“No room for medium, that means you thinkin’ small
I close my eyes, I must be telepathic
Look over haters, tripling my assets
It takes courage to accomplish these things
Hungry, starving
Not thirsty, just hungry
Ambitious, still hungry
Still hungry”
“Hungry”
Fergie (feat. Rick Ross)
I listen to all genres of music because the tune of the day varies with my mood. But when I hit the gym, it is hip-hop with lyrics full of confidence, ego-boosting, and bold words.
The song by Fergie made me think of what it takes to feed one’s soul. Thirst versus hunger. Internal versus external. People accomplish many things in this world and can still be unhappy. As I work with people, I can usually pick up on the fact that they are starving for more, and many assume that their job, family, or things they’ve acquired are enough. That is rarely the case. My comment is usually, “Maybe you’re just hungry.”
Most people have something that they loved to do in the past but have stopped doing it for some reason. I hear stories about people who used to ballroom dance, sing, compete in martial arts, played sports, or loved politics but abandoned this for the societal definition of adulthood. Many say that they grew up and didn’t have time for those things any longer. Why? I believe that fear keeps many people from doing things that enhance their lives. It is not a time issue. It is a judgment issue. You can’t do the activities the way you used to have, so now you have thrown it all away along with a part of yourself.
My best friend and I learned many years ago that we always need some form of physical activity in our lives, and it must have an adrenaline rush. Period. While physical limitations have changed how we pursue this rush, the environment in which we receive it is pretty consistent. We tried walking, Zumba, or regular yoga and ended up doing things like Insanity, hot yoga, boot camps, or spinning classes with blood pumping EDM and strobe lights. Feeling the blood pumping through our veins, and the chaos feeds us. On the other hand, I have a friend that loves the peace and tranquility of nature, so all of his activities involve being outdoors — extreme opposites and specific to the person.
So what is it going to take to satisfy you? Exercise. Singing. Puzzles. Dancing. Music. Massages. Shooting. Rock Climbing. Sex. Don’t pick something from a place of thirst which satisfies others. Pick what you want from a place of hunger that pleases you. It doesn’t matter what your thing is; it just needs to feed your soul. Don’t judge it; have the courage to claim it for yourself and own it. Feed your hunger.
