MasterMind Drummer
Newsletter #14
March 25th, 2024
Don’t have time? MAKE TIME!
“For a better life, you’ve got to read” – Jim Rohn
Just the thought of writing this week’s newsletter got me pumped…
Why?
A. Because I love the topic.
B. Because I now know its true value.
C. Because I had to work at it.
But more on that soon.
Firstly, welcome to all my new subs! We’ve had a spike in the past couple of weeks, which is super encouraging.
We are up to Newsletter #15 now, and if I’m honest, they have all flowed quite effortlessly, considering.
As I’ve mentioned, I carve out time in the early hours of the morning, (usually after my daily reading), while my mind is fresh, and the thoughts just seem to stream out. Regardless of how I’m feeling, I just keep showing up, and it all seems to keep coming together.
There is something in that, the idea of just being consistent.
It’s actually whenever I go for a run that I get gifted newsletter subject ideas. They just pop in my head.
They usually smack me in the face, looking like this :
IN BIG BOLD FONT LIKE THIS
So when this happens, my process is this. I pull out my phone while still running, and using the voice/text feature, (and whilst usually out of breath), I very poorly attempt to dictate the subject idea into my phone. I hate stopping when I’m running, so will avoid it at all costs.
This often leads to me having to decipher exactly what I said, as through the motion, the wind, the heavy panting etc, the topic gets ‘lost in voice/text translation’… (Great movie).
An example of this, is one of my latest attempts. I got back from a run and checked my phone, and it said –
“Know won cards, keep moring”
Looking at that now, what do you think it means?
It took me a few seconds, but what I actually said was –
“No one cares, keep moving”.
I love these very direct and straight-to-the-point subject titles. They always get the ideas flowing super quick.
I’m actually already looking forward to exploring this idea more, too.
What I was thinking about was the importance of not getting hung up on our previous ‘wins’ in life.
The idea of not resting on your laurels. I see this all too often.
I’ve mentioned this in a post or two online, but it’s the idea that past wins in life are something to be proud of, for sure, and definitely add to your overall story or achievements, BUT it’s in your best interests to quickly pat yourself on the back, and just move on as soon as possible, as they often go from being a ‘Halo’ to a ‘Noose’.
Meaning you end up getting choked by the achievement as it starts to become your identity and limit further growth.
Oh, and that ‘halo to noose’ line is a Maynard James Keenan quote, from the track ‘The Noose’, by A Perfect Circle.
Actually, on that note, you can watch my latest 2-Mic Video where I pay tribute to the amazing pocket and groove of Josh Freese, from that very track – The Noose!
You can watch it HERE, on my IG page.
Or HERE, on my YouTube channel.
Now, back to what I was saying, oh yeah, my ‘idea’s acquisition process’…
Running, (or any exercise in general), puts me in a state that is very open to receiving information from the muse. And without fail, too.
I’ve spoken about this previously, the idea that all ideas are out in the ether already. It’s just whether you’re in a place where you are open to receiving them.
I know that when I put my shoes on, and head outside, get the sun on my face, and air through my lungs, I can actually guarantee that my brain will get hit with something worth thinking about or considering.
You might even go as far as saying #resultsguaranteed!
And look, I know it’s not ALL gold, of course not. How could it be? But I really can’t deny that the process genuinely works. And to be honest, that alone is enough reason for me to keep it up regularly. Regardless of all the obvious general health and physical benefits, too.
Not just newsletter ideas either, but interesting concepts to explore on the kit, ways to improve my 30-Day Coaching Program experience (sign up for May HERE), as well as working through technical issues in my little drum cave, and even the flow and presentation of my upcoming Drum Clinic, in a couple of weeks time. It ALL dials in while exercising.
It’s great. Exercise truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
I’ll put on an inspiring audio – these could be talks on philosophy, neuroscience, habits and processes, or often it’s something powerful I’ve already listened to.
In that case, when it’s something I’ve already listened to, I can happily tune in and tune out as I’m running along, but it doesn’t demand my full attention.
I can just let my own thoughts run wild.
I know consciously I’m just grabbing bits and pieces, but subconsciously, I’m taking it all in.
The brain is pretty remarkable like that.
I trust the process with the subconscious brain, but that’s also why I’m very cautious about what I let in on a day-to-day basis.
So, to wrap this intro up, don’t underestimate the power of consistent exercise, when it comes to brain function. It’s a truly remarkable mainline to the creative muse, to the point where I can guarantee it now. It’s great.
