We don’t talk enough about contentment and uncertainty.
Often while continuing the cycle of hurrying to the next thing, the important role contentment plays in the growth process and dealing with uncertainty is scoffed at and overlooked. If we can’t be at peace with working from where we are currently, how can we get to where we’d like to be?
In this week’s reboot of FIRST FAVS I’m sharing some of my favorite pieces of content and friendly reminders to embrace your now.
Reads
The Power of Embracing Uncertainty
There's power in embracing the unknown. I just wish that I knew how to effectively do so without obsessively stressing. In a similar boat of uncomfortably grappling with the unknown? Check out this piece on the benefits of uncertainty, why closure is overrated and how certain strategies can help you deal with it all without losing your sh*t in the process.
Photograph by Zach Wolfe (via vulture.com)
Mixtapes Saved My Career
Who knows more about uncertainty than the Gucci Mane himself? While lauded for his trap filled musical movement with Zaytoven and more recently for his pretty unparalleled transformation, Gucci was far from having it all figured out. From previous major-label album fails to drug use and multiple stints of incarceration, the artist shares how he has navigated through the unknown in this excerpt from his book, The Autobiography of Gucci Mane.
Photograph by Smith House Photography (via createcultivate.com)
Issa Rae on Failure, The Old Hollywood Boys Club & Throwing Chairs
In the midst of still aggressively debating with friends over group chats about season 2 of Insecure, it’s sometimes easy to forget that it took YEARS for Issa Rae to get her show picked up by a major network. Check out this article as she talks about failure, the funny start to her career and how what’s meant for you is meant for you.
Photograph via bkmag.com
ROB MARKMAN DROPS ‘GENIUS’ GEMS ON WORK ETHIC, IDENTITY… AND BUYING HIS FIRST PAIR OF JORDANS
One of my favorite music journalists and interviewers is Rob Markman. His knowledge of hip hop, new and old, is so in-depth. I love that he doesn’t ask the same exact questions and you can tell how comfortable artists are having a conversation with him. While the MTV alum, current Head of Artist Relations at GENIUS and artist is known for making other artists feel comfortable opening up to the world, I hadn’t seen many dope interviews about his career journey or him growing up Afro-Latino and Jewish. Here’s one, and you should definitely read it.
Photograph via greatperformersacademy.com
How Hustling Only Makes You Tired, Not Rich (9 Ways To Kill The Game) | Thought Catalog
Team #NoSleep can quickly become Team #StaysSick if you let it. Check out this piece on working smarter and avoiding the trap of working yourself into the ground.
Image via Getty/Jeffrey A. Camarati/BET
How Trap Karaoke Went From a Party to Partnerships With HBO, LeBron, and 2 Chainz
Remember when karaoke nights for hip hop fans were limited to Montell Jordan’s ‘This Is How We Do It!’ and Biggie’s ‘I’ll Be Missing You,’ accompanied by random visuals of Asian families roaming grassland? We all have Trap Karaoke to thank for not only diversifying the karaoke scene musically, but for also providing such an amazing and unique user-centered live experience and community for people of color. Now the attendees list has gotten much longer and the partnerships have expanded, but it started out with 40 attendees and a broken projector. Read more about how the party got its start and how Jason Mowatt kept going, despite the odds.
Other Reads + Gentle Reminders
Photograph by Jason LaVeris | Getty Images
How To Succeed In Hollywood As Told By Lena Waithe
...All these people have been following what I got for the past year and a half. But it takes years...I'm a big believer in honing your craft. A lot of people say, 'Oh, I wanna be a writer.' Well, have you taken a writing class? ...Take a class. If you've got a cell phone, you've got an iPhone in your hand, go make a movie...
Photograph from Pinterest
Wherever You Go, There You Are
...It is immensely liberating to realize that nothing more is required of us than to just be fully here now...
I'm not exactly sure where to place this, but you should definitely check it out:
Photograph from hustlehearted.com
