What Is Success? I Want Some Of That.

What is success? We all have different perspectives on what it means. For many of us in the music industry, it means accolades. It means earning tons of money. It means Grammies. It means popularity. It means creating the dopest art possible and earning the respect of our peers. It means having a sh!t load of fans. For others, it isn't necessarily those things. And that's totally fine.

Lately, I've been thinking about the common denominators of how successful peoples' brains are wired. What they went through. If they are truly happy. How they've maneuvered in the industry. An overall observation of how these people carry themselves in comparison to the non-successful. The blockers of success and happiness. The complainers. The "blame the rest of the world'ers". The "i'm the center of the world'ers".

I've met thousands of people in my journey. It's hard to even wrap my brain around how many people I've interacted with. A plethora of personalities. An infinite amount of energies and interactions. Some extremely happy. Some, not so much. And then there are the thousands in between, forever pushed and pulled in both directions trying to figure it all out for themselves.

It's a very complex discussion, with very complex theories. I'm by no means saying I have all of the answers. Hell, you might just think I'm crazy. Or, you might think I'm a genius. At the end of the day, this is my blog, right? So, like, I'm going to say what's on my mind regardless. 

Let's take a close look at these two animals, shall we?

These people are such a pleasure to be around. Bursting with energy. Bursting with ideas. It doesn't take much to get them excited. Passion is in their eyes. It's in their voice and the way they speak. They don't over complicate their brand because they understand that their brand represents who they truly are. They want to do only things that excite them. If they're not particularly good at doing something, they'll either figure out how to do it themselves, or seek professionals that can help do their job for them. They understand that they can't do it all by themselves. They are "people" people. Creating a community of like-minded people around them is part of their cause. They're patient and they live in the moment. Having a conversation with a successful person usually ends with you thinking to yourself "man, this person is inspiring". The funny thing is, not all of these people are rich. 

I'm going to keep this short, because it's depressing to even type this. These people carry an energy that can be sensed a mile away. They complain (a lot). Most of their conversations are about other people. Most of the things they say about other people are negative. They have a desperation in the tone of their voice. There's no resolution to anything, just problems. Everything worries them. Bad things that happened in the past are a reference point for everything. Bad things that could happen in the future are also a major reference point. It's difficult for these people to get along with anyone because they immediately think the world is out to destroy them. The funny thing is, some of these people are rich.

And then there's the middle class. The ones in-between. The ones consistently transitioning from one side to the other.

I've seen "successful people" interact with "unsuccessful people". It's usually one-sided. There's desperation. There's miscommunication. There's lack of interest. There's confusion. It's very difficult for these 2 parties to be harmonious with one another because they simply exist on completely different frequencies. 

Ever see "unsuccessful people" interact with other "unsuccessful people"? Yeah, that's a series of absolute disasters that seem to never end.

Successful people usually flock with one another. They are on a similar frequency. They share similarities. They run into each other more often than not. They are driven. They are forward-thinking in everything they do. 

I believe that the word "success" simply means "happiness". So the question is, how do we find happiness? I believe it's found within our souls. Our hearts. It's up to us to figure that out for ourselves. Look deep inside your soul and understand what truly makes you happy. Cut through your conscious minds' noise and literally find your passion. Ask yourself if you're still (or truly) passionate about pursuing music. Maybe it's making you more un-happy than happy. Maybe you just need more patience. Maybe your tipping a little bit more on the negative side than you are the positive side, so things are taking longer than expected. Maybe you expect too much. Maybe you shouldn't expect at all. Maybe you don't have the time, or maybe you're just not taking initiative to make the time. 

It starts with the mind, and truly looking within your heart, first. Find out what truly makes you happy, and focus your energy on pursuing it, head on. It doesn't have to be grandiose. The small things matter, too. It will take time, but know that you will eventually become the very thing you are passionate about. It's never too late, and it's always up to us to either find it now, or wait. Just know that success doesn't wait. Success acts now. It waits for no one. Success thrives. Success attracts success. So, why not start now. You'll be one step closer to pursuing true happiness.

What side are you on?