Mastering the Mindset
Mastering the Mindset
Transforming Uncertainty: Fears Into Opportunities
It's time for a shift in your mindset. Too many times we let the fear of uncertainty hold us back. It can paralyze us into inaction. What if we thought from the perspective that "if nothing is certain, anything is possible"? And in reality if you really think about it, there is a lot of truth in that statement. When you feel that uncertainty, understand this; just because there is uncertainty around it, doesn't mean the outcome has to be permanent. It will pass. You can create a different reality. We can find relief in that. This is a good one. Let's dive in!
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What's up everybody and thank you for listening to Mastering the Mindset. My name is Darius Dodge and I'm an actor, hip hop artist and fitness and life coach, and I'm here to personally help you train and improve your mindset so that you can one become the best version of yourself mentally and to gain focus and motivation to be able to take action and achieve the success in life that you want and deserve. Before we get started, please like and subscribe to my channel and at the end of this episode, if you liked it, please share it with a friend or a loved one or someone who would benefit from hearing this message. I'm so glad you're here and I'm ready to go on this journey with you, and that journey begins now. That journey begins now, all right, so welcome, welcome, welcome back to another episode. Thank you all for being here. If you are watching me on YouTube, please go ahead and like and subscribe. If you're on a podcast platform, go ahead and leave me a review. These things help me out a whole lot. And also, please go ahead and become a supporter of the show. You can pick your amount, your monthly amount. It can either be three, five, eight or ten dollars, and it is greatly appreciated, but, as you can see, I got some changes going on. If you're on YouTube, if you're watching me on YouTube right now, then you can see what I mean. So it's 2025.
Speaker 1:And one of my goals is to take my podcast to another level, and so that's what you're looking at right now. I'm actually in a podcast studio. I partnered up with my guy, bobby Smith, and the plan is to record all my episodes here and upgrade the way this thing looks and, even though I'm sure it's already way better than what it used to be, I'm excited for how good it's going to be down the road, because y'all know what it is the first one. It's the first one. I can guarantee that somewhere down the road I'm going to look back at this, and even this is going to be cringeworthy. Your first one of everything that you do always is so don't get it twisted. Now. I'm loving this. Right, this is dope. I think what Bobby got going on is amazing. I just know his mindset and my mindset and I know that we ain't going to stop trying to improve on things. We literally were just having some technical difficulties with this episode, this first one, and we both feel like, yeah, this, this, this, this kind of rough right now, and we just know it's going to get better. So it's only going to go up from here. So that was a very long intro. It's probably going to be one of my longer episodes, but I do have an announcement to make later on which I'll get to. But I also think this is a really good episode and I'm glad y'all stumbled upon this one, so let's go ahead and dive in.
Speaker 1:So I want to give you a quick little, a pep talk kind of episode, and the topic of this one is around the idea and the mindset of if nothing is certain, anything is possible. If nothing is certain, anything is possible. So we have all been through uncertainty. If you ever lost a job, went through a divorce, a breakup, your car broke down, you decided to change careers, you got pregnant on accident, you're expecting a baby and have no idea how to be a parent. And don't even get me started on what the pandemic did to all of us. I can't believe that was five years ago already, well, at least the start of it, because it lasted longer than a year. But that led to so much change, so much uncertainty. We all went through some kind of change, some for the better. Unfortunately, some of it was negative, but regardless, change is inevitable. Even if you don't change things around, you will change.
Speaker 1:So I want to talk about change and specifically around uncertainty. And, like I said on here before several episodes, our brains resist change. As humans, we don't like change. It's hardwired in us to be that way. Our brains see change as a threat to our safety. So naturally, when we find ourselves having to navigate change and transitions in our life, it feels awkward, it feels uncomfortable, scary Anxiety creeps in. We resist change. We feel a resistance when there's uncertainty, uncertainty in transitions. So, like I said, let's talk about the mindset that when things are uncertain, anything is possible, because our brains are going to push back at us. When we feel uncertainty, our brains automatically want to lean towards the negative, towards all the bad things that can happen. And if we allow our brains to continue to go there, we get stuck, we don't move, we don't take action, we get stagnant. So let's talk about it.
