JUST DO IT!

Just Do It can either be an average ordinary saying applying to finally building the courage to do something or you can try to act learned and say that it is synonymous with Nike (they trademarked the slogan as soon as it was made). Phil Knight and the Beaverton, Or company made the three words its slogan after consulting with Portland ad man Dan Wieden to help them overthrow Reebok in shoe and apparel merchandise sale lead. Wieden, with simple creative genius, decided to add the word "Just" to "Do It" (Do It was penned as a connective device that evoked an athlete's transformation to a great competitor. Just was added for emphasis and it definitely made it much more of a powerful statement). It was said that the line was gold, but gold just doesn't cut it. Personally, I'd say it was more antimatter (rarest and most valuable material in the world worth $62.5 TRILLION/gram). Nike may not be worth $62.5 trillion, but $67 billion isn't too bad.

Simple marketing developed one of the most memorable and money-making slogans ever. Hmmm, so what if people actually applied "Just Doing It" in their everyday lives? That's too much to ask for however. Most people nowadays are too self-conscious and culture driven that they spend so much time trying to conform and fit into norms rather than expressing their individuality and seeing the purpose of why everyone doesn't have the same name and same appearance. Other than censorship or a lack of finances, I believe the reason that so little is accomplished is that people are afraid to pursue their REAL interests. I know you are going to school for engineering, but what happened to that love for art you have buried under your old Calculus assignments and tests? Or those old songs you wrote in your earlier years you keep in your closet and sometimes sing to yourself when you are alone? Ever look at those old photos of you in your high school basketball uniform and then look to the side and find that jersey? Stop going after something safe because what you truly want to do seems unlikely. You control your success, so it is up to YOU if you become what you set out to be. You have absolutely no reason to not pursue what you love, no matter the stage and point of time because anything is possible. Let me put more emphasis on it. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Resemble anything mentioned before in this blog? The way I look at things, whatever won't kill you or make you lose your self-identity doesn't hurt to *try. Let's take out try because we're winners over here and replace it with **do (ignore the bad grammar please). Why be scared of asking out that girl or guy (girls can ask guys out too it has happened to me twice) who you have been crushing over like crazy and stalking on the low (be honest y'all) or doing something spontaneous and thrilling like skiing or surfing or getting in the gym/field/ice/cage to perfect your athletic craft or recording that song you wrote in English or etc, etc, etc. I can go on and on and on. Uncertainty, failure, fear (mostly criticism), insecurity and even thinking "realistic" are all mental blocks, negative ones to be of fact. Anything that halts your progress, development and potential joy as a person needs to be kicked and will keep you from reaching the goals you set for yourself and promised you would stop at nothing to achieve. You don't know how far something will take you until you keep traveling that path. The further you go down that path the more you will realize whether you want to keep going or retract. If you put everything you have into what you love or even like to do, and I mean everything (heart, soul, hair, left foot) it can take you far. Oh yeah, fuck anybody who doesn't support your pursuit of happiness.

Now before I get flak for it, those aforementioned situations aren't necessarily representations of my point because what if you came to the realization that particular path wasn't too fitting for you or wasn't going to take you far. However, that doesn't make it an excuse to completely give up on it. A lot of the time when people give up old hobbies or interests, they stop doing it recreational too. Ok, we've established that it wasn't going anywhere as a life pursuit, but why give up on it entirely. Didn't it provide you with relief and pleasure? Wasn't it an outlet for you when you were frustrated? Or are you afraid that if you start doing it again that it will rekindle how you once felt about it and bring you distress? That's all relative so I'll leave it be.

Me personally, I have no fears. I don't fear criticism, whether harsh or constructive, failure (it will happen and depending if you learn from it and gain experience from it rather than dwell on it it's always positive. Honestly, if you think about it, would it even be a failure anymore?), and not even death. I go after everything I want and work towards it. I say and do almost anything I want, which can be a problem at times, but I'm entirely comfortable with who I am as a person to not care about whether it is a problem. Now I'm not saying I'm successful, I'm still an 18 year old male high school student with no acclaim. I have failures too, many of them. But I don't let one failure stop me from pursuing different ventures though. I use what I learned from my last one and put it towards my current one in an effort to be more successful. I like to think I think way more positive than the average person. I can find a positive in almost any situation, especially one that didn't result in death (I'm good for the "At least your still alive" or "Your momma still love you" page). I have days where you could believe Just Do It is tatooed all over my body and m heart is shaped like the Nike swoosh.

So if you are still pondering whether you are gonna make your move on that attractive person or skydiving or picking up that lovely Spaulding to put up some shots, stop pondering, get off your arse and do it. What is the worse thing that can happen? Nothing truly bad can happen. Nike made a three word slogan to beat out and slaughter Reebok, I'm sure what your trying to do is pretty plausible. You just have to get out there and do it. To end this, I'll leave you with Jay-Z's verse to the remix to Diamonds from Sierra Leone with Kanye West. One of my favorite verse HOV has ever created. If you can't get motivated from this, I might ask you to do my taxes in the future.

Yup, I got it from here 'Ye, damn
The chain remains, the gang is intact
The name is mine, I'll take blame for that
The pressure's on, but guess who ain't gonna crack?
Haha! - pardon me, I had to laugh at that
How could you falter when you're the Rock of Gibraltar?
I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water
This ain't no tall order, this is nothing to me
Difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week
I do this in my sleep
I sold kilos of coke, I'm guessing I can sell CDs
I'm not a businessman
I'm a business, man!
Let me handle my business, damn
Kanyeez you got me, Freeway then Foxy
YG's, Teairra Mari, Peedi watch me
Bleek could be one hit away his whole career
As long as I'm alive he's a millionaire
And even if I die he's in my will somewhere
So he could just kick back and chill somewhere
Oh yeah, he don't even have to write rhymes
The Dynasty like my money last 3 lifetimes
Shirley Bassey's in the rear saying exactly
What I've been saying practically my whole career
A diamond is forever, I've been mining this forever
Now the Louis Vuitton Don's timing couldn't be better
People lined up to see the Titanic sinking
Instead we rose up from the ash like a phoenix
If you're waiting for the end of the Dynasty sign
It would seem like forever is a mighty long time
(I'm done, bitches)
Good night!