On Purpose with Jay Shetty - Interviews With The Dearly Departed: Martin Luther King, Jr

Episode Date: January 17, 2020

This episode is extremely special to me and one I’ve been wanting to deliver to you for a long time. Today's guest is Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin shares the best advice he received from his mother, why we treat others wrong and what your life's blueprint should include for a meaningful human experience. He also explains his dissatisfaction with the results that followed his famous "I Have A Dream" speech." Text Jay Shetty 310-997-4177A Word From Our Sponsors:3 months of unlimited access for just $30 at thegreatcoursesplus.com/JAYGet $50 OFF at BollandBranch.com, promo code JAYTry Fender Play FREE for two weeks AND save 50% off a Fender Play Annual Plan. That’sfender.com/podcast and be sure to use our special offer code JAY at checkout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Brendan Francis Neum, I'm a journalist, a wanderer, and a bit of a bond-vivant, but mostly a human just trying to figure out what it's all about. And not lost is my new podcast about all those things. It's a travel show where each week I go with a friend to a new place and to really understand it, I try to get invited to a local's house for dinner. Where kind of trying to get invited to a dinner party, it doesn't always work out. I have to get back to you. Listen to Not Lost on the iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jay Shetty and on my podcast on purpose, I've had the honor to sit down with some of the most incredible hearts and minds on the planet. Oprah,

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Hart, Lewis Hamilton, and many, many more. On this podcast, you get to hear the raw, real-life stories behind their journeys and the tools they used, the books they read, and the people that made a difference in their lives so that they can make a difference in hours. Listen to on-purpose with Jay Shetty on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join the journey soon. The world of chocolate has been turned upside down. A very unusual situation.

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Listen to the obsessions of wild chocolate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. In his famous words, we must keep going if you can't fly run, if you can't run, walk, Can't fly run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving. the number one place to be in 2020. I hope you're absolutely loving these weekly workshops that I'm now doing on a Friday. Of course, you can listen to them anywhere, anytime wherever you are in the world. And it does make a huge difference. I love the fact that we have such a global

community of conscious change makers. That's who I see you as. People who want to change their own lives and change the lives of others. A conscious community of change makers, which is what we need in the world, which is what the world is desperately seeking, which is what the world is desperately working towards, aspiring for your communities, your towns, your cities,

your families, your friends, your cities, your families, your friends are all looking for that community and the fact that we can build it right here, right now, and the fact that you're investing in this community. I want you to remember this. This isn't just me giving out content. This isn't just content. This is life. This is meaning.

This is passion. This is purpose. this isn't just content, this isn't just a podcast, this is so much more than that. We're just using the medium of a podcast, we're just using the messaging of a podcast, we're just using the technology of audio and video, but what we're doing is creating a conscious community of change makers all around the world do not underestimate that for a second Right do not underestimate it for a second what we're creating is truly powerful and beautiful and meaningful and you Anyone who is listening to this you are a part of that

You are a huge part of that and I value each and every single one of you. I really mean that. Now it's nearly been a year since I launched the podcast. And you've heard me tell this story before about how we were about to launch with a big production company and they moved out two weeks before, but I'll get into that on the anniversary episode a bit more. But why am I raising that point? Because I actually had an idea for the theme of the podcast before we started that I'm only getting to do now and this is what I love about ideas. Ideas take time to come to fruition. It requires patience when you meditate on something for a year, when you let something submerge into your consciousness for a year, when you let something truly

boil, right? It's incredible what happens with it. And so today, what I'm going to share with you is another format that we'll be doing every month, another episode that we'll be doing every month, which you'll get to listen to. It's another style. So we've added the book club, of course, to our weekly workshops. And now we're adding this. And this is one that I've been looking forward to for so long. We've had this idea for so long. And I'm finally, finally, finally, getting to do this. And this is how creativity works. You have finally, finally, finally getting to do this. And this is how creativity works.

