On Creeds
Ever since I first heard the audio-only version of Hamilton, I’ve never been able to stop—nor did I want to. While Hamilton has been received globally with reverence and applause, it means something to me that feels entirely personal. I consider myself to be an Alexander Hamilton.
To me, to be an Alexander Hamilton (or at least the Hamilton depicted in the musical), is to be someone who makes something of himself purely via whats within his head. Whenever the “just you wait” lyrics hit my ears, it speaks to me about how we continue to rise everyday, if what we want requires it. There are literally “a million things [you] haven’t done yet” that you could do purely if you decided you want it as much as your desire to live. Your legacy could be of a million things if only you forge the ambition for it within yourself. I am very much someone who is still learning to fully rise, and Hamilton still reminds me that above wealth, above status, above where ever the hell you went to college—there is the brain that determines the finality of these endeavors. The hungriest will achieve in the end; the fed may achieve sometimes—if the ladder is cushioned enough.
No, I’m not going to discuss the merit and history of Alexander Hamilton as an American historic figure. While he may have been the blueprint, it is the medium of the musical that conceives something greater. The Alexander Hamilton written by Lin-Manuel Miranda is an underdog whose sheer ambition proceeded his first steps in the morning. It was like the guy woke up with the force of a thousand Red Bulls each day, read to write himself out of his circumstances. And you know what? That’s what I’m (trying) to do as well: write my way out.
For others, it is not literal writing that will help unwrap their metamorphosis. For some it is simple things—things that do not sound as eloquent but still is a vehicle on which change can occur. For some it is literally a job in construction, a new start as a receptionist, a custodian, a teacher, become a first time parent, moving away from your tyrannical parents forever. If you complete the stage in your life with such conviction that you can say with all confidence that you gave it your all—the progress will compound. After all, that’s the only way anyone remarkable ever became remarkable—by choosing to be remarkable always. I’m aware that sometimes I come off as a southern pastor giving a sermon, but I’m also aware that these concepts are truly the reminders that is needed for someone out there. I always try to say what others struggle to say themselves, even if some see it as basic.
All human beings need a creed—the blueprint of the roles that define them, and how they execute those roles. Instead of explaining, I’ll tell you about mine…
As often as I feel it is needed, I sit down with a gel pen and a spiral-bound notebook to journal. All the little things bothering me, the larger conflicts in my head—the unexplained emotions. I get it out, as I always have. Today, I sat down to really reaffirm my creed and even give it a memorable acroynm. Like a kindergarten teacher. I also sat down to make it as simplified as I could: PHWD.
Patience: with my daughter and self.
Health: sleep, diet, and the sharpening of iron (workouts—it sounds cooler).
Write: blog, school, journal. Often.
Discipline: consistency—overcome flesh.
While this is very basic, there’s also a decade of improvement implications behind it. For some, they need to do the basic inner work just to care about having a definable creed. So many people just live hopping from one dopamine high to the other, and never really get jostled awake. It’s as if you need to make a real mess of your life before you value the concept of keeping your life organized every day. Your creed is how you live your life, and how you intend to approach every situation, whether it be positive or negative.
I heard a story once from this old man CEO who talked about a practice that really took ahold of me: he sits down every evening, and writes about how he could have done better that day. Ever since, that has been a practice I’ve been working towards, because checking in with yourself everyday on your disciplines is a total power move. It’s a move that will yield results at peak efficiency. You’d have to be honest with yourself every single day. And if you lie, you’d still have to lie to yourself every day on paper. Eventually you’ll get sick of not doing what you’re supposed to, and/or lying to yourself. This is the biggest catalyst towards reaffirming within your conscious and sub-conscious that you need to get your shit together. I don’t think this needs to be a drawn out writing assignment like most of my articles are; it can simple be bullet points on the things you know you fell short on. When I sit down at my laptop to do this writing, it’s a very similar device to me: it makes me think things out, as well as make connections on where I need to improve. You shouldn’t be dogging yourself—just observing your daily actions like a focus group admin and making notes. However, I suppose this does require the skill of being able to observe your actions objectively instead of condemning yourself for them. It takes some time to realize that your ill actions do not define you as a bad person. Only are you a bad person when you bring harm to others and refuse to change your ways. As long as you continue to try, you are making something of yourself.
To check-in with myself everyday, it would look like this:
How did I do on my PHWD today? I would then list out each point of my creed and evaluate how I did. Celebrate your victories when they come, and take ownership for your failures when they happen too. Please celebrate your victories and see how hard you really are trying. For the longest time, I didn’t, and I condemned myself over and over for not magically hitting my goals—or not even starting on them. Such was being a new parent. If you can’t convince yourself to start, there’s something else that needs to be addressed first. It’s something deeper that has to go, or be answered to first. Once you deal with this—through therapy, mindfulness, self-awareness, and self-forgiveness, you will find you can execute effortlessly. At the core, all of you needs to agree that you deserve a good future, and that you are worthy of the life you dream about. If you condemn yourself over and over, you’ll fail over and over via self-sabotage. Your evaluation of yourself must come into union with the version of you thats required to achieve your ambitions. Alexander Hamilton did that, and he did it at a much younger age than mine.. and yet I’m still a baby Hamilton.
Someday I will write my way out, and you will too—if you really want to.
