Discipline As Devotion

Yo YO Yooooooooo! What up H3:33 Fam Bam! Guess who BBiiizzaacckkk hahaha nah, it’s Wednesday so you already know what time it is. A new….Note from the Journey. Hot off the presses 😁How ya’ll doing? Holiday season is RAPIDLY approaching and that can bring stress and/or other negative feelings(but hopefully also feelings of joy). Try to stay grounded, PRESENT and find ways to pour back into YOU!

Last week I mentioned that I started a YouTube channel and that the “Power in Presence” entry was inspired by my first YouTube short. Well, I’m keeping the same theme this week and that means that this post is/was inspired by my second short that I also posted last week.

Reflecting back on my journey……and DISCIPLINE…..I can readily think of examples in which I severely lacked discipline and times in which my discipline has been militant like.

So let’s get VULNERABLE…….

Back in 2019-2022…..I am pretty sure that I believed I was a HIGHLY disciplined man. That would not have been an accurate or inaccurate reflection of me at the time.  Let’s call it a half truth haha …..So….I was extremely disciplined in three aspects of my life. Fatherhood, physical fitness, and my career. The good thing is that all of those three items fall under the “physical” domain in the H3:33 equation of wholeness. The bad thing is that there are three other domains a man must master in order to achieve BALANCE. 

Another big thing about only having discipline in the aforementioned areas is that there was a MAJOR area that lacked discipline in the physical arena……and that is the flesh. Not being disciplined enough to control LUST……was and had been a huge hurdle in my life….causing chaos and turmoil. 

Discipline isn’t about perfection….its about alignment…..

I believe that most men will see discipline as CONTROL, but real discipline is devotion….

Devotion to your PEACE…

Devotion to your GROWTH…

Devotion to the man you’re BECOMING…

Discipline isn’t about perfection….its about alignment…..

Alignment between the MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, and physical domains of the self. Finding the balance necessary to become your most authentic self. Creating DAILY routines that help cultivate, grow, enrich, and maintain your alignment within. 

True discipline isn’t about control……it’s about SURRENDER.
Surrender to the process. Surrender to the vision God placed within you.
Discipline becomes devotion when you stop forcing outcomes and start flowing in alignment.

Healing builds strength. Rising builds legacy.

Check me out next week for another glimpse into the Journey! If this post sparked questions, comments, or reflections. Feel free to comment below, hit me up on YouTube, IG, or TikTok. I’m always down for a thought-provoking discussion or feedback for growth. 

Holla at MMmeeeeeee

Hiram

H3:33

It’s Not Confrontation…It’s Conversation

AYYYYEEEE What up H3:33 Fam Bam! It’s that time again…..How is everyone? Hard to believe that it is November and that 2025 will be over before we know it. Daylight savings time has hit…. It is dark before 6pm now and sometimes that can impact people negatively. There is no dark without light and life is always about BALANCE. So keep that in mind 😉

As we delve back into another note from the journey….I’d like to talk about the difficulty that can come with having TOUGH conversations. Whether you are the one bringing up the topic or on the receiving end of the conversation. I recently was on the receiving end of a tough conversation because I did not vocalize my emotions properly. I have had to deliver tough conversations because boundaries were crossed, adults were not being accountable for their own actions, or just a typical time on Dad duty. 

I have been on the receiving end of many tough conversations that I did not always handle in a productive manner. I’m much better than I used to be…..so let’s talk about it. The other day I was approached by my lady because my energy seemed “off”....she knows me VERY well and since she thought something was wrong….she checked on me to see what was up. Now truthfully..nothing was wrong at all. So when I was asked, I just mentioned “I’m good”.  At the moment that is what I thought was the truth but after a day of little to no and/or short communication.

A CONVERSATION was had…..That’s when I realized how quickly misunderstanding can grow when silence fills the space where truth should be.

“Not seeing eye to eye can be fixed with a heart to heart” 

Word to my guy Big Sean

Without getting into all of the details, while nothing was truly bothering me, my actual behavior throughout the day was not aligned with how I am when I am “good” . It happened to be a busy day, and typically when I am busy I switch into productive mode……and just like it sounds….I am HIGHLY productive…BUT…in that mode I can also be dismissive. It is not my intention to be rude but if the other person is unaware of this “mode” and when I’m asked if anything is wrong and I say “I’m good” or that “nothing is wrong”......It is easy to understand confusion growing.

It is not CONFRONTATION….It is CONVERSATION…..

Leading with EGO……..in either perspective….the one initiating the tough conversation…..or the one receiving the conversation…..is dangerous. HURT feelings will cause the temperature of the convo to increase rapidly. Whether we are being held accountable or the one holding accountability over another human's head……We have to approach the situation with GRACE and receive with GRACE. 

