7 Life Lessons from Hamilton on hustle & heart
I’m a late entry into the Hamilton fan club, but what I lack in timeliness I make up for in enthusiasm. Lin-Manuel Miranda - you’re genius and I’m totally blown away by the whole production - the music, lyrics, actors, choreography, the energy, I can go on and on. If you haven’t seen it, please take the opportunity to check it out on Disney+ or listen to the soundtrack on the musical platform of your choice.
Bottom line, I LOVED it and I can’t stop listening to it. In fact, I’m sure my neighbors are pretty sick of hearing my belt out “My Shot” before every morning workout (fortunately my spouse is still OK with it!). Even more important than the entertainment value, are all the life lessons packed into 2hrs and 40mins. This show is truly a master class in hustle, heart and not drinking the haterade folks might be trying to serve you.
Here are the 7 Life Lessons I took away from Hamilton.
Life is short, in fact too short to not take your shot.
In one of the most iconic lyrics from “My shot”, Hamilton raps “I’m young, scrappy and hungry and I’m not throwing away my shot”. He knows tomorrow is not promised and that he must live for today - I bet we’d feel a greater sense of urgency to make the most of our time if we kept this top of mind, instead of it being a sentiment we utter after a tragedy. For many of us, the older we get the more complicated life becomes as we move further and further away from our adolescent dreams, hopes, and belief that we can truly be whatever we want and you can actually live your dreams. Honestly, this song helped inspire me to stop saying “someday” and FINALLY create this site and push “Publish” on this blog you are currently reading.
One person CAN make a difference, you CAN make a difference
In a world of billons, how do you not feel like a grain of sand in a desert? Hamilton was a purpose driven force to be reckoned with! His influence on America can still be found today (and not only as the face on your $10 bill). His work as a soldier and commander contributed to the success of American forces in the Revolutionary War, in particular the critical battle of Yorktown. Hamilton’s work shaped the American financial system, established the first national bank, the US mint, the Coast Guard, and more. It’s incredible and these are just a subset of his contributions. Most of us can’t, and frankly probably don’t want, to be a workaholic like Hamilton. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a founding father to improve the life of one person and if you make one person’s life better than you are making a difference. Every time you support an important cause, stand up for your beliefs, speak up when you see injustice, or provide an opportunity where one didn’t previously exist, you are doing something important and making a difference.
Do the work, get results
Today’s society is both blessed and cursed with so many ways to get instant satisfaction, however most things in life take time and work to achieve results. As we know, Hamilton was “non-stop” and you couldn’t out work him. Did he let his lack of status, funds or family stop him from achieve his goals? NO! He hustled harder, stayed committed, and out-worked his competition. Hamilton’s colleague and former President of the US, Thomas Jefferson famously said “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” I promise that working and achieving your goals based on your own blood, sweat and tears will be much more satisfying than any quick fix. I recently lost 20 pounds and 17 inches over 6 months through consistency and discipline. It wasn’t easy but I changed my life for the better by doing the hard work and staying committed to figure out what and how to eat while ramping up my activity without any “quick fixes”. Putting in the work, consistency, and discipline are what get you real results. Period.
If you fall get back up! Persist and persevere - stand up for your beliefs and chase your dreams
Resilience is easier said then done and Hamilton was the epitome of resilience. He faced so much heart break and struggle from an early age. He did not let growing up in poverty with no father or having his mother die while he was still so young stop him. Many folks would have crumbed. Instead he stepped up, got a job, started educating himself and relentlessly followed a dream. Fortunately, many of us will face less dramatic situations, but the resulting shame, sadness and fear of failure may be the same. When something bad happens, your feelings are real and your response should be intentional. As the great poet Maya Angelou wrote “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” How you proceed in the face of adversity speaks volumes about your character and sets an example for those around you.
Surround yourself with those who lift you up
Like the ships in New York harbor, rising tides raise all boats. Fill your life with people who lift you up and believe in you, not tear you down or drain your energy. Hamilton surrounded himself with others pursuing freedom and better lives for all Americans and those who desired something more for their own lives. We are all influenced by our environment, so choose to spend your time with those who reflect who you want to be. It’s amazing to see just how quickly the positive influence, behaviors and words not only rub off, but truly inspire. Take a look around and view who’s in your crew - do you have a Lafayette, Mulligan or Laurens in your life? If not, here are a few suggestions:
Take stock of your friend and family - Who pushes you to be your best? Who do you go to for advice or a listening ear? Who always cheers you on?
Join an accountability group - Quick aside here: Having accountability partners has been hugely helpful to me and studies show when you tell someone else about your goals you’re 65% more likely to achieve them and 95% more likely when part of an accountability group (Join my accountability group here)
Find the books, blogs, podcasts and people that speak to you
Haters are gonna hate, you can only control how you respond
I’ve had this conversation with many folks and it’s especially important, so listen up - Someone else’s opinion of you is not your problem. Now, if you did something wrong, yes you need to fess up and apologize. But if a stranger, friend or loved one wants to criticize or belittle you for chasing your dreams than that says more about them than about you. Remember, your detractors don’t have your interests at heart - they’re viewing you through their lens thats tinged with their own bias, fears, failures, and judgements. Seeing someone chasing their dreams, when you’ve put yours on hold / quit / or have simply forgotten them can stir up deeply buried feelings of jealously and inadequacy that manifest as negativity towards that dream chaser (ahem, Aaron Burr?) Have you heard the quote “At first they will ask you WHY you are doing it. Later they’ll ask HOW you did it?” If Hamilton listened to his detractors, than America would likely look drastically different today. It would have been easier for him to give into the criticism, go with the flow, and assume the other side just simply knew better. If Hamilton allowed himself to be constantly plagued with thoughts of inadequacy, “what if” and regret than he would not have been able to achieve what he did. Stop regretting and start doing!
We all make mistakes and it’s part of being human
I won’t list of all the mistakes made by the characters in Hamilton (the affair and Reynolds Pamphlet debacle anyone?). What I want you to take away is that you can be both a great person and a flawed person who make mistakes. Both things can be true at the same time and it’s called being human. In fact, if you haven’t made a mistake I’d go out on a limb to say you’re probably playing it too safe. Learn from your mistakes, apologize, move on and don’t dwell. A mistake doesn’t define you, but your response just might if you don’t use it as an opportunity to learn and do better. As I write this, I'm reminded about how much I flubbed up starting this blog…I mentioned at the start of this post how Hamilton inspired me to finally push ‘publish’, but I didn’t tell you how I sat on this idea for over a year! I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I came up with the idea, set up the website hidden behind a password, wrote a handful of posts and proceeded to do nothing for fourteen months. Why? Two reasons - 1) I left perfection be the enemy of progress and 2) I was afraid of what people would think. There’s never a perfect time to do something that scares you, but you find a way to do it anyway. Keep in mind that first time or the fifth time might be scary but the more you do it, the easier it gets because you get better / stronger / faster.
If you haven’t seen Hamilton, I hope this post has motivates you to check it out. If you have seen it, I want to hear from you - What did you take away from Hamilton?
