516. Inquire within and get your answers - with IN-Q

Find a way to express yourself, you know, whether it's any genre, dancing, you know, acting, comedy painting, you know, do your own podcast. Just get yourself out into the world. Write, do poetry. Because your voice is needed.

Welcome to the earn your happy podcast. I'm Lori Harder, founder of The Bliss Project, 3 Time Fitness World champion, fitness expert and cover model, turned self love junkie, lifestyle entrepreneur and author. Each week I'll bring you a guest or a thought that will help you bust through your fears, connect to your soul and get focused and clear so you can elevate your life, business and relationships. We don't wait until we're ready for someone to tell us we're good enough. We take what we want and we anoint ourselves. Get ready to earn, own and unapologetically rock your happiness every single day. Are you with me? Here we go. Let me just tell you, you are not going to be sorry about tuning in today because my guest is somebody who truly has the ability to completely change your energy level and the frequency in which vibrating at. Whether you speak that language or not, you're gonna feel a difference in your mind and in your body. Once you hear him, really get into his gifts later on in the podcast. And I had the incredible experience of being able to see him live probably four times now. And he is insane. I mean, I was literally levitating out of my body, laughing, crying, feeling universal truths just ripple out the room, connecting all of us in an insane quick amount of time. So what am I even talking about? I'm talking about in Q. And he is a national poetry slam champion, award winning poet, a multi platinum songwriter, he has groundbreaking achievements that include being named Oprah's Super Soul 100. And he's also one of the most influential thought leaders. Being first a spoken word artist, he performed at Cirque du Soleil. He's been featured on a ESPN HBO's Deaf Poetry Jam. He's inspired audiences around the world through his live performances and storytelling workshops. Let me tell you, it is insane. I have been to them. Many of his recent poetry videos have gone viral with over 70 million views combined. I think I'm responsible for a few of those sending it to everybody that I know. He's a songwriter and he has wrote the hit single love you like a love song by Selena Gomez. It went multi platinum, winning him a BMI award. He's written with renowned artists including Miley Cyrus, Mike Posner, Foster the People and his songs have accumulated over 1 billion views on YouTube. He has led organizations including Nike, Instagram Spotify, Google, Lululemon, Live Nation, Shazam, The Grammy foundation, and many more have brought him in to motivate their teams. Through his keynote speeches and storytelling, he writes to entertain, inspire, and challenge his audience to look deeper into the human experience and ask questions about them, their environment, and the world at large. And you guys, if you've been listening to this podcast, I was so inspired by seeing his poetry live that that is the person. This is the person, Adam, is the guy who got me to actually do spoken word. So I've recorded, I think, two of them on this podcast. So you can now see where my inspiration came from. I hope it inspires you to do something big, even if it's just write a little paragraph of a poem. We'll see. I bet some of you will let us know if you do. Let's get started. Adam, this is a moment for me that I'm, like, just kind of geeking over, which I just kind of let you in on how I'm just gonna be honest. I don't use this word often. I'm like, okay, hold your fangirling down, because you've been a huge inspiration for me in many ways. So I am so excited to have you on the show today and to hear that you also have a book coming out, But I've always known you as in cue. So I actually get to talk to Adam today.

Well, thank you for saying that. I really, really appreciate you having me. And then you telling me that you've been using different poems for inspiration and finding your own poetic voice. It's an honor. I always feel real gratitude whenever someone is inspired to create from hearing my work.

Do you know what I think is so crazy is how many people have probably actually had moments of complete changes in the trajectory of where they're going because of your work, and you don't even know it.

Yeah, I would say the same thing to you. You know, it's impossible to quantify your reach these days. I mean, my mom used to say to me when I was younger, she would say, you never really know how something you say to someone affects them, because you can. Very, very simple to them. And then you can walk away and you never really know that that seed that you planted grows into something in their mind and in their heart to the point where they actually make a change in reality in a way that's positive for them. And it's the same thing with art. You know, you put your art out there into the world, and you can't really know how it impacts or influences people. So that's why I just try to speak my truth and trust that if I'm speaking my truth, it will resonate with others.

So when you. I've gotten to see you. For those of you who don't know, he is a. You have all way better words than me, but spoken word poet. You have won different slam poetry competitions. You are all over. You are on Oprah's top 100 list. You're. You're kind of just up there with. I was gonna say, you know, Jesus, but we will.

I'm just kidding.

You are like literally a truly life changing leader. And I just want to make sure that everybody is aware of what you do. Like, you come if they haven't seen you yet. So can you explain a little bit about what it is exactly that you do to listeners who maybe haven't even heard of this yet?

Yeah. So I started out, basically, I was in love with hip hop when I was younger. Like, who.

Who was your faves?

