Life is so ironic, it takes sadness to know what happiness is, noise to appreciate silence and absence to value presence.

 —  Unknown Author

My homie Snoop Dogg does not care what you think of him.

His talent has taken him through some of the highest highs, and the lowest lows in the rap game and I for one am glad he made it through. I've always admired him as an artist, and there was always something about his hustle and creativity that made me think he would be a consistently respected figure in pop culture and business. I was right

It takes a certain mindset and strength of character to put yourself in a position that could open you up to severe criticism but not caring. Snoop knew what result he was looking for and understood he could achieve it in different ways. But it's his courage that is inspiring and his appreciation for who he is. He embraces his differences and knows what he stands for will not be for everyone and doesn't concern himself with that. Love him or hate him. Snoop is an unrepentant Ganja smoker and an admirer of the Pimp lifestyle. These aren't pastimes the moral custodians of our society would encourage, but he doesn't care. He has created  a wide range of products from Pornographic videos, smoking paraphernalia, a Reggae album to a Cookery Show. All have had market value and complimented his passions. He has come to accept who he is and I think his upbringing helped. The concept of Intense Realism we talked about with 50 Cents, is definitely a part of his armoury. Snoop Dogg does not give a f~ck.

I'm way off that state of mind. I'm still too concerned with how others will view my family for my actions. Still, we are all a work in progress, and the time it takes to get there is worth it. I wonder what kind of results Snoop would have obtained in his diverse career if he allowed the critics to hamper his forward motion. As you know I'm a Sci-Fi and horror fan. Stories representing black people in this kind of genres have never been kind to us. Either we are ignored or disrespected. Snoop is a lover of the fantastic and although at the time a black-led genre film would be frowned upon by the majority of the viewing public Snoop got involved and contributed to a genre we were severely underrepresented. He acted  in Hood of Horror and Bones. Did he get a hard time as a rapper for doing this? I'm sure he did, but the Snoop Dogg brand is all about what makes him different and Mr. Broadus Jr. loves the idea that there is nobody like him. To my mind, he helped set some foundations for me and others in the Urban Fantastic genre and I'm glad he didn't give a f*ck.

If there is anything out there that encapsulates the Snoop Dogg ethos, it's the book The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck .

The book in a nutshell from www.purewow.com :

1. Bask in your averageness
The book quotes Albert Camus, who said, “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” The endless search for happiness has become toxic because of our culture’s hatred of being average. Manson bluntly tells us that, in reality, most of us are average, and that the actual key to happiness is accepting that mundane truth. “The vast majority of your life will be boring and not noteworthy, and that’s OK,” he notes. Accepting your averageness will allow you to accomplish things without judgment or unrealistic expectations.

2. Stop trying to buy the best stuff
Once you’re able to provide for basic needs like food and shelter, being super successful doesn’t actually add that much additional happiness. So basically, if you’re living in extreme poverty, $10,000 would massively affect your happiness, but if you’re living comfortably, the same $10,000 won’t do that much for you, day-to-day. Sure, it’s going against the grain to devalue having the biggest house and the newest car, but in the long run it will—like admitting your averageness—take some of the overwhelming pressure off of you.

3. Admit when you’re wrong…
A major theme throughout the book is the importance of self-awareness. Take know-it-alls, for example. Manson argues that people whose self-worth is based on their being right about everything are keeping themselves from learning from their mistakes. Chances are, you are wrong sometimes, and admitting that isn’t only human, it’s essential to your growth as a person.

4. …And that life sucks sometimes
Pretending everything is sunshine and roses is counterproductive and ineffective. Instead of faking a smile and saying everything’s OK, acknowledge that life sucks sometimes—it’s actually really healthy. Manson says, “Denying negative emotions leads to experiencing deeper and more prolonged negative emotions and to emotional dysfunction.” People who are unshakably positive, he argues, are avoiding reality and hurting themselves in the long run. Refusing to admit that things are bad perpetuates those bad things instead of solving them, so the best thing to do is be honest about problems and work to solve them.

5. Care about *some* things, just not everything
The book’s title is a bit misleading in that Manson isn’t saying you shouldn’t give a f*ck about anything. What you should do is pick and choose what you give a f*ck about, based on your priorities and values. “[Caring too much] causes you to become overly attached to the superficial and fake, to dedicate your life to chasing a mirage of happiness and satisfaction,” he explains. The opposite, though, is indifference, which Manson says makes you “lame and scared.” To find a balance, take a hard look at your life as it is now and how you want it to be, and only concern yourself with things that will help you achieve happiness as you’ve defined it. Wow, that actually sounds pretty easy. 

Thanks for having me in your inbox for another week, hope this made your travels a little easier.

Peace, Love and Power

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