For The Journeymen
BY DJ YAMZ
A Special Note of Thanks 🎊
I’d like to take a moment to say a special thank you to: my sister, Abigail Sah, Matilda Presner, Isaiah Boone, John Addaquay, Rachel Agyemang, Nana Yaw Essuman, Nalorm Tay, Emmanuel Darko, Kojo Addaquay, Zac-Patrick Bentum, my uncle, Charles, and my father.
I thank each of you for going the extra mile to support me and my work over the years. You have my deepest and eternal gratitude 🙏🏿
A breath and a pause, and the biggest love from Tema! 💚🧡
I began this year with one big question in mind: What am I capable of?
This question came to me after reading ultra-endurance athlete David Goggins’ book, Can’t Hurt Me. Seeking to intently explore that question has given me many unexpected experiences this year including traveling across Africa, learning the sax, taking my fitness regimen to higher levels, just to name a few. I’ll also add here that not all these experiences have been positive ones but I’m hoping that, at the very least, those sour moments can help me evolve.
In many ways, this year for me has been a year of learning and as someone so used to executing on ideas and juggling multiple committments at any given time, having a ‘pause’ year like I did—while scary and at times unsettling on some levels—was something I needed.
At many points this year, the question: so what’s next? has kept popping up in my head and, in truth, not having an answer that I could fully get behind bothered me until my recent trip to Kenya. Coming back home from this last trip helped me connect some dots that I either didn’t have the space or presence of mind to put together but I’m super grateful that I’ve now been able to and I’m even more grateful for the sense of direction and renewed purpose that I’ve found entering 2024.
For the last issue of 2023, I want to try to share a bit of insight into why I do the things I do: why unearthing potential is a major driving force in the things I do and why that driving force means so much to me. I hope you can find something to take from my reflections on this topic.
Happy reading!!
Love,
Yamz
“…The way things have become, if you do not want to be parasites you need time in which to think of what else there is to be. And above time, courage to do what you conclude you ought to do, which is more difficult.
~ Ayi Kwei Armah, Two Thousand Seasons, p. 171
Champion Potential!🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾🏃🏿♂️
Last month, I participated in the 5K event in the Accra International Marathon (AIM).
I placed 16th in what was my third-ever race in a competitive organized event and what was my second race in the 5K category.
16th!
I wish I wasn’t lying when I say that I was a little disappointed in myself that I didn’t place higher (can you imagine those two teenage boys in the far-left of the above picture, placed higher than me??! VEXATION! 🤬😂).
I was annoyed at myself because a part of me felt that I’m still capable of so much more but I also recognize that it is important to be kind to myself and celebrate my progress.
After the race, I struck up a conversation—and friendship—with Mark, the event’s runner-up. Before the race, I noticed that Mark’s look and aura felt entirely different to most of the other runners. I even walked up to him to tell him to take it easy on us 😁 He just had a certain calm but intense focus about him. So when I learned he’d nearly won the race I wasn’t surprised. When the race was over, I saw him sitting alone watching the post-race activities. I decided to take a chance to go speak with him. To Mark’s great credit, he obliged me.
My conversation with him went something along these lines (at least what I remember well):
YZ: (Pulls up a chair beside Mark) Big man! I salute you. So, true true you were a killer! (Laughs)
M: (Laughs) Yes, but this is not actually my race. I just entered this one to just see my current level.
YZ: Oh yea?
M: My actual race is the 21K but I am only now beginning my training. I just wanted to see where I am at the moment. Because I am so early in my routine I didn’t want to enter the 21K for this event and get discouraged, so I wanted to just try this one out.
YZ: Wow! Wow! Wow!
M: In fact, I nearly won this one. It was close…
YZ: What was your time?
M: Sixteen minutes and two seconds.
YZ: That’s almost half my time!
M: Even I could have done better but it is OK for now.
YZ: Chale, my boss, what’s your training regime like?
