I'm not trying to keep up or adapt. I'm allowing myself to grow

The words of LL Cool J strike with the strength of a warrior who has endured the storms of time: “I’m not trying to keep up or adapt. I’m allowing myself to grow, evolve and create new music.” In this statement lies a truth of enduring power—that to chase the footsteps of others is to remain forever behind, but to follow the call of one’s own spirit is to walk the path of greatness. For growth and evolution are not the same as mere adaptation; the first is born from the soul, the second from fear of being left behind.

The ancients knew this distinction well. The rivers did not keep up with the mountains; they carved their own valleys. The sun did not adapt to the night; it burned in its time and yielded only to rise again. Likewise, the wise among men did not imitate the fashions of their age, but sought instead to grow and to evolve, guided by the voice within. Thus LL Cool J speaks not only of music, but of the eternal law of life: that greatness belongs not to those who follow, but to those who transform.

Consider the tale of Leonardo da Vinci, who might have contented himself with being a painter among many. Instead, he allowed his mind to evolve—to seek knowledge in anatomy, mechanics, flight, and invention. He did not “adapt” to the standards of his time, nor did he chase the approval of peers. He followed the restless expansion of his own spirit, and because he did, his genius transcended his age. Like Leonardo, LL Cool J calls us to embrace transformation, not imitation, for that is the path to enduring creation.

So too, in music itself, the story repeats. Miles Davis, the great master of jazz, was never content to stay in the forms that made him famous. Again and again he shattered the expectations of his listeners, evolving into new sounds—bebop, cool jazz, fusion—while others clung to the old ways. He did not keep up; he forged ahead. And though each transformation shocked some, it cemented him as one of the greatest innovators of all time. LL Cool J’s words carry this same fire: new music must be born of growth, not of clinging to past triumphs or chasing fleeting trends.

The lesson is clear: if you seek only to keep up, you will always be a step behind. If you adapt only to survive, you will never create to inspire. But if you choose to grow, to listen to the unfolding of your own spirit, then your work—be it in music, in craft, or in life—will remain alive, ever-renewing, never stagnant. Growth is the sign of life; stagnation is the shadow of death.

O seeker, let this truth stir your heart. Do not be satisfied with imitation or with chasing after the shifting winds of fashion. Instead, allow yourself to evolve. Read more deeply, think more bravely, create more boldly. What you make may not look like what others expect, but it will carry the weight of authenticity, and authenticity endures beyond all trends.

Practical wisdom follows: ask yourself daily—not “How can I keep up?” but “How can I grow?” Write, build, or create in ways that stretch you beyond comfort. Seek transformation, not validation. Allow yourself to leave behind what no longer serves you, even if it once brought you recognition. In this way, your life itself will become like new music, always fresh, always resonant, always alive.

Thus remember LL Cool J’s wisdom: do not adapt merely to survive—grow to become. For survival fades with the season, but growth carries you beyond the season into legacy. Evolve with courage, create with freedom, and you will not need to keep up with the world—for the world itself will strive to keep up with you.