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So… From the (very) loose data that I’ve collected through conversation, it really seems that as a society, reading is something we do less and less.
I have a couple of friends that I can talk about books with, but not many. From what I gather, it seems people –
A. Struggle to make time for it, or
B. Struggle to focus.
I resonate with both of these, in a major way.
I’d hazard a guess and say this is due to the rise of being distracted by the short-form, mindless video content that we are bombarded with every day, on every social media platform. All via this remarkable device in your hot little hand.
Have a think now. How many videos do you think you have watched in the past 24 hours? Now, think about how many of those you did not actively seek out to watch.
So, what I mean by that is the videos you watched as a result of watching something else, something that you DID intend to watch, but then fell into the endless void we call, ‘The Algorithm’, or ‘The Death Scroll’.
This trap is chewing up so much of our time, and we need to claim it back. To quote Zack, “take the power back”.
I genuinely feel that as we get older, reading is something we NEED to be doing more and more, especially if we want to keep moving forward in life.
Life only gets better when you carve some quiet time out to read.
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn.
Some of the main things I have noticed since becoming a regular reader, are – a larger vocabulary, a deeper level of learning, a stronger retention of information, more focus, I am calmer, and my general confidence has elevated due to the investment I’m making in myself.
Now, understand this, not only am I not a natural writer (that’s probably pretty fairly obvious at this point), but I’m also not a natural reader, either.
My reading journey only started seriously about 4 years ago.
For many years prior, I could always see myself as a reader, but I just hadn’t found a place for it in my life, yet…
This innate belief that I could see myself as a reader, started when I was around 22 years old. The situation was this: I was standing at an impressive 117kgs (257lbs).
I was a big boy!!! It happened over the period that my son’s mum was pregnant. Let’s just say, things blew out! Sympathetic pregnancy maybe? Hahaha.
That’s a real thing, by the way, Google it.
But look, I’ll cut myself some slack here, things were pretty full on at that age. I had been a solo dad for two years already, and was just doing my best to survive.
But one day, I’d finally had enough. I decided it was time to sort my shit out.
I didn’t want my son to remember me heavy, so something had to be done. So I basically started running, and just didn’t stop.
Now what stemmed from this fitness journey, was I started looking for pieces of inspiring audio to listen to while exercising, to assist me in staying consistent and on track.
I started finding bits and pieces online. Powerful talks and seminars, as well as being an early adopter of podcasts, too.
This was a game changer as I started to find talks and interviews with people who I found motivating, encouraging, inspiring, and exciting to listen to.
They helped me stay in the zone.
Now, straight off the bat, there was a common thread here. Every talk I would come across, they would mention how, in order to develop your mind, stay motivated, and move forward in life, you need to learn how to read, and then would often recommend a book, too.
The thing was, I had absolutely zero identity with reading. My parents never read to me as a kid, so, in turn, I never read. It just wasn’t a priority in our house growing up. That muscle just wasn’t there.
So, around this same time, I found audiobooks. This worked extremely well with my fitness journey. I’d do these ultra long runs, and just listen to audiobook after audiobook, on topics and subjects I was interested in.
I remember feeling so grateful that I had discovered this newly-found resource. It genuinely made me want to get my running shoes on more, just so I could get out there and listen to more stories.
I had the bug for ‘information acquisition’, that’s for sure.
What’s interesting though, is, yes, I wasn’t a reader yet myself, BUT!!!! When I became a parent at 19, and when it came to MY kids, I read to them all the time. It was actually something I took quite seriously.
I understood even then that we are a product of our influences, so I was going to make sure my kids had reading ingrained in them from a very young age.
I started reading my son two books every night, from as early as I can remember.
And then, as he got older, we started sourcing out more long-form books. The classics by authors like Roald Dahl, and Paul Jennings. Books where we could focus on a chapter a night, immerse ourselves in the story, and I could essentially create a world for him.
I would even do the voices for each character, and really take my time with it all. (This was completely inspired by the incredible Harry Potter audiobooks I had devoured myself, read by Stephen Fry. His character reading was seamless).
This was a special time for my son and I, especially given how hard those first couple of years were. It’s something I am extremely happy I made time for, and can see the impact it made on him, to this day. He just started University this year, doing Majors in Psychology and Cognitive Science.
I then did the same thing a few years later, too, with my daughter, which she absolutely loved it also. Its such a special time.
There is so much research out now on the benefits of reading to your children. It sets them up academically, it supports their language development, it fosters imagination, it boosts their emotional intelligence, but also, and I’d argue most importantly, it increases and strengthens your bonding time with them, which the importance of that speaks for itself, really.
