So yes, about a couple of weeks ago I tried out for a rap battle league called GrindTime. Lo and behold, I’ve been asked to battle again this July 25th and have been very excited about it. Not only it is a sign of The Law Of Attraction working for me, it is also one of those things where I feel as if I am pretty decent at this. And it’s fun as hell ! GrindTime is a written, acapella rap battle league so we know who we are gonna battle usually 2 – 4 weeks before.  So preparation plays a big role. Of course, like any sports we play, there is a winner and a loser. Someone is gonna die and someone is gonna live. And there’s such a simple beauty in that.

The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

Instead of worrying about this and that, I know that the most important thing I need to keep my mind on is the actual battle itself. When we are about to compete, everything just kind of calms itself down. It doesn’t matter if I was late for work, or some girl won’t go on a date with me or someone cut me off in the road. The battle is all that matters. That’s it. Most of the time, the victory goes to the person who has prepared the most. Which is why it’s important to remind ourselves, get back to practicing !

The Joy Of Repetition

It is so true when they say practice makes perfect. Every elite athlete will tell you they’ve spent thousands and thousands of hours doing the same thing over and over again. That’s really the secret to their greatness. The discipline that comes with being able to produce amazing results is usually it’s own reward. It’s fun having a purpose! And doing it over and over again. And you better believe I am going to be prepared.

The Awesomeness Of The Actual Moment

Getting in the zone, the flow or whatever else people like to call it is one of the best joys we can experience in life. Just playing the game we’ve worked so hard to get really good at makes all those hours we spent worthwhile. Nothing compares to the people watching, enjoying what we’re doing. A moment just so simple and satisfying. When we compete, we actually did something that day. Think of all the days when it felt like we just kinda let it pass by. Well, there’s that feeling after a game when we feel, “Allright! I did something worthwhile today!”

Winning

Of course, I love winning. Winning is the culmination of hard work we’ve put in whatever it is we’re trying to accomplish. It is proof that we went for something we want and got it. And seriously one of the best feelings in the world!

So the other day, a good friend of mine pointed out that I have talked about the ideas in my I AM post before. I was gonna text him “shut the hell up!” but I got distracted and completely forgot about it. Mostly because I have a rap battle to write for and I’ve been trying to stick to a strict schedule of writing.  And so it was time for me to write my Thursday post (late Sunday night nonetheless) and here I am trying to think of ideas. And I got to thinking about the truth that none of my ideas are truly original. Every single one of my ideas is really just a blend of a whole lot of other ideas that I’ve been exposed to. And that essentially, most of my ideas are just versions of older ideas. Which are just versions of other ideas from other people.

I like to read alot, so my influences and my ideas can come from all sorts of sources. And I was thinking about the danger of what my friend was saying and how some people are so caught up in a search for originality. It becomes an attachment and an excuse to not getting anything done. If you take a look at most self-help literature, especially the most effective ones, essentially its the same message with a bit of unique flavor added by the author’s experiences. A lot like how chicken can be cooked in different ways.

So yes, we will repeat ourselves. Over and over again. And it’s not a bad thing. Our views on certain things can change and the way we write about a specific topic can  reflect that. We just have to not be afraid of repeating ourselves and repeating someone’s idea for that matter. Everything’s already been done, and the most important thing is we keep on creating newer versions of the things we’ve already learned. This way the cycle keeps on going.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uASVzkrEKgs

There are so many things going on with this speech! I love it! Not only do I feel as if I was meant to hear this, mostly because it was on a good friend’s cd, but I feel this speech perfectly encapsulates everything a person needs to succeed.

Let me tell you something you already know….

The World Ain’t Sunshine And Rainbows.

Aint that the damn truth!  Bad things will happen, people will disappoint us and everything will feel pretty hopeless sometimes. It’s very easy to think that we can never get what we want. Never feel like a winner at anything we try because it just feels whatever we try doesn’t seem to work. But the REAL truth is, we can have whatever it is that we want. The world will test us over and over again on just how badly we want something. When we fail, people just need to realize there are just TEMPORARY DEFEATS. keyword is temporary. And as long as we understand, then it makes a lot easier to deal with what needs to be done.

It Ain’t About How Hard You Can Hit. It’s About How Hard You Can Get Hit And Keep Moving Forward!

