I’m Justin White. Never heard of me? Well 99,999999999% of the world haven’t either. I have a instagram account with 250 odd followers, a facebook page with the same. An Inactive twitter and snapchat account and a youtube channel with 3 videos and 37 subscribers. Far from someone who most would consider waking waves in this modern world.
What I am though, is a man on the most amazing and exciting journey of my life. To find my passion and purpose. A man striving for growth, to level up and make shit happen for myself. So far in this journey i have become more self-aware, less anxious and more at peace
We often ask one another what we do. I use to say whatever my job was at the time. Now I say, I’m a man of many slashes ( / s ) “Thanks Brene’ Brown”. I’m a Husband / Father / Creator / Artist / Dreamer / Veteran / Stud (self proclaimed) / lover of life.
What do I actually do? Well nothing officially. I’m unemployed. Although what I like to do is kind of build cool shit in my garage. My goal when starting a project is to distinctly design and build something of beauty and functionality that brings people together. I really do get a kick when I create something and people are in disbelief. Comments like “fuck off mate you didn’t make that!!” brings a massive smile to my face.
It all started about a two years ago when I lost my job. I had been on a search for my passion for many years before, but never had the free time to just explore things. I had been always creative I just suppressed it for careers in fitting into the status quo.
I thought I needed to be creative. I loved woodwork at school and I love cars. I know I said I’ll build my 12 month old daughter a car. Yes a car!
The idea started as a wood plank with wheels and soon spawned into a 1920s style speedster with hydraulic disc brakes, F1 style steering wheel, rally inspired handbrake and hand-built spoked rims. needless to say I kind of went over the top.
After someone else saw the car, they wanted one too. So I eventually stepped it up a notch and build him a 1932 Ford Roadster. This thing was off the chain! I’ve never been prouder of what I’ve built with my own two hands. It truly was a work of art.
I really wanted to continue this and somehow make a living from building these cars, but I wasn’t ready. I held too much fear to go all in. This is something I’m still working on to this day. Honestly I will never get rid of all fear. If I have no fear that means I’m taking the wrong path and I need to pivot to challenge myself again to grow.
Just on a side note I was thinking about the word “Challenge.” I love using “Challenge” instead of “Problem.” I say “challenges” not problems, because problems hold a negative connotation of unsolvable. This is mentally harder to find a solution to. Challenges always have solutions.
My growth is the real story here though. Over the past two years and more importantly just this year. I have taken big strides to look deep at myself. Get over my own ego and say something is not right here. I want to change. This is something that I didn’t do alone. My wife has been there all along. Dragging my chin up when things in my head looked bad. Along the way I have connected with like minded people like (Justin Allen) and have built a small community that also helps me hold my chin up.
I started filling my head full of information. Information that would help me grow and turn into the person I wanted to be. I worked in a factory where there was a lot of noise. I used this opportunity to listen to audio books and podcasts through my Bluetooth headset 6 hours a day. Maintaining the right content has been key. I have even changed the music I listen to, so that I maintain a good positive vibration. Although occasionally I’ll go back to my metal music to thrash out some frustrations.
The goal was to learn everyday and the past 6 months has been incredible. I’m connecting with people all around the world. People that help me stay in the right positive mindset. I know now that I’m on my way to live out a more fulfilled life. My dream of a career doing what I love is within touching distance now.
I fucking love it!!!!!
If you had to select one word to define who you are, what would that word be and why?
My wife says “superman” but me personally I think the one word to define me would be “Outgoing.”
Outgoing because I see myself as a friendly and easy personality. I’ve never been afraid to stand up in front of a crowd and hold a speech or speak my mind in front of people. That’s not to to say I’ve never been afraid like everyone else. I have my mental battles with the fear of what other might think.
What is your Why? Your Purpose? Your Goals?
“To distinctively create so that people connect and engage in community.” I use my “why” to guide my decisions in everyday life. I kind of use it as a filter that I put over my decisions. Even for the simple things .
For example:
What should I wear to this wedding today? How can i connect and engage community through what i wear? I decide to wear a wooden two fingered ring I made. It’s different and not many have ever seen something like it.
The worst thing that happened that day was that people thought it was a knuckle duster and I was looking for a fight. Others just thought it was different and cool. Regardless of the initial reaction the end result was the same: conversation! Conversation resulting in connection and engagement of people in community.
The cars I have built do exactly that. I didn’t quite realize until the other day. When the kids were playing with it in the street, the neighbor kids came out and played. Then their parents came out and had a chat with me. We then ending up having a BBQ together.
What habits and/or beliefs have you embraced in your life that have directly aided to your success? How & Why?
