The Rules for being Human

Hey, everyone! I haven't posted anything on this site for a while, but here's a great set of rules that I think we should all strive to live by. Peace!

What is success?

I was originally going to post this on my Tumblr (still might but may switch some things here and there), but man....this is crazy. Apparently, I had an interesting dream (very short) where I entered a mall of some sort and I ended up acquiring a Starbucks. My first major business....this is when things get very interesting. I magically appear in a lecture room where one of my old college friends was in...he told me to sit by him but the chairs were basically filled up..I ended up finding a seat and automatically the professor called my name and asked what was all the commotion and told me speak to the class. The crazy thing is the professor was Michelle Kwan. I love Michelle Kwan with a passion. I definitely look up to her quite a bit. She hit me with the question, "What is success?" As I was getting up to say my speech, I woke up. Ultimately, that left me with a rather chilling yet inspiring feeling this morning. I honestly believe that success is not a destination but a constant up and down journey with life and yourself. Success is putting in the time, sacrifice, hard work, and belief that you will gradually get better with time. Success is not just the money, it's a feeling of achieving and you never stop achieving. Success is even when you are being successful, you know that's not the end and you set the bar higher. Success is inspiring others to be better, to achieve their dreams, and just follow through. Success is brushing off or slowly getting up after you take some major hits and continue to roll with the punches despite your adversities. Those are just a few of the things I correlate with success. There are tons more. However, I think I want to give you all a visual aid to really elaborate on how I feel. Enjoy!

Diddy & Lil Wayne give secrets to success

I think the message here "You get out what you put into it" has really resonated with me for the past few years. There are things I'd much rather do like go out, dance, go to more b-boy jams, social events, and travel. However, I realize I'm setting the foundation up for me to live the lifestyle I want for the future. I'm still really young and I'm going to have to work my butt off. I have no problem with that. The thing is I really enjoy what I do! I love building relationships, influencing people, writing, and letting other people get value off the things I write about. My friend posted a quote about entrepreneurship and it really is a great message. You can check it out on my other blog here. Take a couple mins and really digest this knowledge. It might help you in the long run. Enjoy!

Jay-Z on what's the point of living average

MyComeUp is something I've been watching for the past year now. There are some really inspirational videos and some really good information that you can use for day to day knowledge.

Jay-Z is someone that I've always looked up to. Despite a lot of people saying he sold out, he's too mainstream, you really have to listen to EVERYTHING he says. He might rap over a nice beat and rap some catchy hooks, but you have to listen to everything he says a few times. There are a lot of hidden messages and double entendres.  He's also an excellent businessman that has a number of businesses....to see where he came from and what he has become now a real staple on culture and lifestyle is just something that most cannot fathom. Take a look at this interview featuring a slight breakdown of one of my favorite songs "Can I Live".

MASTERCLASS LEGENDS: WADE ROBSON

I remember I was around 16 when the Wade Robson Project came out in 2003. I gotten into b-boying and funk styles a couple years prior. There were some good b-boys like DoKnock on Star Search which just came back on the air back in 2002. It was a very interesting scene. There was a lot of creativity back then and that's what influenced me. I had heard about Wade Robson a while ago from the work he's done choreographing for various pop stars.

I'm kind of impartial to choreography especially when they claim it's "Hip-Hop". A lot of the "Hip-Hop" dances are really party dances that came from the Bronx in New York. Also, the choreographers never showed the history of different dances they took these moves from. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I can't watch So You Think You Can Dance. How does a judge like Nigel critique b-boying, popping, or locking when he's never stepped into a circle and held it down in the trenches. I think that's why I respect Wade Robson so much. Not just the fact that he was dancing with Michael Jackson at the age of 5, but he didn't take the route of simply taking classes and getting formally trained. It's not to say that's a bad thing. However, if you are doing a street style dance, you want to keep it as raw and authentic as possible. That's something you don't get from shows like So You Think You Dance. I bet right now Wade would hold it down in the circle if he had to..he gets my respect. Peep the clip below.

Kids are the Future (Caine's Arcade)

I remember seeing this months ago posted on a friend's Facebook page and I was astonished at how this young guy was able to be so creative to build an elaborate cardboard arcade system. First of all, I have to give his father the utmost respect for allowing Caine the environment to create. I think at a young age we are sometimes discouraged with our dreams, and never really know where it may lead up to if we don't act upon them. I was seriously touched when I saw this little documentary. He looks like he has a really bright future ahead. I would not be surprised if he became an engineer or some kind of technological innovator in the future. To donate to his future, you can check out Caine's scholarship fund on the right side of the Caine's Arcade site.