Nas, you know, unbelievable freestyle fellowship, you know, far side for anybody who is a Los Angeles hip hop fan. Trap called Quest de la Soul. I was just very moved by the freedom of the expression. And, you know, I was freestyling at the time, which puts you in the moment like nothing else can and allows you an outlet for the things that you can't figure out how to discuss in other areas of your life. My father was not around. My mom raised me by herself and she's a school teacher. And I just had a lot of questions about myself and my environment and who I was supposed to be. And I think hip hop just gave me a roadmap to freedom and I really, really related to it. And then when I was 19 years old, I wound up in an open mic for poets in Los Angeles called the Poetry Lounge. And it's still one of the biggest, if not the biggest, open mics in the country for poetry. So they've got 250 people to 350 people every single week that would show up. It's on Fairfax, just south of Melrose, the Greenway Court Theater. And every Tuesday night, they would show up and they would basically sit there in the audience and watch people who signed up on the list get up and speak their poems. And it was an unbelievable, and still is an unbelievable environment. It was like church without religion. You just had people responding to other people's vulnerability in a way that was so encouraging for you to get true and honest with yourself. And some of the best art experiences I've ever had were as an audience member at the poetry lounge. And I just got up and started doing my poetry a cappella. And I, like, never left. And so over the years, as you said, we won the national poetry slam championships, and I was on HBO's Deaf Poetry Jam. And one day I woke up and I realized I was more of a poet than an emcee. And then I had to figure out how I was gonna monetize that. That took me a really, really long time. And, you know, many years I was just getting by, struggling, not sure where this art was taking me or why I continued to be so obsessed with it. You know, couldn't figure out how to pay rent many times, you know, how to eat, Figuring out different ways of getting through and getting by, and eventually ended up getting a publishing deal to write songs. And it wasn't something I had ever done in the past, but a group of people called Rock Mafia, who became a family for me as well, came to one of my public shows in la, and they just brought me in to start writing songs. So I was writing songs for pop artists, and I didn't even listen to pop music and was kind of like, what am I doing? But I needed to expand at that point. And ultimately, that was one of the biggest lessons in my life, because learning how to write from the standpoint of pop music, imagining myself, you know, being someone else, what would they think? What would they feel? What would they want to talk about? Learning how to be really simple. Because, you know, poetry and hip hop is very rhythmic. You can fill a lot of information in, Whereas pop music, you have to, like, say something very simple and also layered, you know, something that people can put in their pocket and remember. And it's a round art form. You know, everything is, like, curved. So I ended up learning an enormous amount about writing. And then when I went back and consciously pursued my poetry, after I had some financial freedom, I learned tools in my toolbox. And now I get to travel around the country and the world performing poetry and doing workshops. And it is something that I am unbelievable. I'm unbelievably passionate about because I think poetry inspires empathy. And empathy is what the world needs most right now.

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Okay. I love that story, and I hope that people heard this, because I think that when we're on our journey to where we want to go or when you find your passion, you're like, okay, this is what I want. But I find that it always takes you somewhere else because you're not done learning and completing that cycle before you can really be in it. So I love that you said you were on. You totally went down to something that you didn't even think that you would be interested in, but it taught you so much for when you went back to it. And I think sometimes we can be in our art form and be like, I'm not getting. This isn't what I want. I don't want to go do and do that other thing, even though that other thing can make you money so that you can start figuring something out, and it's trying to teach you something. So just being open, like, what made you be open to that? Was it just because you're like, dang, I gotta eat, or was it like, okay, we're gonna explore this to see what it can be?

Yeah. No, at the time, it was desperation.

Yeah.

No, I had a dream, and I couldn't figure out how to accomplish it. And I had reached a point in my life where I was open out of necessity. And for many years, I think I struggled against the flow of life. You know, I talk about this in the book a little bit. There's a difference between ideas and ideologies, because ideas are tools that you can use that will change as your truth and your experience changes. Ideologies, they're basically like things that you have to force everything in your reality into the frame of ideologies, become a part of your identity. And that's why it's so difficult for people to change their minds. Because once something becomes an ideology to change that ideology means a part of you literally has to die. Because if it's a part of your identity, you know, that's scary for people, man, to let go of who they are, you know, to change their path in life. So I think a lot of my experience with my earlier art, it was so tied up in my identity, and I had to let go of that to see what was possible. And I would say that, you know, writing songs has been one of the biggest gifts that I've ever had. And I'm a better poet because of the songs that I'VE written and the other artists that I've been able to work with over the years. I mean, from Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez, you know, to people that I was listening to on a regular basis, like Foster the People, and I Love Black. And, you know, I've written 30 or 40 Disney TV songs. We had two songs that went gold this year, the Descendants 3 soundtrack. And, you know, it's something people generally don't know about me, but it's something that I continue to do on the side, because I think any art that you explore in your life will wind up making any art that you explore in your life better.

So just real quick on your book. And then I know that everybody's just dying to hear you do a poem. So what part of you, or do you feel like you had to really let go of a part of you while writing this book or to get this book out in the world?

What a great question. Wow. Yeah, it definitely did. I mean, my poems have always been these living, breathing documents. I would show up, and I would form them, and then I would disappear, and then they would evolve as I would evolve. So I would edit them in real time. I would change words, or I would say, I'm gonna cut out this section. I don't believe in this anymore. And so to actually collect all of my work into one place and to have a home for my art, finally, for the stuff that I've been creating for 25 years, it was wild. And to fully edit it in a way where I said, this is what I want this to say, and this is what I want to stand behind for as much as I have awareness at this moment, 30, 40 years, to actually be able to give this away with an open mind and an open heart. And it was weird, too, because collecting it all in one place allowed me to almost see what I've been trying to say all of these years. Because I never really write from a strategic standpoint. Like, I don't strategize my inspiration.

Okay.

