Tick, Tick... BOOM!

You are not running out of time. We don’t have time, own time, and certainly can’t control time. So, why do we live by time? Why do we allow time to control us?

“Time puts us in cages, life gives us wings; what’s your pick?” -Shanieka Smith

A few years back, some of us had High School Musical at the top of our list of favourite movies. We were young; some of us were free, happy, playful, and not worried about time. Now, it’s the opposite, you are either a teenager, a young adult, or a mature adult. And I have no doubt that you are no longer as free, happy, and playful. You perhaps even feel you are running out of time. But you are not!

Hi friends, I am back! This time we have an actual moral of the movie. The moral - you’ve already read, the movie - Tick, Tick… Boom! This movie may not be at the top of your list; it may not even make your list. But it’s what I call an “Adult School Musical.” Tick, Tick… Boom! is a 2021 Musical/Drama directed by Lin-Manual Miranda. My google search showed that this movie is “based on the autobiographical musical by playwright Jonathan Larson ” and that “it's the story of an aspiring composer in New York City who is worried he made the wrong career choice, whilst navigating the pressures of love and friendship.”

All that is true, but I want to highlight from the movie how much value we place on time. Don’t get me wrong, we should value time; we all know how essential that is. However, the sombre truth is that we allow time to control us to the point of unhappiness and feelings of unworthiness; we start comparing, hating, and essentially stop living. Yes, some of us are dead men walking around breathing (that does not make any sense,, but neither does how some of us live).

Stick around though friends. From the movie Tick, Tick… Boom!, I will be sharing three simple but valuable tips to proceed in life:

• Live in the now

• Cherish what you have

• Don’t compare yourself to anyone

Let’s dig into all these; you might want to grab a glass of chilled lemonade and a snack. It’s time for the Moral of the Movie!

Live in the now

I mean, if you don’t live now, when else will you? Jon in the movie seemed content; his personality painted that picture of him. But he was sad. Jon was living miserably because he kept focusing on a future that did not come when and how he wanted it to, a “fate” he did not even live to see.

“Don’t live like you’re about to die, live like you’re alive.” - Shanieka Smith

You should not allow time to control you. Jon wanted so badly to achieve his dreams before age 30 so he started living FOR that time. He shoved everything aside and dedicated all his energy to his “before 30” dreams. Now, that is good and all, except, when you do that, you are trying to catch up on time, which you don’t have to and, to be frank, you can’t do. It would have been better if he lived, enjoyed, appreciated, and celebrated his present life while working on his goals because that is the better option. Stop running after time; celebrate yourself now, not on your next birthday, start that new project, routine, or business today, not next week Monday, start going out and chilling with your friends now, not next month. And you are not doing this to be proactive or to be “before time,” you are doing it because now is only the best time to live.

Also, remember that a part of living is enjoying life. We grew up hearing, “work hard and achieve your goals.” It was never “live and be happy,” which would have been a more suitable phrase because if we think about it, we can work hard, achieve our goals, live, and be happy all at the same time. But the latter is not our priority. Do you not spend most of your time and energy going to school or work, trying to make money, build a reputation, or dating to build a family? Some of us even believe these are the things that will make us happy or make us enjoy life. I am sorry but no, and let me be cliche for a second to reinforce that happiness comes from within. So, before you spend your “limited time” in life doing all these things and pushing back on actually enjoying life, remember, it’s now or never (maybe, puss and dawg nuh hab di same luck). Enjoy life NOW as it is.

“Don’t put a time stamp on enjoyment. Enjoy life as it is NOW.” -Shanieka Smith

Cherish what you have

Jon did not yet have a family, but he had a loving and patient girlfriend. He did not yet get the approval or acknowledgement from experts in his industry, but he had the undying support of his friends. He was not rich, but he had a job and talent that could make him a billionaire if he did not take the art out of his craft (I think, lol). You get what I am saying, though, right? He did not have all he wanted, but had just what he needed. Yet, Jon failed to see that, and he failed even more at cherishing what he had. He realized what he had only when he lost it. He had no girlfriend, little to no support, a longer wait to achieve his goals, and a more despairing future.

This is a sign for you to love the people in your life now. But before you love them, you first have to acknowledge and appreciate them. You also what to appreciate what you have and please, use it to live. Don’t wait on something or someone in the future to live, enjoy life with, and cherish now. That’s somewhat dumb because you have no idea what the next second of your life will be like.

“If you don’t see what’s before you, you cannot see what’s beyond you; cherish what you have.” -Shanieka Smith

Don’t compare yourself to anyone

Your time is your time, and their time is their time. You may take two hours, they may take two seconds and vice versa, and that’s okay. Jon’s quest to achieve his long-lived goal before 30 was attributable to him comparing himself and his achievements to others, even his parents! Come on now, we are going to let people, material things, and time be the reason for our unhappiness? It even goes further than unhappiness, there is guilt, hate, worry, and the list goes on; everyone can fill in the blanks for themselves.

There is no specific time to attend or leave university, to land your dream job, own your dream car and house, get married, have children, and retire. That time may not even come for you. And as dark and hopeless as this sounds, it is true. But instead of living around this fairytale idea of time and success. How about taking the first two pieces of advice above and this one - Don’t compare yourself to anyone. What is yours will be yours; if the time will come, it will come.

“Stop living by society’s ruler of success, build your own, take your time, and do your thing.” -Shanieka Smith

Friends, I won’t take up any more of the time we have and cherish so much. But I hope someone will take something away from our very first Moral of the Movie. All the points are connected and you can take single advice from each. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, share this blog with someone you cherish and watch the movie if it interests you.

Tick, Tick… Boom! I’m out!