THE JOURNAL

It’s the truth. Regardless of the industry, you’re in there are always going to be the naysayers, the doubters, the detractors, and the haters trying to throw salt on your game. In short, you can stay in your lane and mind your own business but sooner than later, someone gonna swerves and try to disrupt your trip to the top.

So what do you do when this happens? Nothing. Just keep your ego down, your skills up, and keep making the moves that are making you that much more popular. Remember…Elephants don’t swat flies and no one has ever achieved greatness without a little bit of negative press.

Black and Grey tattoo by Fernie Andrade on Alphonse. This tattoo won “Tattoo of the Day” at Musink.

The inspiration behind the post

Recently, I was talking to a friend (who by the way is not in the tattoo industry), and he was talking about the amount of heat he caught for recently getting a big promotion. Needless to say, people in the office were talking smack and spreading rumors and after a week it finally got to him.

About an hour into our conversation, his grandfather came out and said, “Listen up cry baby, elephants don’t swat flies and people don’t talk garbage about nobody, they talk about somebody, and you’re somebody. So suck it up, and strive for more.”

As we both sat there laughing, he pulled open the sliding doors with a beer in his hand and said, “This is my point of view…who cares about anyone else’s point of view. I built this house on hard work, not gossip, and anyone can do the same.”

As we sat there kind of stunned he followed up by saying, “Jealousy isn’t new. It’s older than I am except you kids call it ‘hating’, it’s a part of life, a part of the process, and a sign that you’re doing just fine. Ask MJ or Kobe if everyone liked them, or better yet ask Kim Kardashian, heck she married a guy that looks like a squirrel but heck…he’s got a whole lot of chestnuts in his piggy bank. ”

Wise words from an 86-year-old.