I think strategizing your inspiration is very, very close to manipulation. And I'm not judging anyone else's process. It's just, for me, I don't look around and go, what is it that's resonating in society right now? I'm gonna write a poem about that. I don't look around and go, like, what is it that I think my audience wants to hear? I'm gonna write a poem about that. I don't even know often where the poems are gonna go. I just start in A place that's true. I just pay attention to when I'm either inspired or annoyed or moved. And I write the poem from that place. And if I write the poem from that place and I give it enough time and space, the poem will almost write itself. So to bring all of them into one space, it was like I finally saw what I was trying to say. And I think if I had to sum it up, you know, consumerism is always trying to take from us. And that's why I think the book is called Inquire Within Inquest, short for in question. But originally I got that nickname when I was 15 years old and it was short for inquiry. Friends gave it to me because I was curious about things. And so consumerism, it's always, it wants to take your likes, it wants to take your time, it wants to take your energy, it wants to take your love, it wants to take your money, it wants to take your information these days, you know, and it's always teaching us to validate who we are externally, to look outside of ourselves for the answers. So if I don't know something, I'm, like, trained to look on Google or to, like, look on YouTube or, you know, and while technology is amazing to our earlier conversation, we don't know where this conversation will go, how it will influence anyone who's listening. Maybe not at all, or maybe it will really impact and we won't ever be able to really, truly know what that is. And technology has connected the world in ways that nothing else has, but it's also isolated people, and, you know, there's so much noise that people can't even hear their own voices these days, you know, So I think there's a difference between using your tools and having your tools use you. And I would encourage anyone who's listening to this, if you have something that's going on right now that you can't figure out, of course you can ask a friend or consult a coach, but also just find some time to be by yourself, to be in nature, quiet, to allow that internal voice to rise up, because that voice is going to be your true north, which is going to tell you what your purpose and your passion is. I hope that people inquire within the book because I had to inquire within myself to create it. And I hope that people inquire within themselves and that this book winds up being hopefully a window into them hearing their true voice.

Well, I think I have so many more questions for you, but I'm gonna hold them off because I think it's a great poetry break to be able to hear some of what it is that you do. And I know that we kind of chatted about what poems you wanted to pick, but I'm gonna let you just go to town. So. Do you have one?

Yeah. I want to buy a house where I can make memories in every room, plant a garden in my backyard and watch the flowers bloom. It will be big, but not so big the guests would get lost. It will be nice, but not so nice that everybody whispers what it cost. It will have gorgeous views, but being higher doesn't mean superior. I've learned not to judge a house by what's on the exterior. It's what's on the interior. And I don't mean design, because a house is not a home unless the people are alive. I used to want to imagine. I thought that bring me joy. I went and bought a lot of shit that I had no time to enjoy. I was working for a living, but it wasn't working because I wasn't living. And a life without living is unfulfilling, filling up the empty space with all the things I was getting. Yet I could never get enough or give enough to be enough. And that was constantly upsetting. Value is a tricky thing. Is it something that we own or is it something that we bring? Experiences are priceless, and it doesn't cost a thing. Because once you make your mind up, you can accomplish anything, even if it seems impossible. Impossible is possible. We take for granted that defying gravity is illogical. Intend what you desire and your will will be unstoppable. See, hope can be despair in disguise. So instead, I decide and I watch as my reality realigns. After all, what is time if it's different in a different place? We're all in one place, floating out in outer space. They'll never bottle time. You can't buy any more. And if you could, it'd be sold out at every corner store. So lately I've been thinking, what if less is really more? If my mortality is what I'm really living for?

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I want to slide in socks across Italian marble floor. I want imported art to fill up every corridor. I want my kids to use my bed like it's their trampoline to walk on top of my couch like it's their balance beam. I want to use my things so they aren't using me after all. The most important things in life are free. We only borrow land. We only borrow Time. We only borrow love, but you can borrow mine. My house is your house. Stay over anytime. If you're a friend, you'll have a permanent vacancy sign. Community is what our culture is lacking. We pretend that we're connected, but mostly it's just unscripted acting. We isolate ourselves and hide from our emotions, then pack our schedules as an excuse to stay in motion. I'm living by the beach and yet I never see the ocean. It's always out of reach in the midst of my commotion. God forbid I'd have to sit alone without distraction. It's tough to notice thoughts when I'm constantly in action. No matter what your status is, that isn't satisfaction. So I don't only care what you do. I care that you're doing it with passion. That's why we all should share our gifts and cultivate compassion. Because the fastest way to bliss is through a meaningful interaction. And since I'm not even sure that we exist, I've started asking if this world of form is merely the illusion of attachment. If I could let it all go. My roof would be the stars. My floor would be the earth. My doors would be ajar. My walls would be the wind. My seat would be a stone. My bed would be the clouds, and my heart would be my home. But since I want a family and I don't live this life alone, I'm gonna buy a house where I can make memories in every room. So good.

Oh, my God. I just. I feel like I was actually on, like, six different journeys there, which is so cool because you take us to so many different places. That is like. I don't know. It's kind of my. That was perfect for me. That is like, my bliss is listening to that. Because I'll tell you, when I am listening to someone who has sourced what they're saying or doing from a place that is only accessible when you are so clear. And in your truth, that opens up that space for me. So I. It's like, while I'm enjoying you, I'm enjoying a mirror of what I know is possible for me. So it's like the most beautiful place that I can be because I get to feel that I'm accessing that same power as well. So what I want to ask you, like, can I ask you something? Yes.

Okay. First of all, thank you. That was so nice of you to say that. I appreciate that. What did it make you think and feel? And what was that mirror for you? And what were the journeys that you were on?

