8 Lessons from 8 Mile

"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity To seize everything you ever wanted. One moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip?"

I often find myself intrigued by movies and music with meaning. I partly blame my English teachers from high school for deciphering line by line, boring book after boring book. My teachers could pull fifteen different meanings from one simple sentence, leaving the class flustered and annoyed.

The movie 8 Mile, featuring Eminem, Kim Basinger and the late Brittany Murphy, is one of my favorite inspirational movies. The story is set in Detroit in 1995, where Jimmy Smith Jr. is an aspiring white rapper determined to find his voice. With an alcoholic mother and no father, little money and the divide of 8 Mile (the city's perimeter that divides the urban from the suburban), Jimmy must learn to push through his obstacles in order to succeed.

Here is my takeaway of the 8 lessons from 8 Mile.

1. FOE
Family Over Everything. During several physical altercations between Jimmy and his mother's boyfriend, Jimmy stopped when he realized that his little sister was upset. He realized that his personal emotions didn't compare to his sister's feelings. --- Statistically, Mother's day has the least crime of any given day in the year across the United States. Even thugs take the day off to spend time with their mommas. Is FOE for you?

2. Work Hard, Play Hard
With little money and a dream to get recording time, Jimmy realized that working was his only option. He improved his performance at his job, ultimately getting the opportunity to pick up additional shifts to earn more income. --- If you want something, you have to work hard for it. There should be no free handouts. There should be no begging. Go flip burgers and earn it yourself.

3. Patience is a Virtue
At the first rap battle, Jimmy choked. Although discouraged and considered to be incompetent as a rapper, he worked harder, trained harder, and tried again. --- At some point, we all fail. We all lose. The question is, will you get back up? As best-selling author Seth Godin puts it, "If failure is not an option, then neither is success."

4. Dog Yourself
"I am white. I am a fuckin' bum. I do live in a trailer with my mom. My boy Future is an Uncle Tom. I do got a dumb friend named Cheddar Bob who shoots himself in his leg with his own gun. I did get jumped by all six of you chumps." In Jimmy's eyes, if he exposed everything negative about himself, what would his rival say about him? --- Come to terms with your downfalls, and use them as strengths. Make that an amazing opportunity to better yourself.

5. Respect isn't Free
As a white rapper in Detroit, Jimmy had to earn respect to earn credibility. --- This goes back to my point about free handouts. Don't walk into a new environment and act like you own it. Prove yourself. Build credibility and respect will follow.

6. Cheddar Bob
During an altercation between the Free World and Three One Third (rival crews), Jimmy's friend, Cheddar Bob, pulled a gun. After being told to holster it, Cheddar Bob accidentally shot himself in his leg. --- Realize the possible implications before you do something stupid. DUI, theft or bar fights to name a few.

7. Lone Ranger
Although Jimmy was close with his crew he made a point to say "I think i need to just do my own thing dog." --- This is probably my favorite part about this movie. Go against the grain and do your own thing. What will give you the best personal gain? (Hell, maybe I should be a rapper) I've never been one to be a follower and I think it has helped me think outside the box and give me a better grasp of the real world.

8. Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
You do a Google search for 8 Mile. The cover is Eminem. "Rap sucks and i hate vulgar language, why would I ever waste my time watching this?" --- We teach the youth to not judge someone by appearance, yet as adults we do it every day. It's unrealistic for me to say we should never do it. It happens. Just think about what the other person might be going through before you jump down their throat.


If you haven't seen the movie, i encourage you to do so. I also encourage you to apply these 8 lessons to whatever you do.