Proof That You ARE Doing Enough

You can work hard and still feel like you're not doing enough. That feeling can alter your confidence. I want to light a fire under both of us, but also to give you something calmer and more useful than guilt: a way to change your perspective so you can see your progress clearly, even when you are tired, stressed, or stuck in a slow season.

Transcript

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Opening Track On Chasing Goals

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Losing myself and finding my strength came to the conclusion that I want it all. Feeling that pressure of tryna do better. I wanna reach heights, but too scared to fall. Too scared of failure. Way more scared of feeling regret. I'm not even trying, that's terrifying. I understand that chasing my goals, I bury my clocks because it takes time. I gotta go. I already know. If I wanna grow, you reap what you sow. That be the case. Planting my seeds or 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're crazy for trying this, they far away. They don't think it's possible, I think it's possible. That it's just hate. If they hate themselves, cause they on the shelf. While you create a life that you love.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

A life that you love. Loving the fact to improving yourself. Decided that you wouldn't settle. Decided that you got the drive to do it. 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 work, huh? I know it ain't gonna be easy, yeah. I know it hurt, but thing is for sure. Yeah. Until it put me in this earth. Before I ride in that hearse, chasing my goals.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

I'm chasing my goals.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Loving the fact to improving yourself. Decided that you in a settle. Decided that you got the drive to do it to go. Got bumped with your foot on the cutter. I'm chasing my goals.

Welcome And How To Support

SPEAKER_01 1:28

Alright, and welcome back to another episode. Thank y'all so much for being here. If you were on YouTube, go ahead and like and subscribe to my channel. Like right now, just do it. It takes you two seconds. Also, if you were on a podcast platform, please leave me a review. And also, uh, for everybody, please become a supporter of the show. You can buy me a cup of coffee, that's about what it'll cost you. It helps me keep this thing going. It's greatly appreciated. If you know me, you know I love coffee. I drink it every day. So why thank you in advance? But let's go ahead and get started. Today it's going to be another one of those episodes where I kind of light a fire under your ass a little bit. And that's for you and me. Because I think both of us may be doing this little song and dance that we tend to do often. Whatever goal that you have, or 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 relationships, whatever it may be, and be excited about where you want to go and the person that you are becoming in that pursuit of those goals and that vision. And it can for real be this balancing act. So today, I just want to help you be able 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 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 here and 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. So today I'm going to give you two concepts, both of them that have to do with art, uh, that's going to hopefully give you the shift you need. So one of the concepts, I and I've spoken about this before, but I'm going to talk about it again because one, I think it's a really cool concept, and I want to bring it back to the front of your memory. And two, I think it is something that we need to practice often. And now is the perfect time, especially if you are in a season where you feel like you ain't doing enough, or you're not as far as you think you should be or want to be. So let's dive

Pointillism And The Big Picture

SPEAKER_01 3:44

in. So the first thing I'm going to talk about is called pointalism. Pointalism. Uh pointalism, pointalism is a type of art, and it uh it involves uh these tiny dots or small strokes of paint or pencil or whatever. And it's not thick lines or broad strokes of a paintbrush, but small dots or marks or spots. And up close, that is exactly what it looks like. Like a bunch of random spots and dots on a page on a canvas. Up close, it don't look like art. It don't look good. But from a distance, when you look at it, when you step back, all those dots and strokes, they blend together and you can see um the big picture. You can see the piece of art, a picture, right? Whatever that artwork is, it becomes visible. You can see it from a distance. But again, up close, them tiny dots and them strokes, they feel random and it don't seem like they really make a difference. But when you step back and you change your perspective and look at the big picture, right, you can see how those tiny dots add up and excuse me, and they make the artwork. And you can probably already tell 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, right? Those day-to-day tasks, the motion, right? The doing all the things that we need to do, the taking the action towards all those things and not getting to that destination yet and feeling like you're stuck, right? 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 little things that you are doing, and they may not seem well, they are not easy to do, right? They may seem unimportant, or maybe even meaningless, right? Like you ain't going nowhere. And it's easy to just think of it as a throwaway thing, right? We don't see it as this massive action. And these tiny little things that you've been choosing to do, they are just as easy not to do. And we got to remember that, right? But when you do make that decision, when you make those conscious choices to do those things, they begin to compound. And that's how you created the life that you have right now. If you think about your life and where you are right now, there are 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, right now. And you can connect the dots if you go backwards and look at those choices that you've been making. But again, it's easy when you're right in the middle of working towards something. It can be easy to feel like you ain't doing enough. And thinking about it in terms of this concept of pointalism, it can really change your perspective.