Oh, I was thinking of all of the moments that I have caught myself into, feeling my worthiness is in things, in people, in places, and having I live by the beach. And there was a time when I was not going to the beach. And that's where it's like, internally, I know everything flows for me when I am making sure I get myself out into nature, and when I'm making sure that I am accessing this thing that you just made me access. But it's so easy to forget that. It's, like, so easy to think that life is hard or we're too busy. And I am so aware that I'm in control and that my life flows the best when I'm getting back to the things that are basic, getting back to people. And really, it hit me with the connection because I actually just had the world's best girls weekend, and I don't make enough time for that. And it opened up everything for me. Like, I felt recharged. I felt great. I met all of these incredible people, people that I've been, like, needing to meet for my business. And just the. The near. Just the fact that I did a thing that really filled me up and connected really, in a beautiful way with so many people, it brought me all of these things that I was kind of, like, pushing for in this other world that I've created. So, yeah, those were. That was just like, two of the journeys I was on.

No, I love that. It's almost like, you know, loving something so much that you hold it so tight.

I'm so good at it.

Your arms are open, you know, and you allow yourself to follow your bliss like you did and go on this weekend and connect without any expectations. Oftentimes, the things that you wanted come out of it in ways that are surprising even to you, you know, couldn't have come from you strategizing or planning it.

And I can't tell you how many times I almost tried to cancel it, because I'm like, I'm too busy, I'm too busy, I'm too busy. So. And it just opened up the whole weekend. We kept saying things like, oh, my God, time is expanding because we were, like, gonna be late for all of these different things. And we got there early, and it was just like time was expanding with us together. And this whole theory of me being busy was just. It just really kind of melted everything away.

So that's beautiful. You know, time really is relative. I mean, you know, that that's proven, and it actually is proven because it changes depending upon your size or Your speed, you know, so your perception of time changes as well when you're living in your own flow. You know, a minute can be infinite.

Yes.

I mean, so much can happen in that minute or in that hour. And when you're outside of the flow, I mean, you know, a day can feel like a year, so. Or when you're going through something that's really, really difficult, you have to grieve, which we all have to do in this human experience. But so, yeah, I hear you. And it's a reminder to me too, because I always write for myself first. I mean, I'm saying things to myself. I'm the first person in my audience, you know, because I need to be reminded of these things. And these are the things that, you know, as I share them, I manifest them for myself. So I appreciate you saying all that.

So I need to know, do you. I feel like I have this theory on creativity or accessing like the place where all of this beauty comes from. And I'm wondering, because I experienced a glimpses of it quite often when I was writing my book. And I'm wondering what. What do you think is happening? Like, do you think that you are accessing like an energy or a wisdom or something that is accessible to everyone? When you are getting into this mode of like when. When poems get downloaded to you, do you feel like they're getting downloaded from your brain? Or does it actually feel like something external that you are just. That's coming in like a waterfall from somewhere else?

Okay, it's a very interesting question, and I'm curious to hear what your experience was. I mean, for me, I consider myself the vehicle and the obstacle for my art. The vehicle definitely comes through my experiences, my thoughts, my emotions, what I've gone through. And it definitely comes through my techniques. Right. With all of the outlier hours that I've put into poetry and rhymes in general, which I love. I love words, I love language, I love the puzzle of putting things together in a way that can communicate it on a simple but deep level, you know. But I'm also the obstacle because my ego still wants things, wants validation. Of course, everyone who listens to this to love me, please love me, please prove my self worth. It's all bullshit, but I want that. You're never going to get rid of your ego because your ego is a part of your humanity. But you don't always have to navigate from that place. When I'm writing, I am trying to remove my ego so that I can connect to whatever it is that the Poem wants to say. So, like, there are times when I'm writing and I make something that I think is dope, that I'm like, oh, I did a dope line. Right. But it's not. It's not right for the poem. And then there it is. I am the vehicle and the obstacle, so I have to remove that part out to get back to what the poem wants to say, and I have to follow that breadcrumb trail until it winds up at the end and it feels complete. So I would say that the other thing I would say is no one can teach you what your voice is. That's why teaching art is so complicated. You can teach people technique, and you can provide them the space to explore their own voice, but no one can tell you what your voice is. You will only know what your voice is by experiencing your voice over and over again. And as your technique and your toolbox gets bigger, you'll be able to have different ways to express your voice. But your voice is yours. And every single person has a unique and special voice and a unique and special story to tell. So I think our lives are our art. And I think everyone needs to be finding ways to use different genres of art as an outlet to express their story and their voice, because you're only here for a certain amount of time. We become these adults. We get paid for the things that we're good at. Or, you know, we have responsibilities and our lives calcify. We stop playing. Or maybe we only play through our children, but we need to play. You know the best way to teach your kids, Even though I don't have any, so I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.

I do that sometimes, too. I'm like, wait, I don't have them. But here's some advice.

But. But the best way to teach anyone is by leading by example. You know, that's how people learn. They look at you and they say, wow, look at what they're doing. You know, it's not what we say, it's what we do. I'm saying that as a poet.

Yeah.

So explore.

Did you get coached. So did you get coached at all on your writing? Or did you have people give you, like, did you ask for just, like, give me all your feedback on this? Because there were times when, you know, I've gotten so, so great at it in book writing where, like, you said, like, this sentence, you might want to put it in, or you might want to put context to this just for fear of X, Y, and Z or you might. Whatever the reason is. Did you have people give you feedback that gave you, like, a guide to, like, okay, they don't need to know this. I can lose this paragraph. Or what is your discernment when you're kind of, like, reading it back? What are. What type of discernment are you reading with? Is it now you wrote it from you? And then do you ever step into the observer of your poetry and then say, is this too much information? How will they be feeling? How do you go through it again for a second time to find what you want to stay?

