DJ Taz

Many people don't have the opportunity to think about what they actually want to do. They pick a college major for money and security. Fear is embedded in that conversation: fear of instability, fear of what society will think, fear of embarrassment. Many parents would think, 'My son is a yoga DJ or a yoga musician? Is that real?' But my parents are proud. They see me showing up and pursuing this path. Most people don't have that support and are confined by the expectations and fears instilled in them. The financial abundance and other rewards are byproducts. You do not have to strive for them. They naturally occur from showing up and serving the community, from being the purpose. You are the purpose. That is fulfilling to me. That is the feeling that fills my heart, knowing that impact is occurring regularly.

Right when I left the corporate world, I was playing in different mantra bands at kirtan type gatherings and groups in Chicago. I remember the owner of Yoga Now, a studio, asked if I wanted to work at the front desk. There was an opening at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday. I was like, okay. I did that for two or three months. It lasted a short time, but I connected with that yoga community. There was an energy. All of these were little ways of growing energy in the world I find myself in now. Who would have thought I would work the front desk at a yoga studio? I always tell people to take one step toward their dream or passion. Educate yourself, study, become focused, become deeply engaged. Use your time intentionally. There is so much distraction now. I was doing that while in the corporate world because it interested me, and you have to take those actions. Those are the steps. It doesn't happen overnight, but the universe starts noticing. From a spiritual standpoint, the universe, your muse, or your authentic self starts realizing, 'This person is getting out of their mold and trying to find something.' Then it shows you opportunities. When you start stepping out of your comfort zone, new things are created for us to enter.

First, for people who don't know their purpose yet, I would invite them to look inward and engage in self-inquiry. There's nothing wrong if someone is happy at their corporate job and feels fulfilled. Fulfillment is key. If that job makes you happy and you have a satisfying family life, that's okay. I don't demonize any path. I went through mine, but I was not fulfilled, and that is an important consideration. When you feel like you're not fully giving yourself to the world, that's the first signal to ask, 'What am I actually doing here?' Self-inquiry is crucial to start. What is self-actualization? There are many definitions, but for me, self-actualization is connected to one very important book, your book, the book you have been writing your whole life, your story and your understanding of yourself. Self-actualization is when you truly start understanding what your soul is here to do on this earth, who you are, and what you represent. The more you study yourself, the more you are reading your own book.

As a musician, I would say the largest struggle is where to focus. When you start off, you're kind of by yourself, and you don't really have a clear north star or plan laid out. The struggle is time, like how to invest it. I struggled with that at the beginning, but then I discovered the human design system through Greenheart, Laura, and Emanuel. I learned that I'm a projector, and my opportunity is to be open to invitations rather than push my agenda into situations. I learned this about myself in 2013. The stress of trying to make something work went away, and I became receptive. I put my energy into what I was invited into and went full force into that rather than looking elsewhere. It's like dating someone, just date them really well rather than looking for the next person or what else is out there. If that evolves, that's okay. You just go full into the relationships or opportunities that are present, and other opportunities notice, hear about, or get referred to you.

I said yes to learning from teachers, money gurus, and spiritual guidance. I studied the laws of attraction and how to manifest in life. Education is extremely important because it's something within your control. Confidence comes from education. The more competent you are in what you are offering or doing, the more confidence will come through your energy and whatever you are working toward. I started getting into master classes. I am still obsessed. Even now, I have a subscription to the MasterClass app. When I was learning music production, that is all I did, watching videos and completing an online school program. That is how I got good. It is very technical, not just creative. It is creative, but it is also about details and structure. That requires education and teachers. I surrounded myself with different teachers of all kinds. I sought teachers in spirituality, finance, love, human design, and more. You need teachers who are more experienced than you so you can learn, instead of trying to figure everything out alone. You can figure it out yourself, but it will take longer. Life is short.

My option was a home health care business opportunity, which would have been financially safe and provided a partnership. Even with that, I knew I couldn't do it, so I said no to a safe financial opportunity and chose the route of not knowing. It was a huge jump, but I was ready. After five years in the corporate world living an unfulfilled lifestyle, I was done with that. I didn't care about the cost or how to make it work. That was one of the biggest challenges in the beginning. If you don't follow your purpose, you steal something from your soul. There was a lot of trust in connecting with that. When I was let go, I already had a community supporting me. My purpose, when I had the major download, I remember it. It was 2011. It was to awaken humanity and empower them with music. Very clear.