Why One Off Day Does Not Matter

SPEAKER_01 6:35

And one of the important things to compare is let's say uh you have a off day, quote unquote off day. We all have those, we all been there done that. You've been putting in a whole bunch of days in, you've been working hard, being consistent, disciplined, all that. Having an off day is inevitable. But just like in pointalism, if one tiny little dot or stroke is off, when you back up and look at the big picture, it really has no effect on the big picture. The picture is still beautiful, it still looks like it was meant to look like, right? So when you have that off day, take that step back. Look at the big picture. That off day is just what it is. A day. Not the whole thing, not your goal, not the whole project, not the distance you've traveled. You ain't gonna accomplish those big goals in a day. It takes time. It takes all those small actions, all that grinding, all that time, all those days put together to get that big picture. And one dot ain't gonna ruin it. One dot, one off day, one mistake, one setback, that ain't gonna 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 the tiny things add up. And if that and if you keep putting in that work and doing all those necessary things, that canvas is gonna have a hell of a lot of dots on it. Don't let one dot stop you.

A Rough Year And Creative Pressure

SPEAKER_01 8:13

And I'm gonna use the year I've been having so far. So if any of y'all follow me on social media, then you know that normally I be posting. I be on it. I'm always posting some kind of content because I got a lot going on with my acting career, this podcast, my music, me being a fitness coach, plus all the editing work I do with video making and everything. So for the most part, I got stuff to post. And I be posting. But so far, this year, 2026, that ain't been the case. This has been a long year for me. Long year for your boy, I can't even lie. And the timing of me not being in any shows and the economy being so bad right now, it really put a stress on me, and I was just down a lot. And I didn't have it in me to be going through what I was going through mentally and emotionally, being in the middle of writing this difficult ass hip-hop musical, difficult in the sense that one uh something I've never done before. So I naturally gotta go through all the phases of doing something new, right? The emotional cycle of change. And let me just talk about that for a second, real quick.

The Emotional Cycle Of Change

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Uh, but first is what's called uninformed optimism. That's when you first start something new, you got all this motivation, you're excited about the plan and the goal, you can get to work on it real easy. Lots of optimism and excitement. Then you got informed pessimism. That's when you've been doing it for a while, you learned more, you know more, and now you're familiar with all the obstacles, right? You ain't as optimistic as before. Then you got what's called valley of despair. This is the lowest point. This is when you get your peak of frustration, you feel like quitting the most, when it just don't feel like you can do it. Uh, next you got informed optimism. Here is when you done built up some confidence. You can see that you done learned a lot. You figure out what works and what don't work, you can see the clearing through the trees, right? Then the final stage of it is success and fulfillment. That's when you reach the goal, when you come out on top and you did it and you feel all the good feelings that come along with accomplishments. And right now, I'm kind of in the informed optimism part of writing this hip-hop musical, but I definitely been in the valley of despair. Uh so I had all that going on, on top of my year, just not having a good start for me financially and emotionally. Then on top of all that, my laptop and hard drive got stolen out of my car. So my year, it's just been rough. So, long story short, I ain't been posting as much as I normally do. Uh, I haven't had the right mental capacity to be to be taking on all that right now. I need to let posting and being present online and social media just slide off my plate for right now. And like I said, I didn't have any shows lined up. I didn't know where the hell my next gig was gonna come from. And fast forward, I'm booked and blessed now. God really done show it out for me. I got five shows lined up and I'm about to be busy as hell and back doing what I love. Well, one of the things I love, which is being on stage and acting, right? But me getting booked and blessed, that was the reminder I needed to step back and look at the big picture.

