The key to life.

Most of the time it's easier to give up and move on than it is to put in the effort to get what you want. And sometimes moving on is the better thing to do, because it's just not worth it to kill yourself over something that might not be worth it in the end. But how do you decide what's worth the effort?

You want to be an actor. Or an artist. Or a writer. Or a filmmaker. It's very easy to say, "I would never make any money. A career in that field is just too unrealistic." And then you get a job in marketing, or become a lawyer, or you go to medical school. And then you're either miserable, or you live a happy life. (Or, more likely, you're somewhere in between.) Or maybe you get a day job and keep your acting/writing/film making/art making on as a hobby and you're satisfied or you're not.

But it's sometimes just as easy to say "fuck the norm, I'm doing it." And then you become a famous musician. Or you end up writing jingles for commercials. Or working at starbucks to pay off your student loans.

There is no right or wrong answer. Sometimes things work out the way you want them to. Sometimes they work out the way you expect them to. Sometimes the way you expect them to turn out is the way you want them to turn out. Sometimes you end up in a place you'd never thought you'd be. Sometimes that's a good thing. And sometimes it's not.

Where you end up is often so hard to predict because there are so many factors involved. How far you get in any one endeavor can depend on the amount of effort you put forth, or the number of people you know, or how talented you are, or what kind of mood you're in. Or sometimes it just boils down to chance.

But you know what all of this is really all about? What life is all about? It's about the choices you make. It's about what you decide is worth the risk.

Should you move across the country to a state where you know absolutely no one? Should you apply to art school over law school? Should you give that person you like so much another chance even if he or she has that one potentially major flaw? Should you burn that bridge? Should you take that path?

It all depends on what you want, what you value, and what you are willing to lose.

It sounds kind of romantic, doesn't it? "Are you willing to risk it all to follow your heart/head/dreams?" But you shouldn't think of it that way, because it's not that simple. Even if you decide that something is worth the risk, or the sacrifice, or the hard work, you better make damn sure that you know what you're going to do if you ever come to realize that it's not worth it. Make a plan. Say to yourself, "I'm going to give this a shot, because I'm just not ready to give up on it yet. But if I ever get to this point, then I'll know that it's time to let go."

So here I am. I've worked so hard throughout my life to figure out who I am and what I want and what I need in my life. All that thinking and all that trial and error has lead me to this point, and it will lead me further. And I've decided that I don't want to give up. Not on the big things. Not on the little things. Not on the people. Not on you. Not just yet.