I Believe

I believe that love can move mountains.

There’s just something about love that has always made a physical impression on me. Perhaps that’s why I get all weepy at chick flicks, or at weddings, or on a Friday night when the girl doesn’t get stood up by the guy. It’s times like those when I can see love reflecting in people’s eyes, and I physically feel that love myself. It warms me from my head down to the soles of my feet.

I believe that taking risks is necessary.

How often do you know people who enjoy their lives when they’ve never taken a risk? I’m reading a book right now about an analyst who refuses to take risks, whose entire life is defined by the numbers he analyzes, numbers that he admits don’t ever lie. He doesn’t want to take risks because he can’t see the outcome at the outset. I don’t want to live a life like that, even if sometimes the risks don’t pan out the way I hope.

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side.

We all deal with our issues and problems, and just because someone else seems to have it easier than we do doesn’t mean that’s the case. It just means they are different from us, that their problems and issues aren’t the same ones we have. But everyone has problems, and being on that side of the fence will only show us that much more clearly. When we covet what others have it only makes us lose focus on what we have.

I don’t believe that love can conquer all.

While love can move mountains, it can’t get past everything. Because sometimes love is unrequited, and sometimes love isn’t unconditional, and sometimes love is secondary to pain. Too many people wonder why others commit suicide, people who they love and who felt like they were loved in return. But sometimes the pain is too much to bear, even more than the love is sustaining. Sometimes love just isn’t enough.

I don’t believe that you should always take risks.

Just like those who take no risks, those who always take risks in every instance will grow to regret it. That’s because risks don’t always pay off, and a proliferation of those risks can ruin your life. You have to know when to take risks and when to stand pat. Knowing the difference between those two moments, between those two decisions, can severely alter whether or not you’re ultimately successful in life, whatever your definition of success is.

I don’t believe in typecasting people.

Just like character actors, we are all different, depending on where we are, who we’re with, or just generally on our comfort levels. We laugh, we cry, we get angry, and we are compassionate, but not all at the same time, and not all with the same people. So, don’t assume you know someone just because of how they are with you, and don’t be surprised when you learn something surprising about somebody else. It’s okay to appreciate others for their uniqueness.

Sam