Mastering the Mindset
Mastering the Mindset
Am I Doing Enough?
Today’s conversation revolves around personal growth and the importance of embracing the process. We explore how our small actions build into something significant and the beauty of imperfection throughout our journeys.
• Understanding the pressure of self-improvement and the fear of failure
• The significance of the pointillism concept in viewing life
• Embracing the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi
• Real-life challenges that reflect personal growth moments
• Importance of recognizing that small steps accumulate over time
• Encouragement to see beauty in the imperfections of one’s journey
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Losing myself and finding my strength, came to the conclusion that I want it all, feeling that pressure of trying to do better. I want to reach heights, but too scared to fall, too scared to fail. You're way more scared of feeling regret. I'm not even trying. That's terrifying. I understand that. Chasing my goals are burying my clocks because it take time. I gotta go. I already know if I want to grow, you breathe, what sow, that be the case, planting my seeds and water my base. Yeah, I made mistakes. Yeah, I know you grow in your garden, but watch for the snakes, the people that act like you crazy, but trying to stay far away. They don't think it's possible. I think it's possible. That is just hate. Yeah, they hate themselves because they on the shelf While you create a life that you love, a life that you love Loving the fact you're improving yourself, decided that you would not settle.
Speaker 1:Decided that you got the drive to do what the road got. Bumping your foot on the pedal. You go up a level, you turn up whenever it's time for you to go. Put in that work. I know my worth. I know it ain't gonna be easy. Yeah, I know it hurt. My thing is for sure yeah, until they put me in this earth, before I ride in that hearse. I'm chasing my goals. I'm chasing my goals. Yeah, love and affect to improving yourself. Decided that you would not settle. Decided that you got the drive to do it, to go, got punk and good foot in the gutter. I'm chasing my goals.
Speaker 1:All right, welcome back to another episode. Like I always say, thank y'all for being here. If you are watching me on youtube, go ahead and like and subscribe to the channel, also like this episode. If you're listening on the podcast platform, please leave me a review these things help me out a whole lot and also become a monthly supporter of this show. I'll put the link in the description. It's super easy. You can choose the amount it can either be $3, $5, $8, or $10, and you can cancel at any time you want to. But let's go ahead and get this thing started.
Speaker 1:Today is going to be another one of those episodes where I kind of light a little fire under your ass a little bit, and that goes for you and me, because I think both of us may be doing the same little song and dance that we tend to do often. So, whatever that goal you have, whatever that thing is you've been working on. It can be a challenge to be proud of yourself for where you are right now in your life, your career, your relationship, whatever and to be excited about where you want to go and the person you'll be coming in the pursuit of those goals and that vision. It, for real, can be this balancing act. So today I want to just help you to change your perspective, to be able to look at where you are differently and see a different picture, a different story than whatever negative one you have that you might be telling yourself. Because today, tomorrow, yesterday, the day after tomorrow, next week, next month. Now, the way you show up for yourself right now, right here, right now, and moving forward, is going to shape the way your future looks. It's going to determine what success you have or don't have.
Speaker 1:So today I want to give you two concepts. Both of them have to do with art. It's going to hopefully give you the shift you need. So, one of these concepts I've spoken on before, but I'm going to talk about it again because one, I think is a really cool concept and I want to bring it back to the front of your memory. And two, I think it's something that we need to practice often, and now is the perfect time, especially if you're in a season where you feel like you're not doing enough or you feel like you're not as far as you think you should be or want to be. So let's dive in.
Speaker 1:So the first thing I'm going to talk about to you, the first I'm going to talk to you today about, is called pointillism. Pointillism is a type of art and it involves tiny dots or small strokes of a pencil or a paintbrush or whatever. It's not thick, broad lines or broad strokes of a paintbrush, small dots, small marks or spots, and up close that's exactly what it looks like like a bunch of randomly put together spots and dots on a canvas. But from a distance, when you look at it, all those dots and strokes visually blend together and the piece of art or picture or whatever the artwork is, it becomes visible to you. You can see it from a distance and again, up close, those tiny dots and strokes feel random, they don't feel like they really make a difference.