One advantage I had was my business education. I studied marketing, organizational leadership, and entrepreneurship. I didn't go straight into those fields, but I did take sales jobs. Sales is everything because any transaction is a sales situation. I had training in inside and outside sales for various products, from hotel rooms to real estate, copier machines, energy contracts, and university development. I understood basic economics and applied that knowledge to my brand and my work with organizations. I also studied leadership, managing money, and entrepreneurship. The money you spend on education is an investment in yourself. You are investing in the most important asset you have. Not investing in yourself is a mistake, in my opinion. I started doing this early, even in 2009 while I was still in the corporate world. I took classes, including one at the Bodhi Spiritual Center called The Artist's Way. It changed my life because it reconnected me with my artist side. Even while I was still working in a cubicle, I was building the DJ Taz Rashid identity on the side without fully realizing it.

My advice is to start exploring, either with someone or alone, asking what you actually like to do. A good starting point is the classic question: if money weren't an issue, what would you do with your time? That doesn't have to define your mission, but it helps you see what you want. Many people don't even know what they like. Their parents or life have neglected their hobbies, and they've adulted so much that they've forgotten what they enjoy. That's sad because it means you've forgotten yourself. For me, doing The Artist's Way allowed me to take steps to discover what I wanted to connect to. Some people don't even know what's available for them to enjoy. Start by finding activities that make you happy, that give you joy. Desires are important to explore because they come from you, not from somewhere else.

For me, it is not about ego or fame. It is about the impact the art has on people. That is the win, because that is the mission. The financial abundance and other rewards are byproducts. You do not have to strive for them. They naturally occur from showing up and serving the community, from being the purpose. What would the world look like if everybody was living their purpose? I feel the world would be a happier place. Most spiritual lineages and schools of thought aim for love and being loved. When that is experienced, true happiness happens. A lot of misery, strife, and stress exist because people are not living their purpose. If everyone was living their purpose with the tools for abundance and economic stability, there would be less war and political conflict. People would get along and be more accepting of one another.

There was also a community called Bodhi Spiritual Center. It's like an Agape spiritual center in California, a sister church, a love church, celebrating New Thought, Ernest Holmes, The Secret, and the laws of attraction. The Reverend Mark Anthony Lord, who was the reverend of this community, was very open. My wife and I started going and attending their weekly gatherings, and we found a community. This was a very important part of the purpose filled path because I surrounded myself with individuals who were looking for their purpose or already on it, and they were in different parts or chapters of their journey. There was so much inspiration to support what I was going through. I was part of that group for almost a year to a year and a half before I was let go from the corporate world. That's the interesting thing, it didn't happen overnight. When I was let go, I already had a community supporting me. I also met the group Greenheart Transforms, which is part of Greenheart International, in 2012. That was the year after I left the corporate world. Connecting with communities is also a big first step. When you figure out what you want, find communities involved in those activities. Start connecting with those people because you may realize you absolutely love it or realize, 'That's not for me.'

Another challenge was making it work financially. There were a lot of small opportunities that were like appetizers, but you needed the entree. At that time, I didn't have kids, so that pressure wasn't there, but figuring out finances was definitely a challenge. It wasn't strife like borrowing money from a bank or parents, but it was tight. The beginning stages were very much check to check, but there was trust. That trust was a big leap of faith, understanding that there was no other option. If you don't follow your purpose, you steal something from your soul. My option was a home health care business opportunity, which would have been financially safe and provided a partnership. Even with that, I knew I couldn't do it, so I said no to a safe financial opportunity and chose the route of not knowing. It was a huge jump, but I was ready.

My purpose, when I had the major download, I remember it. It was 2011. It was to awaken humanity and empower them with music. Very clear. Today, what I do is I am a full-time music producer, a DJ, multi-instrumentalist, a father, a husband, and I create music primarily for the wellness community. Meditation music, yoga music, also dance and fun remixes, but primarily music to use for awakening. I have probably released over 800 to 900 tracks over this period. Many are under different names because I'm a ghostwriter for certain brands. I make music in lo-fi, hip hop, deep house, ambient, drones, downtempo, and as DJ Taz Rashid, I release different styles because I love exploring music. The effect I have had on the world is through music. There are thousands, if not millions, of people listening to my music globally. Music has been the way to digitally reach millions of people globally, and it is helping them awaken. A lot of the music I create is meditation music, binaural beats, breathwork, and it is implemented in that way.