Watchu Finna Do?
In a week that's been rough for most of us, I'm choosing to take something from all of this. It's what we must do, so that an incredible life does not go lost in vain..
On Sunday, March 31st, influential rapper Nipsey Hussle was gunned down infront of his clothing store in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he passed away. The minute the news broke that he had gotten shot, almost anyone with a phone and conscious knowledge of social media rushed to send their well wishes and hopes of good news and prayers. My twitter timeline was flooded with prayers for this mans well-being. And when the news broke that he passed, there wasn't anyone who didn't immediately have a heavy heart. That heavy heart has lasted a couple days, but as I said - I'm choosing to take something from this.
If you knew of Nipsey Hussle or even listened to his music (which unfortunately, I didn't), you knew how motivational he was. Born and raised in Crenshaw, he went above and beyond to give back to the same community that made him. And there's so much about his contributions that I respect. It's a known part of his legacy, that he used every resource he had to give back and elevate those around him. Anywhere that he's mentioned, you get a glimpse of the kind of person that he was, his character, and his intelligence. Hearing all of the different stories about him and seeing everyone recount the many ways in which his life has influenced theirs after his death, it got me to thinking about the meanings of one's purpose and what we do with ours. And more specifically, what is my purpose?
If you look up the word Purpose in the English dictionary, you'll find the meaning to be: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. And a very large part of me believes that Nipsey understood his purpose and lived wholeheartedly in it and that alone inspires me. Although his time here on earth got cut short, his purpose was so much bigger than him and absolutely so much bigger than his death.
A lot of us struggle with understanding why we were put on this Earth and what it is that we're doing with our time here. Most of us have yet to figure it out, and even then, doing the work necessary to figure it out - that's something that some of us aren't ready to do.
I'd be lying if I said that this week wasn't a really rough week. And part of that is because I've spent it truly thinking about my purpose and whether or not I'm living up to it. Whether or not I've truly found it and understood it. And the answer that I found was a no... I don't know? I know what I want to do, but its not that simple. I came to the realization that I had gotten complacent and comfortable and I stopped really trying. I became content with doing the bare minimal ... or I expressed how much I wanted change for myself but never followed through with any action.
And that left the question, how can I expect to ever progress and do something that truly fulfills me or makes a significant difference in this world, if I allow myself to just be content with the world around me out of gratitude? It's okay to be grateful for all that God has given you, yet aim to get more. And it's not okay to sit complacent for fear of disruption. There's way too much power in fear once you get past it. And disruption is a great thing ... sometimes.
The one thing I've truly gotten out of this unfortunate situation, is that Nipsey was a man of his word and undoubtedly bout that action. He found his purpose, whether he understood that it was his purpose or not, and he lived in it, leaving behind a legacy of greatness. I think at the end of it all, we all just want to be great and leave our marks on this world. Nipsey's passing gave me the incentive and wake-up call that I needed. He reminded me that I got shit to do and life is short, so I need to get to it. I hear it loud and clear now, so here's my question to you:
Whatchu finna do?