Direction Beats Speed Every Time

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Right? This start of the year was just that. A start to a year. One start to a year of a long, successful number of years that I have been a professional actor. I can honestly say that I'm blessed. If I look at my resume, I can truly say God has been working miracles for me. This year, these first seven months, that's all it is. That's all it was. It don't define me or my career. It's literally just one of those dots on the canvas. That's all it is. And I needed to remind myself of that. And I'm here to remind you, don't let one dot stop you. So when you ask yourself, Am I doing enough? the answer is yes. Is yes. You probably need to change your perspective and step back and see that picture is still being made. Your focus might just be too zoomed in. You are getting yourself there. So if you're in a season of change or lack of motivation because you feel like you ain't doing enough, or you're in a season where you want more and you want to make a change. Maybe you feeling like you are, maybe you are feeling more emotional lately, problems with your family. Maybe you're experiencing that feeling of loss, right? And that could be due to change because with change comes the loss of the familiar, right? You've been challenging 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. I'm here 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 need to start rewarding ourselves for those tiny little actions and recognize that they are getting you somewhere. Direction is more important than speed. I say it all the time on here. Direction is more important than speed, and those tiny actions matter. And by using pointalism, right, by using this way of viewing life, going after those things that you're going after is gonna be more sustainable and honestly more enjoyable, right? Why? Because you ain't 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 in process, in the process that it takes. And look, we all want to stretch and grow and evolve, right? So, really, so waiting to feel like you finally have arrived should be something that you don't actually want. Because if you're looking for growth and trying to achieve growth, we should never feel like we quote unquote have arrived because we're gonna naturally get to a place where that mark is and that destination is gonna change slightly because we're growing. And feeling like you have arrived is actually a comfort

Milestones And The Myth Of Arriving

SPEAKER_01 14:40

zone, right? I remember when I first uh 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 potentially do for me in my future. And I can remember the years and years and years of me trying to finally get my damn foot in that building. And I got there and I felt like I was starting all over again. Why? Because yes, it was a huge milestone for me. But once I got in there, I knew I gotta prove myself all over again. I had to work my way up to get to this point. I started off only getting a couple of understudy roles. Then I graduated into a supporting role, which was a milestone for me. It was a small role, but but it was a great role. My family flew up from Louisiana to see it. That's how significant it was. Then, next, I graduated again and I had a lead role in 2024, another peak for my career. And a friend of mine sent me a message when I first got that first role, that first supporting role. And uh I was in Sweat by Leon Noddage, and they messaged me saying, You've arrived. And honestly, I never had that feeling back then, and I wish I would have. What I needed to do was take that step back, like in pointalism. Why? Because I was robbing myself of enjoying how far I had came. The version of myself 10 years ago would have killed to be in that production I was in. Right? Anyway, and before I move on, let me just remind you that in whatever goal you're pursuing right now, don't forget this. The outcome is never guaranteed, but what is guaranteed is the process. You can't skip the process. We have to stop beating ourselves up when we get to a place where we question if we are doing enough. We feel like we should be there by now. This is the process, and you cannot get around the process. Okay.

Wabi Sabi And Imperfect Progress

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Next concept I want to touch on real quick is called wabi sabi. And let me just read this verbatim. A view that's described as one of appreciating beauty that is imperfect, imperfect, not permanent and complete. 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 missed paths, that they might not be perfect, that they are still beautiful, we can give ourselves what we need to mentally and emotionally keep showing up for ourselves. Because when we go through that season of feeling like we're not doing enough, feeling like we keep messing up or if we have a misstep, it could be easy to want to throw in the towel or to be real down about

