The Graffiti Machine

Latest Episodes:

116 - The Time Will Pass Anyway Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

Something I need to remind myself of regularly is that the time is going to pass one way or the other. What I mean by this is, the timeline is ticking away whether or not we do what we need to do. For example, if we want to get in better shape, start a business, scale a business, learn a skill, etc., and we put it off, that time is going to pass. Say a decision was made to accomplish a goal, then three months later, we haven't even started. How far along would we be in that three months? Years can go by with us saying "I should get going on that" and we haven't moved the needle at all. Once the time has passed, I would much rather look back and be further along. The hard part is convincing my procrastinating brain of this at the time. "One inch of movement will take you way closer than a mile of intention." — David JP Phillips "Learn to execute even if you don't feel like it." — Andy Frisella

115 - Sharpen Your Axe Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Most have probably heard the quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." or some variation of it. There's also a version of the concept in the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People talking about sharpening the saw. Sharpening the axe or saw is about preparation and being more effective. The concept of taking time to prepare rather than just powering through with a dull tool is can be applied to pretty much any aspect of your life. I was listening to a podcast recently, the guy getting interviewed mentioned a book called How to Read a Book. This kind of got my mind racing. I use books to sharpen my axe. If I read a book about how to be better at reading books, is that another level of axe sharpening? It's like if Abraham Lincoln spent some time learning more about axe sharpening before sharpening the axe. It's got me thinking about different things this might apply to. Like Jim Kwik's book Limitless. If continuous learning is a way of sharpening your axe, this book is about how to learn better. It seems like there's always a level deeper with shit like this. The book How to Read a book is pretty cool by the way. Connect with Bus on social: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/bus166 TWITTER https://twitter.com/bus166msk

114 - The Two Sides of Momentum Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

We all find ourselves in a rut from time to time. Whether it's an artist block, work related, fitness or whatever, sometimes we aren't feeling the motivation to get it done. The best way out of a rut I've found is to simply force yourself to start rather than waiting to be motivated. Sometimes it feels nearly impossible with motivation being so low. To effectively force momentum, a good way is to find easy tasks that get you moving. The more you get done, the more momentum you'll build. Eventually, you don't even need motivation at all. You'll be fully out of the rut and running full speed ahead. Connect with Bus on social media. Instagram @bus166 Twitter @bus166msk

113 - Things Aren't Supposed to Go Your Way Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

Any given situation is supposed to go the way it goes. It has nothing to do with us. When we put expectations on things, it causes disappointment. Once we realize this and try to detach from the outcomes, our minds can find more peace. Doesn't mean we can't do our best to get the outcomes we want, but in the end, it isn't up to us.

112 - Ghost Stories & Discipline Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

I came to a realization recently that the reason my mind feels like it is in turmoil all the time is because I am not living up to my own standards. This realizations came from some weird places, so this episode goes into some seemingly off topic things like ghost stories, spiritual healing, and shit like that.

111: I Believe in You Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

I believe in you. It may sound corny since we may not actually know each other, but it's true. No matter where we are in life, we have the ability to improve and overcome the obstacles we face. If you search around, you can find countless examples of people bouncing back from bad decisions, came from nothing, or any number of things that would derail a life. We all have what it takes to improve. Countless people have overcome addiction, homelessness, obesity, prison sentences, and many other things. If they can do it, it's possible.

110: Acceptance Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

The concept of accepting the things outside of our control is a simple, but powerful concept that I find really helpful when shit gets tough. Simple, but not easy to impliment.

109: Our Word Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

If you find yourself in a situation where someone consistently breaks promises, misses appointments, or shows up late, it's natural to begin questioning the value of their word. This is a common experience that many of us have had.

What's even more intriguing to think about is that if you fail to keep your own promises to yourself, your own mind may begin to perceive you in a similar light. When you repeatedly break commitments you make to yourself, it becomes easier to evade self-accountability.

107: The Art of Practice Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Ever feel like you're putting in the hours practicing, but not making the progress you feel you should be? I've definitely experienced this a lot over my life. The reason is most likely not a lack of commitment, but it lies in the way you're practicing. I first came across the concept of "deliberate practice" from a book called 'The Talent Code'.

Deliberate practice is a more purposeful approach to developing skills using focused, repetitive practice rather than simply putting in the hours. With deliberate practice, you're hyper-focused on what you're doing, you have a specific goal in mind, and you're out of your comfort zone.

With this level of intentionality, it helps your brain wire and strengthen transmitters faster than something like practicing casually while watching TV. I can remember back when I was trying to get better at graffiti letters in the early '90s. I spent a couple of years fiddling around with different things, but in 1993, I was given some letters by one of my mentors, Eklipse, and told to practice those letters exactly.

Without knowing it, I was in a deep state of deliberate practice. I would draw those letters over and over, hyper-focused on every detail, trying to get it all right. I made more progress in two months than I had in the previous two years. This can be applied to any skill you want to get better at.

Definitely something I find harder and harder to do in this era of distraction we are currently in.

Find Bus on various platforms linked here: https://bus.graffitimachine.com/

106: The Dichotomy of Control Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

For some years now, I've been a student of stoic philosophy. The biggest lesson from this philosophy is to focus on what you can control rather than things you cannot. It's often difficult to do and one can easily forget to apply this. Most of the time, all you have control over is your actions and the outcome is not within your control. Focusing on the outcome—especially when it causes stress—can really drain a lot of your energy. Energy that you could use on the part you can control which is your actions. I recently found myself doing exactly this. Focusing nearly 100% of my attention on the outcome and not on the actions required to achieve the outcome I wanted. The result was me performing below my own standards since a lot of energy was diverted. The moment I realized I was doing this and redirected my focus on the controllables, my stress levels went way down. Do you find yourself focused on the outcomes rather than the actions you need to take to achieve what you want?

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