Okay, so when I'm writing poems, I don't ask for outside opinion. I feel that that voice that I have is my voice. And I feel that if I continue to, you know, carve it like a sculpture or something, like, all the materials are there. I just need to find what it is that's already inside. And I trust that voice. But what I will say is, in making the book, it was extremely valuable. Other opinions and feedback from not only my amazing editors, Gideon and Sydney, but also from my manager, Kevin Heckmed, who has really, really been a creative partner and a business partner throughout the whole process. And then at a certain point, I reached out to my community, and we have an amazing, amazing community. You and I are in circles that are a little bit outside of each other, but I consider you part of my community as well. And we have awesome people around us. And so originally, the editors were kind of like, oh, we're not sure you should do that because there's too many cooks in the kitchen. And I said, my people are too fucking dope. I was like, I'm giving it out. And it was one of the best things I did because I was able to see. I wanted to create. I wanted to create a conceptual through line. You know, on the COVID of Inquire within, it's a tree, and underneath its mirrors, the roots. And when you turn it to the side, it looks like lungs. And the two sections of the book is Inhale and Exhale. And the Inhale section is the kind of poetic hero's journey of my life. It's personal stuff. And the Exhale is the social and political. You know, if we change ourselves, we can change the world. And I wanted to make sure that people could follow this poetic story, that there was a real, specific conceptual through line. And I had some blinders on to where I had too many poems in there. And when I handed it out to my community, they were able to mirror back to me the things that weren't necessary for the story I was telling. And so it actually was better for me to remove things. And then I was able to really allow the through line to come through. And I think it's a lot more powerful that way. It's almost like walking into a room and there being too much art on the wall, so you can't see any art. I had too much art on the wall, and then when I removed things, then we added 60 illustrations by an amazing illustrator in London named Mustach, who brought these really, really beautiful images and depth to the experience of reading it. And then after that, I recorded the audiobook, which was a whole amazing mountain to climb on its own.

Okay, that's how we're gonna listen.

Yeah. It's honestly, like, I am so unbelievably proud of it. I mean, we were able to come up with something that I feel really does do service to the pieces, and so I'm grateful for the whole process.

Is there any music involved?

Not for this, but I definitely. It's two and a half hours, and there's some stories. Oh, my gosh. Amazing. So, like, the stories, I'm, like, telling stories as well, but, I mean, I can listen to, like, an hour straight and not really get bored. Like, there's a lot of different subjects, there's a lot of different styles, and so eventually, we're going to add music accompaniment to it, but for the audiobook.

We wanted it to be, you don't need music. Hey, guys, I just want to take a minute to pause to bring you one of our incredible partners and sponsors in this podcast. And as you know, I am beyond excited to be sharing some of these epic companies with you that I'm obsessed with, and here's why. Because of getting sponsorship for this podcast, I have been able to get you insanely amazing discounts from companies that I am in love with. And this could not be more timely for this particular sponsor, and that is skillshare. And let's talk about why. It's because it is the place to have an online community and learn anything that you want. You can explore new skills. You can deepen existing passions. You can completely learn any new skill during this time. And, you guys, if you have not been listening to my podcast, I have been talking to you so much about how we should use this time that we have to be learning to be getting better, to be strengthening our skills, especially for times like these. So, you guys, skillshare is the coolest place to go and be able to not only meet fellow people who are exactly like minded, who want to be learning, especially right now, but who are going to be in your community. There are the coolest classes, literally anything that you can think of, you can go and take a course on and learn from experts. You guys could do iPhone filmmaking, you can do street photography, you can do video on a budget, you can learn YouTube success, learn how to build an authentic channel that's worth a follow. You guys, when I say anything is on skillshare, I mean anything. And when I tell you what this deal is, it's going to blow your mind because what they offered me for all of you is two free months of premium membership at skillshare.com forward/happy. So you guys, if you want to be able to get the deal, which is two free months of premium membership@skillshare.com it's going to be skillshare.com forward/happy. That's two whole months of unlimited access to thousands of classes for free. I just want to know, how many classes do you think that you're going to take in this time? Right now I know that I am going to be taking as many as I possibly can. I have committed to one hour of learning every single day right now. So you guys, again, two free months of unlimited access to thousands of online classes and an insanely amazing, supportive community where you can learn anything. Illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing and more. And I'll tell you, the more skills that you have, the more prepared you are and the more things that you can offer out in the world. And you know, this podcast is all about being able to monetize your offerings and make sure that you're supported. So go check those out now. It's totally free.

Oh my God.

Skillshare.com Happy. Let me know if you do it. So I would love to hear because I just need to make sure everybody hears at least two more. So I would love to hear another poem that you have up your sleeve.