Why Hard Work Feels Meaningful

SPEAKER_01 17:30

it. Why? Well, as humans, we have what I call a fantasy. We have this fantasy and we think that we want to go through life where it's all smooth sailing. And we want to put in the work and get the thing done, and we kill it and have all the motivation we need, and if we just try and stick with it and work hard, it'll all be sunshine and roses and butterflies. But ain't no growth in that. If it's all rainbows and butterflies and sunshine and smooth sailing, there just ain't as much pride and joy in that. It can't be. Because if it's easy, was it really something to be extremely proud of in the first place? Because if it's easy, that means anybody can do it. You know that feeling you get when you accomplish something that was hard and you feel proud, and you feel like you understand that you are the person who put in that work, you are the person that knows that path that you had to take to get to where you got. Can't nobody take that from you because that was hard. And you did that. You did it, and it felt good once you achieved it. All those times you wanted to give up along the way, all those times you had to change your perspective along the way, all those times that you maybe needed to ask for help. And maybe that moment is right now for you. Definitely been there, done that, especially this year. Because man, look, we in this thing. We putting in the work and we messing up, we making slow progress, we grinding, and it's hard. It's hard to find the motivation, hard to be positive sometimes, and we sometimes we feel like we ain't doing we ain't doing enough. And just imagine how it's gonna feel on the other side of all of that. You're gonna look back at this moment right here, right now, and that perspective shift of pointalism and wabasabi, it's gonna all make sense. It'll all perfectly add up, even all the mistakes. Because at the end of the day, it was all necessary for it to happen. You had to experience it, you had to go through it. Whatever it is you're dealing with right now, you have to deal with it. This is part of the process, it's part of growth, it's part of you becoming the person that you're gonna become. And imagine how it's gonna feel. That alone should be enough to remind you that hell yeah, I am doing enough. Because you don't want it all to be perfect, because it can't be. You don't want that. So, this is that reminder that hell yes, you are doing enough. Take that step back, look at the big picture you're making, look at all the imperfections, and remember that one badly placed dot, one misplaced dot, it ain't gonna ruin the big picture. And dust yourself off and keep going. You're doing it exactly the way you need to be doing

Closing Message And Share Request

SPEAKER_01 20:18

it. So that's what I got for y'all today. Um, again, thank y'all so much for being here. Uh, please become a supporter of the show. Support your boy by buying me a cup of coffee. If you know me, you know I love coffee. I drink it every single day of my life. You can uh easily click a link in the description to help help me with that. It's much appreciated. Uh, please share this episode on your social media or share with someone who you feel like will benefit from hearing this message. Maybe that's a family member, maybe it's a friend. Make sure you tag me in that post. Let's go ahead and get

Outro Song Hero And Villain

SPEAKER_01 20:50

to this music. The sound got for y'all today is hero and villain. Let's ride out. Yeah. It's Dodge. Uh Hero and villain. I hate this feelin'. I gotta make a decision. Do I save him or kill him? And it won't take long. Step back as I take off. Keep up, I don't raise y'all. This shit just a cakewalk. It's an S on my chest. So make me take my cape off. I don't call these women hoes. Just know I don't save y'all. Smokin' on that harvident. Feel like half my face gone. I change the weather like storm. I can make her rainfall. Hero and fillin' a package deal. Yeah, I'ma make me act the real. I'm part body and I'm fly. Actin' like the man is still. But I feel like Jason boy's. They know I came back to kill. I might wear my mask for real. Yeah, I might need some daffodils. But I'ma gon' kill y'all later. Postin' her with my princess Leia. I hit her with my lifesaver. She callin' me daddy, I feel like a bader. She wanna see what I said, I'll be back like Terminator. I'm out hard to find, they know he is. I'm spotted with my dogs, like Coel at the bill. Let my the hero, am I the villain? I'm tryna get money if I'm gonna 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, hero and villain. I hate this feelin'. It's time to let them out no. I'm not Dr. Jumpin' no more. So you can't hide. I'm charged up like Goku. I let my dragon balls hang down to the flow. And if we done wanna side kick, fuck up in the robbin'. Cause I rather be on the mm. Cause we got a suicide squamba. We in the Justice League of my oom. Boy, fly and you in the high, man. What kinda tree is you on? Boy, you look like swamp stunning. Cause you can't leave that seaweed alone. He roll in villain, I prove it. Soon as one of y'all start snootin', they stumber sleepin', I start killin'. I feel like ridiculous. And they dyin' just to get on my level. Box it up like King Cooper. And take the lama to my future bite. Cause that woman will be super. He wrote in villain. I feel like boost balance controlling my anger. You don't wanna see me go hook again. You better be smart with it. Like twenty smoke with it. I will dive on you like Aquaman. I dove in the ocean like Accaman, like preface to X. She can't walk again. Cause I gave her this back. Man, it made it go crazy like Carla Quinn. I feel like a hero. Am I the villain? I'm tryna get money if I'm gonna 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.