The Ego's Escape: Unveiling Self-Deception and Embracing Enoch's Timeless Truths

Have you ever caught yourself backing out of a commitment you made to yourself? It's a bitter pill to swallow, realizing we've betrayed our own trust. That's exactly where our latest episode takes us, as I unpack the subtle art of self-quitting and the all-too-convenient role our egos play in letting us off easy from the promises we make to ourselves. With a mix of personal anecdotes and a candid exploration of the 'quiet quitting' culture, we delve into the uncomfortable truths about self-deception and the ways we rationalize staying stagnant. It's a heart-to-heart on the necessity of self-judgment and the power that comes with being unabashedly accountable for our own paths in life.

Striking a balance between personal introspection and the eternal, we pivot to the age-old wisdom of the book of Enoch—a text that, though not found in the Bible, offers stirring messages of faith and righteousness that reverberate through time. I draw connections between Enoch's apocalyptic visions and our contemporary struggles, highlighting the impact of our actions, and sometimes, the weight of our inaction. We talk about the battle for a righteous life amidst rising chaos and the unyielding strength required to persist in our convictions. This episode serves not only as an exploration of ancient texts but also as a rally cry for integrity and the relentless pursuit of what is right in the face of life's adversities.

Chapters

• 0:00 Confronting Self-Quitting and Ego
• 5:50 Powerful Message on Faith and Righteousness

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

You ever been stood up, left out, dry and hanging, looking to rely on someone for something you felt was truly important, something you knew had to be done and truly cared about, and they knew how important it was to you and they just didn't show up for you. And we're all humans, so I feel you no ego, no pride. Let's take this moment to be vulnerable together. So how would you describe such a situation? How would you say it made you feel? Because for me and it's just me, cliche Jeff, I would say that, as someone quitting on you and quitting on you and quitting on you, being quit on almost feels like the deepest form of betrayal, dismissiveness, not giving a fuck right, and it hurts, it sucks and it makes us feel less than so. Let us not sugarcoat this feeling Quitting hurts and it sucks. Now, quick question If you could reflect real quick, since I have your attention and we're on the subject, ask yourself who is the last person that quit on you and made you feel this way, this dark, horrible way TikTok, tiktok, tiktok. Can you see that person? You got their image locked in. Can you feel the rage and that burning in your stomach of what they did and how it feels the quitting. Now, what if I told you you fell right into the easiest of ego traps? Because what you need to do assuming you didn't know already is hold up a mirror and stare at yourself for a little while and revisit that feeling of not doing what you know was truly important not showing up, being stood up because that person in the mirror is you and you have quit on you over and over and over again, to the point where you are just numb to it. Because, truthfully and all the way, real quitting is available to us at all times and our culture has adopted it. To the point where we talk out loud about quiet quitting on our careers, on our work, on our money. And now we justify this feeling and this option to the point where it feels good. To the point where it feels good. To the point where it feels good and you're like shut the fuck up, jeff. What do you mean? Feel good? We just talked about how it's horrible and I'm like, yes, feels good and satisfying. Here's why Because the raw of this is that quitting alleviates us of our moment to moment burdens.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Hear this, for every time you tell yourself I need to do something different, I need to make a change, I need to walk a different path. You talk yourself into a challenge and that challenge comes with the acceptance of self-accountability which, dare I say, implies self-responsibility, and that, my friend, creates stress. And that stress encapsulates you, makes you feel claustrophobic and like a big weight is thrust upon you. And as soon as you feel that you release it by quitting and you exhale and somehow that feels good to you. The release of not doing what you know you should do, the avoidance of acceptance, the stagnation of procrastination Do I don't, I do, I don't, I do, I don't, I, I won't. And then the stress of progress is released from your mind. And here is the ultimate rub and the ultimate quagmire. Only you know this, only you are aware of it and only you can truly feel it, and that's probably what we would call creating self-consciousness. But don't get all funky with me just yet. I'm actually giving you what you want. I'm making this all about you.

Speaker 1: 3:58

Anyhow, let's talk this thing out. You skip and slip integrity, because it's the deepest and darkest, worst-kept secret amongst us as people that we can lie to ourselves internally over and over and over and essentially get away with it. None's the wiser, because every time we let ourselves get away with not doing what we should do, we reaffirm that we don't need to do it. It's math. Now, what is deeper, as ego-driven competitive creatures, is that we look at each other for confirmation and acceptance that we are all self liars and, biblically, we chalk it up to not really being our fault because we're all destined to be sinners. Right? We're all flawed, we all have weaknesses and life today is as difficult as it's ever been, the most stressful and strenuous times of our lives. And so we look at our neighbors and you see what's going on across the street. You think we got it bad. Did you hear the latest rumors about them? It gets deep if you want it.

Speaker 1: 5:03

But let's point this back to you, because it might be you that's physically overweight and out of shape and loses their breath climbing one flight of stairs. You know it's unhealthy, but, man, is it hard to run those miles? It is you that is stuck at that dead-end job for going on decades and you know it pays the same, not just in dollars and cents, but on your level of fulfillment. But, man, is it hard to learn new skills and change careers? It is you that has the faith, to lose faith and not believe that the only judge you need is you, because if there is a maker, creator and God, it's on you to testify. But man is it hard to pray for fortitude and execute true grace.

Speaker 1: 5:50

And let me hit you with this passage I read from the book of Enoch. It's a great book, not the book of Eli, the book of Enoch. And, if you didn't know, this book was apparently removed from the Bible for reasons I can't truly grasp. Anyhow, enoch was the grandfather of Noah. Noah, you might know, built an ark. You know that story, and so I recommend reading this If you believe in faith on any level, for a minimum.

Speaker 1: 6:11

In the beginning of the book, enoch describes what the heavens might look like, and it's dope. But I digress. Check out these words. Check out these words. Associate not with those of a double heart, but walk in righteousness, my sons, and it shall guide you on good paths. Paths and righteousness shall be your companion.

Speaker 1: 6:36

For I know that violence must increase on earth and a great chastisement be executed on earth, and all the unrighteous must come to an end. Yet it shall be cut off from its roots and its whole structure destroyed, and righteousness shall again be consummated on earth and the deeds of unrighteousness and of violence and transgression shall prevail in a twofold degree. And when sin and unrighteousness and blasphemy and violence of deeds increase and apostasy and transgression and uncleanness increase, a great chastisement shall come from heaven upon all these and the Holy Lord will come forth with wrath and chastisement to execute judgment on earth. In those days, violence shall be cut off from his roots and the roots of unrighteousness, together with deceit and the idols of the heathen shall be abandoned and all the temples burned with fire and they shall remove from them, remove from them from the whole earth, and they shall be cast into the judgment of fire and shall perish in wrath and in grievous judgment forever. And the righteous shall arise from their sleep and wisdom shall arise and be given unto them.

Speaker 1: 7:57

Now, if you're still with me and you're letting that propagate and hit your soul, obviously I believe those words to be deep, but I will close with these types of things that are really resonating with me and what I want to share, which is sometimes we associate sin with acts that we know are obvious to be committed and we know what those are. But if there's anything, I truly believe that I am learning and that I hope makes it to you and resonates, are the sins of omission that we turn away from what we know we should do, whether deemed righteous or not. Excusing ourselves from our responsibilities could equate to the most egregious of sins. For when it's time to testify, if you are asked what happened, why didn't you at least try, there will be no more lies left to tell. So don't quit. Don't ever quit on yourself, for at least then you can have the faith to say with a straight face I tried, change your mind, change your life. I am who I say I am. Stay rich.