Hey morning my fellow readers and community. As you can see, I didn’t bother with trying to take some instagram-worthy photo. In fact, I haven’t posted anything on IG in a very long time. Maybe the system might think I’m dead or something. 😅 Just kidding.

Seriously though, you know me by now, I am not interested in sharing and posting stuff that only looks nice on the surface. I don’t care for superficial things. Ever since I began this journey, the only thing I really cared about most was being authentic, genuine, real. Even if at times, what I need to say isn’t comfortable to read about (or for me to express it). But this here, writing all of these posts, is something important to me because it is my tether to my most authentic self. And I never ever want to lose the most authentic parts of me.

Recently, I shared a post as I made an argument online about what “hustle” means to different people. Honestly, I am still thinking of that post right now and I still stand by my argument. To each person, our situation in life is different, and our challenges, personal or otherwise will be different too. So it does matter that you try to find your own hustle. Because that is precisely why I am here.

6:30 AM

It rained last night. Sure, it felt amazing to sleep. I had a very good rest, plus I did have some help from the sinus medication. It makes me drowsy so I ended up falling asleep fairly quickly. But then this morning, when I finally decided to leave the house and make my way over to Koufu at BigBox, it was humid and my skin was sticky by the time I arrived. So, not all that nice either.

This morning, I took some time to acknowledge that I remember and know why I am willing to hustle. Why I’m willing to get up at 6:30 am on a Saturday while most folks are still tucked in bed. I know my “Why” and that is very important to me. My “Why?” Is also something that tethers me to my purpose, my “ikigai”. Without it, then this hustle will just become a never-ending “grind”. Yes, personally for me, I believe there is a major difference between someone hustling for a better future versus someone just grinding their way through.

“Grinding” as a word feels like a form of acceptance of defeat. You’re simply going through the motion of doing something and enduring/tolerating the suffering as you go. You would say words like, “it is what it is.”

“Hustle” though, has a slightly different tone to it. There is this sense of urgency, a sense of direction and purpose. You’re not just rushing towards something, you’re rushing towards a goal, a vision, a dream.

Better Life, for Myself and My Parents

So yeah, I am here, perhaps more so to remind myself that I am not just doing this for my own pride and ego. But I am here because I want to succeed. I need to. And I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to make that happen. That way, I know I can give my parents a better life, especially now that they are entering their golden years. Doing this for them, is also doing it for me. Doing it for myself, is also about doing it for them. This isn’t mutually exclusive. It is my love for my parents that drives me towards success (whatever it might look like at the end of this path). And when the day comes that they are no longer with me, I can look back on my journey and smile, knowing that I have done everything that I can to give them the best years of their lives before they leave this world.

So, tell me folks, “Why” are you really hustling right now? What drives you? I love to read about it in the comments below.