059 Philip Lawrence - Making Music, Finding Peace and Joy Through Sobriety

Understanding the Human Condition

Philip Lawrence is a songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur best known for his work with the songwriting and production team, The Smeezingtons, alongside Bruno Mars. Philip has won an impressive eight Grammy Awards for his work in the music industry. At the height of his success, and dealing with the challenges of superstardom as well as life on the road, Philip began an inward journey that began with his sobriety just over four years ago. His life looks very different than it did before, and what he has gained throughout this journey is newfound humility as well as a new design for living. Today, Philip opens up about his struggles with addiction and the moment he realized he needed to go into recovery. Philip speaks to his experience going through all of this as an African American and provides advice for others going through a similar situation. Finally, Philip reflects on how his vision of success has dramatically changed and why he believes his most creative years are yet to come.

Key Takeaways

01:12 – Phillip Lawrence shares what he learned from his inward journey to sobriety and accepting the truth

08:49 – Philip opens up about his divorce

11:37 – Advice Philip would give to artists that are struggling with addiction

15:09 – Philip reflects on his experience being an African American in recovery and helping others in the African American community with recovery

19:22 – The Artists in Recovery event that Philip performed at

21:47 – Philip talks about the new TV show he will be hosting, Come Dance With Me

24:10 – The highest and lowest points of Philip’s professional career

29:59 – Parting words of advice from Philip

32:09 – Dr. Flowers and Robin thank Philip for joining the show and let listeners know where they can follow him

Tweetable Quotes

“I think early on I began to use music as my identity. I began to think that that was who I was. And, as I look back on that now, I realize that A, that’s not who I am, it’s just what I do. And B, there is a false sense of validation as a performer and, in performing from such a young age, I became not only addicted to that but conditioned that, wherever I go, I’m gonna be applauded for it.” (05:42)

“I think the biggest thing for me in life in general is just my awareness of the moment. My being present; my being where my feet are. And so, there’s a level of appreciation and gratitude that comes with, ‘Oh my goodness, look at what I get to do. Look at where I am. Look at the beautiful life that God has gifted me with.’” (14:27)

“I realized that I had misdefined success. I was not successful. I thought I was. Success cannot be appreciated if you can’t enjoy it. You can’t call it success if that’s what’s happening.” (26:35)

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. That was a big one for me. I didn’t know how. Help is a phone call away. Check in with each other. Reach out to people that maybe you haven’t spoken to in a while. We all need confirmation that everything’s gonna be ok, despite what we’re going through. Reach out and lift someone up.” (30:11)

Resources Mentioned

JFlowers Health Institute – https://jflowershealth.com/

JFlowers Health Institute Contact – [phone]

Subscribe on your favorite player: https://understanding-the-human-condition.captivate.fm/listen

Philip’s Website – https://www.cmntyculture.com/

CMNTY Culture Twitter – https://twitter.com/CMNTYCulture

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