You have these ideas you want to bring to life and implement, but they take a while to come into fruition. But this one I'm really, really excited about. So this episode that we'll be doing every single month as well, just like the book club. Are you excited for what I'm about to say? This episode is called Interviews with Dead People. So every month we're going to do an episode called Interviews with Dead People. Now I'll tell you why this concept is so important to me considering this is the first one and why I think it's going to be so relevant to you. So I want to share with you why it's important to me and why it's so relevant to you. So why it's important

to me is because people always ask me, Jay, who's the person you'd like to interview the most? Right? Who would be the people that you would like to interview the most? And the interesting thing for me, very honestly, is that a lot of the people that I'd love to interview are dead. A lot of the people I'd love to sit down with and ask questions to about what's happening in the world right now, about their predictions for the future, about how they would give me the best advice they have are not around anymore. And I've talked a lot about how we can be mentored by people we've never met. And I really deeply mean this about how we can be mentored by people we've never met. And I really deeply mean this.

Like you can be mentored by people you've never met by studying their lives, by studying their work, by studying their words, by observing how they made decisions, by looking at how they dealt with two struggled situations and challenging situations. When you observe the life of someone else, you can be mentored by someone that you've never met. And I learned this principle as a monk because in our monk traditions, teachers have been around for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. So some of the books I'm reading were spoken or written thousands of years ago, and we were always trained in

recognizing that a personality is living through their words and the follower lives with them, right? This is a beautiful principle that comes about in the Vedic literatures is that a spiritual teacher, a teacher lives through their words and the follower lives with them. And that's why it's so relevant to you that when I do these episodes called interviews with dead people every single month, I get to sit down and interview and talk to people that I can't in any other format or any other way anymore. And at the same time, you get to study their lives so that we get to learn from all these incredible people that have walked on our planet, that

we may not even be aware of the depth of what they did and what they achieved. Another reason why this is so, so important is because I believe there are a lot of people that are no longer on the planet that still had phenomenally futuristic views. They already were able to see where the world was going. And some of their work, some of their texts that we may not be aware of, things that we haven't really delve deep into are so relevant about the current situation in the world.

And they can shed so much optimism, so much light, so much enlightenment for each and every single one of us. So to lose out on that to miss out on that would be such a big mistake and I'm really really excited about where this can go like I imagine doing this on a stage with a hologram of the person right I want to turn this into an event where on a stage I sit down with the hologram of this person an artificial intelligence hologram that will move and talk and speak and respond

the questions I ask so that we can actually watch this interview in real time. That's the goal with this for me. This isn't just a cool episode. This is so meaningful as to how we can experience that person again, how we can live with them again, how powerful that would be, right? So I wanted to stay with me on this one. And for this episode of interviews, oh, I need to tell you this before I dive into it, is anything I give is the answer. So I'm gonna be interviewing people that are dead. I'll be asking questions that I would ask today

to these people that I think are important for us to know today. And any answer I give is taken from their answers. So I am not making up the answers of these significant people. I am not making up my interpretation of what I think they would say. I'm telling you things that they've said in the past as answers to questions I would ask today.

And I want you to, one that to really make sense. I'm not making up or interpreting or coming up with what I think these people would say. I will tell you what I think about the what they would have said. But these are real answers from them. These are things that they actually said. So shout out to everyone who's out there who's listening to this episode. I can't wait to share with you for this episode of interviews with dead people my first guest ever in 2020 my first guest is none other than Martin Luther King Jr. There's three types of people some people set goals only to give up on them when things get difficult others don't set goals at all think if I don't

setting goals I can't fail at them Yet there are still others who not only set goals and resolutions but managed to meet them time and time again. How do they do it? Are they superhuman? No. They're regular people. Just like you and me. They've just discovered something. you and me, they've just discovered something. Resolutions don't work, not on the road anyway. Resolutions require action, but without intentionally doing the work to shift your mindset, you would find yourself failing and falling back into old patterns of thought and behavior when things get tough. Let me say that again. Without intentionally doing the work to shift your mindset, you'll find yourself falling back into old patterns of thought and behavior. But I can show you

how to break that cycle for good. There are five intentions that are make or break for achieving your goals and being able to set resolutions with confidence. Awake, attention, attitude, attraction, and accountability. But how do you start? How do you practice these intentions in a way that creates lasting change? I'd love to show you. Join me for a free online workshop on the five intentions for a purpose-filled year.

