As many of you know, I love philosophy. I love talking to people about life, our experiences, and what this whole thing is all about. My guest today, Shaddow officially says he is an artist, musician, saxophonist, and writer--but he is also a philosopher. And one of my favorite types of people to talk about philosophy are people who bring both wisdom and passion. They have a fire about them that makes the insights they share even more impactful. Shaddow is that type of person. When he speaks about his experiences and his approach to life it is poetic and you can feel the words. There is a raw, authenticity to him and how he communicates.

We covered a lot of ground in this one, but all circling around Shaddow's most important value of "being authentic and your true self." He had some tough times when he was younger, struggling to fit in, not feeling supported by friends/family, and experiencing extreme loss. Through all of that trauma though he found clarity and optimism. One of the phrases that came up on the show was, "if you knew better, you'd do better." I think that applies to Shaddow, he decided he wanted to know better so he could do better. And he realized that the most important thing to "know" is yourself. Your true self though, not the one you think you are supposed to be or the one your family wants you to be--the one that is actually true to you. 

I often worry when we talk about topics like the essence of human nature, the journey to knowing yourself, or becoming enlightened--all of these grandiose concepts that are super important but can feel really idealistic. I worry that some people will think it is all too abstract and not think there is any value in it. But that is why I love talking to people like Shaddow, who infuse their experience, their personality, and their authentic story into the conversation to help make it real for others.