A great mind once said, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Now, if you aren’t a fan of lemonade, this saying doesn’t hold much water…
(See what I did there???)
Of course, this saying doesn’t have all that much to do with lemonade; it’s about how we overcome the challenges we face in life.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ve no doubt noticed several posts focused on the battle within ourselves…
Specifically, navigating negative mindsets and carrying on despite personal hardships.
By the time you read this, I would have just hosted my very last Mastermind for the AstroFlipping community – an event that I’ve been putting on for members since 2021.
That’s right - the VERY LAST ONE.
And I did it all in a neck brace and on a cane:
You’re probably wondering, “What the actual *bleep*, Jamil?”
Allow me to explain…
The week before, I was feeling some intense pain in my neck and arms…enough pain that both my family and doctor agreed it was time for a visit to the ER.
Side note – When your body is using every pain signal at its disposal to tell you something’s wrong, shut up and listen!
Thankfully, I received proper medical attention, and despite some discomfort and a neck brace that does nothing for my sense of style, I was discharged in time to host this final Mastermind.
Now before you think I’m crazy – and yes, I heard it – this is what I call a ‘challenge’. I’d even call it a struggle, cause I mean, I’m wearing a neck brace.
It was important for me to come to this final Mastermind.
It was the last Mastermind and I wanted to see the Astro community. I wanted to come to show that, no matter the challenge or struggle, you HAVE to show up.
I don’t mean show up in a neck brace…
I mean show up for yourself, show up to the things that matter to you and to the important things.
Yes, I could’ve easily skipped this event. I could’ve had a number of people take my place and I’m sure it would’ve been fine.
But I couldn’t do that.
I made a commitment to my AstroFlipping members. More importantly, I made a promise to myself that I would be at this very last Mastermind.
As crazy as that sounds, it all became about mindset.
In my mind, I wanted this to be a momentous and memorable Mastermind. I wanted to meet new members, explore new topics, and engage in new break-out sessions that deeply and truly targeted the challenges our members encountered.
Even before my surgery, this was the idea that I put on my vision board (laugh all you want, they work) and what I wanted to accomplish before the end of the year.
The surgery and neck brace?
Those are challenges.
My choice was to adopt a mindset that says it’s okay to bow out or maintain a mindset that says my vision does not stop for anything.
Not surgery, not pain, not discomfort, or “cones of shame.”
We do not take a challenge as an opportunity to not show up, we take it as an opportunity to prove to ourselves that we can succeed despite what the universe throws at us.
We show up, especially for ourselves.
Even if I had to do the entire event via Zoom from my hospital bed, I was going to be there.
That was how I was going to show up for myself and for the AstroFlipping community.
What Showing Up Actually Means
Showing up means honoring yourself as you are while supporting yourself to grow, achieve, and love yourself NOW. Not when you achieve your goals, not when you lose the weight, get the money, or snag the perfect partner.
It’s about accepting, integrating, and loving who you are today.
I’ll be the first to admit that my mindset has not always been top notch; actually, it was horrible for a long time, longer than I’m proud of.
But I tell you what - when an opportunity presented itself for me to turn my life around and show up (not only for myself but my wife as well), I took it.
I didn’t know where it would lead me, but I knew that I needed to go somewhere that wasn’t where I was.
Sometimes, showing up means seeing a path that you didn’t think existed or taking a path that’s always been there, but you’ve never seen it.
Or rather, a path you’ve never taken.
My path led me into a Barnes & Noble for some Starbucks and that first step is what led me to where I am.
Because on that day, I read a book - You Are a Bad Ass by Jen Sincero, to be exact - that changed the trajectory of my life.
I started meditating, I sat down and really took a look at where my mind was at, and discovered that I held foundational beliefs that were holding me back.
I realized that if the tools and ideas I held in my mind had brought me to such mediocre ends…
What was the value of those ideas?
Ultimately, this clarity was the springboard that launched the idea for my first company, KeyGlee.
There were a great many steps along this journey, but the crux of this story is that by showing up for others and for myself, I stopped being a victim and finally took control of my future success.
If you want to learn more, click the link below:
As always, if you want some guidance and support on getting to those professional goals, especially for your real estate investing business, come join us at AstroFlipping.