We've all heard of the phrase the "Underdog" that is heavily favored against in whatever endeavor they are undertaking. The classic example is David and Goliath in the Bible. David is not expected to have a chance against his powerful foe, yet he takes Goliath out with a stone to the forehead!
You have the Cinderella teams that make the BCS bowls like Boise State and beat the heavily favored team (Oklahoma), teams that make the NCAA Final Four that barely made the 64 team tournament in the first place, and finally, PEOPLE that are born as ZEROS, expected to be WORTHLESS, such as Helen Keller, and end up becoming HEROES because they have alot of the traits I mentioned in previous blogs. Most of all though, alot of these people have the UNDERDOG mentality that FUELS them to feats most people that were ever in a similar situation would consider IMPOSSIBLE because they had the DEFEATIST attitude!
My brother Trent (leaderofthepack.wordpress.com) inspired me in this blog to really think back on my personal successes. When I was serious about track in high school, I would always have the underdog mentality. My Dad would always help me out by saying things such as "What is ____ (my main rival or someone that had beat me) doing today? anytime that I would take the day off or not work very hard.
Realizing that you are not the VERY BEST in your particular endeavor, hustle, or whatever you do should motivate you to get out of bed every morning. I know it motivated me every Sunday to wake up at 6 AM all alone and run 12-15 hard miles. By my Senior year, I had won the State Championship, and the WEIRDEST thing happened.
All of a sudden, I was NO LONGER the UNDERDOG! It was the weirdest feeling. All of a sudden, EVERYONE it seemed, believed in me! I was EXPECTED to win every race or it was a DISAPPOINTMENT! It got to the point that I stressed myself out and got injured. It is unreal how hard it is to stay HUNGRY for success when you're ON TOP.
The reason why you sometimes see the people rise to the top, then sink back down is because they let me MONEY and SUCCESS get to their HEAD. They forgot how much hard work, blood, sweat and tears it took for them to get to that level!
When I finally got my head on straight, I realized what I needed to do to maintain that underdog mentality: In whatever endeavor you want to pursue, make sure you ALWAYS surround yourself with people that are BETTER than you are. If this is not POSSIBLE, (it usually will be but it is possible that it's not), surround yourself with others that are not on your level yet, but JUST AS HUNGRY for success and are BITING AT YOUR HEELS for the TITLE!
Do you think I would have lost the HUNGER if I would have had a teammate that was as good as I was? NO! I would have had to work harder just to maintain my position. Same goes for a younger teammate that wanted to take my crown. It may make you work harder, but it is a GOOD THING because it actually makes you BETTER.
Having an older brother definitely helped me with this. Trent would almost always beat me in everything we did. I was naturally small built, so whenever we played sports he had the advantage. Being around someone BETTER than me FORCED me to step my game up in order to COMPETE!
You see this in the wild all the time. There is a saying about every day in the Jungle, the Lion and the Antelope are having a race for SURVIVAL. Just because the antelope survives one day, he can't get too proud of himself and lose the UNDERDOG mentality or he will get EATEN by the lion. On the other side of the coin, the lion can't get too proud of himself for killing one antelope that he doesn't hunt the next day or he will STARVE to death!
BOTTOM LINE: No matter if you're an Platinum selling artist with a major deal, or an artist that has yet to sell a single album, you have to wake up everyday with the UNDERDOG mentality, and that today is YOUR DAY, THERE IS NO TOMORROW. If you wake up everyday with that mentality, there is no doubt you will eventually make it!
Keep Hustlin
Tre "T-Jack" Thomason
ps: Check out Trent's related posts "Adapt or Die" and "How To Beat The Hell Out Of Someone Bigger Than You" at http://www.leaderofthepack.wordpress.com/
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Stop Caring What People Think!
If you read my last blog, you know EXACTLY where I'm going with this after you read the headline. If you want to be the best at what you do, want to rise to the very top, you will FIRST have to STOP CARING WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK ABOUT YOU.
"But wait T-Jack, I thought to get to the top you have to have the approval of others!" You might be thinking.
Well the truth is, you are only halfway correct. To get to the top, yes you will need the approval of others, in CD sales if you're an artist, or positive references for projects, and venture capitalists that are willing to invest in your cause. BUT before you can get these people to believe in you, you have to BELIEVE in yourself 100%! You have to APPROVE OF YOURSELF!