Speaker 1:So I feel like there is a shift that we all need to make and there's a word that we all should introduce when we're thinking or feeling uncertainty in life or situations and transitions, and that word is permanent. Permanent. And you know I don't really like that word Like. Do I want this thing permanently? I feel like we all don't like that word Like. Will this close me off to future options, to things that might be more suitable for me in my future? Do I really want this permanence? And so the shift we need to make in our mindsets around uncertainty is think about it from the perspective that nothing is actually permanent. It doesn't have to be permanent. We all know change is inevitable, change is a guarantee and this too will change, and I think we need to embrace that reality and let it lend you a little hope. These negative feelings I'm feeling right now, this anxiety, the stress, the sadness it will go away because nothing is permanent. Pain and heartache and fear Right, they won't be there forever because nothing is permanent. We have to remind ourselves of this, especially when we're going through tough times, when we're forced into a transition in life that's affecting us in a negative way.
Speaker 1:Because of that setback and I definitely have this experience, it was two years ago I have a friend of mine that I went to college with and play football with, fast forward to now. He's highly successful. He created his own business. It's a real estate and urban planning company called NEO Partners that's N-E-O-O Partners and his company is growing so fast and he's doing great work in urban areas in the community and he is making an impact and I'm so proud of him and what he's building. No pun intended Actually, yes, pun intended and one of the things he started to do was offer an award to folks in the community, offer them a community to offer them a showcase, and the showcase is for ten thousand dollars. And he called me into his company one day and told me hey, I want to make you the winner of this showcase this year. And of course, I was excited about it and my brain was going in circles about what I wanted this showcase to be. And immediately I knew what I wanted to do. I want to do a hip-hop play Boom, that's what it was Hip-hop play. And I wanted to showcase my talent as well as give my boys an opportunity to shine too. Take three All day.
Speaker 1:And I had the plan of writing it, paying my roommates for their performance. I was going to use the budget to pay them, book the venue, buy the costumes, use some of it for marketing money towards a music video, to be in the show, money to pay a music producer to mix the music, a stage manager. I had it all planned out. I was excited for this, but I've never done something like this before and I failed, boy, did I fail?
Speaker 1:Turns out that was a lot to try and pull off and the hardest part, believe it or not, was writing it. I was really struggling to write this thing and, on top of it, all the people I wanted to work with, like the guy who does the visual art. He is dope and his projections are so damn good, but because they are so good, he's booked. Of course he booked and of course the venues I wanted to be in cost a whole lot of money. And, of course, because I'm trying to do all this and write it and have it ready in under a year, and write it and have it ready in under a year, no, dutch, just no. And long story short, I failed and I was embarrassed. I was hurt. It didn't happen. I felt like I missed my opportunity and that feeling lasted for a while and then I started to have these conversations with myself like hey, this ain't permanent. Just because you didn't get it done now don't mean that it won't ever get done. And fast forward to now, like I always say, and I appreciate y'all being part of my community on here, and so you will always get whatever I got going on first.
Speaker 1:But I was just awarded a grant by the Minnesota State Arts Board. And guess for how much Ten thousand dollars. And guess what? The sole purpose of this grant is? For Writing the hip hop play, just writing it. See, where I failed before is I tried to make. I try to take that money and do it all to write it and produce it, and I failed.
Speaker 1:But now, with this grant, it's literally just to write it. So now the budget includes money for my roommates, but it'll be to help me come up with ideas and to give me feedback and help me create it, not for performing in it, just for ideas and creation. There's money to work with a playwright, somebody who actually does this for a living, somebody who is also dope as hell too. There's money to go towards a solo writing retreat for myself, probably like a cabin somewhere, where I just go there for three days and just write. So I'll make sure my calendar and my schedule is clear for those three days. Book, a cabin or something. There's also money for gas and food and there's also a big chunk of it that's just going to me to pay myself for writing it, which is important and necessary. Artists need to get paid for all their work and so now my mindset is shifted and now I'm only focusing on writing it, not everything else.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, when I felt the first time the mind shift I had to have or had to find, was that this ain't permanent, that this will pass. And I found out about this grant and I had already won it before the first time. The money went to upgrade my home studio equipment and the amount was only $6,000. Well, not only because that's still a blessing, but it was $6,000. This time it's $10,000. Man, talk about a blessing. And if I didn't have that mindset that my failure wasn't permanent, I wouldn't be here, I would have gave up. And of course, you better believe that as the songs get recorded, you will be getting some sneak, some sneak peeks and some previews. I even said it in the grant application that my podcast platform is a way that I connect with my community. So the plan is to drop the songs here as I go. Well, at least some of them.