M: You see, running is what I love. Besides my work, it is the only thing I do. I don’t have many friends, I don’t like going out. I just run. I run five days in the week. 15K to 18K for each run, usually in the mornings before work. Sometimes, I can get up at 3:30, run for one hour, come back home and rest before going to work or sometimes I do it in the evenings. I rest on the weekend.
YZ: What do you do for work?
M: I am a painter. You know, you have to do something to survive. I like to work for myself.
YZ:…
M: You don’t believe me? (smiles) It’s true, I am a painter. I even recently painted a four-bedroom house by myself. I like to do my work without excuses. If I get a job and make three or five thousand cedis, I am OK. When I get jobs, sometimes I try to work with a few small boys to help them out. At the end of the day, even if I have something small to take home, I am OK.
YZ: Wow.
M: Actually, about my training regimen?
YZ: Mm-hm.
M: My training regimen for the 21K is over three months. In fact when I am deep in my training, I won’t even look like this. You know how long distance running can make you look skinny. (Chuckles) Sometimes people see you and start to ask you if you are sick but it is only the training (Laughs).
YZ: Wow chale…
M: Where do you live? If you like I can meet you once a week, on Sundays, so we train together.
YZ: Hmm…I live in Tema, so organizing that may be a bit tough.
M: Oh? On the weekends, I run from Mallam Junction—you know Mallam Junction?—cross the Motorway and end at the Tema Roundabout.
YZ: EI!
M: (Smiles) Then from Tema Roundabout I get a car to Accra Mall, alight over there and walk back to Mallam Junction.
YZ: Chale, as for this one I have to see how best to do it. I like the idea of it but…you know…
M: I understand. In fact, I have a group. I can add you but those guys if you plan a run with them and you are late they will leave you. We are like five guys and this is what we do. Sometimes we can all put down money—like a hundred cedis for each person—we race, and the winner takes all.
YZ: Bro, people think I’m a killer but it’s people like you who are the real killers!
M: (Laughs)
YZ: So if I train to get to your level, then I can challenge you next year eh? (Laughs)
M: (Smiles and shakes his head) It is not possible. I have been doing this for a long time. This is what I do. Everyday.
YZ: What motivates you?
M: (Shifts forward in his seat; his face assumes a more sombre look) You see…There is something inside of me…something that I see and I want to bring it out. Even this race, I was actually very close to the winner but it is ok…this event is not my main focus. Next year, there is a triathlon in March, right here in Accra. I am targeting the 21K for that event, that is when people will see something—people will see what I have.
YZ: (Quiet in thought)
M: You see….(locks eyes with Yamz) For me, it is about potential. I want to bring out all that is inside me—everything—and leave a legacy. You know…we only have a short time…so we must do what we can with the time we have.
YZ: (Nods his head) How old are you boss?
M: 34. I wish I had started earlier but you know life and situations.
YZ: It must be a lonely road. Especially with how dedicated you are. I see there’s no one here to even celebrate with you.
M: Not many people understand me—even my own family—but I am OK. I take care of my responsibilities to them. When news of what I am doing reaches them, I know they will see and when they see, then they will understand.
YZ: I believe you. Let me know when your next event is, if you give me enough notice I’ll try to come and support you.
M: Thank you. I will let you know.
[The Event MC calls out for all runners to head to the information booth to pick up their medals and goody bags; Yamz and Mark leave their seats and join the queue at the booth.]
My conversation with Mark gave me goosebumps but, at the same time, it felt so validating. I felt like I was talking to a Ghanaian version of David Goggins. This is someone who is fully dedicated to fulfilling his potential in his chosen area of interest—something I’m also keen on not only with respect to my fitness and wellness activities but most importantly in my creative pursuits.
For me, my dedication to unearthing my potential parallels my journey in becoming my own person. I feel like I spent a lot of the prior half of my life either worrying over other people’s expectations of me or being too busy becoming what others wanted me to. Things started to change for me when I started asking myself what I actually wanted for my life and took an even deeper turn when I decided to follow through on making my dreams a reality.
