genuinely think that if you're able.

to use this incredible platform that. you've already achieved. and you're able to grow it only for the. sole purpose of wanting to. learn more and share powerful messages. with the world you're going to have an. incredible impact on people's lives man. like. a scale that no one else can it's going. to be insane. because you're really doing the work and. i can. i can feel it i can see it and and i. want people to experience that and. i feel like you've been given this. incredible unique.

talent not only have you got an. incredible voice not only are you. such a talented artist but you've spent. time doing the work. thank you and that's gonna transpire. into people's lives if you just keep. doing it man in the middle. that's just there in the middle not. stuck yeah just in the. in the pocket yeah in the middle man. you're another song yeah go for it i'm. loving this. that's beautiful i want to hear another. one right. yeah yeah let's do it.

somebody told me god is simply what we. don't know. i saw a butterfly it was dead but it was. gorgeous. and all the robots are just walking down. the sidewalk. kings at a little empires that they made. [Music].

up. [Music]. dusty got shot and the nosher got. married. [Music].

stewie's still dead and commitment's. still scary. and i got a new woman but i treated like. my old one. if i keep this [ __ ] up i know i'ma be. with no one. [Music].

yeah i don't think anything matters. i don't really care at all you want to. start a revolution. but nobody cares and everyone's tired. work a little bit harder and baby so.

will i you want a revolution. but nobody cares everyone's tired. [Music].

so. and the promenades are filled with a. gray cloud it's dripping black all over. the playground. and the museum's all filled with the. snapchat. got the head of a dog in my backpack and. underneath all my clothes is a snakeskin. that i stole from the temple when it. caved in cause they built it too. close to the fault line when the capital. burned we were all high. on the beautiful mess we'd created. there's a thought.

in my mind this is sacred in the future. this will all be. ancient and the water in the sink has. been tainted. with the urine of the governor's. firstborn. on a second birthday got a surfboard but. he crashed it ever since he's been dirt. poor. so he picked up the guitar he's trying. to learn chords. and time wrote a new constitution a. jimmy wants to start a revolution. and the people want to start it all over. cause the poets just murdered all the.

soldiers. and the monks have got on their. shoulders and the world's just another. day. older i said time wrote a new. constitution. but jimmy wants to start a revolution my. week is. [Music].

open. we need to i wish there was like an. audience here man i'm like. next time yeah we're gonna have to when. i go do my world tour i'm gonna be. getting you this try and get you to kind. of sing this guys. man i'm like fun yeah because oh that's.

beautiful man. thank you it's it's always more. beautiful when. the person singing is seeking at the. same time. that was incredible man thank you i feel. so blessed being able to watch that live. thank you for having amazing no i hope. we're going to continue our friendship. and we are yeah for sure for hours and. hours and hours right. is there anything that i always ask this. because it's important to me because. like i said to you before that. this podcast is an opportunity for me to.

serve you and. it's an opportunity for me to help. highlight the incredible work you're. doing. is there anything that i haven't let you. share you haven't been able to share you. think we've missed there's a message no. intuitively in your veins right now that. no. i think we did it yeah i think we got it. awesome man for now. as obviously we could talk more yeah. we're gonna get together again. i got questions for you man yeah i'm. excited man thank you bro. thank you so much mike the album is out. we're not. sharing a date but if you're listening.

to this the album's out right now. correct so i want you to go and get it. listen to it. i promise you if you found this. conversation exhilarating and. it took you somewhere then then the. album will do beyond that so. thank you please please please go check. it out guys thank you so much thanks. mike. thank you so much man appreciate you. that was awesome awesome. if you want even more videos just like. this one make sure you subscribe and. click on the boxes over here. i'm also excited to let you know that. you can now get my book think.

like a monk from think like a. monkbook.com. check below in the description to make. sure you order today.