“Happy New Year People, the ball done dropped. Guess you can say the new year legal. My resolution was, do everything I been doin, better than I usually does.” That was my favorite line from Juelz Santana song “Changes.” Every new year since that song was out I would post this to my facebook page. While everyone was posting “new year new me” stuff I would just post that lyric and move on. I never had a new year resolution, all I would do is dream and then wake up only to slave another day at a job or two. Get up and go to work knowing I had something better in mind. This year was a little different. I still did the same post but I went to sleep and didn’t dream. I woke up and decided to approach my new year as the same person but with a different outlook on life. I went to the same job but I was no longer a working sucker. I woke an artist with a pair of new eyes for life. I decided to approach the new year with a “less is more” outlook. Here is what I came up with. Maybe you can use some of it, I don’t mind sharing.

1.Less Stress More Sleep

-A long time ago I was in a church service and the pastor titled it “your thoughts determine how long your nights will be”. I may not remember that message but that title stuck with me for some years now. This year is not for stressing the small stuff. If you live the way I live going from job to job sun up to sun down six days a week. Sleep is worth more than gold. Towards the end of 2016 all I did was stress about how I was going to get myself to my goal which was to get paid to do something I like. I already proved that I can work but when you spend most your day doing something you may not like it takes more energy and you are tired often. However, you are not tired from getting up early and being out late. You are tired of just fronting to get a check so you can pay your bills. Do you know how many jokes I pretend to laugh at that aren’t funny? Do you know how many times I hold my tongue to save the ego of someone who thinks they’re in power? Well, the answer is a lot honestly I’m tired of being tired so this year I will make it my business to stress less about dumb junk and get more honest sleep. I heard that if you don’t get enough sleep you will eventually be ugly and fat and I want no parts of that.

2.Less Excuses More Grind

-Anybody who is in a black fraternity or sorority has been asked the question “what are excuses?” I am a Delta and was asked this question all the time. What I did find out is that those who use excuses amount to nothing in life. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to get to where you are trying to go but you can’t always blame it on your past or your current situation or “the man”. Sometimes the barrier is you. Outkast said it best “you need to get up get out and get something”. Get on that grind you claim on social media. If you have a dream wake up start living it. Surround yourself with folks that will push you and not weigh you down. Find a mentor, get you your own personal “Mr. Miyagi” get every major key they have for you and make them proud when you take that to the next level. Im in search for someone too. I mean Spike Lee is my mentor but it gets hard sometimes because he doesn’t that he’s my mentor so that makes it kinda difficult but we make it work.

3.Less Fearful More Fearless

I could probably be somewhere writing scripts for somebody’s channel changing the way we are entertained but I was being a punk. I have a box of notebooks with partially written scripts and ideas that nobody but myself has read because I was being a punk. Just thinking, what if I’m not good enough? Then I’m stuck working for a living and I’m not punching a time clock till I die. Take that leap of faith if you fall oh well you can say you tried. Langston asked, “what happens to a dream deferred?” Well, I don’t want to be able to answer that question. I don’t want you to have the answer to that question. It’s time that we go fearless towards our dreams and if we don’t have the support oh well take them off your V.I.P list. It’s time to do for self now.

4.Less Fans More Friends

-Right now folks are confused they don’t know who their friends are and who their fans are. You don’t have to be famous to have fans. Fans are folks that are with you for good times only. If you are doing nothing for them then they don’t need you. Pay attention to your circle if they are only around you when there’s a good time but when stuff get real for you they disappear. Friends are with you through thick and thin. They hold you up when you can’t stand by yourself. When you in a bad mood they pull you out of it. When you doubt, yourself they snap you out of it. Don’t waste your time pleasing fans and cherish the friends you have. If 2016 taught me anything it’s that people are not here forever. Don’t spend too much time with folks that’s only there for your good times and hide during your bad. Take note of those who has been good to you even when you didn’t deserve it. Those are the folks you shine with those are the ones you eat good with. Those fans who left you when were hungry don’t deserve to sit at your table when you get bread.

5.Less Spending More Investing

-How many of you said, “if only had the money…”? We often use the lack of funds as an excuse that holds us back. I’m guilty of this too. We need to stop throwing money away and start investing in our own self. Forget a “Go Fund Me” fund yourself. My man, if you want a car skip on a few of those Jordan releases. Now I’m not saying stop buying J’s but be smart with your purchases. You can’t use money as an excuse for you not having a car because you broke when you on the bus stop wear $220 sneakers. Do the math skipping on 1 pair of J’s for 12 months will give you $2,640. That’s a good down payment for a nice ride.

Now I’m no motivational speaker or nothing like that. This was just something I woke up with. Let's just rise and grind get take what is ours. If you hate what you doing right now then change your situation. Life is too short to spend most your time doing something you hate. Fly high or get flew over. Happy New Year People.