How to Overcome Obstacles With Latin Music Producer Motiff

Subscribe Now:Apple Podcasts/Spotify/Google Podcasts/RSS

When it comes to music, Motiff (whose real name is Arbise Gonzalez) can do just about anything. He’s an artist, producer, DJ, and songwriter. He’s worked alongside musicians like Pitbull, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, and Jennifer Lopez.

But his rise to success wasn’t easy. He moved from Venezuela to America as a child, and he didn’t speak any English. Going to school was tough because he couldn’t understand his teachers.

His home life was complicated too. His mother had to go to work and Motiff and his brother took on a lot of responsibility helping care for their dad.

Motiffdecided not to go to college—a decision his parents weren’t pleased with. But he promised that since he wouldn’t be delivering his parents a college diploma, he’d earn a GRAMMY instead. Thirteen years later he made good on his promise when he earned his first GRAMMY.

He said the tough times he endured taught him a lot. And he credits much of his success to his ability to stay curious in life.

While he shared many strategies for staying mentally strong during tough times in our podcast interview, here are three of my favorite tips as well as my take on how you can apply them to your own life.

Always Consider Yourself a Student

Despite his expertise, Motiff says he is always looking to learn more. No matter what situation he is stepping into or who he is meeting, he wants to learn as much as he can. This keeps him curious and helps him stay inspired about life.

My Take

Even when you’re sitting in a boring meeting or having dinner with someone you’ve known for a decade, you can learn new things about yourself, other people, and the world around you when you have the right attitude.

生活变得更令人兴奋当你向learni开放ng more (and when you can admit you don’t have all the answers). So, when you walk into a room looking for things to learn, you’ll realize that there are always things you don't know.

Look at What Hard Times Taught You

Motiffendured a lot of challenges when he was young. He said it was hard to make friends because of the language barrier and he struggled in school because he couldn’t understand his teachers.

But he’s not angry about the things he endured. Instead, he looks at what those challenges taught him about life and he carries those lessons forward.

My Take

While it’s healthy to acknowledge what you lost or what you missed out on because of the hard times you’ve gone through, it’s also healthy to consider what you gained. Maybe you foundinner strengthyou never knew existed.

Or maybe you learned a lot about yourself. Perhaps you even learned who your true friends were.

That doesn’t mean you always have to look for the silver lining in an attempt to sugarcoat your pain. But remembering that you’vesurvived tough timesin the past can remind you that you can get through tough times again—and this time, you’ll likely have more skills than you had before.

Surround Yourself With Stuff You Loved As a Kid

Motiffsaid he reminds himself to have fun by surrounding himself with the same things he loved as a kid. He watches cartoons, keeps toys close by, and reminds himself that it’s OK to be silly.

My Take

Doing fun things doesn’t mean you aren’t serious about reaching your goals. In fact, incorporating a little fun and laughter into your day might help you feel better and it might even motivate you to work harder.

Surrounding yourself with the things you loved as a kid, might spark some of that joy you had back then again. And it might remind you not to take everything quite so seriously all the time.Having fun and being happycan be a key component to staying mentally strong and living your best life.

More About the Podcast

The Verywell Mind Podcastis available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, pleaseleave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.