Empowerment Issue January 2018 | Page 36

MADETOLEAD MADE: We hear the term “grind” often—how do you define it? DJ: The word grind is often used, but if you ask me my meaning of it, it is how you take full advantage of the circum- stances around you, your time, your energy and your knowledge. If you really look at it, all of us are going to rise. We’re going to rise every single day, but I have the exact same 24 hours ferent because the rise is something we’re going to do regardless. MADE: In the book you talk about how you admire millennials because we’re always on our grind it 24/7 and we go after every opportunity that comes our way. How does that help or hurt us in the long run? DJ: In the book I acknowledge mil- lennials because you have two types of millennials. Ones that everyone feels like they’re not social, or they Grind—it is how you take full advantage of the circumstances around you, your time, your energy and your knowledge.” to make the best out of my life that you have to make the best out of your life and that’s your grind. That is what you do. Do you spend most of your time watching television that doesn’t empower you? Do you not go to the gym? Do you go to the gym but eat the worst things possi- ble? Do you not spend quality time with your family? And when you’re at work, are you learning from the job that you have as well as progressing or are you just trying to get the day over with and go to the bar after- wards? So the grind is actually the only thing that makes us dif- feel like they’re owed something and they’re spoiled brats. Ok well, that was the same thing that was said about my generation and every generation before us. But, then you look at the other side and then there are millennials who are always on it. Their phone is not off after 5pm. The phone is on all the time. They’re con- stantly empowering themselves with knowledge because they’re seeking it out throughout this community. They are social. They can overthrow government with Twitter and never have to pick up a gun. I think that makes the millennials more valuable to us. So yes, the attention may have become shorter, but that’s due to made-magazine.com | 36