Perspiration for Aspiration
I've been struggling hard in the last couple weeks (ok, let's be honest... years) with my life and my life goals. It is one of those things that is constantly on my mind.
Today I'm visiting my parents and as mom has been feeding me for every meal while I kick back, do nothing, ignore the fact I am on deadline to write an article today, and watch you tube videos... until this one came up.
These motivational type videos are all over the great world wide web and they exist for a reason. Positivity strengthens the mind. Studies have been conducted on the benefits of positive consumption of media, of thought, and of pursuits. (1). I mean, take a second to Google it and you're going to find all kinds of information on it, both psuedo-science and actual scientific study. (2). It's up to you to wade through the information but it is there and it is plentiful.
Side note: I just looked up at mom is making lasagna and I can already smell it. It is delicious. She has made three square meals a day, nearly everyday, for my family since I was a baby. As someone who lacks the patience for that kind of thing... It astounds me and I wonder how she manages to do it. She gave me the book The Magic by Rhonda Burne for Christmas three years ago. Mom is constantly saying to "Think Positive!" Sometimes I think we just nod and shrug it off because we don't want to hear it.
Why then... is it so hard to be positive and believe there is a good future (in the arts, in science, in the workplace, etc. etc) for younger people like me? I'm not going to get into a huge debate about the state of the world and economy and other things like that. To be frank, it can get very depressing. The only thing I have found as far as being positive is to find that absolute passion in your life. If your passion is legal, moral, and ethical, go for it. A couple years ago some peers and I had lunch with Tina Schaaf in the state of Washington at a very nice waterfront restuarant. She is an authority on connecting people to their passions and how to access the best part of themselves to be able to pursue these passions. There were some tears shed at that lunch. We stumbled out of that restaurant with our minds reeling with robust ideas, fear, and determination. The common thing we all walked away with that afternoon was knowledge that our passion was our power.
In the above video, acclaimed actor Denzel Washington points out something I find to be an important truth. He said that, "Just because you're doing a lot more, doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done." With passion there needs to be work put towards it. Smart work, not just hard work. If I truly care about my art and my quality of life through art... then I will use these tools to focus in on it and work towards my goals. As Denzel also said, don't be afraid to fail. Failure is a teacher. Failing is good.
So let me break down the point of what I'm trying to say...
Positive thought + powerful passion/aspiration + perspiration = Life's Dedication
xoxo