So yes, people will throw every criticism at you. Really bad things will happen that will make it seem like whatever your want is completely out of reach. And at times, you just feel like you don’t even know what your doing anymore. But if we study the life of every successful person, there is an endless amount of temporary defeats that they had to overcome to get where they are at. That’s why it’s so important to have the right goals and do something you love doing. We gotta make sure we’re taking these hits for the right reason.

Now If You Know What Your Worth, Go Out and Get What Your Worth! But You Gotta Be Willing To Take The Hits! And Not Pointing Fingers Saying You Ain’t Where You Wanna Be Because Of Him Or Her Or Anybody!

So yes, the simple truth is we can have whatever it is we want.  The number one thing we have to remember is we are responsible for everything in our lives. The very moment we start blaming outside circumstances, we give away that power.  There are some things we just can’t control, but we can always control how we respond to it. And the more we accept our ability to respond, then we find things just start falling into place. and we start getting what we want and what we deserve.

so yea, this speech is awesome!

and everyone download the homie Ideal’s mixtape, Just A Sample !

A lot of ideas are constantly crashing through my head. I might not pay attention to a lot of verbal sounds, but I see a simple word and it can set off a chain reaction of events which lead into more chain reactions which lead into more chain reactions! Whether its simply walking in a store or reading a book, one of the ways ideas come through me is through the written word.

And since I come across a lot of different words everyday, there is just a constant flow of thought that if I am not careful can utterly just make a mess of everything. I get so absolutely frustrated when I think of something and then BAM! It disappears forever because I didn’t take the time to write it down. Well, millions of lost ideas later, I thought that no matter what I will do my best to jot down my ideas. From little scraps to a notebook that is always in my car to my trusty macbook pro, every idea is recorded and kept for future use.

There are so many benefits to writing down everything that is inspiring you!

Deeer, So You Don’t Forget Anything

The obvious benefit being of course that every idea you have is at your disposal whenever, wherever. There is not a single idea left out. What’s funny is that an idea today that might not be so good can be quite exciting a few days or even a few months later. And yes, one idea can inspire another idea which in turn can inspire another idea.  And since you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, your mind can be more focused on coming up with some new possibilities. Allowing you to truly pay attention.

Listening To Infinity

When I write down my ideas the very moment I get them, I feel as if I am constantly brainstorming, no matter where I am. Once I’ve decided on an endpoint, I can be absolutely anywhere, from driving a car to eating a subway and feel as if ideas related to my goal are just popping out of nowhere. It’s very exciting and to me a great use of my time. People can just be walking around feeling very bored, but to be honest, sometimes I just do not understand how that is even possible.
I sometimes feel there isn’t enough hours to get all my ideas out.

Being Grateful

On a more spiritual level, when I take the time to write down an idea, I feel as if I am saying a thank you to the universe that inspired it. It is very easy to feel let down and uninspired, but when we truly listen and pay attention, we see ideas are always in abundance around us. A challenge involving a goal of mine can come up and I know if Im patient, there is just an idea waiting to be written down. And when it shows up, I know Im ready to write it down.

As humans, we always feel the need to label everything. Especially ourselves. I am this and I am that. I am short, tall, fat, skinny, brown, black, white, legend. Labels help us form an idea around something and thus allow ourselves to believe we have some kind of control. If this is then, then that is that. I am a rap fan, or I am the one that came up with this idea.

And this is a trait we all share. I know I will personally forever dislike White Sox fans, argue why some techniques are better picking up girls and I am proud to tell everyone I am a rapper.

It just makes life easier when we identify with something.

One of the central ideas of buddhism is understanding our relationship with attachment. Every time we label something, we put it in a box. Even saying, I am a buddhist, we already limit ourselves to the prejudices that come with it. Most of the world’s arguments come from people so attached to their “I Am” label that they are willing to die for it. I am this so I am not gonna listen to any of your ideas. I am simply your enemy.  And when this happens, a healthy exchange of ideas just isn’t possible.

So how do we stop this from happening?

As always, usually the simplest answer is the best one.