In this workshop, I'll be teaching you exactly how you can put these five intentions to work in your life to help you confidently set and achieve your goals. First, I'll show you how waking up early is the key to a purpose food life and how to set up healthy nighttime routines. Second, we'll go over how multitasking is actually hurting not helping your productivity. And I'm putting your attention on one thing at a time actually helps you do more than you think. Third, I'll break down three things we need to remove from our attitudes in order to grow. Fourth, I'll teach you how to use the concept of attraction to enhance who we already are

instead of worrying about who you are. And finally, you learn how important accountability and the supportive community are to growth. I would absolutely love to have you join me. You can sign up right now by visiting jshetty.me forward slash purpose. I'll send you an invitation to join and watch the workshop right then. Let me just repeat that for you. J.Sheti.me forward slash purpose. Let's make 2020 your best year yet. Look, we're two weeks into 2020 and I'm curious if you've been sticking to your goals. Have you continued to make learning a priority throughout these last few weeks? We should always set the intention to learn something new daily, whether that means discovering new interests or expanding your knowledge on specific topics.

The great courses plus has you covered. This online learning service offers thousands of lectures covering everything from personal development to business, science to history, the list goes on. There's something for everyone. I love that it's taught by the best professors and experts from top universities and institutions around the world, which makes what you're learning reliable information that you can trust. I recommend checking out the course Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, techniques for retraining your brain. It's a really powerful look at how to train your brain to become more motivated using exercises that are effective in managing mood and breaking bad habits. Overall, I felt

to provide great practical tips and techniques for creating lasting, positive changes. Do what I'm doing. Set a goal to learn more this year. Sign up for the great courses plus today. They're offering you this amazing deal three months of unlimited access for just $30. That's only $10 per month. Don't wait, get all the details at thegreatcoursesplus.com forward slash J. Remember, that's thegreatcoursesplus.com forward slash J. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Christian minister and activist who became the spokesperson and prominent leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Martin Luther King led a noble and peaceful struggle for civil rights.

He experienced beatings and imprisonment, but remained nonviolent. King influences all of us to be kinder to themselves and to others. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is an absolute joy, pleasure, privilege and honor. It is an absolute honor to sit down with you on the podcast. Now, I don't do accents and I don't do voices, so I will not be doing the voices any time I ask a question to Martin Luther King Jr. You will be hearing the words in my regular voice. And of course, I'm not sitting with the maturel, and I don't believe I am, but I do believe that we can learn so much from his life. Now, I want to start sharing a few insights that you may not have known about Martin Luther King. So, enjoyed playing baseball and flying kites with his friends.

He rode his bicycle all around the neighborhood. As a teenager, Martin Luther King Jr. enjoyed wrestling, playing the piano, and listening to opera. When Martin was in the 11th grade, he entered a speech contest and he won a prize for it, right? So it was always there. But the first thing I'd love to ask Martin Luther King is, where does your commitment to the idea of non-violence come from? And just so you know, these answers that I'm sharing to these questions are from the MLK talks, new phase of civil rights struggle, NBC interview. So my question would be, where does your commitment to the idea of non-violence come from?

He would say, morally, I was led to non-violence because I felt that it was the best moral way to deal with the problem. It would just be impractical for his community to turn to violence. He has neither the instruments nor the techniques of violence. We're about 10 or 11% of the total population of the nation. And I would say we are about 1% of the firepower.

So it would just be totally impractical and unwise and unrealistic for his community to think of violence. What I like about this approach to non-violence is how practical it is and how non-emotional it is, how factual it is. He's saying that he chose to do non-violence just because his community is such underrepresented in the population, how are they even going to find the tools to do a violent protest? And it's like, so I'd like to extract something that I'm learning here is that often we make bad decisions when we act emotionally or out of attachment. So we may think that a particular

option is good because we're, you know, talk down to or we're not being treated well, but he was so good at looking at the more practical and impactful action. And I think this is something we may make a mistake on on a personal level, a business level, a community level, where we make decisions from a place of emotion or judgment or how we've been treated and not really looking at what's actually going to bring about a change. What's actually going to make an impact. So when we just react and we don't respond when we just snap back, that doesn't actually have an impact, right? Like if someone drives past you and doesn't let you drive carefully on the roads, this happens a lot in LA and you then go in Codden in front of them and then they cut in front of you and then you cut in in front of them and then they cut in in front of you. Who really wins?

