Drugs, Choices, and Staying True to Your Path

When I was about 13, I had a childhood friend named Tayfun. We were thick as thieves, always getting into mischief together. One day, we were in an arcade playing Street Fighter—you know, those classic games that used to feel like life or death in the moment. Well, one thing led to another, and we got into a little rumble. In the heat of the moment, Tayfun accidentally stabbed me. It wasn’t serious—three stitches later, I was fine—but it stuck with me, like a warning sign for things to come.

As time passed, we both grew up, and life got a bit more complicated. Like many teenagers, I experimented with weed and cocaine. I made mistakes, chasing a high that felt exciting at the time. But eventually, I learned something crucial: drugs create a fake kind of satisfaction. They isolate you from reality, giving you a sense of control when really, they’re taking it away from you.

I had to learn how to control it, how to step back from that fake world and ground myself in something real. I realized that every hit took me further away from the person I wanted to be the person I knew I could become. It wasn’t easy, but I got out of that trap.

Tayfun lived in Antalya, beautiful sea side though, he never did gave up on drugs. We stayed in touch even after I left Türkiye in the early 2000s, but his path went in a different directions. While I figured out my way through mistakes and learned from them, Tayfun got deeper into harder drugs. I look back and wonder—he had a hardworking father who trusted him, who was always there for him. Maybe that made him feel like he didn’t need to fight for something more, or maybe he just couldn’t see the warning signs. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t break free from the grip of addiction. He wasted so much time and missed out on building his personal developments.

Now, why am I telling you all this?

Because I know many of you are young artists and aspiring DJs, chasing your dreams, trying to break into the industry. I also know the pressure you’re under—pressure to succeed, pressure to fit in, and sometimes pressure to escape. Drugs might seem like a shortcut to easing that stress, or even just part of the scene, but trust me when I say this: drugs are a fake fix. They offer a temporary high but can cost you everything in the long run.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. Don’t let fake satisfaction take you away from real success. The thrill of a hit is nothing compared to the high of achieving your goals through hard work and dedication.

2. Learn from mistakes, don’t live in them. It’s okay to stumble—we all do. But you have to rise up stronger. Some people couldn’t do that, but you can.

3. Stay grounded in your purpose. Whether you want to DJ for thousands or create art that moves people, keep your focus sharp. Drugs will only cloud that vision and steal your potential.

4. Your circle matters. Surround yourself with people who want the best for you, who keep you focused on your art, not distractions.

5. Face reality, don’t escape it. Life’s challenges are hard, but facing them head-on makes you stronger. Escaping into drugs only builds walls between you and your true potential.

Tayfun’s story is a reminder that life can turn in an instant. Choices, even small ones, can ripple out and change everything. So, as you chase your dreams, be mindful of the paths you take and the habits you form. You’ve got the talent, the vision, and the fire within you. Don’t let a fake high burn out the real you.