Sometimes, maybe the best thing is just say, I am.

ps. I am definitely not the one that came up with the “I AM” concept =)

So, I was all gung-ho about finally committing to writing two blog posts a week. One on Monday (which I finished!) and one on Thursday. Well, due to some paint spilling on my shoes a few months ago and a whole other story about me having to borrow shoes from my friend and a lot of driving, I was unable to write a post yesterday. I like to take responsibility,  but sometimes we just have to accept some things just take a little more effort.

I was thinking about how I’m really not spontaneous at all. I need everything planned and worried about all the way from the first second to the last. I can tell you what I am doing weeks in advance and that’s the way I’ve always preferred it. Something about deadlines and having to get something done really helps me prioritize and actually get things done! Very zen.

So when I said “Allright! Two posts a week! This is definitely more than doable!” The gears in my mind started working.

So imagine the smile on my face when I realized Thursday night that a blog was not gonna be written. My first thought was “Well since I don’t have that many readers I may just as well wait till next Monday….” But no! Everything depends on our self-discipline and our ability to finish what we’ve started. Following through no matter what has always been one of the most important part of any successful endeavor.

So I decided to write this blog post right here. Because goals are meant to be finished. And even if there’s a little temporary setback, the most important thing is that we go on and complete what we set out to do.

“whatever it takes, for as long as it takes”

so yes next Monday and next Thursday, expect new blogs. hopefully !

I have ALOT of energy. every time. all the time ! Seriously I feel like I am almost border-line ADD. Which I can somewhat control by constantly creating time for myself to meditate. And then I breathe again easy for a few moments. Realizing that now is the only time we really do have. And then just like five or six or seven or eight ideas will come crashing in my head and I feel the cycle start all over again. I am forever grateful for it, but sometimes I just want to sleep. But I realize that every single idea is a blessing and I must take them all very seriously.

The problem with pursuing with too many ideas at once is the lack of execution and impact that happens with being overloaded.

The solution is prioritizing. From the five or six or seven or eight ideas that are in my head, I decide which right now will help me accomplish my goal. Which is to really go on tour across the US. doing hip hop shows (seriously thats all I think about) or how to get girls to like me more (definitely needs work).

Once I’ve decided which idea will be the most rewarding right now, I decide to give it my full attention. or at least try to.

which is why I am trying to do my best to only have one internet browser window open at a time.

and of course be listening to some hip hop beats in the background =)

So I’ve started taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and damn all I can think is, “WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!” Learning this form of self defense has been fun AND very exhausting. seriously, FROG HOPS!  A couple of months ago, I was getting really bored with working out and I was looking for something. (haha I am always looking for something….) And I’ve been playing way too much Tekken 6. So after hearing so much about brazilian jiu jitsu, I decided to look for a gym around me and found WreckingBall. A couple of classes later and I’m going to myself “I have a lot to learn….”

I’ve realized that being a beginner is where a lot of the fun is.

There Are Two Mistakes One Can Make Along The Road To Truth…. not going all the way, and not starting. (Buddha)

A lot of people make excuses. I know I certainly heard a lot of them in my own head. “Not enough money.” “I am not in good enough shape.”  “I am gonna get my ass kicked ! ” Just so many reasons floating around. But NO ! There is no better feeling in the world then just turning off the voices in your head and following a path with heart. It’s exciting not knowing what’s gonna happen. It’s even more exciting deciding just to go !

If You Dont Ask, You Don’t Get (Mahatma Gandhi)

I’ve always thought that one of the best rules in life is to surround yourself with people who are better than you in whatever your learning. The awesome thing is there will always be an infinite amount of people better at you in whatever you are doing. Except for rapping and writing, cause I am the best at that =) But being around people who are months and years and decades ahead of me in experience is very comforting, simply because I ask a lot of questions. And I am a slow learner, so usually I ask the same questions over and over again. One of the best attitudes in life is to realize the fact that we NEED to constantly learn and stay humble. Asking questions is the best way to continually understand new things. There is something to learn from everyone. So keep asking ! Especially when it’s a takedown or a submission.

So yes, being the white belt in whatever we are learning can be a very fun experience. We are not yet clouded with “expertise” and are hungry for guidance. Always asking ourselves….”WHAT’S NEXT?”

but seriously. I don’t think most of you can handle frog hopping for more than 20 feet.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbso_F9n3Q