Take Kanye West for instance. He wears the most outrageous clothes, and comes across as overly cocky to some people. But when you watch his video "Good Life" (Link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEoaOmcSBo ) you can tell that he could CARE LESS what ANYONE ELSE thinks about him, he is living the GOOD LIFE because he BELIEVES that HE IS THE BEST !! If you don't believe you are the best, NO ONE ELSE WILL!
Do you really think that the artists that make it to the top come to promoters and label execs and say "Hey, here is my best music, hope you like it." NO. The BEST come with the attitude that their music is the best, and everyone else should think it is as well. And the weird phenomenon that occurs most of the time (unless the music is truly GARBAGE!) is that EVERYONE STARTS TO THINK IT'S THE BEST MUSIC OUT THERE!
It is as simple as that. I get a lot of demos sent to me nowadays, and sure, some of the artists have the right attitude, but the WRONG music. Others have GREAT music but don't believe in themselves and come at me with an APOLOGETIC tone, like "Sorry to disturb you, hope you like my music."
Let's be real here.. Do you REALLY think that you're going to make it to the top if you come at people like that? RESPECT is one thing, COWARDICE is another. When I push artists, CD's, and shows, I do respect the PROFESSIONAL opinions of others. But if I truly believe 100% in the artist's work and abilities, I'm gonna have the attitude of "Here is what I got. Either you like it and buy it or SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
BOTTOM LINE: Do all the research you can, make your music (or whatever your hustle is) the best it can be, and BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE BEST at every Performance, Interview, Recording.. Basically everything you do.
The ONLY caveat you should be wary of is coming across as OVERLY COCKY. No one likes an artist that thinks they're the best, and has no respect for anyone else. So INTERNALIZE this as much as possible, especially the BIGGER you get in the industry. Kanye West does not come out and say "I'm The BEST", but it is downright obvious in his lyrics and mannerisms that he believes this to be the case. ALWAYS have respect for others, but do not let ANYONE talk down on you. GIVE respect, and DEMAND it back.
Keep Hustlin,
T-JACK
"But wait T-Jack, I thought to get to the top you have to have the approval of others!" You might be thinking.
Well the truth is, you are only halfway correct. To get to the top, yes you will need the approval of others, in CD sales if you're an artist, or positive references for projects, and venture capitalists that are willing to invest in your cause. BUT before you can get these people to believe in you, you have to BELIEVE in yourself 100%! You have to APPROVE OF YOURSELF!
Take Kanye West for instance. He wears the most outrageous clothes, and comes across as overly cocky to some people. But when you watch his video "Good Life" (Link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEoaOmcSBo ) you can tell that he could CARE LESS what ANYONE ELSE thinks about him, he is living the GOOD LIFE because he BELIEVES that HE IS THE BEST !! If you don't believe you are the best, NO ONE ELSE WILL!
Do you really think that the artists that make it to the top come to promoters and label execs and say "Hey, here is my best music, hope you like it." NO. The BEST come with the attitude that their music is the best, and everyone else should think it is as well. And the weird phenomenon that occurs most of the time (unless the music is truly GARBAGE!) is that EVERYONE STARTS TO THINK IT'S THE BEST MUSIC OUT THERE!
It is as simple as that. I get a lot of demos sent to me nowadays, and sure, some of the artists have the right attitude, but the WRONG music. Others have GREAT music but don't believe in themselves and come at me with an APOLOGETIC tone, like "Sorry to disturb you, hope you like my music."
Let's be real here.. Do you REALLY think that you're going to make it to the top if you come at people like that? RESPECT is one thing, COWARDICE is another. When I push artists, CD's, and shows, I do respect the PROFESSIONAL opinions of others. But if I truly believe 100% in the artist's work and abilities, I'm gonna have the attitude of "Here is what I got. Either you like it and buy it or SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
BOTTOM LINE: Do all the research you can, make your music (or whatever your hustle is) the best it can be, and BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE BEST at every Performance, Interview, Recording.. Basically everything you do.
The ONLY caveat you should be wary of is coming across as OVERLY COCKY. No one likes an artist that thinks they're the best, and has no respect for anyone else. So INTERNALIZE this as much as possible, especially the BIGGER you get in the industry. Kanye West does not come out and say "I'm The BEST", but it is downright obvious in his lyrics and mannerisms that he believes this to be the case. ALWAYS have respect for others, but do not let ANYONE talk down on you. GIVE respect, and DEMAND it back.
Keep Hustlin,
T-JACK
Thursday, August 28, 2008
There is NO TOMORROW!
