I’m Done Viewing. I’m Doing.

I spent about two years watching other people on YouTube. Then I decided: I’m done viewing. I’m doing.

I could keep watching other people take a chance, or I could take one myself. I did not have everything figured out. I still don’t. But I had reached the point where I wanted to find out what I could build.

I’ve had to use my own strength to pull myself out of the gutter. Now I’m climbing a mountain. I know those are two different parts of the journey, but they both require me to keep moving when it would be easier to stop.

That is the mindset I bring to building Dryvn.

You have to back yourself

I spent 20 years in construction before teaching myself software. I knew the pressure of running work, dealing with customers, coordinating people, and carrying the responsibility when something went wrong. I wanted to build something that could help business owners carry less of that weight.

Knowing the problem did not mean I knew how to build the solution. I had to learn. I still have to learn.

It takes something to become a beginner again. You have experience in one part of your life, then you put yourself in a position where you are asking basic questions in another. You have to be willing to look like you don’t know, because sometimes you don’t.

I would rather ask the question and move forward than protect my pride and stay where I am.

You cannot build your life around waiting for other people to decide you are ready.

Stop giving everyone a vote

When you believe strongly in an idea, there will be people who do not understand it. You may be judged. You may feel pushed out or find yourself taking a direction that people around you would never choose.

At some point, you have to stop giving a fuck about whether everyone approves.

I care whether the work is good. I care whether I keep my word. I care whether what I’m building actually helps people. Those are things worth answering for.

But I cannot let somebody else’s opinion decide how far I am allowed to go.

Sometimes you need a level of belief that looks delusional to someone standing outside it. They see what you have today. You see what you are trying to build, and you are willing to do the work between those two points.

That belief still has to survive honest questions. If something is broken, fix it. If an approach fails, learn from it. Being willing to change your method is part of taking your goal seriously.

Have faith in the Lord. Use the strength you have.

My faith is part of this. I believe in the Lord, and I believe I have a responsibility to use the ability and strength I have.

For me, faith and personal responsibility belong together. I have to make the decision, put in the effort, ask for help when I need it, and follow through.

The power that helped me get out of the gutter is something I need to keep using. I want my faith to help me use it with purpose, humility, and care for the people around me.

Behind Dryvn is a longer-term goal for Winds of the Spirit: acquire land, grow food, and give it to people who need it, for free. I want the success of this business to help make that possible.

There is a lot of work between that intention and a dependable operation that feeds people. I know that. It is still worth working toward.

“The wind of the spirit fills the sails of our souls.”

That means something to me. I want it to mean something practical in what I do.

Beast mindset is in the follow-through

To me, beast mindset means being willing to face the work again after it has frustrated you. It means having enough discipline to finish the difficult part after the excitement of starting has worn off.

Try. Learn. Try again.

When you feel like quitting, look closely at what has brought you to that point. There may be a problem you need to solve, a skill you need to develop, or an approach you need to change. Give yourself the chance to work through it.

Pushing harder means putting your effort where it can move things forward. Ask the hard question. Make the correction. Take another run at the part you have not figured out.

The hardest part can be takeoff. You are putting everything into getting off the ground before there is much momentum to help you. It can feel like a lot of effort for very little movement.

There is no way to know exactly how close you are to a breakthrough. That is what makes perseverance difficult. You have to decide whether the purpose still matters and whether there is another useful step you can take.

For me, there is.

I am still building Dryvn. I am still learning. I am proud that I started, and I am responsible for what comes next.

I’ve pulled myself out of the gutter. Now I’m climbing the mountain, with faith in the Lord and everything I have to give.