Defining A Creative Mind
What is life without passion? What is life without longing and hunger for more? I could not fathom the boredom of waking up to a life where I am satisfied and life has become a mundane cycle of “What more could I ask for?”
The latter statement is not said out of greed but rather out of a drive to constantly be challenged and overcome. Any driven mind will tell you satisfaction is elusive and temporary whether it be that of an athlete or a creative. I’ve never known a creative who could not find flaws in their work which others deem perfect because for them being content is next to death and with each day comes a challenge to be better than the previous.
We are only on this earth for a limited time and I for one refuse to squander my existence with trivial tasks and everlasting celebration after accomplishing something as basic as a degree or acquiring a material item. My goals are much more aligned with feeding my soul than the possession of two yachts and thirty-seven cars. I create, I push, I release and repeat.
Wall after wall of my mind is pushed to its breaking point and my brain capacity is constantly widening. Time does not exist but rather a series of check marks. Goals which I lay out for myself and a new one seems to pop up each and every day as I learn of new things and add them to my list of obstacles to overcome. Seeing life through this sort of lens allows me to never see the mountain top of the success I wish to attain but rather sees the mountain continue to grow. I never want to plateau, I want the elevation level to rise to the point I can be as diverse as the man in Dos Equis commercials and my name is synonymous with “wow”.
At a young age my father challenged me to be better than him. He did not define this by placing a monetary value on his possessions but rather informing me of the goals he set for himself and which ones he had accomplished. My father was the most intelligent and well-studied member of his family and constantly sought more knowledge. He skipped grade levels despite the laws of New York trying to set him back when he initially came to America from Jamaica in his teens. He bypassed college and joined the military in order to help provide for his ten plus siblings. He found the love of his life, got her to propose to him and built a life together with two children whom he taught the values of work ethic, preparation and honesty through his example.
My father does not chase wealth but happiness, he gives frequently and expects nothing in return, he does not hold grudges on those who wrong him and he encourages my sister and I to want more. He believes in generational wealth and teaching the keys to life rather than simply what’s in books. Most importantly, though, my father inadvertently taught me the lesson of taking risks. He was laid off from a company he gave a good portion of his life to and rather than seek out another he chose to start his own business. My father knew nothing of baking but is the proud owner of perhaps the most successful Jamaican Bakery in the area and anywhere south of him. Lessons from my father have taught me to accept myself no matter how much he and I disagree and as I go through life placing check marks next to my goals it is he whom I will think of.
