I Try To Live In The Moment, It Does Not Matter How Simple It Is- Deji LaRay

Q: Do you think with your heart or your head? And how has that helped or hurt you? 

Deji: I think with my head, and I am very logical. Thinking with your head keeps you balanced. It allows you to think about your interactions, relationships and things of that nature from a more logical perception. And probably the safest way to think. I feel the heart can be stronger than the head sometimes, so it is a challenge. Sometimes, the heart will take over, and in those times you have to say forget it and go the opposite direction. I’m a cancer, and we are emotional at times. So, I try to lead with my head. 

Q: How does Deji LaRay begin his morning, and how do you keep it balanced?

Deji: That’s a good question because I’ve been trying to find more of that balance. I get emails, text messages and all of that in the morning that I respond to immediately. So, that’s the first thing I do when I rise. And once I get that out of the way, I’m dedicating time to myself. Now, I can go on my hike and hit the juice bar. I try to catch up with family members, and sometimes I follow up on what’s happening in the world. After all of that, I’m back to work. Either I’m writing, on zoom calls and things like that. 

Q: Do you read or meditate?

Deji: When I was in Mexico for my birthday, I passed by a book market filled with hundreds of books. I walked through it and looked at a few books. I get inspired by the concept of sitting down and reading a novel or book. And I used to do it often. But now I read a lot of articles, think pieces and scripts because I write a lot. So yes, I do read. But the format I read has changed because I have a busy day, and it has to correlate with the now. 

Q: Let’s talk about your show Johnson, and the brotherhood among you four. Is it true that brotherhood is formed in the adult life of men or does it begin in an adolescent stage?

Deji: Yes, we had a unique opportunity with this show to highlight Black men and women in a way that reflects the mass majority of us. I had a brotherhood in middle school and high school. Though, I understand how relationships aren’t connected as they are once you mature because when you’re young you’re not necessarily mature enough to see the value. When you’re young all it takes to be friends is to hang out, party, pick up on girls, go to basketball games and everything within that. Once you get older, those friendship dynamics change because now you or most of your friends are married, have families, and own multiple businesses. Some are also political positions. So the conversations are different. In the show, we have Black men being more vulnerable, who also have pride and sometimes have to put pride aside. As men, we become a little more emotionally intelligent and learn how to express ourselves a lot more. That’s why I think the concept of “Brotherhood” is stronger in men. That is when we began to experience the world as Black men in America. And we’re recognizing the importance of having someone to share those expressions and having a safe space to do so. Brotherhood is for sure a stronger bond as you get older.

Q: Has your pride ever got in the way and caused you to lose something important?

Deji: Naturally, I’m very proud. I can say that my pride gets in the way sometimes. I am not sure if it caused me to lose something really important but maybe it’s got to a point where it caused disruption. But again, thinking with your head allows you to overcome your pride. I see thinking with the heart as pride. Pride is an emotional reaction to something. Pride is the downfall of so many people, it is the downfall of relationships. Although, It could be a negative thing and a positive thing. I think it’s important to have pride in yourself, in your thoughts and opinions. But it’s only important when you have control of it. 

Q: What has been the biggest lesson for you since being in the industry?

Deji: The biggest lesson for me is you have to be satisfied with where you are at all times. You have to be. We often compare ourselves and our careers, saying we’d trade this position for that when there are so many people who want to be in your position. I’m satisfied right where I am. That doesn’t mean I don’t want more or that I am not striving for more. But at this moment, I can’t find myself unfulfilled. I have no room. I have to count my blessings because at the end of the day, none of this matters. So you have to celebrate your every accomplishment at every level. Success only lasts as long as you’re alive to enjoy it.