Editor: Savant Lamont (Tallahassee, FL)

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Chase La’Mont Williams is a writer from Bunker Hill, IL. As a Senior at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville in the School of Business, Chase majors in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems. His future plans include becoming an IT professional and completing his Master’s Degree in Computer Management Information Systems.

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Perspective.

Author: Chase La’Mont Williams (Edwardsville, IL)

A lot of the time, it is hard for the mind to transition from seeing the world in one perspective…to another. Going through financial issues, there were times in my life when my perspective was solely focused on money. No matter the labor or the long hours, I was always craving to have money and stack it as high as humanly possible. My mind became so focused on going after money that problems began to arise in regard to my physical and mental health. Due to working so hard, I would forget to eat for days at a time. I became privy to working myself too long with no break, significantly increasing fatigue and giving myself no other motivation for anything else. I was so focused on the cash that I was allowing the hustle to deplete every other part of my being. Literally. During those times, I couldn’t think straight. I felt like the money had taken over and I felt suffocated; there was only one option and nothing else could change my mind. Money is a treasure to people, but with that money comes consequences. Whether it’s money that goes into bills or spending money on other items, you will always have a consequence. Mine involved increasing the amount of anxiety that went through my head. Depression also tagged along with my anxiety as if it were Jekyll and Hyde. The perspective that I had during this time was tearing me apart rather than helping me find a better purpose in life. I unintentionally chose to view the world as if all I cared about was being on the clock, rather than to find a more spiritual and meaningful perspective. It was at this time when the Savant came into town and enlightened me on ways to handle my mental health while also achieving my goals at the highest level (especially in regard to income and education). The Savant then said to me “you can always make money, but would you rather do it being happy or struggling with health?” It was as if he was my personal therapist because he could also identify traits in me that I couldn’t see until it was brought to the table. I tend to push peers away when they want to come close and help, even when I know it could be a great benefit. I knew I needed help. I needed help finding a new perspective on this world and the intricacies of my life. After realizing that I was spending so much of my time working, my mind was simply blown; in shock that I put my body and mind through that for so long. Days of literally working until I go to bed and waking up to doing it all over again..with little-to-no actual rest. The energy my body would hold each day continued to gradually decrease because I never knew when to take a break. In my head, there was no such thing as a break. But in reality, any challenge or obstacle can be more attainable with giving your body what it needs, like taking a step back to give yourself some time to think…or rest. Giving your life a simple step, like taking a small break, can move mountains in the long run. As we encounter new adventures, we must be open minded and try to understand what we’re going through and give ourselves the time to understand the motions we are going through.

Remember, we can’t turn back the clock. As much as we want to, whatever we do in our past, we must live with it and discover experiential lessons that make us stronger. As I’m seeking a new understanding, the Savant made sure I was always in the loop with him as I would keep him in the loop with me. It was the devotion the Savant showed towards repairing a broken piece of my soul that helped me find my new perspective. As time would seem to fly by, our paths crossed yet again. We met up and discussed our futures, our goals and what drives us each and every day. Savant was filled with joy to see the progress I had made bettering myself along with finding my new perspective and what everything means to me. Recently, I challenged the Savant to think of what his perspective was on the world. In his own words, he stated that “I think the world could use a humanism focus and if we could shift to an ideology focused around love and acceptance of differences, it would look a lot different.” Savant and I strive the same goal, to bring change. We are here to give our personal intel to help others strive to overcome adversities in their lives, while also trying to make the world a better place. We understand we can’t change the world in a day, nor can we touch every person out there. But as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” If we are able to touch the hearts of a few people, and bring them to strive for much better in their lives, then I say that’s change. It may be small, but the feeling is amazing. 

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Editor’s Comments:

Aside from the extensive credit that I most humbly accept, this is a powerful piece that honestly brought me to tears the first time I read it. When it was first made available to me, Mr. Williams sent it to me in an iMessage as a simple expression of where his mind was at the time. Once I read it, I remember taking forever to respond…primarily because I couldn’t formulate sentences. When I finally made sense of what I was reading, I responded with an extremely personal message, which is as follows:

Man…first of all. I’m so sorry I just now got to the end of this. I have been buried with organizing protests and meetings with city officials, but I want you to know that I love you. You are incredibly bright, my man. I appreciate you dearly and I thank you so much for being you. Although I believe you give me too much credit, I am thankful that you see the value in the words I share and are positively impacted by them. That, my young brother, means the absolute world to me. You just made me shed tears at the coffee shop and as I sit here writing this message, I haven’t wiped a single one. That will have to wait, because I am enjoying this moment rereading your words over and over again. We shall always overcome. Together. I promise. I love you man. Your mind is a beautiful place, so be sure to take care of it. Anytime you need me, I’m always here. Siempre.

I shared that personal message with you for a number of reasons. First of all, I believe it is of utmost importance to continue to be transparent and allow you to see exactly how monumental love can be. Love is the most powerful force known to man, and I truly believe that it can cure all of the problems we face in this life. If you love and value those around you, be sure to ensure that they are fully aware of how you feel and how much you mean to them! The second reason I shared the message is because I want you to know that you too can take control of your mental situations. You have the power to control your perspective and conquer the various mountains that exist in your mind. All it takes is an acknowledgement of your shortcomings and a willingness to live with them without allowing them to dictate your actions. As Chase so eloquently expresses, rest is just as important as active work; an iconic part of the hustle. Regardless of how ‘strong’ you think you are, you will always need rest in order to keep doing what you are doing at the Savant level. Taking time to rest is also important for your mental health, as moving at 100 mph all the time can cause quite a scramble upstairs. It is important to carefully allocate time for work, as well as time for rest and reflection. The Savant lifestyle is all about getting your hustle on, but remember to get your rest and recharge! I mean, even God rested when his work was finished (Genesis 2:2)…and so should you.

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thank you for spending a few moments with us! if you would like to discuss Chase’s story with him, shoot him a message on instagram! —> @cwil3

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if you (or anyone you know) is interested in sharing your story with the world, please…shoot me a message using the contact page (or instagram —> @savantlamont) and tell me all about it! Who knows, living your truth through #SavantSpotlight can change your life, and many others!

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