"I'd rather die drunk, broke, at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me, than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remember who I was." One of the most powerful scenes from the movie, "Whiplash," gives just a nugget of information of what we all truly strive towards.
To be remembered.
Instead of watching an extremely inspiring and amazing movie, that may sugarcoat or glorify the journey to success, go watch a documentary of your favorite superstar or anyone you aspire to be. They usually start from their upbringing, their origin story perhaps. But then there is a turning point in the documentary, the point where he/she decided to go down a path, take an opportunity, or follow a desire. They face a crossroad, where they decide between making a change that is life-altering, or continuing on the path that they were on (for various reasons). The documentary then picks up steam from there, showing how their experiences developed them into the person that you aspire to be like.
The best and most crucial part of any documentary is the beginning. You don't even have to watch the whole thing, but rather watch the first 10 minutes: watch where and how they got started. This is the spot many of us are stuck in: where and how are we supposed to get started? This is a position of curiosity, experimentation, and uncertainty. The people you see in the documentaries, as photos of their early life fade in and out across the screen, were, at some point, the same as us. No matter their upbringing, there is a moment where the person was given their "big break," which may have happened on the first try or the hundredth try. And I can guarantee you one thing, no matter who the person is or what he/she was trying to accomplish, that it took time, effort and determination.
One thing you never really see is a very brief documentary, as most of them last around an hour or so. Why? Because it is about the person's journey on the road to success. Because greatness wasn't made overnight. Or simply because, Rome wasn't built in a day.
We currently grow up in a world where everything happens instantaneously. Whether it's social media, text messaging, or even hookup culture, things happen real quick, and we want the least amount of strings attached in order to keep our options open for the hope of something better. We must come to the realization that our dreams are not going to be put into reality unless we put in the time to something. No matter how big the dream, whether if it's to become a professional wrestler, bodybuilder, movie star or even just to ask the girl you can't keep your eyes off of in Bio class to dinner, it'll take time to achieve the goal. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are you.