If anything, you're both going to end up in an accident and potentially cause harm to other people. It doesn't stop, right? It doesn't stop if you don't. And it's so interesting to see this movement towards peaceful protest that took place despite receiving, you know, despite receiving so much pain and bad treatment, but to go about it that way is truly noble. And I just read this beautiful statement today that I want to share with you, Hoda, who was the today's show. She shared it and it was from Brad Turnbull. Listen to this. It's a beautiful quote. Many of the most generous people have no money. Many of the wisest people have no formal education. Many of the kindest people have

been hurt the worst. That's just the way it is. Many of the kindest people have been hurt the worst. Many of the most peaceful people have actually dealt with the most violence. It's incredible that life works out that way, but it is beautiful for us to know why Martin Luther King Jr. decided to go down this route. Now this will be my second question. Why are people able to treat or behave poorly towards others outside their race if we're innately good? Like I've always felt this way that humanity is innately good. We're born good. We're not born hating someone else's Nelson Mandela said we're not born judging other people right when you're born

You don't go. Oh, yeah, that person's a different color from me or that person doesn't make as much money as my parents do or you know You don't think like that as a kid so so I would ask him why are people able to still treat or behave poorly Towards other people when we're not born that way. Where does that come from? people when we're not born that way, where does that come from? Human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually rationalizing that wrong. So he said, slavery was justified morally and biologically, theoretically, scientifically, everything else. And it seems to me that America must see that no other ethnic group has been a slave on American soil. The other thing is that the color became a stigma. American society made his community color a stigma.

And that can never be overlooked, right? At that time. And I'm sure people face this all the time. Now, you know, I'm sure people experience this in all different ways. And I'm sure that face this all the time now, you know, I'm sure people experience this in all different ways And I'm sure that everyone experiences this right this isn't just an ethnicity thing This is this is everywhere. We all experience in different parts of the world now It's interesting how we become good at justifying Things that are wrong and and I want you to think about this in a very personal way What are you justifying in your life?

Something that you know you're doing is wrong, but you're justifying it. See how I'm extracting the principles from this that apply to you in your personal life? And I want you to think about this. What are you doing, right? We need to uncover why we do what we do, which helps us come through and out, right?

Because how much are we rationalizing a poor habit or a poor trait that we have? Because we find an excuse, right? Like if something for example like we say Oh, yeah, I know I'm being really rude to this person, but they deserve it and we're rationalizing it or like they treat people badly So they deserve it. I'm gonna treat them badly too. We're rationalizing. So I would really question how much we rationalize our poor habits and behaviors and how detrimental they can actually be because it gets really, really challenging when we rationalize something for too long and then it becomes the norm.

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Get $50 off at bollandbranch.com with the promo code J that spelled B-O-L-L and branch dot com and use the code J. So we don't ever want to get to a point where we stop questioning our beliefs, our habits, our values because then we get on the dangerous side of rationalizing something that can be actually very painful to our own self. So I want you to answer right now and think about it, what are you rationalizing in your life of behavior? Just one behavior that you know you want to change about yourself. Get really close to it because I want you to start thinking about how to reframe and think about how to change it. And all you have to do is once you're aware of it, you can amend it.

Right? Once you become aware of something, you can amend it and then act on the amendment. So if I say, you know, one of the things that I rationalize is being judgmental. Like, I think that everyone should just get on with their life and stop complaining. Or let's say that, so okay, how am I going to amend that? I'm not going to be more empathetic or compassionate when that thought arises, because actually I'm realizing what I'm doing is rationalizing something that went wrong. Like he talked about slavery was justified morally, biologically, theoretically, scientifically. And he says, human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually rationalizing it, which is crazy. That's such a powerful statement that we can keep doing wrong, but we have to rationalize it at one point because we don't want to feel we're doing something wrong.

