Meet Matthew Novick

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Novick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

Having been a striving entrepreneur and working artist the last several years, it’s not uncommon for periodicals like yourselves to often ask me questions like this; How do you face obstacles and conflicts that arise in your career? How do you remain confident in the face of these challenges? How do you manage stress and remain resilient in these hard times? How do you combat imposter syndrome, burnout, or even the turmoils involved with feeling that you’ve lost your direction? Many times, all of these aspects of life can stack up and become overwhelming. The general umbrella question that encompasses all the ones I actually just mentioned above; How do you deal with it?

It’s funny how the timing of these things works… Because if I’m being honest, it’s never been a strong suit of mine. For a very long time, I let the trivial pressures of unexpected inconveniences, tumultuous obstacles and seemingly insurmountable barriers impede my focus and overall thought process. They all begin to play into each other in an endless feedback cycle, and sooner than later, it completely drains your psyche. It is an inevitable outcome, no matter how long you claw your way through the mud. It was not until very recently that I began to understand where the solution to this problem lies.

Optimism can be a funny, fickle thing. The reason for this is that only YOU control it. Say it with me: Mindset. To the pessimist, this sounds like it might just be the pitch of a self-help guru that guarantees the answer to all your problems. But, what if it was really that simple?

There are not many things in this life that you can control. However, you do have full control over your thoughts and actions, and how you choose to adapt to any situation. If you frame your mind in this way, you will truly realize that reality is nothing but your perception of events that happen around you. It is an expansive universe we reside in and it does not revolve around you. Life is not a movie where you are the main character; You are but one very small piece of a massive, interworking system involving BILLIONS of others. When you take a second to think about that, you’ll begin to realize that swimming against the stream will do nothing but exhaust you, time and time again.

Pessimism vs. Optimism. Ask yourself, what has a negative thought ever done for you? Find me one good example of a positive outcome to a negative thought, and I’ll eat my hat. (My hats all taste awful. I’m that confident that you won’t find a single one.)

Let’s invert the question. How about a positive thought? A time where you told yourself, “It’s all gonna be okay. I’m gonna figure this out, I will carry on, and I’m gonna get through this.” Did it work better than the negative mindset of having no hope? At the very least, did it make you feel a bit better about the situations that were at hand?

What’s the difference between the two? The primary variable was YOU, and the way you decided to approach the situation. After copious amounts of self-reflection, I truly realized that the answer lies in believing that whatever happens, happens for a reason. When maintaining my past, somewhat pessimistic mindset, I had always believed that was a bunch of hippie talk. “Easy for you to say”, proclaims the grouchy miser. A callback to the main character energy; How selfish to believe you would be the only one to experience a period of negativity throughout your lifetime! Especially when many problems we face today are minuscule to the real tragedies that plague the world and the lives of countless others every day.

I recently came to this realization after a prolonged period of intense imposter syndrome, where regardless of all my past accomplishments, no matter how significant, I simply could not give myself enough credit to feel fulfilled. Though I’d have denied it at the time, the thought process I carried was never gratitude as much as it was a feeling of “well, it could be better.” That statement in itself is exactly the problem; Life is not perfect, and everything could always be better! The only way things could realistically be perfect all the time is if you controlled everything. I believe we already covered how little you are able to control in this universe that we ALL live in.

It was around this time I realized that every single thing that had ever happened in my life came from my own belief that it would be that way. For better or for worse. Every time I thought I couldn’t do something, I was exactly right. Every time I told myself that I couldn’t be stopped from accomplishing a goal, I was also right. They call this the Law of Attraction, and it all resonates around the mindset you carry with you. Again, reality is literally nothing but your personal perceptions of the external events that consistently happen all around you. These external events and factors will never stop happening. Having the unbridled faith that the river of life will take you where you need to go is your only hope of internal peace. Fighting the current will only wear you out, and eventually, you sink. No matter how long you can stick it out, the end result is inevitable.

Now I understand this is easier said than done, given the obstacles that you may face at any given moment. When you’re at the bottom of the mountain, the journey to the summit seems hopeless and unscalable. Sometimes, you can’t even see the destination you’re trying to reach, only reinforcing those beliefs. But there is always a positive in any situation and there is only one way to get there; One focused step at time. One controlled breath at a time. One positive thought that you soon follow with another. A simple, consistent practice of this and before you even know it, you’ve begun your ascent to the top. Continue onward and after some time, you’re barely able to see the bottom from which you once came.

The most rewarding part of the journey up the mountain is that even when the occasional rockslide sends you tumbling back down, you likely find it provided you another path that was more fitting to the overall journey. Though this moment can be hard to discern when you’re buried in the rubble, you are the only one that decides when the path is not right. At these times, maybe it’s time to pivot and try something new. However, even in a moment of cognizance such as that, it becomes apparent that the last rockslide was all part of the bigger plan of getting you off that route and onto the next one. No matter where you go, there you are. And there’s never anywhere else to go but onward.

For me, peace of mind in the moments where I lacked that clarity of my next destination all resided in the comfort of effortlessly floating down the river. Even when I just laid back and drifted along, hindsight has proven that it all seemed to work out for the best. The universe has an interesting sense of humor; It’s only appropriate you join it in a laugh as often as you can.

If this is the first time you’ve come to hear a concept like this, it’s probably a bit of an overload for you. Just as the doctor doesn’t learn the inner-workings of every human organ in an afternoon, this concept takes time to grasp and understand. The revelation of changing your mindset to one of optimism comes from a culmination of time spent on self-reflection, deeper study on the ideas I’ve presented above, and a habitual practice of implementing it into your everyday life. A calm mind operates far more efficiently than one muddied with the details of external variables. You cannot control the outside world; Only how you flow with it. Optimism, focus, and doing the right thing for the universe as a whole is your greatest chance of success in any facet of life.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
With experience and a skill set that exceeds far beyond his years, Mattitude’s unrelenting passion for music has proven himself to be one of the most energetic & sought-after entertainers in his region. Grown from humble beginnings, Mattitude’s wherewithal and passion for music has led him to rock stages and venues all across the state and beyond. With over 10 years of corporate partnerships and major artist support under his belt, it’s no wonder Mattitude’s incredibly creative & eccentric open format DJ sets have earned him the reputation of a crowd favorite; Capable of rocking any party, anywhere, at any time.

You can find more information as to what I’m up to by visiting my website yoMattitude.com, and following me on my social media channels (@yoMattitude). There is always something exciting happening!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Some of the most empowering practices that have helped me along my journey have been daily meditation, patience, and most recently, practicing gratitude for everything I have been blessed to achieve thus far. Furthering my intellectual education and self-reflecting upon myself have also been an integral part of my life lately, as well as regularly exercising and maintaining healthy lifestyle practices.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

It’s hard to choose just one… But a few books that have helped me specifically with my mindset include “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, and “Dao De Jing” by Lao Zi. “The Daily Stoic” is filled with mediations from philosophers all throughout history, whose teachings and meditations are timeless and have applied to the human consciousness for centuries. A terrific study for anyone. “The Secret” proved to be a great eye opener to the power of manifestation, mindset alignment, and the empowerment you possess to develop your destiny and take the future into your own hands. Finally, the “Dao De Jing” is an ancient Chinese scripture passed from the philosopher Lao Zi, also known as The Old Master. Nearly 2500 years old with hazy origins, it contains insight to inexplicable workings of the world which reside beyond most peoples’ initial comprehension.

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