Nomad 365 Club: Month 1: Drive
Finding Your “Why?” and Fueling the Journey
"Once you find your why, you will be able to find your way." - John Maxwell
One of my favorite hip hop songs is "The Questions" by Common and Yasiin Bey. It's lighthearted on the surface, but it cuts deep, reminding me that life comes with questions we can't avoid. Who am I? What am I even doing with my life? Where am I headed? When are things going to finally change? Maybe you've asked yourself these same things. There are many important inquiries we must search to resolve in our lifetime. However, there's one question that is life-altering. The north star in a meaningful life journey: your "Why." Why you're doing what you do. The purpose or driver of your thoughts and actions. When you have a compelling "why," it can be the very engine that ignites you to go further than you thought possible.
I remember when I was a teenager hearing someone on TV say that music and art is a tool that can make real change. And that always stuck with me. When I started writing raps, making music, and letting those close to me hear it, I did it out of curiosity, out of the need for an expressive outlet, the camaraderie, and the joy of playing something back I created that I could nod my head to. I was always aware that my words had power - like a weapon that can either build and protect, or that will tear down and set something ablaze. But as I began to get more serious about my joy-giving hobby, I began to think I could maybe make a life's work out of this. Breakthrough in the industry and be amongst the artists I looked up to.
I pursued this dream into young adulthood, and somewhere along the way, I stopped making music for its pure joy and started making it for validation. I was driving fast, but I had no idea where I was going anymore. I began to lose sight of what my true Why was. As a fresh-out-of-college graduate doing my best to be a full-time rapper in Atlanta in the early 2010s, I saw just how predatory this music industry could be for artists. And I realized I didn't want to play the game of the industry. I wanted to create the space I desired to live in within it. That's when my "why" shifted from personal success to collective liberation. From making it, to making room. I wanted to create art to build something greater than myself that liberated me in its creation and others through its practice. This "why" keeps things in perspective when the scope seems unclear. It keeps me going when I come close to wondering if this means anything at all. Gives me the energy to take one more step forward when my legs are heavy and my mind is telling me to quit. That is the power of having a strong, personal, and purposeful "Why." And now, I want to help you find yours.
I'm excited to welcome you to the Nomad 365 Club. We're in for a wonderful journey together. You've decided to take a year of being intentional, claiming a safe space for yourself in an environment where not only can you pour into an intentional community, but that community can pour into you too. But before we embark on this journey, you have to become clear on why you're getting in the car in the first place, and why you want to get to the destination you have in mind.
For this first stop, we're going to reflect on what is your "Why." That will be the key to get this whole thing started. We'll also figure out what gasses you up. What are the things, actions, people, places that fuel you up and give you energy when you're feeling on E? And what are you looking forward to? Do you have a clear view of where you're headed? Or are you finding yourself spending too much time looking back at what's behind you now?
Remember, your windshield is way bigger than your rearview mirror. No matter how much you want to rubberneck and keep looking at the crash scene you may have passed, or even been involved in on your way to this moment, it's time to look forward now. You have some important and beautiful places to go to from here. And we'll navigate this road together. In this life, the journey is way more fulfilling than the destination will be anyway. So we'll appreciate the ride and find joy in the process. Now let's turn the key, and let's go!
-Alfred Nomad
This is the soundtrack to your journey this year. Every month there will added tracks for you to play whenever you want. This is just for you with a new track included.
In case you rather watch instead of re-read