Speaker 1:But when you step back and you change your perspective and look at the big picture, you can see how those tiny dots add up and make the artwork and you probably know where I'm going with this, but I think this is a valuable perspective to have when we look at our lives, because it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine of it all those day-to-day tasks, the motion, doing all the things we have to do and we don't slow down to think about the big picture. It's important to slow down every now and then and think about all these tiny things you're doing and they might seem pretty easy to do or unimportant, and it's easy to just think of it as a throwaway thing. Right, we don't really see it as a massive action, but those tiny things that you've been doing, that you've been choosing to do, are just as easy not to do, and we have to remember that. Right, when you make the decision, when you make the conscious choice to do things, they begin to compound, and that's how you created the life you have right now. When you think about your life and where you are right now, right here, there were a whole lot of tiny little choices that you made day in and day out that got you to exactly where you are right here and right now. You can connect those dots if you go backwards and look at the choices that you've been making. But again, it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough. And thinking about it in the terms of pointillism can really change your perspective.
Speaker 1:And one of the important things to compare is let's say, you have a off day. Right, we all have those. Right, you've been putting in a whole bunch of days in. You've been working hard, being consistent, being disciplined, all that. Having an off day is inevitable. But just like in pointillism, if one tiny little dot or stroke is off, when you back up and look at the big picture, it has no effect on it. The picture is still beautiful, it still looks like what it was meant to look like. So when you have an off day, take a step back, look at the big picture. That off day is just what it is A day, not the whole thing, not your whole goal, because you ain't going to accomplish those big goals in a day anyway. It takes time. It takes all those small action, all that grinding, all that time, all those days put together to make the big picture, and one dot won't ruin it. One dot, one off day, one mistake, one setback ain't going to ruin the big picture. So give yourself some grace when you have that off day. You ain't a robot. You can't be perfect. That's impossible. Just remember how the tiny things add up and that if you keep pulling, putting in the work and doing all the necessary things, that canvas is just going to have a hell of a lot of dots right. One dot cannot stop you while you paint that canvas.
Speaker 1:And the example I've used on here before I'm going to use again is one of my many experiences on Juneteenth. So I was given the opportunity to not only perform my music as part of the city of St Cloud's Juneteenth celebration. It's been four years in a row now, I think, but the third year I was given the opportunity to be a merchant and have my own table and have my own table set up and sell things, and one it forced me to grow to come up with a product to sell. I sold my own branded t-shirts, which is what I have on right now. If you can see me on which camera you looking at right, nice Juneteenth thing with my Take 3 logo on the back. I don't know if you can see that take three, take three in the back. That's my uh. That is my uh logo for my music, uh.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, one, I had to come up with something to sell. And two, uh, there were several moments throughout that day that challenged my mindset because, let me tell you, so many things went wrong that day and it was a really big day for me. It was the most people they ever predicted to show up that they ever had. The radio station was going to be live there. It was a big moment and things started to go wrong. I got there and everyone's supposed to have two tables. I only had one and there was no way one table was going to work. Had to figure that out. I had a tent, you know the kind of that had the long legs that you can stand underneath, right. I packed it all up, got there, got it out the box and realized, damn, somehow I left the canopy at home. All I had was the legs. Okay, okay, had the problem solved that I couldn't even start selling stuff right away because my point of sale system wasn't working with the square app on my phone, right, I had to figure that out, with people literally in line, multiple people waiting to buy from me, and my point of sale system ain't even working and I was stressing and hot because I have no damn canopy.
Speaker 1:It's Juneteenth, the middle of June. I'm sweating. I'm frustrated as hell. Luckily, I have a really good support system and a friend of mine was there to help me and I'm trying to finish getting the t-shirts set up on the table so they can look nice and get my system set up. So I know where everything was. And then all of that and I was like I can't make not one more decision right now. You just got to do this Right. And they finished setting up my table for me because I couldn't. I couldn't even figure out how I wanted my shirts to look where I wanted to be placed, at Right. I had to make it look good and presentable. I'm like I can't do this, just do this for me.
Speaker 1:But my moment of pointillism happened for me when I looked up and realized that, even though all this is going wrong, I had already sold 15 shirts and I brought a little bit over 40 with me, like 43. I had already sold 15 shirts and I didn't even have my point of sales working yet. So here I am stressing and I'm having a hell of a start to my day. I'm stressed out and I'm having a hell of a start to my day. I'm stressed out and I'm having a hell of a start to my day in the midst of all that was going on right, and all this happened in the span of like an hour. I was set to be there for 10 hours, so it was literally just a dot, just one dot. One hour Again. I could have let that one dot stop me. I could have decided that this is going to derail my day, right, but I didn't. Don't let that one dot stop you.