"There is no tomorrow!" This is one of my all time favorite quotes that comes from Apollo Creed in Rocky III. (Here is a You Tube video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlbKn8_p3vk) Rocky has just gotten DESTROYED by Clubber Lang and is training with Apollo Creed, but he doesn't have a sense of URGENCY in his training. As Apollo is jabbing him in the face over and over, Rocky says "Tomorrow", meaning that he will work harder then, and Apollo responds with his famous quote "There is no tomorrow!" Shortly after, Rocky is seen looking in the mirror as the quote runs through his head.
All of us, at one time or another, needs to look in the mirror and have this quote running through our head. Like Tyler Durden said in the movie Fight Club, "We are all going to die."
Why then, are you not going for what you want TODAY???
THERE IS NO TOMORROW! If there is something you want in life right now, it is time to take ACTION and GO GET IT! Stop waiting until all of the circumstances are PERFECT, because the truth is THEY WILL NEVER BE!
In my own life, I have only recently starting living with a sense of urgency. I looked up and realized that I am 22 years old, and will be 23 in less than a month. I am in the PRIME of my life. What am I going to look back on when I'm 30, 40, 50 and say, "Man, I wish I would have done ____ differently!" I shortly answered my question. Live EVERY DAY like it's my last day on earth.
One way I have done this is to be slightly different than others. I began to force myself to get up early. If today is my last day, I need an early start!
Second, I began to be more friendly to others, and create bonds with people everywhere I go. If today is my last day, I want some people to remember me fondly!
Third, I started getting rid of TIME WASTING Habits, and things that are not making my life better. There is no time to waste!
Fourth, I started living with a sense of urgency! That means making decisions must faster, not putting things off. Steve Pavlina has a very good blog on decision making that helped me with this. I will post the link later! EVERY DECISION, including important ones, in 60 SECONDS!
Fifth, no more being PASSIVE. Going for what I want, when I want it! Instead of letting the cute girl at school, the club/bar, or church (those places go great together, right!) slip away, trying to make a CONNECTION with her TONIGHT! That means, no matter what, getting a phone number, going for a kiss, further if I want it to!
6th, being the LEADER of my own life! Not letting someone else tell me how to live my life unless I ask them.
Finally, and most importantly, STOP CARING WHAT ANYONE THINKS! This is the most powerful for me. More on that in my next blog post.
Doing these things has really and truly CHANGED MY LIFE! Follow these seven rules and you will have the life of your dreams! Most people live for tomorrow, and not enough today. Instead, PLAN for tomorrow, and LIVE for today. You will be much happier that way, I GUARANTEE IT!
Remember, THERE IS NO TOMORROW. Listen to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying", and this should help bring home the point!
CARPE DIEM
Tre
All of us, at one time or another, needs to look in the mirror and have this quote running through our head. Like Tyler Durden said in the movie Fight Club, "We are all going to die."
Why then, are you not going for what you want TODAY???
THERE IS NO TOMORROW! If there is something you want in life right now, it is time to take ACTION and GO GET IT! Stop waiting until all of the circumstances are PERFECT, because the truth is THEY WILL NEVER BE!
In my own life, I have only recently starting living with a sense of urgency. I looked up and realized that I am 22 years old, and will be 23 in less than a month. I am in the PRIME of my life. What am I going to look back on when I'm 30, 40, 50 and say, "Man, I wish I would have done ____ differently!" I shortly answered my question. Live EVERY DAY like it's my last day on earth.
One way I have done this is to be slightly different than others. I began to force myself to get up early. If today is my last day, I need an early start!
Second, I began to be more friendly to others, and create bonds with people everywhere I go. If today is my last day, I want some people to remember me fondly!
Third, I started getting rid of TIME WASTING Habits, and things that are not making my life better. There is no time to waste!
Fourth, I started living with a sense of urgency! That means making decisions must faster, not putting things off. Steve Pavlina has a very good blog on decision making that helped me with this. I will post the link later! EVERY DECISION, including important ones, in 60 SECONDS!
Fifth, no more being PASSIVE. Going for what I want, when I want it! Instead of letting the cute girl at school, the club/bar, or church (those places go great together, right!) slip away, trying to make a CONNECTION with her TONIGHT! That means, no matter what, getting a phone number, going for a kiss, further if I want it to!
6th, being the LEADER of my own life! Not letting someone else tell me how to live my life unless I ask them.
Finally, and most importantly, STOP CARING WHAT ANYONE THINKS! This is the most powerful for me. More on that in my next blog post.
