The lead man for the band Foo Fighters, and previously the drummer for Nirvana, Dave Grohl, tells the story of how he used to play his brains out on the drums for years. He loved it. He gave everything to it every time he sat down. He would play ferociously for hours and stop long after he was spent.
The drummer for the band Phish, one of the most successful touring bands ever, used to do that, too. In college, he would do enough school work to get by reasonable well, and with virtually all the rest of his time, he would lock himself in his room and play the drums. The lead singer of Phish has a similar story.
But this is not about drummers and bands. This is about passion and giving your energy and your focus to what is most important.
Going full out every day all the time is probably not wise for most adults. But we can pick and choose where and when we will devote these kinds of deeply meaningful efforts.
There are few things that feel as worthwhile as giving intensely of yourself to something that is true at your core.
The opportunity it provides, you might say, is sacred. It goes to the very heart and essence of who we are and what we ought to do with our lives.
We ought choose projects that we can work at, from time to time, until we are holy tired.
We ought to find things to which we can passionately give ourselves until we are absolutely exhausted and satisfied and pleased.
And ready for bed, but very much alive.
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