Sure, absolutely. This one's called 85 and I'll give you a little bit of background on this because I actually think it's an important piece. It's the context to where and why I wrote it. I used to live in this little back house before we moved and I was single at the time. And the woman who owned the main house, her mom moved in at a certain point. Her name's Dolores and she was in her 80s and her and I shared a kitchen because, I mean, it was a tiny little place that I stayed. Room and a bathroom. I could almost like Touch both sides the room. If I spread out my arms, you know. And so Dolores and I would like sit and we'd have coffee, and we came to really like and care about each other. And one night I woke up. I don't know how long she'd been staying there, but it was definitely over six months or to a year or something like that. And it was three in the morning, and I looked outside my window and I could see the ambulance lights. And she was getting taken away on a stretcher. I walked her, getting rolled away, and she was still alive, but she was having real health issues. I visited her in the hospital and she had tubes in and out of her body, and she had, I guess, a really high fever. She didn't recognize me. And the doctors were giving her a difficult prognosis and I didn't want her to suffer anymore. So I basically said my goodbyes to her. But the good news is, of course, Dolores was not done fighting. She ended up getting better. They moved her to a retirement community after about a month. And I went and I visited her in the retirement community. And we were sitting in this little garden outside, and she was in a good mood. So I was like, dolores, why are you in such a good mood? And she leans in and she goes, I met a guy. What are you talking about, you met a guy? So she had met this guy after she moved into the retirement community. And they liked each other, so they started going on these dates. And I thought that was so beautiful because here I was, ready to say goodbye to her, thinking that her life was over. And not only did she get better, she was excited about something again. She was surprised about something again. And that's the thing. It's like, no matter how old you are, if you're not willing to be excited and surprised by life, you're not really living. And anything could happen to you in any moment, good or bad, but you don't know what's around the next corner. And if you live in that infinite possibility, then you might be surprised that something around the next corner could be love, or the perfect job, or the perfect adventure, or just a simple conversation that brings you deeper into the moment. So I wrote this poem, I want to fall in love at 85, go on shuffleboard dates and dance to hip hop from 95. We would also listen to the song Staying Alive, but only for the message. Otherwise we'd keep away from disco. It's depressing. We'd rock matching tracksuits and rope, gold chains. We'd look like runby mc but in their old age, we'd take aerobics classes and wear by focal glasses and eat at IHOP and hold hands at Sunday masses. And when it comes to the bedroom. Well, nothing much would happen in the bedroom because we're 85. But we would still be down to take a walk or take a drive or sit and talk or have a drink and watch the passersby and ask each other why and how and who and where and when. And then we'd laugh and cry again about the people we had been. And I would touch her withered skin and comment on how thin it is to keep in something infinite. And she would smile sweet and blush, then tell me that I think too much. She's right. I think too much. It's always been a problem. But then again, that's how I made my green. Like the Goblin. When I was in my 20s, I was eating top ramen, counting up my pennies, saving up to go food shopping. But now I'm 85 and somehow I feel more alive. I turn my hearing aid up and bump Jurassic 5. I read the sports page while she peruses classifieds. We like antique stores, garage sales and barter buys. And when it comes to the bedroom, well, hopefully every once in a while she lets me knock her boots into the floral patterns of our bedpost, then hold her head close like death isn't chasing us. Planning on erasing us and replacing us with better versions of us. Reshaping us, remaking us, then recreating us with new identities so we can make new memories. Hush, little baby learn to walk and talk and think and lie and feel and fight and love and die and never get the answers why Skips a joint of grass and wheat grass and we get high her hair is silver as the moon in yellow sky we still pop pills but it's not the Molly anymore Whenever we can't sleep we listen to the ocean floor. She got a sound of the CCD for me from the Brookstone store and ever since, I've been snoring like a. Like a. Like a really good metaphor for snoring. Sorry. I go blank sometimes. What? I'm 85. I'm not complaining. I'm just happy that I'm still alive and happy that I have my better half by my side. Super fly. She doesn't look ugly. Day over 75. When I first saw her, I was totally in awe. She was classical, so I was like, Yo Yo Ma. And that was all it took. A single look. And I was sure I fell for her like some loose shingles from our Spanish roof and I'm a lover till she loses every last root and has to glue dentures to her gums to chew solid food. Ooh, now that's real love. Dude, that's some push comes to shove. Love not when it's convenient Love Hospital bed Love Feed her ice chips Love Never leave the room Love Sleeping in the chair Love Pray to up above Love have to pull the plug Love Miss her in my bones love Everything about her Love Die within a month Love can't live without her love Love the only reason that we are alive and none of us should have to wait until we're 85.

So good. I literally was like, damn it, why did we turn the camera on? For those of you who can't see, I like that poem every single time. I just, like, bawl my eyes out because I have been lucky enough to experience that sweetness. And the sweetness and the pain and the sweetness and the amazingness of being in love and the sweetness of just knowing that type of love is in my life. And that's how I feel right now. So it just hits. It's so beautiful. It brings me back to even just every relationship, whether it was with anyone who's come into my life. I think when we can experience the. When you're in the deepness, it just. That is. I have sent that poem to my parents, my grandparents, my aunt, so they could play it for my grandparents. It is. It's probably. If I could summarize just how I feel about life. And you bring me right back to. Just because I used to love hip hop, too. Like, when you throw that in and you're in this place, it's like you bring in not only the. Just the beautiful emotion, but then you also bring me right back to where you are when you're young and you're stupid and you're wild and you're so. It's just. Every human emotion is experienced in that poem. So, yeah, I was, like, doing everything to not make noise in the microphone. So do not cry.

I did a show the other day, three days ago, and this woman came up to me afterwards. She was in tears, and she said this was wild. She said, my grandmother just passed away a month ago, and she said she was with my grandfather for many, many, many years, but he died earlier, and he was going through a difficult time. And then she met another guy, and she fell in love with this guy. She's in tears as she's telling me this, and then she says. And her Name is Dolores.

