So I was eating cereal and watching a CNN documentary about Kobe Bryant. He described Kobe’s approach to life as giving his skills everything to his heart, soul and body. It’s not in the middle. Just everything.
I sat there and said, “Yes! That’s all!” That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell the students in my class. Usually while making a wild arm gesture and accidentally knocking on the marker cup. I believe in that philosophy in every fiber of my chalky existence.
High risk and deep roots
But here’s the deal. That’s also scary.
This idea of putting everything in your calling – it sounds like a noble, inspiring and motivating poster, but the truth is gambling. High stakes, heart-first gambling. Especially today.
In other words, the ancient world fully supported this idea. Aristotle called it Areth. Stoic preached about inner strength, and Japanese samurai gave us a bushido. Even athletes talk about magical zones where time melts.
Modern metrics and timeless passion
But our modern world? Yes, not that much. Today we value your output. Your indicator. Your monetization plan. It’s like we collectively replaced passion with performance indicators.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not against paying bills. I enjoy the food, shelter and the occasional streaming service. But what if you’re a young person with a dream that doesn’t involve a subscription model or an app-based hustle plan? Welcome to what I call “Expential Whiplash.”
Is it safe to dream?
They say, “Follow your bliss!” And then “Live with purpose!” But in the next second someone asks, “Yeah, but how do you make money?”
This contradiction is exhausting. And it goes into your head. You say, “Maybe I’m wrong to want this. Maybe I should just do something safer. Maybe my dream is for people with trust funds.”
But here I get a little noisy in class – yes, I sometimes stand in the chair – and no. Your dreams are not a responsibility.
It’s the pulse. Heartbeat. spark. And even if it’s difficult, you owe yourself to explore it.
What happens if things don’t work?
Now I don’t sugarcoat this: you can throw yourself into something and you can’t get the reward you wanted. I lived it. I made a documentary that would reach a small audience. I wrote about what I thought would change the world and I had heard nothing but cricket. I created a program that disappeared when grants ran out.
But here’s a strange thing: I’m not replacing it yet. In the chase, yes, even on the flop, because I found something essential.
The gift of flow and existence
flow. the purpose. Connection.
When I was filming at dawn in a mountain village in the Philippines, or when I was listening to students struggling with the path to their voices, I was not thinking about success. i was there. Completely. With a mind. There’s nothing else.
These moments are why we do things that are dangerous. Because we are not robots. We are not a spreadsheet. We are a meaningful manufacturer. And when we pursue something with full attention and intention, we use the sacred thing.
Even mindfulness has a marketing plan
Still, let’s be real. In our society, even mindfulness is commissioned. There is a calm subscription. A brand for tranquility. The market for minimalism. If I sound cynical, it’s because I’ve seen many of my students speak from their deepest truths by the crushing logic of “practicality.”
Redefining success
So, what do we do? How do we hold the inner compass as GPS keeps screaming “It’s recalculated!”? Towards a safer and more profitable life?
I think it will redefine what “success” really means.
I tell my students: Don’t measure your life by likes, views, or even income (but yes, make sure you eat). Measure it by the depth of your experience. By the risk you willing to take. By the people you helped. By the moment you feel alive and based on something real.
A quiet life is still grand
Because that makes life worth living. It’s not perfect. It’s not applause. But it exists.
You can live a small-looking life in a vast inner world. You can chase meaningful things and be unfamous. Importantly, you can teach, paint, write, code, code, dance, and build without the need to “viral.”
Suspicion comes – enter it
Yes, there are trade-offs. Trust me, I’m struggling with them. I have had months of wondering if better on a more stable career would be better, and whether I made a mistake. Instead, I asked myself whether it was selfish to continue chasing ideas when I could save them for retirement.
But I remember: a life without dreams, a life without creative risks, without vulnerability? It would break me faster than an unpaid bill.
This is a gift (and gambling)
To the dreamers reading this, especially the younger people, or the older people who have just started again – I want to say this:
Don’t reduce the irony of the world to your vision. Pay attention to the time, energy and attention, not just meditation, but how you choose. Live with full awareness, even when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s difficult.
Because it is a gift for a mindful life. It’s not constant calm or peace, but it comes into full contact with reality. Beauty and fear. Creativity and chaos. Risk and rewards.
It’ll appear anyway
And maybe, just maybe, that’s the point. That life is not about winning. It is to fully reveal the mind, soul, and body. Like Kobe. Just as we all have the courage to do this.
I am not essential. I am not a leading expert. I’m still someone who gets goosebumps when a student discovers something authentic inside him. I’ve lived long enough to know that dreams don’t always pay off, but they always tell you what’s important.
And for me, it was always sufficient.
About Tony Collins
Tony Collins, EDD, MFA is a documentary filmmaker, teacher, musician, writer and consultant with 40 years of experience. His work explores creative expression, academic rigor and non-fiction storytelling throughout the United States, Central America, Asia and the United Arab Emirates. In 2025, he reconsidered self-publishing creative scholarships: reviews in films and new media, and challenges traditional academic reviews in films and new media. Website: anthonycollinsfilm.com
