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This past week I watched documentaries of a couple of people I admire, Conor Mcgregor's "Notorious" and Logic's "Rapture."
Although both men are in vastly different arenas, Conor the face of the UFC (MMA fighting) and Logic a bi-racial rapper known for his song about overcoming suicide and anxiety, they have one main thing in common which I study very closely: they both live their dream and be 100% true to themselves.
The patterns of achieving and actively pursuing the dreams is very clear. It goes something like this:
- live a life and work a job that isn't right, but do it cause of social expectations
- get sick of that life and decide to pursue the BIG goal, despite any limiting circumstances (e.g. financial, living situation, lack of support, lack of resources, etc.)
- be insanely hungry to succeed and work on craft tirelessly, despite lack of success and validation of others
- maintain a DEEP sense of certainty and belief that they WILL make it one day
- get a W (win) on a small stage
- gain some fans
- get another W
- gain more fans
- mixed in with some Ls (losses) and adversity
- learn from losses and overcome adversity
- continue working tirelessly on craft
- saying YES at opportune moments
- fortuitous happenings that expedite progress (e.g. a random executive seeing their video and contacting them, etc.)
- succeed on a BIG stage due to EXTREME preparation for that moment
- world is now put on notice
- BIG W
- and it simply continues
- MORE Ws
- MORE tireless work
- MORE Ws
- MORE fans
- still some losses and adversity
- still overcoming said losses and adversity
- MORE W, MORE FANS, MORE TIRELESS WORK, MORE LOSSES, MORE OVERCOMING ADVERSITY, MORE W
Now, as it pertains to the title of this post, "Your First True Fan Must Be You", here's the thing: aint NOBODY really gonna care when you first start. Maybe your mom, maybe not. Maybe 1 or 2 people will truly believe in you. Maybe.
Point is this, you can EXPECT a complete lack of support in comparison to what you know deep down you're capable of. Thus, it's easy to get discouraged and let the outside world dictate your self-worth and how correct the path you're on is.
It's not going to look glamorous at first, if at all. YOU'RE not going to look glamorous either.
The outside world takes a little time to catch up to the beliefs we carry. BUT, they WILL catch up.
As Stephen Covey says in his book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", it all starts in the mind first.
Before you get your 1,000 true fans, you must be your first true fan. The one who loves everything you do. The one who loves the way you dress, talk, and treat others. The one who fucks with your vision so heavy you'd do ANYTHING to see your own show or buy your own product.
If you don't fuck with yourself, then transform your life such that you do. Don't like the way you dress? Start dressing the way you like.
Don't like the way you are with people? Start being with people the way you'd like.
I know I'm making it sound simple, but this is not a post about taking action, it's about understanding what it's going to take. Whether or not you take action is something YOU have to live with, not me.
If you are your own true fan, you've won half the battle. The other half? Well, I guess I'll have to write another post about that.
With Love and ENERGY,
GS
