What I Learned From The Worst Experiences of My Life (and why I'm glad they happened)
Without them — I wouldn’t be who I am today | Music + Content [?] Recommendations
As I prepare to backpack through Europe, I picked up a bag from Marketplace. It was on the Sunshine Coast, so Georgia and I made a day of it.
We refuse to get a Cool Cabana, but the joke is on me as I have sunburned shoulders each time—I’ll get an umbrella.
I’ve also been teaching my third ever class at the DJ School as a part of QUIVR. I’m really getting the hang of teaching, my students are absolutely killing it and now we’re getting more technical.
I can’t help but think QUIVR’s growth will be exponential soon—the space is carefully curated by wonderful people. There’s an authentic energy in that bar/DJ school/booth sitting at the end of that laneway.
Thoughts
I’ve been doing some thinking about life’s challenges, and how when you view them in hindsight.
We’re always glad that we went through them.
Why is that?
Before and After Moments
There are ‘before and after’ moments in your life — significant events that change your outlook on everything.
‘Before and after’ losing a loved one
‘Before and after’ a catastrophic event
Here are mine, I’ll be vulnerable with you:
driving my best friend away —I was disloyal to him
dropping my Dad off at a motel and seeing tears in his eyes after my parent’s had split up
finding out my sister was struggling, and I’d had no idea
In the moment, your life seems to crowd in on you, it’s suffocating and your mind is clouded with negative thoughts .
You Will Heal
This quote from Psalms slapped me in the face — it was the inspiration for this article and summarises the concept perfectly:
Tough times feel like falling asleep to Armageddon and waking up to the sweetest Saturday morning.
You can’t fathom that things will get better, you’re trapped in the labyrinth of your own mind — but then they do.
I’m a patterns person, and this is just another pattern.
> feels like there’s no tomorrow
> tomorrow comes
> learn a valuable lesson in hindsight
> life improves
Find Meaning in the Suffering
When you reflect, you’re always able to find meaning in the suffering.
Losing my best friend to disloyalty has been the best lesson in loyalty I could’ve ever learned — it’s helped my relationship so much (I will forever bear the burden that it was at his expense though)
My relationship with my Dad skyrocketed after this day — we talk everyday on the phone and I always tell him I’m glad we had to go through it all, or we would’ve never gotten as close as we are
I was able to help my sister through her suffering and now she’s doing great and our relationship is better than ever — without that day, it might’ve gotten worse
‘Bad’ experiences are exactly what was meant to happen — you just need the foresight to see it.
My Prolonged Struggle With Weight
“A healthy man has 1000 problems, but an unhealthy man has only one.”
This is just an example of a longer-term struggle, less of a ‘moment’.
If any of you have been overweight, you know how it feels to hate looking in mirrors, despise going to try on clothes and god-forbid you have to go to the beach.
Do I wish it never happened?
No, I’m glad it did— this is why I bring it up.
The only reason I take care of my health now, and can help those around me, is because I went through some dark times.
Would I have known I’d come out of that hole as a fit person? Definitely not. I thought I was born to be that way, but life presents challenges in peculiar ways.
Without those trials and tribulations, I wouldn't be the person I am today.
Grab your struggles by the horns, know that it’s in your control to get through them, and you won’t recognise the person you become after you’ve climbed out of the well.
Look Ahead
So, think of these tought times like being pulled into a cannon:
Don’t get hung up on being pulled back into a dark pipe — realise you’re about to be shot out further than you could’ve imagined.
Music of the Week
Pepe Braddock - Mandragore
Julien Auger, the surrealist of House music, out of France started of producing hip-hop before moving to House later in his career.This track is a weird iteration of deep house/tech house, which I’m a big fan of.
MF Doom, J Dilla - Gazillion Ear
These two together are peanut butter and jam. Found this song recently, through such deep catalogues of music, and have been playing it ever since.
Spencer G, Junigurubi - Through the Night
A hard house song that I found in a record store - it’s a feel good, high energy, dance floor track.
Content Recommendations
I’m actually going to scrap this section.
It takes me a couple weeks to read the books and give my honest opinion, so I might leave this for an ad-hoc basis.
The End
And that’s all.
Happy Friday everyone.
Here’s an Anthony Bourdain quote to prepare you for the weekend.
Eren