Wow.

She said, you're the reason I was here. Like, you're the reason that I came here because I needed to hear this. And I said, you know, I hugged her and stuff. And then I was like, you're the reason I was here. You know, and that's the thing is you, as you said, you don't know. You don't know how you impact people. Yeah. And words are powerful, and we're just here to mirror the human condition back on each other and provide some comfort, make our, you know, I mean, there's a siren in the background. If you can hear it.

I didn't even notice it. I'm still just all in my feelings. So.

This siren in the background going by, we don't know, you know, everything is happening in this moment right now.

Yes.

So it's like we're just here to be with each other and to love as much as we can and share the lessons that we've learned and try.

To create something that is so beautiful. That must be just those moments where you're like, wow, did I, like, was I called here to perform for you, not the other way around? Like, that must be. Yeah, it's so beautiful. Okay, back to. Let me just get back to what we're doing here. Where am I? Okay. So really, though, when you go on a journey like that, I just completely forgot all space and time and it was really. And that's. That's what you do. You get to transport people into a whole different realm. That I think, is just it. When we come back, we have a new perspective on things. And that is one thing off of.

That, because what you're seeing is my experience as well when I'm writing it. You know, when I wrote that piece, I didn't know that it was going to end there.

Yeah.

I mean, it wasn't like I had planned it out. As I said, I didn't strategize my inspiration. I didn't say, I'm going to write a poem that winds up in that place. In the end of it, I was surprised by it as well. What happened is that I wrote it and I ended it, like, before that last bit about the hospital. And I thought the poem was done and I didn't perform it anywhere. I just, like, had it. Because sometimes I'll have poems for months and months and months and no one hears them. And I reread it one day to myself, like, weeks after I thought I finished it, and then the next line came to me. It felt like it wasn't complete. It felt like it was like I was missing a part of life, the loss, you know, that it. That love is only so special because of the loss. Then it wasn't an intellectual thing. I felt it. And so the next line came to me. And then it came. And when it hit the ice chips, love, I started crying. Yes. And I went, oh, wow. I said, well, this must be true. And I kept going. And at that time in my life, it was manifestation. I didn't. You know, I've been with my partner for two years now, and I'm so in love with her. And I literally could not be happier. But at that time, I didn't have it in my life. So. Something that I was aspiring to. And I think this poem helped me get there.

Wow. Yeah, it's. It's so beautiful. It's the. I think you say the not convenient love, and that is the part that just, I think, you know, as humans, we can have this deep rooted fear of, like, will we be alone when we die? And it's just. That just hits you because the not convenient part of, you know, you're afraid, like, will this person, they love me now, but will they love me when? And I just think the beauty that you bring out in it is. And when you do get access to that type of love, it's like, it's overwhelming. So with that said, I wanna make sure, number one, I respect your time. Number two, that if there is time, we can hear your third poem.

Absolutely. And I'm chilling, by the way. I have things after, but not immediately. Okay.

I was like, what's your time frame.

Your audience likes, or how long they like to listen or if they're bored with this dude.

Oh, I don't think they're bored.

I mean, I'm enjoying chatting with.

I think you may have ruined their makeup on the way to work. But they're not bored. Oh, all right. What do you do you. What's the name of your last one?

I guess this is called Learn Fear.

No, I don't think I've heard this one. Is it.

Sure.

I don't know. It's definitely a few years old.

Okay, maybe I have, but.

But I kind of like. I don't know. I don't often do this one, actually.

Okay.

But. But I really like it, so. And I think it's about finding your voice in many ways, so I feel like, appropriate. Learned fear can be overcome when you realize the voice inside your head is not yours. It's an imitation of the voices from before. Repeating on a loop inside your quiet core Receiving since your youth when your choices weren't even yours. Perceiving was the proof but reality has many doors so why are we still fighting other people's wars? Learned fear can be overcome when you realize the voice inside your head is not yours. It's an imitation of the voices from before. Repeating, repeating, repeating On a loop inside your quiet core. And you can't tell the difference because it sounds the same. But trust me when I tell you Most of what you think is from somebody else's brain. They have us trained, shackled by imaginary chains Imaginary rules for imaginary games. But they don't know the reasons either. So where should we place the blame? And who is they anyway when we're all the same? Our parents had parents and their parents had parents apparently it hurts to see, so I'll be transparent. The world is so much bigger than your insecurities. And they don't speak on your behalf without your soul's authority. The world is so much bigger than your culture or community and they don't speak on your behalf without your soul's authority. Because if it's all a story then nobody else can tell it. For me, since I'm always transforming I defy a category. When you do the same thing the same way, it's habit forming. But nothing in this land of woman and man is mandatory. It's all just transitory. Our world's a laboratory. Experimenting on today can change tomorrow morning. And since matter is mostly empty space, we're in a sea of consciousness where the boundaries are erased. So I stared at my reflection until I couldn't see my face. Then I picked myself and put the flowers in an empty vase. If you came for validation, then you're in the wrong place. The only certain satisfaction action is becoming what you chased. And there's no running from the inner voice. So it's important that you choose. But it's more important that you know you have a choice. You have a choice? Are you living someone else's life? You have a voice. Does it haunt you in the dead of night? Would you fly if you weren't convinced to be afraid of heights? And who convinced you anyway? They had no right. Right? No one. Condemn your light you shine within so bright that you could blind the sun from sight and scare him back into the night. No one can dim your light. I said it twice. Because you're greater than the circumstances that surround your perfect life. You're not your nature or your nurture. You're a prototype. And if you hone it right, eventually you'll hack your satellite. A little to the left, a little to the right. Just right? Yeah. At first it's nothing. Then nothing turns into a whisper. Turn the dial, and it gets crisper in your transistor. Wait a while, and the whisper turns into a scream. It overwhelms your system, and you won't know what it means. But pump the volume up, and it can tell you all your dreams. Till pretty soon it's the only voice you'll ever need. Now all you have to do is listen. When you want to leave, your fear disintegrates. When you decide to stop and breathe, it's your authentic voice. No matter where you go, it never leaves. And that's God, no matter what religion you believe. I'm starting my own religion, and everyone is welcome. But nobody can join. If you did, you'd miss the point.