Living out my dreams hasn’t been a rosy journey, that I can assure you. I’ve had to pivot more than a few more times. Life also happens and sometimes plans and hopes go awry. Things can feel even harder during moments when it seems as if you’re constantly going against the grain in many contexts (eg. family, line of work, how you think vs. societal beliefs/expectations etc.) but I’m learning to dig deeper within myself in such moments and to lean in to my support system when things seem beyond me. I’d rather be bruised living my truth than to swallow someone else’s prescription of what my life should be (that’s probably the most artisty but realest thing I’ve ever written! 😂).
I don’t do what I do for recognition or awards—those things are nice but not essential.
I do what I do to prove to myself that I can do it—and the growth that comes with this, while sometimes bitter, is priceless to me.
And finally, I do what I do to show others who may be struggling with who they are or what they want from life that if I—a regular Ghana boy who showed no remarkable or consistent talent at anything in his childhood and has historically struggled with bouts of anxiety and people-pleasing tendencies—if I can do great things, then you can too.
We all have Champion potential and we decide if we want to tap into that potential.
At some point during our chat, I asked Mark if he had any tips to help me improve my performance in 5Ks—my speed and endurance in particular—and he gave me an approach so uncomplicated, it's simplicity almost made me laugh:
Run for five minutes, five days in a week.
Add an extra two minutes to your runs the following week and another two minutes the week after and so forth.
Try this for three months.
What I love about most this approach is its incremental nature. Mark’s approach breaks up what can be an onerous task into sizable chunks.
Putting this approach into practice, however, has been no laughing matter. To begin with, I’ve had to start with a shorter running time of a minute per run and work my way up to five minutes.
For those of you also interested in trying out Mark’s regime, please be as diligent with your pre and post-workout/running stretches as you are with your actual training. In fact, I’d strongly recommend you stretch everyday. I can’t even begin to talk about the benefits of stretching, I’ll leave that to you to explore 😉
Blessings to the Mark the Champion!
🎵 Project Updates! 🎶
In a year where I didn’t plan to make new music, I ended up doing the opposite 😅 And I have the guys you see in the above picture to thank for that U-turn.
Production & Recording - Completed ✅
Production and recording for both my collaborative projects with Psalmyst Sax (STADIUM STATUS!) and my as-of-yet-untitled joint venture with Avit are complete! As of Oct. 28, both projects have been shipped off for mixing and mastering.
By the look of things, 2024 already looks to be an interesting year with respect to releasing new music.
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with talented folks in Rama Brew, TEY (fka Pvre Blvck), Masta H, rxwdxwg and Nasua each of whom put their best foot forward and helped to make these projects a reality 🙏🏿
MICHAEL POWER! 👨🏿🦲🥊
How many of you Ghana ‘90s Babies remember the Michael Power short films that the beer company, Guinness, used to run? 😂
Well, you guys are in for a treat with this one! I have Avit to thank for the mad idea to make a song inspired by the bald African blowman! It was actually quite a challenge for me to write and record this song but it was also immensely fun 😆
Seeing as the festive season is on the horizon, I thought it’d be a nice touch to share a teaser of the track just so you have a feel for what’s to come 😉 Also, S/O to Afrospiritart and Afroscope for the inspiring words you hear at the start of the track.
Take a listen below:
MICHAEL POWER - Teaser
[Tap ▶️ to listen to my MICHAEL POWER teaser]
Season’s Greetings! Until Next Time! 👋🏿
This is officially the last issue for the year and what a year it’s been!
As always, to everyone subscribed to this newsletter and to all the people who’ve been with me on my journey over these past years: you have my love and gratitude. I thank you for rocking with me for yet another year 🙏🏿🥰🤗
I’m wishing all you Champions a wholesome holiday season!🎅🏿🎄🤶🏿
Until we link again! Breathe easy!! 🐉