Speaker 1:So when you ask yourself, am I doing enough? The answer is yes. It's yes, hell yes, you are. You have to change your perspective and step back and see the picture is being made. Your focus might just be too zoomed in right. You are getting yourself there, dot by dot.
Speaker 1:So if you're in a season of change or a lack of motivation because you feel like you ain't doing enough, or you're in a season of wanting more or you want to make a change, maybe you've been feeling emotional lately, or some of the problems with your family, maybe you're experiencing the feeling of loss, and that could be due to change, because with change comes the loss of familiar. Right, you're changing yourself, you're stretching, you're growing emotionally doing those tiny little things, those tiny little strokes day in and day out. That can feel like a lot, and I want to remind you that it all matters. It all matters, it all adds up. And I want to remind you that you actually have more control than you think. And also we have to start rewarding ourselves for those tiny little actions and recognize that they are getting you somewhere. Direction is more important than speed, and those tiny actions matter.
Speaker 1:And by using pointillism, the pointillism way of viewing life going after those things you've been going after is going to be more sustainable and, honestly, more enjoyable. Why? Because you're not waiting for this milestone that you visualize in your head to present itself to you to feel proud. You have to enjoy the whole process in pursuit of that goal. You have to enjoy the person you're becoming and the process that it takes. And look, we want to stretch and grow and evolve right. So really waiting to feel like you finally have quote-unquote arrived should be something that we really don't want, because we're looking for growth, trying to achieve growth. We should never feel like we've arrived, because we're going to naturally get to a place where that mark is and that destination is going to change slightly because we're growing right and feeling like you've arrived is actually a comfort zone.
Speaker 1:And I remember when I had my first show at the Guthrie and I was feeling like yo, this is huge for my career and I understand what it can do for me potentially in the future. And I can remember the years and years of me trying to get my foot in that damn building and I finally got there and I felt like I was starting all over again. Why? Because, yes, huge milestone for me. But now, now that I'm here, I got to prove myself all over again. I had to work my way up. I started off only getting a couple of understudy roles. I had to work my way up. I started off only getting a couple of understudy roles. Then that graduated into a supporting role and it was a milestone yet again, small role, but a great role, right, my family flew in from Louisiana to see it. That's how significant it was. But then I graduated again and had a lead role last year Another peak for my career, Amazing moment for my career, right. And a friend of mine had sent me a message when I first got that supporting role years ago and I was in sweat by Lynn Nottage and they messaged me saying, quote unquote you've arrived. And, honestly, I never had that feeling back then and I wish I would have.
Speaker 1:I needed to take that step back, like in pointillism. Why? Because, yes, now that I'm here, I'm focused on doing the best I possibly can on that stage. I'm focused on making sure that this door is going to open for me in the future. I'm focused on how I can be better and I feel like I hit a reset button, like on a Super Nintendo right. Hit the reset button, put a brand new game in and I'm starting at level one, all over again from the beginning. Same console, but newer game, better game. And yes, while all that can be true, I was still robbing myself of enjoying how far I had come. The version of myself five years ago would kill to be in that production. I was in last year, right?
Speaker 1:Anyway, and before I move on, let me just remind you that in whatever goal, whatever goal you're pursuing right now, don't forget this the outcome is never guaranteed, but what is guaranteed is the process, and you can't skip the process. So we have to stop beating ourselves up when we get to a place where we question if we're doing enough. We feel like we should be there by now. Right, this is the process. Ok, and the next concept I want to talk about real quick is called to Wabi Sabi, and what it is is a Japanese concept and it's a view and I'm reading this verbatim right now A view that's described as one of appreciating beauty that is imperfect, not permanent and incomplete. So, appreciating beauty that is imperfect, not permanent and incomplete. So, appreciating beauty that is imperfect, not permanent and incomplete. And the point I want to get at with this is, if we give ourselves this visual reminder that even missed marks or paths that might not be perfect are still beautiful, we can give ourselves that compassion that we need to keep showing up.
Speaker 1:Because when we go through that season of feeling like we're not doing enough, or feeling like we keep messing up or we have that misstep Right, it can be easy to just throw in the towel or be super down about it. Why, well, we as humans have what I call a fantasy and we think we're going to go through life when it's all smooth sailing, we put in the work and we get the thing done and we kill it, and we have all the motivation we need. And if we just try and stick with it and work hard, it'll be all sunshine and roses and butterflies. But ain't no growth in that if it's all rainbows and butterflies and sunshine and smooth sailing and there just ain't as much pride and joy in it. Because if it's easy, well was it really something to be extremely proud of? Because if it's easy, that means that anybody can do it.
