You Must Take Ownership of Your Hustle

Thursday, 24 March 2011 09:18 Duane L. Lawton

Jay-Z

On the song This Can’t Be Life Jay-Z rhymes about his struggles to turn his life around and at the end of his verse he says, “Don’t worry. If it was meant to be, it’ll be-soon.” I’ve always believed this in my own life. I’ve struggled, and not just financially, to turn things around. I’ve relied heavily on my own faith and optimism and from a variety of sources of inspiration such as the lyrics of Jay-Z, to keep me focused and on track despite experiencing painful setbacks. The lyrics of a rap superstar and businessman may be inspiring-but they won’t change your condition-only you can.

A business-focused biography about Jay-Z was released March 17: Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office. Of course, I bought the book because I’m a big Jay-Z fan and a student of business and entrepreneurship. The book is a quick and fascinating read. The author, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, goes into detail about Jay’s business moves in the streets and in the corporate environment (I found the chapter “Champagne Secrets” particularly intriguing). Greenburg’s book, Empire State of Mind digs deep into the business mind of Jay-Z while my book, I Will Not Lose! show how Jay’s mindset (revealed through his song lyrics) can influence and inspire your mentality and hustle.

Empire State of Mind

After reading Greenburg’s Empire State of Mind I’ve become even more inspired by Jay-Z, the businessman, just as I’ve been inspired by Jay-Z, the MC. His lyrics have been a strong source of inspiration for me, evident by the book I wrote. Make no mistake about it- the breakdown of Jay-Z’s lyrical genius found in my book and the intricate details of Jay-Z’s hustle found in Greenburg’s book can have an impact on your life but the choices you make and the hustles you take on-are yours. When I first heard Jay-Z, he “told” me, that I Can’t Knock the Hustle, well, that’s true, but you also have to take ownership of your hustle... and its results, both the successes and failures.

Jay-Z’s words or actions may inspire but it’s your words and actions that bring about change.

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