Work small, not hard.

In my acute observation of global patterns, most of society deeply believes that if one works hard enough one will get to one’s goal. That’s not totally untrue, but it’s equally not completely accurate. What is completely accurate is that, if working small enough AND hard, it’s possible to get anywhere and accomplish anything. “And” may not be the way to start a sentence, but it is the way to start understanding the duality of life and its many contradictions. “And” is the most simple way to understand being adaptable without oversimplification. Learning how to learn is something that has always come naturally to me because I was born and raised in so many different environments. My primary environment in Canada is in stark contrast to all the other countries to which I was exposed. While Canada may be one of the most powerful as well as one of the largest countries in the world, it not only keeps a low profile but has always had the humility to be inclusive. Canada did so before it became a trend and a new way for corporate entities to feign humility and grace. I don’t say this with disdain or contention but rather judgment…sound judgment that is. My immersive experience in global corporations has given me clarity around my insights in contrast to any feelings I may have about it all. This distinction has allowed me to deduce constructive insight on not just consumer behavior but, most importantly, those that control the behavior: corporations. It is important to note that corporations should not be demonized as there are positives that exist with a structure like a corporation. Furthermore, I don’t believe in demonizing anything that has proven to be much smarter than I will ever be. What I’ve always done is learn in a didactic manner in order to find order in lack of order (like I do with sound). As a drummer, I am constantly forced to construct rhythm from thin air which is one of the hardest challenges for anyone whether in music and/or in business. On top of this already challenging process, I am required to maintain a pulse that is steady enough to lead others and compensate for the lack of rhythm within their abilities without them being aware so they don’t feel insulted and/or exposed. This task is much easier done than said for persons like me in contrast to most musicians that will speak up a storm about their capabilities based on a tremendous amount of unfounded confidence only for their capability not to live up to their words. In many ways, Canada reminds me of this conceptually in that it has managed to create a rhythm for the world to observe and follow to measure themselves against without making any one particular person feel insulted due to their confident words overshadowing their capability. This is something that used to frustrate me — not only with the world as a whole but with the people in it — until I learned to adapt and understand what it is is what it is. Accepting what is as opposed to what should be is the determining factor between feeling frustrated and confused (as I once was) versus feeling more focused on self and one’s own rhythm. I got to this place by using the mentality I used with the drums. I did this by focusing on my precision and accuracy and letting those that can keep up do just that. Those that can’t won’t. I’ve developed a deeper for of empathy for those that are more confident than they are capable as by the grace of God, there goes I.