I am a Sagittarius and we are notorious for being very BLUNT…..I have had to learn grace…in multiple aspects of life. Using conversation as an opportunity for growth…is important to remember. It is not about winning or losing….it is about improving ourselves, our relationships and our lives. 

Sometimes the HARDEST conversations are the ones that bring the most peace. Speak with grace. Listen with intention. Remember it’s not confrontation, it’s conversation.

Healing builds strength, rising builds legacy.

Check me out next week for another glimpse into the Journey! If this post sparked questions, comments, or reflections. Feel free to comment below, hit me up on IG, or TikTok. I’m always down for a thought-provoking discussion or feedback for growth. 

Holla at MMmeeeeeee

Hiram

H3:33

“not my sink. not my dishes.”

YOOOO!! What up H3:33 Fam Bam! Back again with ya’ll for another note from the journey 😁. I hope that as you are reading this you are sitting in a space of peace, love, happiness, and gratitude. If not…just know that things WILL get better. Life is about balance and there is no dark without LIGHT. 

Last week when I was writing my entry for ya’ll…I actually determined what my next two topics were going to be. Which is not how the first two topics came to fruition because I like to write whatever it is I feel in my soul at the time. Lowkey I am happy I did it differently this week because this post will be dropping in a few hours and if I did not know what I wanted to write about…..it’s likely I’d be SCRAMBLING right now trying to figure out a topic hahaha but everything works out exactly how it is supposed to….EVERY…time.

So…..I got a story to tell…well…a LOT of em but this one is about a situation that happened two weeks ago. And it just so happens that a few days prior to this event I had a dream about an interaction that hadn’t happened….now the old me would have just assumed it was “odd”(I have more feels about dreams but that’s a different topic for a different day) but in the space I currently reside….I knew this was a message. I shared the details of this dream with one person before said event. Her and I discussed this dream, why I had it, what it meant and my plan going forward….

After that conversation I was feeling GOOD, prepared and ready for life’s next test. Or so I thought….because….the EXACT….and I mean EXACT situation from the dream showed up on my doorstep. Here was the chance to ignore old triggers, rise above, and build the reality that I want to live. INSTEAD the story has a twist because…….I had ish to GET OFF MY CHEST! I didn’t go 0-100 like I would have in the past…it was more like 0-60… unnecessary nonetheless. I  almost typed “out of character” instead of “unnecessary” but it happened so it was obviously still a PART of me. What this incident did was shine a light on an issue I thought I had truly worked on……CONTROL…..

“Sometimes you just gotta shut the F*!$ up”

A great, honest, direct, corrective and NECESSARY….statement that was presented to me shortly after my dream became my reality. Why did I deviate from the plan I had already created? Why did I let something trigger me that I was divinely prepared for? 

The answer is/was simple….I still had control issues that I had not yet fully released. I often try to fix problems that have NOTHING to do with/are outside of me 🤦🏿‍♂️. “Not my sink not my dishes” “Control the controllable” …two quotes I like and would use if/when I felt myself slipping into the fear of losing control…..yet…when I had the chance to prove to myself and others who are convinced that I am still the version of me they knew YEARS ago…..I returned to what was comfortable for me….while making things uncomfortable for others. 

“Sometimes you just have to shut the F!$# Up”

Control issues are often rooted in trauma that was created by an incident that made us feel victimized/embarrassed/hurt etc..and we vow to never let it happen again. Set the expectation within thyself to control everything we can in hopes to protect ourselves. Not allowing people to help us…..EVEN when it is obvious that we need help….because we want it done a certain way or have a lack of trust in an external energy.

How do we learn to release control? For me, control has always felt like protection….a way to keep chaos away. But the truth is, control is often fear in disguise. Fear that things won’t go right unless I’m steering every move. Fear that if I don’t handle it, it won’t get handled. But healing taught me something new: sometimes the lesson isn’t in the steering, it’s in surrendering.

Being a father made that lesson hit harder. I can guide my sons, but I can’t control their journey. I can show them love, but I can’t choose their lessons. What I can control is my response, my peace, and my presence. 

So this week, I remind myself….and EVERYONE reading this….to control the controllable and release the rest. Trust that God already has the plan in motion.

Healing builds strength, rising builds legacy.

Check me out next week for another glimpse into the Journey. If this post sparked something in you, or you’ve struggled with control yourself, leave a comment below, on IG or TikTok. Let’s grow together!

Holla at mmmmeeeeee!