Gratitude is the big one for me. Gratitude for me is all about maintaining a positive mindset. With a positive mindset big hurdles seem much smaller.
Before I started this habit life always seemed heavy. It was hard to get up in the morning. Now my alarm goes off and the first thing I try to do is find something to be grateful for. This sets my mind immediately into thinking positive. I have also recently started a morning routine which includes lemon water, blue light, cold showers, light exercise and a fatty breakfast. All to setup my mind and body with the right energy for a productive morning.
Like I said above I have also made a change in the content I consume. I try to ensure the content I consume on social media, television, music, and websites are all aligned with how I want to think. The 3 P’s: Positive, positive, positive.
What is most important to you in your life/career/mission?
Life:
Family: My wife and two children mean the world to me. We create memories together that will outlast any career or other personal drive or mission. My wife is the biggest support I have. Without her support I would never be in the position i’m in now. We truly are a force to be reckoned with when we work together.
Career:
Great leadership: I have had a lot of bosses but never a good leader. Good leadership is hard to come by in my opinion. Probably a good leader would have seen my potential in my early careers and set me on the right path. Nevertheless the bad bosses have made me realize how much good leadership is important to me.
Mission:
Making an impact on people and community. Essentially to make the world a less lonely place and people happier.
Name a person who influenced you? Someone who you look up to? Someone who has role modeled for you? Someone who has challenged you to become better/do more?
Berne Brown:
After reading her book “Gifts of Imperfections,” it set me on a path of owning my shit and finding ways to deal with it that doesn’t destroy relationships. She was a woman that suddenly realized her life was in shambles and through her work as a shame and fear researcher she used her research to turn her life around. She has one of the biggest TED talks in history and has sold millions of books. Please check her out if you want to learn more about what holds us back and how to deal with it.
Matt Gottesman:
I stumbled across his podcast “the hustle sold separately” The podcast focuses on entrepreneurs, artists and creator on their journey to success. His podcast introduced me to so many other people that have done what i want to do. It teaches me something every time. In addition, when I reached out to him, to thank him for the impact his podcast has made on my life he actually answered. Invited me to join his tribe and now have met and connected with so many people. His work ethic and dedication to his why inspires me.
The members of the Alchemy Tribe:
Everyone in this group is on their own journey and at different stages of it. They all inspire me to keep going and follow my dreams through the inspirational hurdles they are leaping over.
Gary Vaynerchuck:
As brutal as his honesty is, I believe in what he says and his mindset, work ethic, passion and drive. If it wasn’t for Gary Vee giving me a kick up the ass to quit procrastinating and start doing through his books, I wouldn’t have done half the stuff I’ve done today.
Kristin White (aka my wife):
My wife is truly amazing! Her positivity, open heart, acceptance of everyone truly inspires me. She inspires me to be vulnerable with others, love and accept myself and other people for who they are. Like I said, I could not have started this journey without her. She truly is my rock, my wonder woman. I Purple monkey dishwasher her to the moon and back. (purple monkey dishwasher is what we say when we want to say more than I love you.)
What Challenges have you had to overcome or that you are still overcoming to live as your best self/reach your goals/dreams? How did you overcome these challenges?
The mindset is the biggest challenge to overcome. This is something I think I will continue to work with my whole life. The mind controls everything and stops us from becoming our best self or reaching our goals and dreams. Maintaining a positive mindset in such a negative world is a hard thing to do. I’m trying to keep myself surrounded by the right people to maintain it. Every other challenge is easy if your head is right. So that is my biggest focus.
What lesson/s from your life do you feel like you could share with someone that would help them either avoid a pitfall or battle a similar obstacle?
Stop listening to others and begging for their approval. This is easier said than done if you have been programed that way. If you can stop giving a fuck about what others are saying or what they might think of you, listen to what your gut says, and make up your mind yourself on what is bullshit and what isn’t, then you’re on your way to some big fucking growth.
I have a list of 5 people whose opinion i give a fuck about. Now If I thought about it, I could cut that down to 4. Nevertheless these people are the people who get you. people who you can reach out to and don’t judge. People who have your back. Any other persons opinions shouldn’t matter to you. If you can get master this and stop giving a fuck about what people think you’ll be freed to think big. Just to say, I’m still working on this. I get sucked into the trap sometimes. The more often I can identify I’m doing it, the better I get at pulling myself out of it. So practice makes perfect here.
Do you have a favorite quote? What does it mean to you?
I’m not much of a quote guy but I was quoted by Matt Gottesman on Hdf magazine . This was probably the coolest thing to happen in my growth journey.
“If you put yourself out there, and actually open up…….. you win.
Story Written by Justin White
Follow Justin on his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garageavenger/
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