Doing these things has really and truly CHANGED MY LIFE! Follow these seven rules and you will have the life of your dreams! Most people live for tomorrow, and not enough today. Instead, PLAN for tomorrow, and LIVE for today. You will be much happier that way, I GUARANTEE IT!
Remember, THERE IS NO TOMORROW. Listen to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying", and this should help bring home the point!
CARPE DIEM
Tre
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Someone Has The Answer
I received a phone from my brother Trent (leaderofthepack.wordpress.com) the other day that truly struck a note in my head, and caused a major epiphany. In his message he said, "No one is ever truly the "expert", most people that are successful have such a drive to exceed that, when encountered with a problem they do not have an answer for, call or find someone that does!"
That was huge for me, because I have always been a "do-it-yourself" person. I then realized that the answer is to go for things and have 100% FAITH in your ability that either you can do whatever it takes, or YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!
Do you really think Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford or Thomas Edison were know all geniuses that got to the top alone? NO!
The truth is, they all were 100% CONFIDENT in their own abilities, and had 100% BELIEF and FAITH that if they couldn't do something, someone else could! Einstein himself had trouble with math. This didn't stop him from coming up with E=MC2! All these other famous men also had very large teams of SMART, HARDWORKING people that helped them achieve their goals!
I relate this alot to myself, and how I became the athlete that I did, as well as the successes I've had in the music business thus far.
When I was trying to do things on my own, it always took much longer and the work was more tedious. Once I got a coach that knew what he was doing, and had a history of success, I started making LEAPS and BOUNDS towards my goals, knocking off more than a MINUTE off my 2 mile race and 30 seconds off my mile in 1 Year!
The same thing is the case in the Music Business, except even more so. I had tried to get started with promoting for a while. It wasn't until I starting making connections that things started to happen! I then realized that it doesn't matter if you are the best promoter, or best artist or band out there. If you don't have the NETWORK and CONNECTIONS, you will NEVER MAKE IT! It is worthless in today's music scene to be a Jack-of-all-Trades. Because then you have too much to juggle, and because you are GOOD at many things, but GREAT at none, you will likely never make it to the TOP.
So you can rap, but can't dance? Hire a choreographer. Need beats? Hire a producer. Need graphics? Call a graphic designer. Don't know how to do business? Hire a manager. Want to get well known? Hire a promoter. Realize that most of the people are just as HUNGRY as you are for SUCCESS, and, working as a team, you can accomplish a whole lot more in a short amount of time, AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE!
CASE IN POINT: Soulja Boy. Let's be real here. As far as talent wise, it is too early to tell what this guy can offer as far as flows. But what got him a #1 Single on the Billboard Charts was HYPE. He put his video on YouTube, and had 100% BELIEF and FAITH that his single and dance were the shiz. He then found someone to get him in front of record and radio execs, and the rest is history. They had the ANSWERS he was looking for. Now he's a MULTI-MILLIONAIRE.
CASE IN POINT 2: Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne was a skinny little teenage kid that had 100% belief that he was THE BEST, and made sure to call Baby every single day with flows included until he got his chance. Now Lil Wayne is celebrated as the best rapper alive! He found someone with an answer and took advantage!
Until Next Time.
Tre
That was huge for me, because I have always been a "do-it-yourself" person. I then realized that the answer is to go for things and have 100% FAITH in your ability that either you can do whatever it takes, or YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!
Do you really think Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford or Thomas Edison were know all geniuses that got to the top alone? NO!
The truth is, they all were 100% CONFIDENT in their own abilities, and had 100% BELIEF and FAITH that if they couldn't do something, someone else could! Einstein himself had trouble with math. This didn't stop him from coming up with E=MC2! All these other famous men also had very large teams of SMART, HARDWORKING people that helped them achieve their goals!
I relate this alot to myself, and how I became the athlete that I did, as well as the successes I've had in the music business thus far.
When I was trying to do things on my own, it always took much longer and the work was more tedious. Once I got a coach that knew what he was doing, and had a history of success, I started making LEAPS and BOUNDS towards my goals, knocking off more than a MINUTE off my 2 mile race and 30 seconds off my mile in 1 Year!
The same thing is the case in the Music Business, except even more so. I had tried to get started with promoting for a while. It wasn't until I starting making connections that things started to happen! I then realized that it doesn't matter if you are the best promoter, or best artist or band out there. If you don't have the NETWORK and CONNECTIONS, you will NEVER MAKE IT! It is worthless in today's music scene to be a Jack-of-all-Trades. Because then you have too much to juggle, and because you are GOOD at many things, but GREAT at none, you will likely never make it to the TOP.