It's, wow, that is just, it's so powerful because it shows that humans are innately good. We are good people But when you're doing something wrong, you make yourself feel that it's good to do that That is so powerful so powerful. Thank you so much to Martin Luther King Jr for making us aware of that such a powerful point now, okay I would also ask him this Martin Luther King. I'd love to ask you What do people really want in your opinion? Like what are we really looking for? Okay, I would also ask him this, Martin Luther King, I'd love to ask you, what do people really want in your opinion?

Like, what are we really looking for? I want to know that from you, from an existential point of view. They want equality, period. We want to be persons judged not on the basis of the color of our skin, but on the basis of the content of our character. And I think this is something

that we all have to strive for for ourselves first. If we want to be liked for our externals, if we want to be liked for what we have or what we own or how we think, rather than who we are, then we are all sort of attracting that judgment. If we are just who we are and we're happy in that and we share that, then we'll find people who like us who we are. But if we always try and gain the validation of others based on what we own and how well we think and who we know and that kind of stuff, then we're almost inviting that judgment. So we also have to reflect the other way around.

How are we judging those around us? Are we unfairly judging someone because of their skin color? Because of their clothing, because of their judging someone because of their skin color? Because of their clothing, because of their accent, because of their background. Have any judgments to we have in our lives that external, it may not be someone's color, you know, that may not be it, but we all have more subtle judgments in us that stop us from giving people equality. That's for us from giving ourselves equality. The more we judge others for these external, the more we're going to judge ourselves for our external. If you're judging someone for

what they post on Instagram, you're now going to think you're doing something right, but you're going to judge yourself on a deeper level. See, judgment is a trait. If you judge others, you judge yourself more. If you judge yourself more, you judge others. When we become empathetic and kind and honest with ourselves, we become empathetic kind kind and honest with ourselves we become empathetic kind and honest with others it's a it's a muscle that you don't just switch between how you treat yourself and how you treat others we we seem to have a similar pattern like if we're always being mean to others we often think that person is you know confident or arrogant but actually that person often is treating themselves badly as well and I think we forget that

that a lot of people end up treating themselves badly too. There was something I posted on Instagram. I'm just trying to find it because I think it was really, really important. Where is it? Where is it? So there's this thought that I shared, people who put you down ignore you and make you feel bad and not confident. They have their own self-esteem issues. Don't make it about you. There's that. And there's also one more. Yeah, if someone is not good to you, this is

something, if someone is not good to you, they're probably bad to themselves. Remember that, right? Like, see, it's interesting how all of our behaviors come together in that way. So I think that's a really, really powerful reflection point. Now, I'd go on to ask Martin Luther King. I'd say, what can you share with us about your famous, I have a dream speech. I think it would be an amazing thing to ask him because it's such a powerful speech for something that was said in words without music without, you know, it wasn't said in a, it was said in a, in a challenging time and it remains so powerful and it, and still to this day everyone's heard of the speech.

Like that, that's such, there's such powerful words there. And we already know that Martin Luther King won a speaking prize when he was 11 years old, as I said. So I think it's, I think it's a cool question to ask. So I must confess it. That dream that I had that day has at many points turned into a nightmare. Now I'm not one to lose hope. I keep on hoping. I still have faith in the future, but I've had to analyze many things over the last few

years. And I would say over the last few months, I've gone through a lot of soul searching and agonizing moments. And I've come to see that, that we have many more difficult days ahead And some of the old optimism was a little superficial and now it must be tempered with a solid realism And I think the realistic fact is that we still have a long long way to go Wow Those are his words. I did not make that up

Martin Luther King said those words in this NBC interview. How incredible. It's amazing that someone like him is able to say that about probably, if not definitely, the most powerful public speech of all time in terms of global notoriety. Amazing. He is able to pause, check and reflect. It's okay to change your mind and admit that something was optimistic and now you're trying to figure it out and think long and hard about what worked, what didn't, and how you can move forward in this effective way.

