“Dope! New trend!! That new hairstyle is clean too. The new Gucci bags are amazing! Did you see the new AirPods? That 14 year old is making more more money reviewing games on YouTube than I am. There goes a 13 year old breaking a new world record.”
In this information age we’re bombarded on the daily with “NEW”. A word desperately begging us to keep up. But at what cost?
I remember a few moments back in my little little life when I’d be on social media literally all day. Every opportunity I got. Scrolling. Seeing this. Seeing that. Mind filled with nonsense day in and day out. I also had goals and dreams of my own. I wanted to be a professional bodybuilder. I was a graphic designer at the time so I wanted to build my little business and take over. As I scrolled, the more and more I wanted to keep up with everyone else who was doing what I was doing. I would see huge bodybuilders with this big online following and getting praised so much for something I’m dying to become. I didn’t do the dirty thing like so many 20 something year olds do and start sticking a needle in themselves and taking PEDs at so young of an age…but I did try to rush the process so much, it undermined my current value. Everything I’ve worked so hard for. I found no worth in myself because I always seen someone greater. I had abs and I had a bomb physique but look at his!! And he’s around my age so why tf am I not getting recognition? That’s how it would go in my mind. In doing that it took away from the journey itself. It took away from those late nights and early mornings. Feeling proud. It took away from me gaining 15 hard earned pounds. Why be proud when that guy has already done that?
Same with business! I was a great graphic designer now that I look back at it. I made flyers, business cards; transparent ones too!! I designed logos and had a legit business I started from scratch at only age 23!!! Magnificent isn’t it? Well I didn’t think so because that’s what looking over the fence does. Why should I be proud of this little shit business when my boy over there is bringing in 300k a year doing what I’m doing. Why be proud when Vista Print basically owned the market. Why be proud when I’m not getting the praise or the glory like them. It took away from everything I was. Everything I’ve worked to become. I ended up letting the business go because the love just want there. Or I didn’t have the mindset back then to go through it to see the light.
We have to realize, my journey isn’t your journey, your journey isn’t my journey, his journey isn’t her journey and her journey isn’t his! All of us are on different roads. Time frames are completely different. We have 2 different stories!! Why would you measure your journey against someone else’s? I think that’s the problem with so many. Talented. Soooo much talent. It’s just that people are looking over fences and comparing and comparing and even though they’re beyond amazing they don’t feel like it. So we quit. Thinking we aren’t good enough. Truth is, we were over-qualified. We met those requirements by a landslide. The mental. The comparing. The keeping up aspect is what we didn’t have control over.
It’s the keeping up. You don’t need to keep up! I’m telling you this because I’m speaking from experience. I’m telling you my journey and what I’ve done wrong hat way you don’t have to go through what I did and you can prosper and become victorious in you endeavor! I’ve don’t plenty to get from there ti where I am now but here are 3 things I’ve done to correct where I went wrong.
- Respected my journey. Yes, respected my journey. They weren’t the only ones waking up at 4am to chase a dream. They weren’t the only ones with a dope product. They weren’t the only ones who put hours into whatever they’re doing. I did it too. Maybe I’m not as far into my journey as they are but I give this my all as well. Since then I’ve always walked with my head high because I respect my work ethic. I respect my journey.
- Stopped Rushing. Why? Why rush? I’ve been fortunate enough to learn at a young age that the fun is in the journey. It’s not tied to a destination: if I make it here or there or if I get this job or start making this anoint of money, etc. I didn’t make it there yet but I can kinda tell you it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Those long days, long nights, weight room after weight room, posing after posing, design after design…that’s your fun. Learn to enjoy this part and the rest will be a mere bonus.
- Reduced Time on Social Media. Yes you’re talking to a former addict. Lol I’m talking on social all day!!! These days I’m so in tuned with my own journey and own art and building my own life I don’t really have time to compare and scroll. Maybe when I’m driving I’ll read or when I smoke I post on my story a little but as far as legit sitting there and scrolling, it’s not my game anymore. I post and get tf off of it. It has saved me. I don’t compare my life to others anymore. I love my life. I love my journey. Because it’s mine.
This topic could go for so many things. Relationships too but that’s a topic for another day. Getting married so fast because others doing it, having kids, moving too fast, blah blah. Yep, I’ll get to that. Lol
I can write for days but I’ll stop here. Moral of the story, our journeys aren’t the same. You live yours, I live mine and let’s share our unique and beautiful stories with the world. Oh and you ARE good enough. You DO have a story to tell. All those hard times now makes for a hell of a story. Just saying. 🤷🏾♂️
Share this if you’d like! Thanks for reading and leave me a comment! I’ll add a subscribe panel below for you to subscribe to my email list! 🙏🏾❤️
Trevor Goodie