Lose Yourself

Look,
If you had just one shot—one opportunity,
To seize everything you ever wanted
Would you capture it? Or would you just let it slip?

Okay, so I know that Eminem isn't everybody's favorite guy. But I've gotta defend his song from his semi-autobio flick, 8 Mile.

The song is "Lose Yourself", and the message is "Carpe Deim." I've yet to see the film, but in some ways you don't have to. The song doesn't even have to be from the movie, it can be based on anyone's life. "And these times are so hard, and it's gettin' ever harder..." You have a terrible life and you have problems. Okay. Who doesn't? You make bad choices and you know they're wrong. So what? Who doesn't? You can't do anything about the place you are now. "Mom, I love you//But this trail has got to go//I cannot grow old in Salem's Lot." What matters is what you do with it.

You will always have to suffer setbacks. Get up, try again. Get into the rhythm of life, the universe, and everything. Get into the music that it generates to your spirit. Forget about you and the things you've done, because you have one shot and one opportunity to seize the day. "Better capture this moment and hope it don't pass [you by]..."

I have an exercise for you. One of my best friends in the whole world taught it to me. Stand in front of a mirror. A mirror where you can see your whole body from head to toe is best, but any mirror will do. Stare at yourself and picture every bad thing you've ever done. Your wrong choices, your bad mistakes. Your sins, your evils. Your darkness. Imagine it bellowing behind you like a darkened storm gathering in power and might.

Now, what's in front of you? I'm not with you but I can tell you what is: nothing. It sounds simple in print, and it's even more beautiful when you try it for yourself just to realize that there's nothing in between you and the mirror. You have the future ahead of you. There are new choices to make. You can't do anything about the past. That's behind you. What you can do is something about what's in front of you.

"Success is my only [good] option, failure's not." You will either win or lose. There's no middle ground anymore. Good or evil, light or dark. Take your pick. You only have one choice, and one chance to make it. You will always have the chance to make little choices for good or bad. But you must make the ultamite choice here and now where you stand: daylight or dark night. "Feet fail me not, 'cause this may be the only opportunity I got..." Make the choice, and make it soon. Because you are running out of time.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment,
You own it, you'd better never let it go
You only get one shot—do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime...


You can do anything you set your mind to, man...