I hear many people say that they want a friend, spouse/significant other or other important people in their lives that can go 50-50 with them. I mean, two 50s do make 100; however, I don't believe this is a practical way of looking at how we want our energy to be spent with different people and within different relationships as well as how we want our energy spent on ourselves. This is important because just like time, there is an (in)finite amount. So I adopted the 100/100 mantra, which allows you to hold someone to your own personal standard: 100%. From a relationship standpoint, both you and your partner should be giving your all (ie. 100/100, not 50/50) so that way you will automatically know when this person isn't doing so. But in this particular case, the context of the 100/100 mantra is applied to our everyday lives.
So often we are working to rest, resting to work, resting for nothing, or anything in between. Very few times do we find the equilibrium to optimizing how you work, spend your energy and brain power to get the best out of yourself as well as taking the proper time to rest, reinvigorate and rewire certain destructive habits in your brain. The term "work-life balance" is so...unsettling for me. Why attempt to balance something that is pretty much intertwined anyways? I think that this particular term is used for mothers and fathers who have read into the fact that they don't have their lives as on track as they could because they've been conditioned into the hustle and bustle of daily life. They're what these young kids now call, "being lost in the sauce." Indeed it is difficult to find time to take to yourself and regroup. Here are some ways I began to put 100/100 into action.
#1: Mindset Maintenance
When I graduated high school in 2019 from Lawrence North, I felt still there was discipline within my mind. Within my soul. So, throughout that summer, I developed a regimen called Mindset Maintenance. This would keep me on track throughout every day and the fact that I did it first thing in the morning allowed me to shift my energy in the correct direction. The layout is as follows:
(Date) Mindset Maintenance (Verse of the Day)
- Affirmations (I am...., I feel...., I will be...)
- How can you improve yourself? (This is personal, so make sure you're very honest with yourself. Maybe being more honest to yourself is a way for you to improve today. Write it down.)
- How can you improve others? (Again, be honest. What information can you share today? What do you know that the next person may not? What can you do in your power to make someone's day brighter?
- Mind|Body|Soul (Create three columns near the bottom of the page with these three titles above. List at least 3 different things you can do today to improve in that area of your life. If you think of more than 3, write those down as well.)
- Watch a motivational video on YouTube and write down the message you took and think of how you can apply it to your day.
Now, your morning routine is finished! I would complete this (video included) in about 20 minutes. If you can't take 20 minutes to yourself every day then that sounds like a prioritization problem and no one can fix that but yourself. This was just my own personal blueprint that I would write in a basic composition notebook, so make any additions, revisions or the like. Your Mindset Maintenance is exclusive to you. Writing down your intentions is the easiest and surefire way to being to manifest the things you want in your life, and it's a good habit to have. Especially given that habits (good ones in particular) are extremely difficult to break.
#2: Accountability
This one is one of the biggest pills you will probably have to swallow throughout your life. Honestly, there's a slim to none chance that you will ever run out of accountability pills. When I say this, I say it in situations where not only do you have to for something bad happening, but for great things as well. It's sad that this generation is so wrapped up in our parents' definition and viewpoint on accountability that we don't even know it's a two-way street. For instance, if I were to not wash the dishes when I know that it's my week/turn, then that is me not being accountable for my mother since she holds me responsible for cleaning her house as she works to keep the lights and water on. As I became an adult, I quickly reasoned that it was only fair. However, my grades were top notch. In the classroom, I am holding myself accountable, so anything that has to do with my grades (good or bad), it is my fault. Another word that has a bad connotation to it is the word fault. One of my most popular terms is "My fault." But if it comes to me, everything is my fault. I just recently got a car. My fault. I have a clothing brand. My fault. I have two jobs and I'm tired as f ck. My fault. I got evicted. My fault. Can you see the pattern? So many people don't even realize that they are so conditioned to pointing the finger at the next person that they can't even see that they themselves are flawed. They're so conditioned to be a victim and not a victor. This is also very prevalent in relationships as well. Many times we get with a person that's visually stimulating, but not mentally and emotionally. If you're reading this, I'm sure you are emotionally mature or you are finding your way. It's okay, we all are. Just don't allow yourself to be with someone who again, is not putting in the amount you are. My stupendous mentor and former barbering instructor Michael T. Johnson II called it "arguing to be weak." People argue with others to continue to stay a loser and despise growth. Sad enough to say, I feel this way about my community as well. We are so wrapped up in arguing to be weak, we won't get off our ass and do something about it. Don't cry over spilled milk. YOU spilled it. Clean it up.
#3: Moments
The best way I can possibly sum this up is this: you occupy yourself with music, social media, another human, work, school, drugs, partying, whatever the case may be. All these things prevent you from being present. The co-editor of this blog and my lifelong friend, Xavier Shakes, told me that he thought this would be a good topic to touch on. Honestly, I couldn't agree more. For me personally, I am constantly present and grounded in the now, or at least I try my best to be. This allows me to go day by day, rather than living check to check how most people do in this world. A year for most people is a collection of 24 paychecks. 12 if you have a salary. That being said, what kind of profit are you making mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually? I say that to say this: the best way to live your life is to appreciate it. F ck social media and what the next muthaf cka is doing when your life is already beautiful. Think about it like this: imagine not seeing your life through your own eyes, just some other person. Maybe the person you want to be. You would then see that no one will ever appreciate your life like you will. Isn't that profound? Just really sit and think about that. Watching yourself live life through someone else's eyes. I'd bet 1,000,000,000 that you'd wanna be you. So why not be you now? Besides, if you're someone else, who's gonna be you like you? Take deep breaths. Say thank you. A lot. Just because you can even speak. You have a tongue to pronounce words. Say I love you. Appreciate nature. Laugh obnoxiously hard. Smile. Give out a compliment. All of the things I just named are also free to do. Here's the kicker though: you receive love. You receive peace. This is when you'll realize all the money in the world, the clothes, the likes and retweets, mean nothing. Make an impact within self, and it will reflect back out to you not only in the mirror, but the people and opportunities that you come across.
In conclusion, don't sell yourself short. Whether it be with friends, significant others, your family or even yourself. All of us has that voice deep inside that tells us constantly that we can do more. We can achieve more. Begin to feed that dog and starve the one that is frantic, unprepared and fearful. Fear is false evidence appearing real. You can get fooled by smoke and mirrors. Once you begin to pour more into yourself, you'll be able to quickly discern what is wise to spend your energy on and who to spend it with. I hope that on your journey, you always do the maximum. Inside and out.
-II
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TODD CAPITAL: AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL EDUCATION
As most of you should know from reading my posts, I was first an affiliate for Chris Johnson's courses, as I purchased Stock Market Gems & the Reloaded Field Manual in the summer of this year. Charles Oglesby, known as the CEO of Todd Capital, was in an article in Forbes. Not that I didn't know that he was making a difference in the lives of his team already, but it has the stamp of legitimacy. A black man made it into Forbes trading stock options. I'm like "Well sh t, I gotta see what the deal is." I purchased the Options Trading Workshop course shortly after and I still go back and listen to the game given by the many individuals who contributed to the course. He has so much valuable information not only regarding the stock market, but real estate, vending routes and more which spans across a number of different topics. If I found value, I'm sure you will too. Click the links below to see a collection of all his courses, as well as the one I purchased.