So, Roman Reigns. Watching his whole “Tribal Chief” thing unfold over the last few years really got me thinking. It wasn’t instant, you know? It kinda seeped in while I was dealing with my own stuff.
Reminds me of this project I took on a while back. Not work stuff, more like a personal challenge I set myself. I wanted to build this custom bookshelf system for the living room. Sounds simple, right? Man, I was wrong. I started sketching things out, felt real confident. Went and bought the wood, got my tools ready. First few cuts? Disaster. Angles were off, wood split. My wife gave me that look, you know the one. Even my neighbor, peeking over the fence, kinda chuckled and said, “Looks like you got your hands full there.”
Honestly, I almost gave up maybe three or four times. I’d leave it for a few days, go do something else, get mad at the pile of wood just sitting there. People kept asking, “How’s that bookshelf coming along?” and I’d just mumble something. Felt like a failure, like I’d talked a big game and couldn’t back it up. It was frustrating seeing the raw materials and knowing what I wanted it to be, but just not getting there.
Sticking With It
But I kept plugging away. Watched some videos online, not tutorials, just guys working with wood. Realized I was rushing things. Forced myself to slow down, measure three times instead of once. Started making smaller, simpler pieces first. Little wins. A shelf bracket that actually fit. A side panel that was perfectly square. It took ages. Way longer than I told anyone it would.
And that’s where watching Reigns kinda clicked for me. I remember folks absolutely hating the guy for years. Everything felt forced, like the company was pushing him down everyone’s throats. The reactions were brutal. But then he went away, came back with this completely different vibe. Slow, deliberate, menacing. He wasn’t trying to be the smiling good guy anymore. He leaned into being the boss, the “Head of the Table.”
- He changed his approach.
- He controlled the pace.
- He basically owned the negativity and turned it into his character’s fuel.
It wasn’t overnight for him either. It was a slow burn, rebuilding his whole presentation. And seeing that, while I was struggling with my stupid bookshelf, kinda resonated. It wasn’t about suddenly becoming amazing, it was about changing the approach, controlling the narrative, and just grinding it out until the results started showing. People didn’t instantly love his new character, but they respected it. It felt earned.
Eventually, I finished the bookshelf. It’s not perfect, got some flaws if you look close. But it’s sturdy, it does the job, and it’s mine. I built it. Took way too long, lots of frustration, few muttered curses under my breath. But seeing it there, holding books, it feels pretty good. Kinda like watching Reigns now. You might not always like the guy, but you gotta acknowledge the journey, the change, and the fact that he kinda forced everyone to see him differently. Sometimes, that slow, grinding change is the one that sticks.