Speaker 1:I can't give it all away, but anyway, that was a long story to say that we have to remind ourselves that it'll pass. Yes, it's hard right now, but it's not permanent. And it's equally important to remind ourselves that the happy feelings, the good feelings, the successful feelings, those are not permanent as well. Unfortunately, those are going to go away, and I'm not saying this for you to be always expecting things to go wrong, but for you to have a better appreciation for those positive feelings when you have them, because you know that, hey, it won't always be like this. And right now I'm on the other side of the negative, I'm feeling good. Be like this. And right now I'm on the other side of the negative, I'm feeling good, things are good.
Speaker 1:What you need to do in this season is to fully enjoy being on the other side of those negative feelings, for you to take those moments to really reflect and appreciate how, appreciate how it feels, savor it, remember that this, that that you won't always be this happy because, like we all know, things can and will change. Nothing is permanent. So what you should do is hold on to the only thing that truly is guaranteed, and that's this moment, right now, this exact moment, this day, that we've been gifted Not tomorrow, not next season, not next week, not next year today, now, next season, next week, next year, today and allow this to help you understand that, ok, nothing is permanent. So how can I stay present, present where my feet are, and this idea can help us with making those hard decisions, right? Career decisions, home decisions. Maybe you're thinking about moving.
Speaker 1:If you understand that nothing is permanent, you won't have to sit in this gray area of uncertainty trying to figure out what choice to make, because whatever that choice is going to be, what it doesn't have to be is permanent. And really it's hard being in that middle gray area. Right, it's stressful, trying to decide and weigh all the options and pondering over all the things that might happen that you got to decide and things that might go wrong, and you get worried about it and the decision gets even harder to make and it really can cause stress and anxiety. We know that. But don't you think it'd be easier to just make the choice, to just get it off your plate? Because, yes, it might suck if you don't like your next job, but it doesn't have to be your last job If you don't like whatever transition you made, you can make a different one.
Speaker 1:And yes, will that be hard to make a choice and realize over time that you still need to make a change. Of course I'm not downplaying that and I'm not saying that you shouldn't put thought into your important decisions. But there has to be a limit, there has to be a threshold, and the mindset that can help that threshold keep you from stressing out over that decision for a long period of time, is understanding that nothing is permanent. Because what would you rather write? What would you rather? You making a choice that actually wasn't the right one and it doesn't serve you, and you making another choice. Or you making the choice to be permanent right, so you make the choice it doesn't serve you and you're making that choice permanent. Or if you decided that you were dealing with the headaches of making another transition, which is a better choice and being able to get, to get to the life that you truly, that you truly like and is right for you, which one do you think is the better choice in the long run? Right? Nothing is permanent.
Speaker 1:Same thing applies to relationships, and this is not relationship advice. I am single and not the person to get advice from. That's just not smart. But if you start dating somebody and you don't feel like it's something that's going to work, don't hold on to it, don't make it permanent. If you know that it ain't working, you can eventually date somebody else. And on the flip side of that, if you are in a relationship, remember that nothing is permanent. Cherish what you have, cherish those highs, be present, because we all know with relationships there will be ups and downs. So cherish the ups and understand that the downs also ain't permanent.
Speaker 1:And this mindset applies to all kinds of ideas and situations. It's a simple yet a powerful way of thinking. If nothing is permanent or certain, instead of feeling anxious and putting a lot of pressure on yourself, ask yourself the question how do I want to show up now? Because of the fact that nothing is permanent, because of the fact that nothing is certain. And if you have this mindset when making choices, it can take some of the pressure off you and help you feel more open minded, which can help lower anxiety, because you're not trying to change something you can't change. You're not trying to control something you can't control. Nothing is permanent, nothing is certain, only this moment, right here right now. So, when changes start to happen in your life, use this mindset. Be able to understand that if you're open minded about it, you'll be able to attract so many things because you're not closing yourself off, you're not closing off your mind, your choices. You'll be able to attract the things that truly do serve you. But for this to happen, you have to truly be open minded and truly in the headspace where you think of positive.
