Rooted in Purpose, Not Praise.
Here's my advice to you. Before you start a project of any kind, write a song, or even create a painting, ask yourself, Why am I doing this? What is my clear goal, and what message am I trying to convey through this? Are you doing it solely for self-satisfaction or to benefit someone else? Believe it or not, it's a lot easier to follow through with your vision once you know why you're doing it in the first place. Additionally, it's equally important to stay on that path of why you're doing it.
However, if you find yourself struggling to stick to that path, you should evaluate one other thing. Where do you get your self-worth? Where do you get your self-esteem? This question may fumble you at first, and it may take you a while to come up with an answer, because this isn't a question people may normally think about. However, once you analyze yourself and see where your self-esteem is rooted, you are able to discover your true intentions. Did you start that workout clothing business just so that it looked amazing on your high school transcript? Or were you starting it to help those in need of clothes safe for sensitive skin?
Let's say you're reading this blog as someone whose project — of any kind, music, a business, etc. — has been making it big, but you've stuck to your path. (good job!!) In that case here's what I want you to do. Evaluate yourself and ask, Are you being humble? If you are having trouble answering that, here are some examples of someone humble, versus not, and you may not even know it!! This time, I will share a personal experience I've had. I love all my friends very dearly, and we are all diverse in many ways — ethnically, economically, and even culturally. Because of this, the norm for all of us is very different, and I'm someone who's been raised to respect that. I just recently moved into a new house, and I've shared that with many of my friends. However, one of my other friends' houses — in the same circle of friends — recently burned down. Though it may not seem offensive or disrespectful, talking about my new house can make her feel bad. Though it wasn't my intention to make her feel bad, the fact that we stand at very different places in our lives makes what she perceives as my intention very different. The higher up on the ladder you are, the more you will need to keep in mind what you're saying with the people around you.
So, the moral of the story is, stay humble, know why you're doing something, and don't let your ego distract you from your true purpose.
Written By: Josefina Heredia