Ask Neycha: Still Hustlin'
because advice is one thing you can never get enough of
2008-07-10

Dear Neycha:
I’m a 39 year-old happily single brotha.  No kids or baby momma drama.  I like to keep it simple.  I’m self-employed dedicated to getting my professional goals to jump off.  Cash has been tight off and on, but I’m generally cool with that because I don’t have to support anybody else.   When I do, I plan to be in a better financial situation.  But because I’ll turn 40 in a few months my family and a few of my frat brothers think it’s time for me to hang up this music thing, get a "real" job and some real estate.  I disagree.  I got in the game late after grad school, and still had some early success in the beginning. Now I’ve just relocated to Atlanta (after being in NYC for the last 8 years trying to make something pop off) to regroup with a lower cost of living and to gather the energy to get back on my daily grind.  Am I crazy to stay on my hustle?
Still hustling, Atlanta


Dear Hustlin':
You can’t let the civilians of the world and their cookie-cutter ambitions define your position in life.  If your fam and frat bros are turned on by “real jobs” and real estate, tell them to get a few more – jobs and homes.  Give them back their intentions for your life and suggest they work those expectations into their own fold.  Then take them out of the equation because what “they say” shouldn’t even be relative.  Pursuing a dream is not something everyone will understand. You should know this.  It requires constant imagination, constant energy, and a super-sized cocktail of will, gumption and faith to walk in the direction of a dream whose delicate victory you may never touch.  You’ve got to be a bit insane with a whole lot of guts.  Are you there yet love?

What’s up with your hustle?   Why is it taking so long?  Are you certain that you are doing, giving, being everything you can to help facilitate an already nebulous pursuit?  There is no room for error or mediocrity.  You’ve got to bring you're A-game doll.  Knocking on 40’s door, you don’t have time to be pussyfooting around.  While you are regrouping, somebody else is busy becoming #1.  You must be about the business of elevating your game every single day.  Good is not good enough to succeed in a competitive industry.  Be better than everybody else in your market.  You’ve got to get your MVP K-O-B-E on. It’s not enough to just be in game, you’ve got to want to win with everything inside you.  Where is your urgency?  This is your “300” moment! You must be capable of being like a warrior whose singular ambition is something he’s willing to live and die for.  If this ain’t life or death to you, move out the way!  There are plenty ready to take your spot.  It’s about winning lovey!  Is it in you?

You’ve got to wrestle with and defeat your self-doubt. There’s nothing crazy about staying on your hustle IF you’re genuinely giving it all you’ve got.  IF you’re good with the amount of life you’re giving away for the pursuit of your dream, rock on. IF you’ve got unrelenting conviction and the agility to bounce back from rejection, rock on.  IF you’ve got the balls to continue artfully suffering the many small deaths on the battlefield of dreaming, then rock the hell on solider.  BUT IF you’re even a little bit squeamish about the thought of looking back in 10 years and finding meaning in your story if you just so happened to fall short of your music dream, then step away from the battle my love. Step away!  Chasing a dream, where there are no markers (graduations, annual reviews, accumulation of material possessions, etc.) to gage your progress by, is not for sissies. Consider doing something where the stakes are much lower, and the outcomes much more predictable.  Seriously, not everyone is cut out for it partner.  But if you KNOW you are, then blaze up the sky poppa.  Get your Rock Star on!

 

Following Love

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