Wow. Okay. That one. I don't know. I don't know which one's my favorite.

Well, if you get the book, you'll just. Well, we'll send you a book. You can just explore it over and over again.

One, I'm getting the book. Two, I'm listening on audio, because that's gonna be. And I will tell you what my experience was on audio. Now, I know it's gonna be amazing, you guys. I've been playing his poetry in my earbuds, especially around big things that I have to do or when I have to speak or when I'm about to. I curate, like, large female events, which is coming up end of March, and I get. I use a lot of your stuff to get an inspiration and go on inspiration walks, because it opens something up for me. And I just. I highly recommend. If you guys know that you are. I think everyone's a creative, but if you know you have something big inside of you to go and listen to somebody who's unleashed it. Because to see you in all of your bigness, and especially because I've seen you perform, which, if you can ever see him perform and you want to change your life, like, go watch him. But grab the audiobook, you guys, for sure. I'm talking, like, right now. I think we can link that up. We'll link the book up, but we'll link up the audiobook, too, because you absolutely need to use this for yourself, to tap into your own bigness and your creativity. So, Adam, I am like. I am so grateful. Thank you for this. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me. I always say, with this podcast, it's the most selfish thing I could do. Even though it's like, okay, yes, I'm gonna do four episodes per week. And every episode I'm like, oh, my God. That was for me, because I get to meet just people who are out there in the world. I have a question for you, for everybody who has something like this inside of them. What would happen if you didn't find a place to put this out in the world? Why is it important that they figure out how to get out their art or their vision or their purpose or their voice?

Yeah. I mean, first of all, thank you for everything that you said. That was really, really lovely. And by the way, I appreciate you. I appreciate you for what you're putting out into the world, what you're creating. I acknowledge it, I honor it. And, you know, for you to share your audience with me, really, like, your audience trusts you. Everyone who's listening, they feel like they know you and they trust you. And so for you to give me this platform, it means a lot. It doesn't go unnoticed. And I wanted to say that out loud for me, and this is cliche to say, but, I mean, I think that poetry and hip hop and rhymes in general and performing and writing saved my life. I mean, I think I was, you know, I could have gone a lot of different paths, basically, you know, and I've been a lot of different people over my lifetime, and this was always my way of coming home. And it brought me so much self awareness and it allowed me to change things that weren't working in my life. And I really couldn't be more grateful for this path that I'm on in poetry. And so for other people, what I would say is that don't overthink it. It's like your mind should be in the car, but your heart should be in the driver's seat. Find a way to express yourself, whether it's any genre. Dancing, acting, comedy, painting, you know, do your own podcast. Just get yourself out into the world. Write, do poetry, because your voice is needed. And I want to hear what you have to say.

Oh, thank you so much for this. So beautiful. And you guys, as usual, you can go check everything out. I will put it in the links, definitely.

And also, by the way, tag me, by the way, if you get the book, let me know what you think of the book.

Oh, for sure. So what we should have them do, number one, tag if you get the book. For sure. What I would love to do. Let me just make sure before I say this Adam. That we can do this. I want to buy 10 of your books for my listeners. So can I. Are they out right now or will this. I mean, this is coming out later, but when is the actual release date?

Yeah, so it's March 31st. You can pre order it now. And I'm going to send you books anyway. So, you know, once we get that initial batch, I will send those to you right away and I'll sign them as well.

Amazing. So what we're gonna do is for our listeners, we are going to give away 10 free books. And if you guys share this episode. So make sure you share this episode. If you have this wipe up, make sure you include the link. Tag him. Tag me. Share it with your friends, and I will. I will pick. Pick 10 of you reshare your story, and I will send you one of his books. Okay. Amazing.

Thank you, Lori. I appreciate that.

Yes. So grateful for you. This was just, like, made my whole. I'm good. I'm good to go for my event. I'm totally inspired. I'm ready to go speak. Okay. So thank you so much, Adam. And you guys, make sure you share this with a friend. Literally text them right now. It's super, super easy to do. Just look down at the share button. You can text a friend and say, I'm about to. To freaking rock your world and bless your life with this poetry. So go do it right now. And you guys, I'm so grateful for you. Until next time, earn your happy. Bye, everyone. Thank you guys so much for spending this time with me on the earn your happy podcast. I am so glad that you stopped by. If you could take one second to share this episode with someone you think would love it, that would be absolutely, absolutely amazing and we would be forever grateful. Also, please leave us a review if you feel so moved. By going to itunes and leaving us an honest thought, an honest comment, Tell us what you think, tell us what you want to hear. More of it would really help us out on our journey to helping thousands and thousands of people. Until then, don't forget to earn your happy. Thanks again, guys. Bye.

Bye.