As I approach my 30s, one of my main targets is to “never grow up.” I shall honor my physical maturation but ensure my spirit remains settled in virginal form. This objective does not mean that I’ll be aspiring to live a juvenile life as I saunter through adulthood. Rather, it’s an aim that will encourage me to avoid any incoming matter that has the potential to smear my purified belief system. From my perspective, those who set their heart on “acting like an adult” are, without even realizing it, operating from a place that is far from their high-powered ticker. Those who comprehend the charm of life know that the best moments burgeon in the absence of thought and not amid a calculated rumination. So the more one can live without thinking—a practice that adults often abuse—the more they can experience life’s greatest gifts.
One way I like to harmonize with this goal during my period of manhood is to collect action figures. When I was a kid, I accumulated all kinds of figurines, ranging from professional athletes, to characters from television shows and movies. In the opening chapters of my journey, I employed these toys as props in imaginal scenes that I would film from within. An example of this practice is shown below, with a set of Power Rangers. God knows what my third eye saw in this photo.
What’s great about action figures is they allow you to broadcast your appreciation for the subject in hand. By owning a physical representation of a character that we respect, we’re able to dwell in a mental condition full of veneration. The more time we spend in these types of states, the easier it is for us to see the fascination in everything we lay eyes on.
Due to this truth, I’ve opted to surround myself with toys of people that have had a positive impact on my journey. Right next to my bed, resting on a personal shelf, are a set of four figurines (see photo below). Left to right, we have Mike Modano in the middle of ripping a striking slap shot, Jason Kidd in a well-founded four-point defensive stance, Terrell Owens hauling in a touchdown pass, and Chipper Jones about to connect for a no-doubt home run from the left side of the plate.
These are four players from my debut book, Trust the Grind, which opened many doors for me as a creative. The featured Hall of Famers helped me achieve a dream of mine at a young age, which is why, each night before drifting off to sleep, their action figures remind me to remain grateful for all those who assist us along the way.
Right below the four standouts from the four major sports, I’ve got Georges St-Pierre—who stands tall, ready to rumble—on my bedside table. GSP, another star I was fortunate enough to interview for my book, provided me with one of my favorite quotes. In our chat, the legend, when speaking on the power of removing yourself from comfortable situations, told me, “You’re not going to achieve what you want if you stay in your comfort zone. You need to go get it. In life, nobody will give you anything. You need to make it happen.” I loved the string of inspirational sentences so much that I opted to include them atop the cover of the book.
In my living room, alongside my record player and collection of albums, I’ve got a growing set of sonneteers. In the front, we have the immortal icons 2Pac and Biggie. In the middle row, left to right, we’ve got André 3000 in the outfit he wore in the “Hey Ya!” video, the late, great DMX, and lyrical genius Lil Wayne. Behind that trio of artists, we have Slick Rick—who’s sporting some serious gemstones—Ghostface Killah, who is also rocking some flashy ice, and Ghost’s Wu-Tang teammate Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Ten toes tall in the final row, we have Eazy-E, Run from Run-DMC (or Run’s House for my generation), and Biz Markie.
These lyricists are big inspirations of mine, and whenever I walk past them I remind myself to put my heart into my words like 2Pac and DMX, pen projects with eccentric diction like Ghostface, and focus on expressing my unique self like André from Outkast.
Without these poets, I would walk around my place with a shortage of artistry, which would wound my development in my own craft. If I didn’t own the figurines from my book, I would be less inclined to reside in a state of gratitude, which in the long run would harm my overall existence on a day-to-day basis. These two facts alone have me convinced that action figures have much stronger powers than their plastic-based beings give off to the naked eye.
