Editorial: Trust Your Process

We want it. We ask for it everyday and some, who we deem as the lucky few, find some way to beat the agents that lurk in the Matrix. What is it exactly? There are so many names used for this elusive thing that we shed blood, sweat, and tears of anguish for that falls under the umbrella of the ever popular Pursuit of Happiness. We call it “success”, “living our best lives” and a form of “enlightenment”. But how can we turn an abstract idea into the concrete material that will make our existence worth while? Easy. Well “easy” in terms of the answer but the work can be difficult but it’s worth the exertion.

Pay no mind to the flossing of celebrities on Instagram or any other social media platform because it has nothing to do with you and your climb to the top of your own Mt. Everest. But if you do need a bit of inspiration, look no further than the current mantra of the Philadelphia 76ers: “Trust The Process”. The phrase is mostly associated with former Sixers’ General Manager and President of Basketball Operations Sam Hinkie and the rebuilding of the team. Over the past 5 years, we as residents of the city have witnessed an amazing transformation within the Sixers Organization where the team went from having a lackluster record to being a serious contender in the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Hard work and the belief of being better than you were yesterday are the greatest factors in making the change in your step towards a greater future.

Whatever your process is, trust and believe in it. There can be no amount of self doubt when you’re chasing your dream. Every step taken must be calculated but of course there will be moments when you have to take a risk. The word “risk” may create anxiety but you should fear nothing and embrace everything even failure. Easier said than done but there’s no other way. Short cuts will prove to be dead ends if you aren’t careful and with that being said, why pursue the quickest way to the the mountain’s summit if you stand to lose more than you would by taking your time and perfecting your craft? Know your worth and do all that you possibly can to achieve the goals that you set for yourself. NBA Champion Kevin Durant once said “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard” and that in itself is the key to being a success.

I remember reading an old issue of XXL Magazine interview with 50 Cent. If you know of 50’s story, then you’re aware that his “process” and road to riches is very legendary in Hip-Hop. In the interview he mentioned a conversation that he had with another Hip-Hop mogul, Percy “Master P” Miller of No Limit Records. Master P asked 50 a question that stuck with me for over a decade and that was “How hard do you hustle?”. We have to ask ourselves that each morning when we awaken. “How hard am I going to go today?” and “How bad do I really want what I want?” are two of the inquiries that constantly bounce around in my brain throughout the day and you should have similar thoughts rolling around in your cranial cavities.

You can do it. You could always do it even when you thought you couldn’t, TRUST ME, you could. I’ll end this piece with a line from one of my favorite writers, Christopher Wallace, “Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart’s in it and live the phrase ‘Sky’s The Limit’”. Be great and stay humble, my friends.