277. how the events unfold
There are a lot of bad things that can happen. If we aren’t careful, we can slip into a belief that the universe is conspiring against us. But it’s not. It’s our beliefs that set the tone for what we expect, and which lay the foundation for how we contextualize what happens.
Whether we are defiantly positive or indubitably negative, we go through the day subconsciously looking to confirm either belief. For example, we can view getting stuck in traffic in two totally different ways; in a positive sense, it gives us extra time to finish that podcast; adversely, it can be seen as the universe throwing obstacles in our way to keep us from getting to work at a reasonable pace.
It’s all in how we choose to see how the events unfold. And because there is a choice, it’s always going to be better to think things are happening for us, instead of to us.
217. commitment
Commitment is a statement of what “is.” It’s an honest assessment of your true desire.
You know what you’re committed to, by the results of your actions, not by what you say your commitments are.
If you simply say you’re committed to a result, it’s easy to come up with stories, excuses and reasons why the circumstances aren’t in favor of delivering you to the outcome you say you want. Whereas, if you’re truly committed, none of those things cross your mind. Your inner narrative is reflective of your true desires and you do whatever it takes.
Be aware of your response to any conflict that arrises along the way to your stated commitments. Are they excuses that keep you from getting a result? Or, are they just obstacles along your path to the inevitable outcome you’re working toward? There is a distinctive difference. One being the stated, the other being the true. The sooner you can be honest with yourself about your commitments, the sooner you can take the action necessary to finally get what you desire.
209. give credence
There will always be obstacles on our path. When we stumble upon them, most of us will see it as a reason to stop and complain about our misfortune, instead of recognizing it as an opportunity to gain a deeper sense of satisfaction with the process. The things that come up along the way will definitely test our resolve — and to a point, maybe that’s why they’re their — but if we can think of them as more than a simple hinderance, we can use their appearance to our benefit. Instead of complaining, give credence to the obstacles that show up along the way, because what they will do is give us more to overcome, and overcoming them will provide us with more gratification on our continual pursuit toward progress.
103. inconsequential changes
What happens when you rely too heavily on the rituals we have in place? Be it the way you get ready for work in the morning, the way you take to the office, or the way you complete your daily tasks. We all sink into a certain way to do things, but what happens when one inconsequential thing changes? The water isn’t working for your morning shower, or the most efficient route to work is closed for construction, or the machine you use to complete your work at the office is on the fritz. It’s time to rethink your ritual.
There’s a story about a monk who would lead his followers in meditation, but just as everyone was reaching their flow states, they would be disrupted by a cat wandering through the temple, purring and meowing for attention. The solution was simple, tie the cat up outside prior to the session so that no one would be bothered during their meditations. This ritual went on for so long that when the cat eventually died, a spiritual crisis emerged. The followers were unsure how to carry out a meditation session without tying up the cat.
Sounds foolish, but like the monks, we are all perfectly capable of meditating without the cat, as well as successfully getting through any obstacle our day poses. Even if we don’t realize it, just because our sense of normalcy has been disrupted doesn’t mean we can’t figure out a way to move forward. We often create self-imposed limitations with our rituals and defend them because that’s how they’ve always been done. Whether it’s due to our long held rituals, our culture, our education, our skill set, our time, or our budget, we talk ourselves out of being able to complete something simply because something inconsequential is challenging our idea of how everything should be working. However, if you argue for these limitations, the unfortunate part is that you get to keep them.
82. sky's the limit
No matter your opinion of Hip-Hop, specifically from the 90’s, there are some masterful lyricists out there that have the ability to deliver a powerful message rapped in an analogy that invites you to see things differently. Strip away the stigma, the personification, the flash, and you come down to the realization that at the fundamental level, it’s simply poetry in motion. Artistry in any form is a gift, whether it’s painting a picture through brush strokes or a succession of words. It’s definitely a lost art in today’s soulless mumble rapping style, where artists rely exclusively on the beat because they have little substance to add otherwise.
One of my favor songs of all time is Sky’s the Limit, by the Notorious B.I.G. It’s a testament to a culture that embodies hustle and determination. It’s an ethic I believe in. If you want to be successful, you have to show up everyday to do the work, because can only get you so far.
The song starts off in a situation that the majority of us can identify with at some level — being born on the wrong side of wealth and opportunity. It transitions into how we are all initially embarrassed by our station in life, but this is what sparks the initial drive to better our life. Sometimes, we must fake it to make it, fitting in where we can. The most successful among us learn from those encounters and use them as teachable moments. Mistakes will always be made along the way in an effort to figure out the best path forward, to elevate ourselves out of the position we originally found ourselves in. As we transform, so does our environment and the people around us. And, because we are the sum of that environment and those people we are surrounded by, it is responsible for changing us, just as much as we change it. In other words, surround yourself with elements that define where you want to go, not where you came from. We always need to be looking forward, even if it scares us because everything we want is on the other side of fear. Therefore, thinking about what needs to be done to fulfill that process is both the toughest and best decision we can make, as it will allow you to get to the next stage in your life.
Without the foresight of a growth mindset, we’ll never be more than what we started with. Call it hustle, hard-work, determination, grit, or persistence. It’s simply a choice that we must make to be the person we want to be. You have to know that the sky is the limit, as the hook repeatedly says. You have to keep pressing on, to get what you want and be how you want. Anything else is settling. Once you figure out how to master the mindset that will lead you to success in whatever you choose, there’s really no stopping you because you are only limited by the restrictions you place upon yourself. There will be setbacks, speed bumps, obstacles, failures, and apparently even a pandemic, but all these are ways to not only strengthen your resolve to what you ultimately want to become, but can help you readjust your direction and narrow your focus. And, as Biggie recites the Hustler’s Prayer — “if the game shakes me or breaks me, I hope it makes me a better man, [to] take a better stand” — it’s important to understand that everything we encounter on our journey is simply meant to serve us along the way because the sky is the limit.