So you can rap, but can't dance? Hire a choreographer. Need beats? Hire a producer. Need graphics? Call a graphic designer. Don't know how to do business? Hire a manager. Want to get well known? Hire a promoter. Realize that most of the people are just as HUNGRY as you are for SUCCESS, and, working as a team, you can accomplish a whole lot more in a short amount of time, AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE!
CASE IN POINT: Soulja Boy. Let's be real here. As far as talent wise, it is too early to tell what this guy can offer as far as flows. But what got him a #1 Single on the Billboard Charts was HYPE. He put his video on YouTube, and had 100% BELIEF and FAITH that his single and dance were the shiz. He then found someone to get him in front of record and radio execs, and the rest is history. They had the ANSWERS he was looking for. Now he's a MULTI-MILLIONAIRE.
CASE IN POINT 2: Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne was a skinny little teenage kid that had 100% belief that he was THE BEST, and made sure to call Baby every single day with flows included until he got his chance. Now Lil Wayne is celebrated as the best rapper alive! He found someone with an answer and took advantage!
Until Next Time.
Tre
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Desensitization
"Anyone can become desensitized to any stimulus, if exposed to it enough."
This thought echoed through my mind yesterday as I was working. Why is this relevant?
Growing up, believe it or not, I had an intense anxiety of social situations. Looking back, it was because, for many years, we lived way out in the country, where my only contact with other people was school and our antenna TV. As I grew older, I cherished my time alone, self-absorbed in front of the computer or in my room. I had friends, but never let them get too close. When I took up running, I realized this was also an escape from reality of social situations. I took out my frustrations on the track.
It wasn't until college that I made a conscious effort to get over this. I tried alcohol. This made me talk to more people, but not very well because I was a dumb drunk!
I finally did some research and used the process of systematic desensitization to help me get over this problem. Check out http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm for more details about the process. Basically, I forced myself into uncomfortable situations until they weren't uncomfortable anymore! Instead of sitting at the house on the computer, I went to the bar/club. Instead of sitting at the bar/club not talking to anyone, I made myself start with ten conversations with women and men. I then upped this to 25, and made the majority of them with women because I found them harder to crack. I then forced myself to dance.. etc.
Now, only a few years later, I am a CONCERT and PARTY PROMOTER!!
My whole point is this: most people live their lives in a hypnotic state, in fear of change. I am living proof that if you have a fear, you must face it down and desensitize yourself to it as soon as possible. That is the only way you are ever going to get over it.
CASE IN POINT: The Olympics. Some of those people on the high dive and balance beam come within INCHES of a major injury every time they perform a flip or dive. However, they have become so desensitized to this fear of falling or hitting their head that they could do it with their eyes closed. Wake up people!
"You're going to die. This is as good as it gets" Tyler Durden
Carpe Diem
Tre
This thought echoed through my mind yesterday as I was working. Why is this relevant?
Growing up, believe it or not, I had an intense anxiety of social situations. Looking back, it was because, for many years, we lived way out in the country, where my only contact with other people was school and our antenna TV. As I grew older, I cherished my time alone, self-absorbed in front of the computer or in my room. I had friends, but never let them get too close. When I took up running, I realized this was also an escape from reality of social situations. I took out my frustrations on the track.
It wasn't until college that I made a conscious effort to get over this. I tried alcohol. This made me talk to more people, but not very well because I was a dumb drunk!
I finally did some research and used the process of systematic desensitization to help me get over this problem. Check out http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm for more details about the process. Basically, I forced myself into uncomfortable situations until they weren't uncomfortable anymore! Instead of sitting at the house on the computer, I went to the bar/club. Instead of sitting at the bar/club not talking to anyone, I made myself start with ten conversations with women and men. I then upped this to 25, and made the majority of them with women because I found them harder to crack. I then forced myself to dance.. etc.
Now, only a few years later, I am a CONCERT and PARTY PROMOTER!!
My whole point is this: most people live their lives in a hypnotic state, in fear of change. I am living proof that if you have a fear, you must face it down and desensitize yourself to it as soon as possible. That is the only way you are ever going to get over it.
CASE IN POINT: The Olympics. Some of those people on the high dive and balance beam come within INCHES of a major injury every time they perform a flip or dive. However, they have become so desensitized to this fear of falling or hitting their head that they could do it with their eyes closed. Wake up people!
"You're going to die. This is as good as it gets" Tyler Durden
Carpe Diem
Tre
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