Speaker 1:And again, thinking permanent can easily be negative in terms of making decisions. You can't be closed off and rigid, and I know it's way easier said than done. Right, I get it. So work at it. Work on figuring out how you can ease up on yourself and take the burden away of trying to make a permanent plan. We have to slowly chip away at this feeling that we crave, as humans, for certainty and instead focus on being a person who can be open and understand that you're adding more tools to your toolbox, more tools to be able to create that life. Create that life you truly want, step by step. And again, I get it. You have big choices to make and I get it. Making that choice. It's a big one and it ain't a simple one. I understand I'm not trying to downplay any of that To make that career change, to make that change to a new city or a new state, to completely pivot in your business, to get out of that relationship, your health goals, whatever it may be.
Speaker 1:It's easy to get overwhelmed by that decision. Why? Because we crave that certainty. So what if we changed our perspective around it? What if we actually got excited for what it could be? Because the fear of anxiety we feel around uncertainty is due to the possible negative outcomes. Right, what if we got excited? Excuse me, what if we got excited for the possibility of it working out extremely well? What if we grow from this? What if it's open doors and other opportunities? What if it shows you a different way, a better way of doing things than the way you've been doing it and it's actually serving you better than what it was?
Speaker 1:What if you get excited about this exact moment right here? Because if you keep going on the path, you're on the path of bettering yourself. You're going to look back at the days, just like this one, and smile about it, because this stage you're in right now is character building. This stage is setting you up for a future version of yourself that's going to be operating at a higher level than what you are now. You're going to look back and reflect on all the work you put in, how you showed up for yourself to get to where you are. That's something to get excited about. So let's do the damn thing right, excuse me. Fight that feeling of anxiety and stress and uncertainty with the understanding that it doesn't have to be permanent. Begin the transition of a mindset shift in your brain and think of all the positive things that will come from you, embracing this.
Speaker 1:And again, like I always say, this ain't a podcast where I tell you hey, look at me, do what I do if you want to be successful, do what I do if you want to be happy. No, it ain't that kind of podcast. I'm working on these things with you. I'm on this journey with you. So let's get to work. So that's what I got for you today.
Speaker 1:As always, we're going to ride out to some Dutch music. The song we got today is an unreleased one. It's Just got dressed. I got fresh. All you text. Let me check.
Speaker 1:I confess I've been a mess. Do I get stressed? Nigga, yes, it's been. You chase success. Inside effects Don't always connect and I talk to myself Like, okay, bet, like they forgot who the fuck I am, I should flex. Don't make me beat my chest, king Kong in the flesh, we'll be right back, rest. Only checks. Blood, tears and sweat determine what you get. I'm determined to get success. I'm what you expect. Kick on in the flesh, cause they know I'm a beast, not a pet, more like a vet. Bite my chest now. Please don't get too buggy man. Please don't be a pest. I'm too focused. I've been hungering like I. I'm from budapest.
Speaker 1:Corona came and it was so ugly for the whole country. I searched for myself and I made a discovery. I've been living on skull island this whole time. I'm blessed. Uh, king kong in the flesh, because they know I'm a beast, not a pet. Don't try to pet. I'm at your neck. I'm coming to you. It's big. Uh, king Kong in the flesh. Don't make me have to flex. Beat my chest, okay, bet, say less. I'm coming to you, it's big. I'm not in the nest, I'm too fly. I left. This ain't music. This shit is love to me. It's like a drug to me. If you really feel it, let me know you fuck with me. Keep it above with me Walk to my chef. I know she was a plug to me. Now people look up to me. First time I heard it it really stuck to me Like I'm under a desk and I don't see no test. With this pen and this pad, everything I'm writing be correct. They can say whatever they want, but they gotta give Outro Music. I'm out. I got a fire in my eyes.