Dreams Start With Patience #49

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I recently turned 24, but before I go rant in my writing about how incredible this year will be.

I want to give a nod to my 23rd year of existence.

The age I beat the labels I placed on myself, the year I stopped caring about outcomes.

In this year, everything I learned contributed to a greater sense of pride in my life. 

Grief, love, excitement, and hard work.

At 21, I learned how to love.

At 22, I learned how to grieve.

At 23, I learned how to fail.

And I'm hoping at 24, life will teach me how to succeed.

What does success look like to you?

You and I both have our subjective take on "success"

Chances are it looks similar, but not quite the same.

I'll go ahead and define what success looks like for me.

In doing this, I think you'll resonate with some of the ideas.

Success is:

-Forgiveness and love.

-Doing what I want, when I want.

-Having hobbies outside of escapism.

-The ability to find joy in the worst of life.

-Providing safety and security to those I love and cherish.

The reason I mention all of these is because it doesn't require external factors.

The key to success in my life is myself.

You are the only thing you can control in this world.

If you can't even do that, you're fucked.

As it turns out, most people struggle with self-control.

But there's still hope, you can reprogram your identity.

Challenges can be extremely positive.

The challenge here? Laser in on your labels.

When you give yourself labels you become attached to said labels.

They become a part of this concept of "you"

And more times than not, it will force burnout.

When you have too many labels, you forget the crucial component of self.

Principle: You don't need anything or anyone to be happy.

Coincidentally, you also express yourself the best when you are full of joy.

So, when the labels pile on and your happiness is at stake because your ego can't fulfill all the demands of the world?

You drop everything. A mental reset.

Artistic expression is a need, not a want.

If you don't practice your craft you will lose it.

The art of expression must be a routine.

The way of a creative being is consistent iterations and manifestations of thought.

As with food and water, a creative will die without artistic expression.

The life gives art meaning, not the other way around.

As a creative, I need to create.

But even the term "creative" is a label that doesn't serve me.

You become your best through focus, and if you're hellbent on telling the world what you do then you're wasting crucial time.

Everything that defines your identity outside of your core being needs to be trimmed from the stream of consciousness. 

The counter-intuitive advice.

If you want to express, you must stop expressing.

For a short while, that is.

The space to create is the most necessary part of the creative act.

This means you have to stop thinking about creation.

Do you understand it yet?

When you have labels such as:

-"Photographer"

-"Musician"

-"Painter"

You begin to close your mind down while also filtering every experience through the idea of your identity.

Which is inseparable from your predominant emotional state + the labels you place on yourself.

More labels, more time thinking, which equals less time with space to create

Now, when you are full of desire.

You want to take action toward the capture and fulfillment of said desire.

But, desire doesn't empower you or the art you create.

The real equation for success and empowerment? Impact + integrity.

The impact an individual can have

You are more capable than you realize.

You can change so many people's lives for the better (or worse...)

Everyone has a potentiality and a reality.

*Your reality is determined by how often you envision your potentiality.

**How big of an impact will this have?

Questions like this always present us with another question.

Why?

Well, if the goal is to have a greater positive impact, then the next step is to ask why you want to do that.

Is it to save the world? Prove to your father you're not worthless? Attract a partner?

Whatever the reason is, do so with integrity.

Integrity and impact go together like peanut butter and jelly.

As your impact on the world grows, the harder it becomes to maintain your integrity.

But, you must do so if you wish to achieve higher levels of consciousness.

Joy, peace, and maybe even enlightenment.

In my eyes:

Labels do nothing to serve you, they fill your ego up and deprave your soul.

You will be constantly disappointed by said labels.

Solution? Throw them away and never look back.

This is your life, it's time to take control.

Thanks for reading!

Another way I can help you when you are ready.
1. Work with me! Coaching for writing and recording long-form content

2. The Patience Paradigm (curiosity → passion course)
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   Your friend who has found peace through a lack of labels.
   -Zachariah