I very much look forward to having the same journey with my newest son, Max. He’s only 6mths at the moment, and we are already reading two books a night.
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So anyway, as I was saying, I’m exercising, and listening to as much audio as I can find, and everyone I’m listening to is talking about the value of reading…
OK! I get it! I wanted to read. That wasn’t the issue.
I just didn’t know WHAT to read.
And I didn’t know WHEN to read.
That was it. Where did it fit? And with what?
So, fast-forward a couple of years, and at this point I am deep into my routine of exercise most days, early mornings most days, and lots and lots of practice.
My routine was wake, coffee, exercise, and then pad work. It was pretty great.
Then one day my wife said to me, “you should read this, I think you’d like it”, and handed me a book called ‘The Happiest Man On Earth’ – by Eddie Jaku.
This book was a first-hand account of Eddie’s experiences living through the holocaust.
It’s a tragic and heavy read, but it’s written from a ‘glass half full’ perspective, as that is how Eddie looked at things.
It’s a super inspiring book that, for me, is ultimately about perspective, and not taking anything for granted, especially not the joy we have for drumming. Its a gift.
I would read a chapter every night, just before bed, and although I was enjoying it, I struggled with the fact that it was putting me to sleep.
So halfway through this, I changed things up. I decided to read first thing in the morning, instead, over my morning coffee, at the very start of my day.
I implemented this the very next day, and I’m not exaggerating when I say this was an absolute game changer.
I was sooooo much more alert and aware at this time. I could focus, retain more, read better, all of it. I was actually quite shocked at the contrast of reading in the morning, as opposed to just before bed.
I had finally cracked the code, ‘my code’, and figured out when my WHEN was. The only problem was, Eddie’s book was nearly finished, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to read next! Hmmmmmm, if only fate would intervene…
Knock knock. And it did. Straight on queue.
The next morning, I received a DM from Ryan Holidays Instagram account.
Ryan is an American author, and a modern voice for the ancient Greek philosophy, Stoicism.
I knew of Ryan as I had started to identify with the ideas of Stoicism, and had heard him on a couple of podcasts I had come across, but had never actually connected with him, so it was very bizarre that his page reached out.
Ryan had a new book coming out called ‘Courage is Calling’, the first of a series, and based on one of the four Stoic virtues COURAGE. He was messaging to ask if I wanted an early release of the book.
What??? How’s the timing of this??? Amazing.
I messaged back saying “yes, please!” And sure enough, a week later, a copy of ‘Courage is Calling’ arrived.
I really can’t emphasise enough how bizarre this whole thing was. I had not tagged Ryan in any posts prior, we had never connected on any level, and he had at least 300,000 followers at the time, so I am still quite confused and unsure as to how I was ‘chosen’ to be messaged and offered an early copy of his book.
Either way, literally a day or two before finishing Eddies book, Ryan’s turned up, and I then dove straight into that!
What I realised at this time, was 3 things –
1. Mornings were my time for reading.
2. Books regarding mindset, philosophy, personal development, they were my jam.
3. Much like everything, to get better, this was something I needed to show up daily for, and put in practice, consistently.
So I did…
From then on, I made a conscious effort to start my day with a coffee, a candle, and a book, and what’s interesting is, ALL areas of my life started to improve.
As I mentioned at the top of this, those areas were my ability to focus, my habit-forming sharpened, my vocabulary widened, I generally felt calmer as I had intentionally created some calm in my day, I spent less time on my phone, and my self-confidence improved as I was investing in myself.
The beauty about reading, too, is that very quickly you start to figure out what your flavour is, and also, each book you read, leads to the next. Whether suggestions within the book, or just recommendations at the end, it’s great!
So, to wrap up, the main point I’m trying to get across here, is, if you, like myself, like the idea of being a reader, but haven’t yet found a place for it. Just start. Now is the time. It’s the only way.
And start with the two books I suggested –
The Happiest Man on Earth – Eddie Jaku
Courage Is Calling – Ryan Holiday
Both these books had a profound impact on me, as I’m sure they will on you too.
Reading is a practiced skill that you need to put the work in, and if you do, it will pay dividends, in more ways than you know. Trust me.
And remember…
Don’t have time? MAKE TIME!
I always appreciate your feedback. I read all of them. So please, send any thoughts through that you may have, and get a dialogue going.
Stay Hungry, see you next week.
Stan
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