Run Your Race, Sis!

I’d like to start this blog by saying sis is a gender neutral term! Anyone can be my sis. Male, female, non-gender conforming being. We are all sis, so please don’t be offended! It’s simply a term I use when I’m ready to get serious with you (or myself)! 

Now let’s get to the nitty gritty!

Social media. Lawd have mercy; it can be a beautiful and useful tool but if used improperly, you can ruin your self esteem. Everyone is so into sharing what they’re doing, how much work their doing and it can leave you with Imposter Syndrome. Haven’t heard of the term? Check out this article from the Harvard Business Review.

In short, Imposter Syndrome can make you feel like you aren’t hustling hard enough because your peers are always doing something or getting the shine you want to receive. I have it badly but something recently clicked that led me to write this here blog. 

Have you seen “Head of State” starring Chris Rock? In the movie, Chris plays a D.C. alderman that is the Democratic candidate for president. At some point in the movie, he too feels a bit of Imposter Syndrome and asks his boo for advice. She tells him a story about when her father took her to the horse races. She noticed that all of the horses wore blinders; running their race without even seeing each other. She then tells Chris to run his race. Block out all the noise, run your race! 

So here’s today’s lesson; RUN YOUR RACE, SIS! What Pookie and ‘nem are doing has nothing to do with you. You can’t get ahead in life minding the business that DOESN’T pay you! Let me say that again because I don’t think they heard me in the back.

YOU CAN’T GET AHEAD MINDING THE BUSINESS THAT DOESN’T PAY YOU!!!!

The motivation from your work should not always be external. If the fire doesn’t start from within, you shouldn’t be doing the work in the first place. Now I’m not saying your friends and peers shouldn’t inspire you. If your friend group or inner circle is not a mix of hustlers and bustlers, you need to leave them ASAPtually! Be inspired by them but don’t let their shine overshadow you or make you feel inadequate. You are just as amazing my love! 

I recently put my blinders on and did some self-reflection. Why did I feel inadequate? Why did I feel like I was not working when clearly I am up at a 9 to 5 every damn day? It’s because I WASN’T working. 

I was too busy on social media looking at other people reap the benefits of their work. My time was consumed by something that did not serve me. I was not disciplined in my craft. This is my first time writing since the summer. I can’t get any reward if there’s no work behind it. I would see other publicist friends garnering media attention for their clients but my pitches fell on deaf ears. It wasn’t because my clients weren’t good enough, I wasn’t hustling the same as when PR was the only thing I was doing. I got comfortable. I needed to get back to a higher level of grind and stay there. When I did, the media started rolling in for my clientele. 

So I needed to give myself a kick in the pants, put my blinders on and RUN MY RACE! I had to be my motivation. I wasn’t going to get it from work. I wasn’t going to get it from my clients because that’s not their job. And I wasn’t getting it from my peers because the green-eyed monster kept rearing its ugly head. I had to find my reason why all over again and when I found it, I had to always keep that at the forefront of my tunnel vision. 

In this last month of this decade, I want all of us to hone in on the things we value most; whether that’s family and friends, building a business/brand, finding love, WHATEVER! Find your reason why, your motivation. Set your goals and truly give them all your energy. Cut down on your distractions and focus on the tasks in front of you. Don’t compare yourself to people you see on social media, their race is entirely different from yours. Run YOUR race sis and I promise you, the rewards will begin to flow!