And what I love most about this is he knew how much work was needed. He was aware of how much work was needed, and he wasn't losing hope on it, and he was still committed to it. And at the same time, I don't think, I don't think the speech was false promises. I think the speech was an emblem of aspiration of who we want to become and who we should be. And I think we need that. I don't think he shouldn't have said those things at all. I think that speech is needed. But I think what's lovely here, and this is another state by him that those who love peace need to learn

to organize themselves as well as those who love war and that's why this statement of old optimism was a little superficial and now it must be tempered with a solid realism. I love that because I think that's often where we miss out is that we have these beautiful ideas, we have these beautiful goals and desires but we don't turn them into a solid realism and this is something that I would really press for you to do in your own life for 2020, is you may have these lofty goals, you may have this amazing idea,

turn it into solid realism. Right, don't just become an armchair philosopher, don't just become a couch pundit, or, you know, someone's just sitting there talking about these things, get into action, try things out, go and build that community, go and start that venture, don't just settle for talking about these things. And so and build that community, go and start that venture.

Don't just settle for talking about these things. And so I love that transition he's recommending for all of us to go from a superficial understanding to a solid realism. Okay, so the next question I would ask him, which I think is a really important one for right now. And I think it's a fascinating for us to think about is, what are your thoughts on war? When a nation becomes obsessed with the guns of war, it loses its social perspective. It's much more difficult to really arouse a conscious,

conscious, sorry, during a time of war. I've noticed the other day and a week ago, a person that he knew was shut down in Chicago and it was a clear case of police brutality that was on page 30 of the paper. But on page 1 at the top was 708 Viet Khan's killed. That is something about a war like this that makes people insensitive. It does the conscience. It strengthens the forces of reaction and it brings into being bitterness and hatred and violence and it strengthens the military industrial complex of that country. So this is something that's really, really important

and powerful that we get distracted from what's really important when this happens. And I'm not a political or social commentator at all, so, and I don't wanna claim to be. But I think it is important that war doesn't really bring us together as people, and we've never really come out of a war and felt good about it. Like, you know, I don't think that that exists,

especially if you're starting it yourself, I think, you know, responding to what's happening and certain wars that were maybe unavoidable. But, you know, this is just something that really needs to be carefully assessed when we look at the impacts of this on our society as a whole. Now, the next few segments that I'm going to share from Martin Luther King are from a BBC face-to-face interview from 1961. So my question would be, what is some of the best advice you've ever received from your mother? She always said to me, you must never feel that you are less than anybody else. You must always feel that you are somebody and you must feel that you are as good as anybody else. And of course, this came up with me in spite of the fact that I still confronted the system

of segregation every day. On the one hand, my mother taught me that I should feel a sense of somebody-ness. On the other hand, I had to go out and face a system which stabbed me in the face every day saying you're less than. You're not equal to. So this was a real tension within. And what I love about this is that's where we get strengthened, right? Like when you build your resolve in your mind, and then you still go against whatever it is, and this is for all of us, right?

This doesn't just apply to, please do not just apply this to, to challenges with race and color. Apply this to any of your life where you feel you're making a resolve, but this is the difference. It's, it's all about, it's the strength of your resolve against the strength of someone's criticism. Right? That's, that's really what it is. If you've made a commitment to, to have a resolution, right? What is your self-talk that allows you to persist when your environment isn't supportive? We all feel that. We all feel that with our communities.

We feel that mainly in the workplace probably, where we know what we want to do and who we want to be and people are always shutting us down. And at that point, it's not about how loud you raise your voice. It's not about how loud you raise your voice, it's not about how big you build your muscles, it's not about how much you shout, it's about the strength of your resolve and how much you don't break. I would love to add this because it's an important thing that some of your critics say,

you lack fire, Do you agree? I don't know if I lack fire. I do feel that at times I'm rather soft and maybe a little gentle, but on the other hand, I've strongly advocated direct action. I participated in sittings myself. I've been arrested as a result of my participating in sittings with the students at lunch counters. I served as one of the coordinators of the freedom rights so that I don't think it is true to say that I'm not in accord with these particular methods. I believe in them and I've advocated them

and participated in them. And what I like here is he recognizes the need to be both assertive and affectionate, to be soft and strong. And I think this is where embracing polarities is so important. I think so often we say, oh my God, do I need to be strong? Or do I need to be soft? Like if I'm kind, then can I be courageous?

