Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Needs, Wants, and Songs

The Rolling Stones wrote, “You can’t always get what you want but you get what you need”. No truer words ever written because if you’re reading this you have everything you really need. It is easy to struggle with things in life because of the influence of others telling us what we do and do not need. They’ll tell you that you “need” to have a certain job, a family, success, a certain way of living and so on. Parents, family, and friends are notorious for adding this sort of pressure to us in our lives because perhaps they didn’t see or do all the things they wanted to do in life and feel that they are “doing what they need to do and you should to”. To a certain extent every one of us has to deal with this, I know I did and until the moment came in my life when I found out that all my basic needs were always met then became completely and wholly grateful for them; air in my lungs, a beating heart, food, shelter, a mind to do my own thinking, and an imagination that allows me to dream. To somebody else’s standards I didn’t have much and I paid the price for trying to be what others thought I should be. I was lost and had no direction, a prisoner to my own fears of not being good enough. That is different today even though those fears still creep up on me at times, each day knowing that I’m closer to the life I want guides me away from fear and allows me to stay on the winding path of my dreams. I read recently “To travel is better than to arrive”; a simple and very effective way of saying that we are never really forced to simply live a life of needs and we can always take risks to live the lives we want.


Just as true as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles wrote “All you need is love, love is all you need”. Love begins with yourself and morphs into the desires, ambition, and passion for your dreams and the people you allow into your life. Sometimes we are not sure of what we want along our journey and when it comes to us we may stumble a bit and resist because of our experiences or lack of them when it comes to facing change. Every so often reality has told me to quit pursuing my dream of acting; this is something I want badly in life and have the determination and will to make it happen. Day to day I’m not always sure how to get there, only that I’m going to. The ability to constantly evolve and grow and figure out the “how’s” is the greatest part achieving what you want. That is a case of something tangible that you can use your will and desire to get what you want. Love itself is not a tangible desire and yet, it is as John, Paul, Ringo, and George said, all we need. When it hits you fully it becomes a reason for striving and going on the greatest ride of your life. I love acting and found out that I love loving itself and these wild desires make me feel alive. They keep me moving and allow my heart to risk it all and keep moving in the direction of my dreams. Love also allows me to feel free and allow others to do the same. Sharing this passion is quite simply the greatest gift known to man and to have someone to experience it all with enhances it beyond imagination. As Dr. Seuss said, “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love”. I had no idea I wanted that until I tasted it. No matter what it is that makes you tick and makes you feel alive; love yourself and when the time comes to risk sharing it, remember to chase dreams and know you already have everything you need.    

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