Last night the Hubby and I watched “Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny“. For those of you who may have just emerged from under a rock, Tenacious D is the “World’s Greatest Rock Band”, and consists of members Jack Black and Kyle Gass who, in their own words, totally rock.
The premise of the movie is this: Kyle and Jack meet by chance in Hollywood. A bunch of funny things happen and Kyle takes Jack under his wing, mentoring him on how to become a true rocker. A bunch more funny things happen and they start to write songs together but then stumble upon the dreaded writer’s block. They discover the long lost secret of The Pick of Destiny, and set out to find it for themselves, as it is sure to solve their musical problems. A creepy guy played by Tim Robbins tells them how they can get the Pick. They set off on an adventure to do just that. A bunch more really really funny stuff happens and I’m not going to tell you how it turns out but it involves Satan. Just rent the DVD and watch.
Now I know it seems odd for me to want to get all philosophical about a very silly movie. But that’s why I love movies. Because no matter how silly they are, there is always a message. Hell, even Bubba Ho-Tep has a message! (Another one for all you rock dwellers to rent if you’ve never heard of it).
First of all, with all the crass humour aside, Pick of Destiny is about people who are following their passion. Sure, their songs are kind of ridiculous. But, they are actually pretty good (Jack Black’s vocal ability is astounding, and Kyle Gass plays a pretty mean guitar). But all of that aside, they are extremely serious about being the Greatest Rock Band that Ever Lived. And they are willing to go to any length to live their dream. They ignore anyone who tries to shoot them down or stand in their way. They just barrel ahead, and do what they set out to do.
Imagine if everyone was capable of living their lives this way, what we would be able to accomplish. If everyone were able to find their passion, then carry out their passion, and do it to their fullest potential. That’s pretty awesome, don’t you think?
Here is what I’ve learned in a very short time about following your dream. There is no Pick of Destiny. No magic wand or pill or stroke of luck that you can wait for that is going to solve all your problems and help you to move forward to live your passion. You just need to decide you are going to do it and then figure out how you are going to do it.
Many of us think we have things standing in our way, like silly day jobs, kids, mortgages, etc. Living your passion doesn’t mean giving up any of those things. It means waking up each morning with your heart wide open. It means sharing with everyone you know, and everyone in the broader community too, what you are passionate about. It means creating your work and putting it out there. If you don’t feel confident in doing that, it’s only because you need to learn more about it, and practice more before you are ready. But you will know when you are ready. And then you won’t care what people think anymore. You’ll just be doing it.
Now that I am living my passion, I find that I have slowed down, taking in every new experience that comes my way. I am more free to enjoy each moment. Sure it’s going to be crazy busy. Sure, we have a lot to learn about running a business. Sure, there are plenty of naysayers around, trying to cast doubt on our plans. But all of those things seem much less apparent because my heart is wide open, because I am creating, free of my previous self imposed limitations. Because I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.
Like Tenacious D, I’m living my dream. Find yours, and live it too.
