life lessons from boys who are beastie

life lessons
from boys who are beastie

the beastie boys song, fight for your right (to party!), has always been well received as a fist-pumping (pre-jersey shorification), party anthem. many a'frat boys and lady lovers alike have shouted this ditty at the top of their lungs whilst in the throes of a festive function. but the term "fight" never sat well with me. it was the puzzle piece that initially appeared to fit, but refused to lie flat and melt into the oneness of the whole.

what, pray tell dear ashley, would make this jam one that you could firmly chant without experiencing hesitation and frustration?

to put my neurotic mind at ease i wish the more appropriate verbiage was utilized, "assert your unlawful right to party". one doesn't actually need to throw 'bows in the name of beers, nor does one need to exchange punches for the sake of pong. if you want the non-governmentally supported law to be upheld-
why wouldn't you just go out do it?

this question begat another in my introspective snow globe of a mind; if that query can apply to a simple song- couldn't it be turned to the broader backdrop of life in general? if we want something more out of this life- something that law/other people/reason can't provide for us- we have to give ourselves permission to grab it versus constantly fighting the world around us.

all too often we want to look outside of ourselves for the answers that are hidden within. every day, life puts another proverbial fork in our paths. every hour, life bobs and weaves- spinning wildly around us. every moment is a choice, a challenge, and a cryptogram...every moment we decide, do, and decode in order to get closer to self actualization.

turning ones thoughts inward and looking at oneself honestly can be scary and painful. most fear their own truth so much that the thought of making a conscious choice to do so is inconceivable. i will be the first to admit, the excavation process does require that you open your eyes to your own darkness but it also is a journey where your bright, brilliant light will be found. it most certainly is not the easier road by any stretch of the imagination but i've found that the answers are more glaring when pulled out of yourself.

throughout the years i've heard it from therapists and peers alike, "you don't have to go through this alone- why do you always take the most painful path? life could be easier if you weren't so stubborn." the truth is that i know that ofttimes i opt for a journey that isn't as pleasant as i'd like. i don't relish in the pain nor do i seek it out as some form of emotional-masochism but i would be lying if i said i didn't purposefully choose paths that required self-scrutiny and were inherently more difficult. outwardly some mistake it for self sabotage, but i call it self-preservation.

some might argue that my analytical nature forces me to draw parallels between things that are meaningless. this is a fact that i'm willing to accept and deny, all at once. maybe things aren't as connected as i believe but maybe everything is connected, and lessons can be found in everything and every one around us. upon over analyzing the lyrics of the beastie boys, i stumbled across a powerful message to give heed to my life- stop cursing the powers that surround you, and start liberating yourself through changing your perspective.

the chains that bind us to a life that is less than what we want are self inflicted but so is freedom...but for all one knows the beastie boys where right- and we all have to FIGHT- FOR OUR RIGHTS- TO PARRTTYY!