And it's like, yes, you can be both. Actually, the wisdom is to reflect and become aware of which one to be. It is not about just being one of them. Sometimes you need to be kind. Sometimes you need to be courageous. Sometimes you need to be soft. Sometimes you need to be soft, sometimes you need to be strong, sometimes you need to be a go getter, sometimes you need to be generous. And wisdom is knowing which one to be and pausing before doing anything to be one of them first. That's what it's really, really about. So this is

a great lesson for all of us that don't pressurize yourself to think that oh if I'm humble then I can't be hungry Right from humble. I can't hustle. You can you can do both You have to choose to be the right thing before you do the action in any situation Now we're coming to the end of the episode and at this point. I'd love to share What Martin Luther King said at Barrett Junior High School for the Delphier and he gave advice for what should be in your life's blueprint. And the first one was a deep belief in your own dignity, your own worth and your own somebodyness. Don't allow anybody to make you feel that you're in nobody.

Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth. And always feel that your life has ultimate significance. Now that means you should not be ashamed of your color. Don't be ashamed of your biological features. That was principle number one, this three. Number two, have as a basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. Sometimes,

and this is me adding, sometimes we work hard, but not for excellence, we should pursue excellence. He says, doors of opportunity are opening to each of you that will not open to your mothers and your fathers. And the great challenge facing you is to not open to your mothers and your fathers and the great challenge facing you is to be ready to enter these doors as they open. When you discover what you are going to be in life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular. Set out to do a good job and do that job so well that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better. And the third principle, a commitment to the eternal principles of beauty, love and justice. Don't allow anybody to pull you so low as to make you hate them.

Oh, so powerful. Let me say that again. Don't, this is in my Nithkings words. Don't allow anybody to pull you so low as to make you hate them. Don't allow anybody to cause you to lose yourself respect to the point that you do not struggle for justice. However young you are, you have a responsibility to seek to make your nation a better nation in which to live. You have a responsibility to seek to make life better for everybody and

so you must be involved. And in his famous words, we must keep going, if you can't fly, run, if you can't run, walk, if you can't walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving. So the question I would have asked him for that answer is, what's in your life's blueprint? Martin Luther King was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. And I'm so grateful that we got to sit down and have this conversation to unearth some of the gems and priceless wisdom and insights and his words. I hope this has been a really fulfilling podcast for you. It's been a huge experience for me. Like, I feel like this. I genuinely feel like this incredible experience reading his words because they're so powerful, so powerful. They're not

just words, they're so powerful and just this process of just sitting with you all for just over 30 minutes and reading through his work and feeling like I'm asking in these questions, there's such a powerful experience there and I really hope that it resonated and connected with each and every one of you as well. And I just like to thank you all. I really hope you enjoyed this episode. Please, please, please share it. Please, please, please recommend it to

as many people as you can. I think it's going to help a lot of people understand what's happening in the world and gain perspective and for us to realize that we can be the change. I'm just so grateful that I get to share these messages with you. Thank you so much for being a subscriber and listening to the on-purpose and make sure you come back next week. I'm genuinely so deeply grateful to each and every single one of you. Thank you so, so, so much. What do a flirtatious gambling double agent in World War II? An opera singer who burned down an honorary to Knap her lover and a pirate queen who walked free with all of her spoils, haven't comment.

They're all real women who were left out of your history books. You can hear these stories and more on the Womanica podcast. Check it out on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts or wherever you listen. Getting better with money is a great goal for 2023. But how are you going to make it happen? Ordering a book that lingers on your nightstand isn't going to do the trick. Instead, check out our podcast How to Money. That's right, we're two best buds offering all the helpful personal finance information

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