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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Hustlers: Habit #1

Whassup Peeps?

Here is my latest article as seen on Yahoo Voices. Let me know what you think. 

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Habit #1 - Keep It Movin’ (also known as Be Proactive)

Do you have what it takes to be successful? Will you do what is necessary to become successful? What is your definition of success? Some people consider success waking up in the morning. Others consider success getting a promotion on the job. Success can mean a lot of things to different people.

According to Dictionary.com, success is defined as:

1.  the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals.
2.  the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3.  a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors.
4.  a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.

It can also be defined in simpler terms as “the worthy progression of one’s goals and ideas”. That means a long as your moving in the direction of your goals, you are successful. The key words from the previous sentences are “progression” and “moving”. They imply action. Nothing can happen unless first action is taken.

You can think about your dream and talk about your dream all day long but until you actually create a plan and put it into action, you are not successful. Do you have to jump from idea to implementation in one big step? Absolutely not! But it doesn’t hurt to take baby steps. Just consistently take the steps that can get you to where you want to go.

There is another saying called, “Eat the elephant one bite at a time.” This means you should break your plan into steps. It helps to write your plan out on paper so you can make it concrete in your mind. Our minds actually can work better if our eyes can physically see the steps laid out on paper.

From there, take one step at a time. Some steps may take longer than others but stay focus and you will get them completed. It sounds easy right? Well, just because it’s simple, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy.

There will be times you will doubt your plan or your abilities. Sometimes other people can cloud your judgment and slow down your progress.

Persist!

Most of the times there will be some obstacles to overcome including the negativity of family and friends or even your own fears but if you are determined you will get over them all.

Nothing replaces action.

One of my mentors says “a little bit of action is better and a boatload of meditation.” I agree. Sometimes we can have a tendency to “over think” a situation and we find ourselves in what is call “the paralysis of analysis”.  That means we are wasting more time thinking and being cautious when we really should be taking action.

Am I saying don’t plan? No but what I am saying is once you have a plan, act on it. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. There will never be a perfect time. What you need to do is remember to always be moving in the direction of your goals. The details will take care of themselves.

Let’s Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Hustlers: The Success Mindset Series Volume 1

Whassup Peeps?

I've embarked upon another adventure. Sometimes you don't know how much you've influenced a person's life until they actually tell you. One of my cousins, Dee The Makeup Artist, who is a long time entrepreneur (www.makeupexpert.net) told me earlier today that I should consider motivational speaking. She told me she admired me and how much I had influenced her as a businesswoman. While I do remember helping her out with her mindset concerning marketing and promotions, the rest of the 99% of her success was her doing. 

In light of our conversation, I have decided to create a success series called, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Hustlers". It will be a collection of articles, podcasts, videos, and audiobooks that describe the main traits of successful people and put them in an easy to read format. I will give you real life examples of public and not so public figures who are truly hustlers in every sense of the word. You will begin to see a common thread among them and I will give an easy to follow formula for success. 

This formula is inspired by and is an adaptation of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey. Although his book is a classic, timeless piece of work, it took me 3 times to get through it. The first 2 times I'll admit, I was young and some of the book I just didn't understand. There were a lot of words he used that were big to me at the time like "paradigm". Eventually though I got through it and I noticed some real changes in my life. 

What I'm doing is taking those same 7 Habits and making them so simple that a person with a high school diploma can understand them and put them into practice immediately. So be on the lookout for more tools from the Success Mindset Series. They say success is a journey, not a destination. I am putting my passion and my purpose to the test and I would like for you to experience this journey with me. 

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin

Ya Gotta Rock it. Don't Stop It! - Day 22: Celebrating Hip Hop History Month 2013

Whassup Peep?

I know you didn't get a blog post from me for the last couple off days but what I've posted so far this month should be enough Hip Hop History to keep you going for a while.

But I ain't done yet! Today I want to shine the spot light on the Universal Zulu Nation. Its the 40th Anniversary of this powerful, global Hip Hop organization. It's main outlook is simple: Peace, Love, Unity, and safely Having Fun!

Big shouts out to Afrika Bambaataa and the other Hip Hop pioneers who formed the Zulu Nation.

The Atlantis (Atlanta) Chapter of the Zulu Nation is having its annual celebration coming up this Sunday. Check out the flyer below:

Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin, The Hot Instrumentalist

A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders 20 Year Anniversary - Day 19: Hip Hop History Month 2013

Whassup Peeps?

Continuing our celebration of Hip Hop History Month, I want to spotlight A Tribe Called Quest. This month is not only Hip Hop History Month and The Zulu Nation's 40th Anniversary but it is also the month Tribe dropped their classic album Midnight Marauders. So with this blog post I want focus on the element of Street Knowledge. 

According to The Gospel of Hip Hop, Street Knowledge is the study and application of ancestral wisdom. What Tribe did was create a piece of history using historical elements and they made a timeless album. Hiphoppas and Rap fans all over the globe could relate to the concepts on the album and they are still relevant today. 

One night, my Queen and I were up until the wee hours of the morning playing Tribe songs reminiscing about our days in college.

Big ups to Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, Ali Shaheed Muhammud, and Jarobi for helping make my college years great with this album. 

Here's a link to A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders album on YouTube. Enjoy!

****This just in. As I was listening to Pandora.com's Funk Jazz radio station, a song Tribe sampled on their first album called Inner City Blues by Reuben Wilson came on. All I could do was smile.****

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If you're interested in learning more about The Gospel of Hip Hop, The Temple of Hip Hop, and Hip Hop's elements, check out the link below at Amazon.com:

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Let's Make It Happen!!!

Mello Melanin

The Rap Beat Creator, Emcee, and Hip Hop Scholar

www.RapBeatCreator.com