I put a list together. It was like: Get health insurance, get a

The Song of Determination

Hear the words of Anderson .Paak, the musician whose rhythm flows like the tide of destiny: “I put a list together. It was like: get health insurance, get a car, get a bigger apartment, travel more, get a record deal, get a publishing deal, sell 10,000 units, be a part of a No. 1 album, make a million dollars. I got to check off 90 percent of the stuff last year. I hit some serious landmarks in 2015.” Though born from the heart of a modern artist, these words carry the ancient pulse of perseverance. They tell not only of ambition fulfilled, but of the sacred power of vision, of turning dream into deed through faith, endurance, and relentless labor.

The Meaning of the Teaching

In this quote lies a truth as old as civilization itself: that those who write their goals upon the tablet of their mind set in motion forces unseen that bend reality toward their will. Anderson .Paak did not merely dream; he made his dream concrete, item by item, action by action. To “make a list” may sound ordinary, but in truth, it is an act of creation—a declaration to the universe that one is ready to shape fate with one’s own hands. The ancients called this intention; they knew that the seed of destiny must first be planted in thought before it blooms in life. Paak’s list became his sacred scroll of transformation, guiding him from struggle to triumph.

The Origin of the Words

Before fame crowned him, Anderson .Paak lived a life of hardship. He worked on farms, slept in his car, and carried his family through storms of uncertainty. Yet through the pain, he kept his vision clear—his mind fixed upon a horizon brighter than the one before him. When he finally spoke these words, it was not as one boasting of success, but as one marveling at the mysterious power of persistence and faith. His year of achievement, 2015, was not a miracle born overnight—it was the harvest of years spent sowing seeds of hope in barren soil. From this, we learn that the path to greatness begins not in circumstance, but in conviction.

The Parable of the Sculptor and the Stone

In the old world, there was a sculptor who toiled for decades upon a single block of marble. Each day, he struck his chisel, imagining the figure hidden within. His friends mocked him, saying, “You have achieved nothing; the stone remains.” But one morning, the sculptor gave a final strike, and the marble cracked open to reveal a statue of breathtaking beauty. When they asked how he did it, he replied, “The figure was always there—I only removed what was not needed.” So too did Anderson .Paak shape his destiny. Each goal he set was a strike of the chisel; each obstacle removed brought him closer to the masterpiece of his life. Discipline is the sculptor’s hand; vision is his eye.

The Balance of the Material and the Spiritual

In his list, Paak wrote of both material needs—health insurance, a home, money—and spiritual pursuits—music, creativity, purpose. This harmony is no accident. The wise know that true success unites the earthly and the divine. To neglect the body’s needs is to weaken the spirit’s temple; to chase only wealth is to starve the soul. Paak’s journey reveals the beauty of balance: to dream of art and abundance together, to honor the practical while serving the eternal. The ancients called this the middle path—to walk neither in poverty of ambition nor in excess of greed, but in the steady rhythm of purpose.

The Power of Gratitude and Reflection

When Paak said he had “checked off 90 percent of the list,” he spoke with humility, not arrogance. For every goal reached, he gave thanks—for the roof over his head, the song in his heart, and the lessons carved by struggle. Gratitude is the anchor that keeps achievement from drifting into pride. The true victor looks not only at what has been gained, but at what has been learned along the way. Each milestone becomes not an end, but a marker of growth, reminding the soul that life’s greatest success is not what we possess, but who we become.

The Lesson for the Generations

Therefore, O listener, take heed of this truth: write your life with intention. Do not drift through the world as a leaf upon the wind—be the wind itself. Make your list as Anderson .Paak did, but let it be more than paper and ink; let it be a contract between your soul and destiny. Break your dream into steps, and take them daily, no matter how small. When doubt rises, remember that even the mightiest rivers begin as raindrops. When fatigue sets in, remember that each strike of the chisel shapes the unseen. Success, like sculpture, is born not in haste, but in persistence.

The Eternal Counsel

So let the words of Anderson .Paak echo through time: “I put a list together.” In them lies the formula of creation itself—vision, action, and faith. Know that no dream is too distant when met with clarity and endurance. Tend to your body so that it may serve your purpose; feed your mind so it may lead your path. When your time comes to look back upon your own list, may you too say, with quiet joy and gratitude, “I have checked off what I once only imagined.” For the one who dreams with discipline commands not just fortune, but the destiny written within their soul.