Speaker 1:You know that feeling you get when you accomplish something that was hard, and you feel proud because you're the person who put in that work. You're the person who knows that path you had to take to get to where you got, and can't nobody take that from you, because that was hard and you did it. You did it and it felt good once you achieved it. All those times that you wanted to give up along the way, all those times you had to change your perspective along the way, all the times maybe you needed to ask for help, right? And maybe that's the moment you're in right now. It definitely can't be for me, right?
Speaker 1:We're in this thing. We're putting in the work and we're messing up and we're making slow progress and we're grinding and it's hard. It's hard to find the motivation, hard to be positive. We feel like we ain't doing enough. And just imagine how it's going to feel on the other side of all that. Right, you're going to look back at this moment, right here, right now, and that perspective shift of pointillism and wabi-sabi is going to make all the sense in the world. And just like in the concept of wabi-sabi right, it ain't all perfectly, it will all perfectly add up eventually, all the mistakes. Right, they will add up because, at the end of the day, it was all necessary. You had to experience it, you had to go through it.
Speaker 1:Whatever it is you're dealing with right now, you have to deal with it. It's part of the process, it's part of growth, it's part of you becoming the person you're going to, that you're going to become, and imagine how that's going to feel, and that alone should be enough to remind you that hell, yeah, I'm doing enough. You don't want it all to be perfect. It can't be. You don't want it to be. So this is a reminder. Hell, yes, you're doing enough. Take a step back. Look at the big picture. You're making a beautiful picture. Look at all the imperfections. Remember that one badly placed dot will not ruin the big picture. And dust yourself off and keep going. You're doing it exactly the way it needs to be done. So that's what I got for you today. Thank you all again for being here. Please become a supporter of the show. You can choose the amount it could be three, five, eight or ten dollars, or you can make a one time donation. All the links are in the description for all that, but let's go ahead and ride out to this music.
Speaker 1:The song I got for you today is kind of a throwback. It is Hero and Villain. Let's ride out. Yeah, it's Dodge. Uh, hero and villain. I hate this feeling. I gotta make a decision. Do I save him or kill him? And it won't take long.
Speaker 1:Step back as I take off. Keep up, I don't race y'all. This shit, just a cakewalk. It's a S on my chest. Don't make me take my cape off. I don't call these women hoes. Just know I don't save y'all. Smoking on that. Harvey Dent, feel like have my face gone. I change the weather like storm. I can make her rainfall. Hero and Bill in a package deal. Y'all. We'll be right back with my princess Leia. I hit her with my lightsaber, she calling me daddy. I feel like Darth Vader. She want a sequel. I said I'll be back. Like Terminator.
Speaker 1:I'm not hard to find. They know who he is. I'm spotted with my dogs like Cruella De Vil. Am I the hero or am I the villain? I'm trying to get money and for me to save it I gotta go kill it. I look in the mirror. I can't see a difference. Like really, who is it that sun go down? You find me in the mirror. I can't see a difference. Like really, who is it that sun go down? You find me in the city.
Speaker 1:Hero and villain. Turn up. Hero and villain. I hate this feeling. It's time to let them all know I'm not Dr Jekyll, no more. So you can't hide. I'm charged up like Goku. I let my dragon balls hang down to the floor and we don't wanna sidekick, fuck up and rob him, cause I'd rather be on our own, because we got a suicide squad and we in the justice league of our own. Boy, I'm really flying you really high man, what kind of tree is you on? Boy, you look like swamp thing because you can't leave that seaweed alone. Hero and villain. I'll prove it.
Speaker 1:As soon as one of y'all start snoozing, they start sleeping, I start killing. I feel like like Freddy Krueger and they dying just to get on my level, bossed up like King Koopa and thank the Lord to my future wife, cause that woman will be super Hero and villain. I feel like Bruce Banner controlling my anger. You don't wanna see me go Hulk again. You better be smart with it, like Tony Stark with it. I will dive on you like Aquaman. I dove in the ocean like Aquaman. Like Professor X, she can't walk again Cause I gave her this back man. It made her go crazy. Like Harley Quinn, I feel like a hero. Am I the villain? I'm trying to get money and for me to save it I gotta go kill it. I look in the mirror. I can't see a difference. Like really, who is it that? Sun go down. You find me in the city. Hero and villain, turn up, we'll see you next time.