Hiram

H3:33

“Thank you, Number four”

YYYOOOO! What up H3:33 Fam Bam! I’m back with another note from the journey. This time I’m sitting in a Starbucks… waiting for my lady to finish her 90 minute massage, listening to the “Mars Frequency” as all this random energy(high and low) enters and exits the building. I hope that you are all having an amazing week and sitting in a space of appreciation and gratitude. I truly wasn’t even sure what I was going to write about this week as I sat down to start typing this but that last sentence hit the switch. Life is constantly evolving and we can evolve with it. Or choose to remain complacent and wonder why our happiness level is failing to improve. Last week I talked about change so I won’t go down that road again but this topic goes hand in hand with change.

I am going to write this with the POV that whomever is reading this, has also read my 10/01 post…ssoooooo if you did not…be sure to do so, that way all the dots can connect.

Over the last three years dealing with the ebbs and flows of life….has taught many lessons but I think my favorite one is that of appreciation and gratitude. There is a saying that people use often when asked “How are you?”....and that is..  “Can’t complain”...

ME…I am “people” because that used to be the way I looked at life sometimes. 

Knowing that things could always be worse….but not truly happy with my life. So saying “can’t complain”....was me wanting to be annoyed/bothered/sad/mad/UNAPPRECIATIVE for situations that were in my control and I did not want to be accountable for. 

BUT if someone dug deep enough….I’m sure the complaints would flow out. Which they did once I met someone who truly wanted me to become the best version of myself. She dug deep to uncover what I had hidden.

Hidden so that I could sit in false bravado, and happiness….I had to transform my way of thinking and be open to healing wounds I allowed to be around for the vast majority of my life. Most trauma is directly related to our childhoods….we will remember the bad things that happened and not recall all of the good times.

 Not thinking about all of the sacrifices our parents made for us, not remembering that they were their own people before becoming mom and dad, or that they were most likely dealing with their own wounds . I probably should not have used “we” there…because this is about ME and I cannot speak for you, but it is possible it will resonate.

 Last week I mentioned resolving a mother wound from childhood. Which is wild because I was blessed with not one mother but TWO! I just chose to look at the negative instead of the positive. Yes, one created that wound but another ROSE TO THE OCCASION, gave up her early 20s to do something I feel like most women would not have done but without that sacrifice…who knows what life looks like for me today. So THANK YOU! Truly!

Currently there are three Hiram’s in my lineage walking the Earth. Before I posted last week, I had a fly conversation with my father about something I mentioned in my initial post. His insight was powerful, right on time, and reminded me how privileged I am to have him in my life. My guy had me when he was 24, gave up his opportunity to be a model, and joined the Air Force. 

Now a couple of things…FIRST AND FOREMOST….at 24 I was absolutely not ready for a kid. For REAL….I wasn’t ready at 29 when I had mine. But I did what I knew was required/expected of me as a MAN….which is one of the many things I learned from my father…Which is something he learned from his father….which is something that was learned from his father( another Hiram 😉💪🏿). Lots of other things were passed down but for the point of this post and to keep it from being mad long…..THANK YOU!  

Today(10/7) is my grandfather's birthday and I shared with him my post from last week…. and his message back to me was “Proud of you number four. You have great things ahead of you. Love Grandpa”. That message did my heart and soul good but he is another one that I did not appreciate like I should have. Along with my uncle and grandmother(his son and wife) that I lost and would LOVE to have conversations with in my current mindset. 

All those words to say….sitting in a space of appreciation and gratitude is one that we should always look for. Of course there could always be something to complain about…but why? Why waste the time/energy to do that…when that same time and energy can be used to pour back into those who poured into you? Or even better yet….to POUR BACK INTO YOU! 

Now it is not lost on me that I grew up with a level of privilege that was not afforded to everyone. Having both my father and my grandfather to look to is something that I will never again take for granted. Because I know so many men…Especially Black men….who never had that example. Some never even met their fathers.

Much of my family, for instance, carries wounds I can’t pretend to understand. And while our stories are different, it reminds me that gratitude isn’t about comparison…...it’s about compassion. It’s about recognizing what we’ve been given and using it to pour into others who are still searching for that guidance. 

Gratitude changes the way we see everything. It transforms lessons into blessings and turns pain into perspective. Whether it’s the sacrifices made before us or the growth we choose now, appreciation is the bridge that keeps our legacy alive.

Healing builds strength, healing builds legacy.

Check me out next week for another glimpse into the Journey! If this post sparked questions, comments, or reflections. Feel free to comment below, hit me up on IG, or TikTok. I’m always down for a thought-provoking discussion or feedback for growth. 

Holla at MMMeeeeeee

Hiram

H3:33