I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
No matter what happens in my life, I plan to hustle as long as I have breath. It has nothing to do with being unhappy with what I have. If anything it’s because I’m so grateful for what I have. Hustling keeps me humble. It reminds me that what I have can evaporate in the blink of an eye. The hustle keeps me active and diligent. The hustle shows me that no matter how far I go, there’s always more road ahead.
I was waiting for things to settle down and get back to the way they used to be until I realized that every experience fundamentally changes us. Time marches on and we have to march with it. I’m grateful for this because it makes every moment, every day, special and unique. Storms may turn our world upside down but they also show us who we are and what we’re made of. They are part of the wild ride of Life.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote lately as I restructure my life and career this summer. My focus is to learn from my experience, understand where I am, and proceed with courage and faith exactly in the direction I want to go.
We don’t have to wait for a new year or even a new day to make a change. We’re afforded the opportunity at every moment to turn it all around. Thanks for the reminder, New York City street art.
Yesterday I watched the documentary Muscle Shoals. It recounts the story of Rick Hall, founder of FAME Studios and legendary music producer. My brother in law’s mom, Trish, whose mother grew up with Rick, explained that he came from the lowest level of poverty this country knows in a small nondescript town deep in Alabama. From there, he grew, a little bitter and insanely determined. And he chose music because it saved him.
I’ll be thinking and writing a lot more about him in the days ahead. He may just be my new hero when it comes to living your dream out loud and never giving up on yourself and your talents even when it feels like the whole world has. Watch the documentary. If he can make a go of his improbable dream, we all can, too. He is someone who sings after storms.
In our hyper-connected, over-sharing world, it’s a good practice to regularly set aside anything and everything with a battery, cord, screen, or buttons. I’m in Florida for a few weeks with my family and happy to be able to power-down for at least a little while every day. I’m looking forward to making some memories that only exist in real-time powered by nothing more than sunshine and laugher.
It takes a lot of courage to give away a piece of yourself to others. In that way, each interaction we have is an adventure. There’s something to lose, something to gain, and something to risk when you wear your heart on your sleeve. Be an adventurer; live your passions out loud. They’ve freed you so take a chance and share them in the hopes that they will inspire others to free themselves.
We spend so much time wishing we were someplace else that often we miss the little miraculous moments and all of the goodness that is in our presence every day. The older I get, the more I try to stand my ground, literally and figuratively. I try to see all the good, and even all the bad, everywhere I am. I try as hard as I can to channel the good to others and help the bad carry itself to higher ground. I’m not always successful though I find that more often than not the result of any situation has much more to do with me, my attitude, and my actions than it does with any external factors. This game of life is ours to lose, and honestly, I’d much prefer to win. And winning, at anything, anywhere, is almost always a choice.
Eventually, the only choice is to leap. You will have to trust, yourself and others, if you want to fulfill your potential. There’s no need to wait or try another alternative. Go for exactly what you want. Take a deep breath and know that you can handle whatever happens next.
Your only job is to grow. From good and bad experiences. Triumphs and failures. Glorious surprises and grave disappointments. As long as you learn, no effort is ever wasted and in the end, you always come out ahead as a stronger, braver, wiser you.