Words of Wisdom from the creative genius, Pharrell

Who hasn't this guy inspired? What I really get from him is that he never ages. Seriously, it's not just aging in looks but aging in ideas. He really is the type of person to use his youth to influence not only music but culture. You can see the impact he has on young people. I remember that whole Star Trak/Neptunes movement got really popular back in 2002-2003. I think everyone wanted to be part of that or at least be associated with those beats. Then fast forward to the whole BAPE/Ice Cream/BBC and even skateboarding. He made being yourself a very cool thing! I'll always have respect for this guy being himself and not conforming. Kudos to Pharrell.

Artist/Producer/Entrepreneur Ryan Leslie

There are a lot of great producers out there that influence me such as Timbaland, Neptunes specifically Pharrell (which I will actually write a separate about), DJ Premier, Scratch, etc. However, from an intellectual standpoint, no one gets it like Ryan Leslie. I honestly feel he is very underrated. The fact that he graduated with bachelors in Government, Political Science, and Macroeconomics yet still chose a career in music is inspiring to me.

Whenever I watch a video produced by him, it's always an incredible experience because he brings it to life. He records himself making the track from the ground up, and you see the nooks and crannies of how he does his mixing, mastering, production, vocals, etc. He is pretty much a genius yet keeps everything in layman's terms. I can definitely respect his hustle. He was one of the first artists to really adopt this whole social media and viral video sort of marketing. I mean, just check his YouTube stats. The fact that he doesn't get the radio play he should obtain yet still brings in sold out shows just from the brand he develops is incredible.


Below, I have a few videos posted but the one I really want you to pay attention to is the one of Ryan at the age of 15. You could already see the work ethic he possesses. That is inspiring. I'll also have a few of his recent and most inspiring interviews posted below:

Will Smith on his secrets to success

I originally posted this on my Making Money 2 Blog site, but this can be applicable to anything. I think a few of the reasons why Will Smith is so successful is because you feel a certain validity within the way he creates a presence on screen. You feel the character, you feel the hunger, you feel whatever he goes through as if you were in the same position. Also, you realize the type of work ethic he has placed upon himself. I've always had to work harder than most of my peers whether it was school work, dancing, or something. It kind of bothered me at the time, but I realize that hunger, the drive, that motivation speaks volumes in a way that just pure talent does not. I think I remember Will Smith saying to the effect in one interview "If you're not willing to work hard, let someone else do it. I'd rather be with someone who does a horrible job, but gives 110% than with someone who does a good job and gives 60%." As I get older, I can definitely agree. I've lost hours and hours of play time, going out, dancing at events and sleep, but this blogging passion is something that supersedes everything. I realize the more you sit on your behind and wait for something to happen, you will be left behind the trail. Follow your path and don't let anything step in your way. Plant your seeds properly and watch them bear fruit.

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

I think this is one of the greatest speeches ever. A guy that by any means necessary did not falter to achieve his dreams. A guy that dropped out of school because he did not see it fit for what he wanted to do. He still attended the classes he actually enjoyed and got on his grind. He was not afraid to think outside of the box and change the ways certain things were done. I think often we are so afraid to be ourselves that conformity is a type of security clutch. We should really embrace our uniqueness and follow that instead of just becoming another robot in the work world. This type of clip will always inspire me because it's what you need to hear when the world tries to tell you otherwise. Check it out!

To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities - Bruce Lee

Often times, we face very difficult circumstances that forces us to concede or believe that we can't do something. However, we should use that fuel to amplify the fire in our vigor and go for it. Some of the most successful people have started with the roughest situation, but it did not deter them from becoming successful. The thing that I most respect about Bruce Lee is that he never let the color barrier bother him. Not only was he a non-white, but he was from Hong Kong (although, he was born in San Francisco). That's already two strikes being a foreigner and someone of a different race. Hollywood was just not having a Chinese guy playing a lead role or a serious role. He had the drive and determination to not only succeed but to exceed all expectations. I have the greatest respect for this guy and that's why he's the first person I'm posting on this site. Check out the vids and you'll see why he's inspirational:

My reason for starting this blog

First off, I'm pretty much addicted to blogging. I won't go spaz out and say all of the different blogs I'm posting, but I will post a link if it does correlate to the topic. I love writing and it is the most therapeutic thing for me (next to dancing), personally. You might even see some poetry on here from time to time from my personal library. 2nd and most important reason, EVERYONE needs a place to go when times are rough. Sometimes, life has a real way of knocking you down and it seems tougher and tougher to the point where you just can't take it. You need a release. You need an out. You need somewhere to clear your head. 3rd reason, it's a new experience for me. It's allowing me to really be personal, but at the same time touch people in a different way. I really hope the people that read these posts or watch these videos get something out of it. That's the main purpose.