“I fight givin’ up every day that I wake up. // Why try to hide just for pride? // Man the fight to stay alive enough is givin’ me drive. // They likin’ how I thrive - I’m merely tryna survive. //" - Call Me Ace, WAKE UP
Growing up, my father engrained a phrase deep into my brain marrow. It‘s the solar-powered engine that keeps the lights on even when the power’s out.
“Survival is the name of the game.”
My dad immigrated from Jamaica in his twenties without a formal high-school education. Nonetheless, he’s had a very rich life and has taught me a lot about diligence, reputation, and perseverance.
Yesterday (I kid you not), he told me two Jamaican proverbs my great-grandmother used to say:
1) “Sometimes you drink coffee. Other times, you drink tea.”
In this life, you will have moments where you feel absolutely energized and on top of the world. Everything's clicking. The plans are in full swing. Validation and confirmation abound.
In other moments – sometimes longer than others – things will just feel still. Quiet – almost "too" quiet. You'll question whether you're still in motion. If you should switch up, or stop altogether.
As a creative entrepreneur especially – when the subjectivity of your art is measured with "objective" metrics – these moments can make the rollercoaster of life feel even rockier.
But as my dad would always say, "That's just life, son." ...That's it. Accept it. When the ride goes high, enjoy it. When the ride goes low, endure it.
The only thing you must do: survive it.
“Ain’t like I never been depressed a lil. // Sometimes to move forward, gotta regress a lil. //" - Call Me Ace, How I Do It
2) “If di duck nuh leave pan, di pan soon leave duck.”
Take advantage of the opportunity while you have it, or you’ll soon lose it. Sounds easy enough, until the going gets tough. That's when the "quit it" thoughts rise.
Why do we want to quit? Most of the time, simply because it's hard.
We may use more flowery descriptors – "overwhelming", "I keep trying but it's just not working", "I don't have enough resources", "how long do I have to wait until...".
It all usually comes down to: "Wow, this is more difficult than I thought it'd be."
When I was a kid, I saw Rush Hour in theaters, watched Jackie Chan do all these crazy stunts, left and said, "I'm gonna be a kung fu master. Today."
I'm here to report that I am not a Kung Fu master. Nowhere close. (I did take capoeira in college though – got baptized and given the name, Guerreiro).
To be a Kung Fu master like Jackie Chan would require me to endure numerous hours (years!) of arduous, unglamorous training, discipline, and sacrifice. No instant gratification. No shortcuts.
The social media highlights come after you've put in the work. Nonetheless, a real student of the craft knows there's always more to improve, even when – to the "untrained eye" (wow) – they already look perfected.
What if, before you commit to something, you resolve in your heart that the journey will inevitably be hard? Would you still commit?
Depends on the task at hand I'm sure. But it also depends on your heart's desire.
My desire to be a "kung fu master" isn't the same as my desire to be a "good husband and father to my children."
One of those things I'll sacrifice more for, despite how hard it gets. Despite how many times I fall short and fail. Despite how many lessons I still need to learn as I "perfect."
So quit the desires that aren't deeply rooted in your life. Those are merely weeds that are destroying your rose garden.
Because when the desire is deeply rooted, quitting isn't an option. "Difficulty" is an included add-on in the bundle package you purchased. Enjoy! ☺️
Once again, as my dad would say: "That's life, son." My job? Survive it.
“Racin’ only with myself ain’t no contestants. // Can’t stop - nah yo this road don’t got no exit. // When people say they start & stop it makes me question. // They prolly weren’t workin’ right and failed to do inspection. //" - Call Me Ace, DING DONG
What are you chasing? What do you want?
I challenge you to answer these 3 questions – and be honest with yourself, don't be afraid of the truth hiding inside you:
- What are you working on, and why? What's the inward motivation driving you - is it money, external validation, making someone proud, an internal standard?
- What does the end goal look like? When will you know that you've "made it"? What's the final milestone, or the vision at the end that clearly signals that the chase is over?
- What would happen if you stopped #1 and don't reach #2? Do you lose your "identity" or do you simply lose an "activity"? I can't stress enough the importance of understanding the difference.
The last point I'll leave you with: pivoting is NOT the same as quitting.
As with many great ideas, we must constantly iterate, tweak, shift, test, and improve in order to get to the final outcome. That IS the journey.
Stubbornly doing something only one way and being upset that it's not working – that's not what drives success.
Knowing when to pivot is a key survival mechanic that will keep you from quitting.
