If you pay attention to life, you can find a lesson in just about anything...even at The Oscars! Last night, I was almost ready to fade to black but the end of the night was reserved for Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Motion Picture, so I willed myself to hang in there. Now I'm not an Oscar blogger in any way, shape or form, so I'll leave that up to the professionals. My friends know I was on my personal Facebook page having fun and joking all night with my running commentary on things I heard and seen, but when I heard the speech from Matthew McConaughey, I sat up in my chair and I listened, probably more attentively and intensely than I did at any moment of the night.
"There are three things to my count that I need each day: One is I need something to look up to, another is something to look forward to, and another is someone to chase."
It was what he said during his acceptance speech for Best Actor in Dallas Buyers Club
that struck a familiar relationship chord in my head (which tends to
happen when my spidey senses are tingled at the right time). He talked about his something to look up to is God, his family is who he looks forward to, and the hero he will never be is his someone to chase. Well said, and I can agree with all of it.
What he said also works in our relationships as well. Without the God that I look up to in my life, there isn't anything I could ever do, hope to be or have, that would ever give a greater return on my investment than a real genuine relationship with God. It's God that shows me how to be grateful, and like Matthew said, "it's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates". The family that I look forward to has put so much into me that I didn't get then, but I oh so get now. My Pop taught me how to be a man, but it wasn't until I divorced in 2002 that I took what he showed me and applied it in my life. My mother gave me identity in unconditional love, because if you knew me as a teenager, you'd know how necessary that was for me down the line. Finally, make no mistake, The One is who I chase. What I've learned from God who I look up to, and my parents whom I look forward to, has made me ready to go after The One that I divorced in 2002. We are better friends now than we've ever been, and we even went out somewhere over the weekend. Only God, that's all I can say. I believe that every man in some way lives off the three things Matthew McConaughey said. Relationship wise, you have to know what three things you need everyday to stay relevant and motivated. These just so happen to be mine...
kudos Devin! This just may be your best blog so far (in my opinion). I didn't see this speech but just as it did you, what you have written here struck a chord with me. I continue to have ah ha moments as I grow and evolve spiritually. it's thanks to people like you who provoke thought in us as we reflect back and now it makes since what our parents and grandparents were preparing us for. We didn't get it then because it wasn't time. God's plan isn't our plan although we alter it and prolong it, we end up exactly where we're supposed to be..
ReplyDeleteMo, you never know were the lessons come from! You and I must've had the same "ah ha moment" because I promise you that speech spoke clear to me! If you haven't seen it, click the highlighted link that says 'the speech" and you'll get it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, and the love...