nothing but hubris

you see driving oneself on passion alone, though admirable, is not enough. it is within everyone's capacity to illustrate passion for a hobby or an activity, so passion has ceased to become a distinguishing element. after awhile, as age and wisdom wrinkles the eyes and creaks the bones, one will begin to realise that passion pivots itself on the idea of self; nothing more. hence to truly succeed and live life to the fullest, one has to go beyond passion and translate effort into help for others. that is to say, 'give back'.

what we are, and what we will become, has always been contingent on our environment. we are nothing more than victims of circumstance, hence we have to rise above such notions and contribute to the lives of others, effectively acknowledging that though we are but puppets in our theatre that we have the ability to free others from the strings that bind them. or at the very least, loosen the grip.

ergo we have to focus not on passion to quench our own dreams and aspirations, but passion to quench the dreams and aspirations of those around us. that is the hallmark of a true leader.

to fuel oneself on passion alone, is to be self- destructive. though even passion for others will eventually destroy us, we would have done that little bit before we perish. it is not about establishing a legacy to be feared and respected by generations after we have turned to dust, but to be an indelible memory in the lives of those generations. to not be a distant milestone, but a thread in their fabric.

we must all learn to fall, and to be crushed. to have all that we have stood for ridiculed and decimated. only then will we realise that it has never been about what we stand for; but about how we can stand together.