One of my favorite musicals is Hamilton. I’ve seen it twice in the theater and countless times when it streamed on Disney+ during the pandemic. To say I love this musical is an understatement.
One of the song, Wait For It, is a look into Aaron Burr’s heart as well as the jealousy he held for Alexander Hamilton. The song resonated with me because it really shows how a person’s view on life can affects their outlook and actions or in Aaron Burr’s case, inaction.
In the song, Aaron Burr states love, death & life “doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints. It takes and it takes and takes. And we keep living anyway, we rise and we fall and we break and we make our mistakes…” he ends each section with the refrain, “I’m willing to wait for it.”
It’s like the glass half full/ half empty idiom describing whether a person is optimistic or pessimistic. Aaron Burr states, “Hamilton doesn’t hesitate. He exhibits no restraint. He takes and he takes and he takes…” whereas Aaron Burr simply waits for life to drop into his lap, yet asks, “what is like in his shoes?”
There are people who go after everything they want, like Hamilton. They don’t wait for an opportunity, they create opportunities and worry less about the perspectives of others around them. They walk their truth. On the other hand, there are people who need timing and acceptance to work in their favor before they choose and act on their desires. Life, for them, can be performative and they feel they can only act if they are doing actions approved by people they feel matter.
If you listen to the song, which perspective resonates with you? Do you wait for it or are you relentless in your pursuits? Do you wonder what it’s like in someone else’s shoes or do you love the shoes on your own feet?
There is a heaviness to the person who doesn’t go for what they want. The weight of external pressures, fear or stepping out into the spotlight can create dissonance and that can lead to anger toward those who choose to live their truth.
You are the only person who can bring your perspective to any situation. If you want to be like Hamilton, remember: don’t throw away your shot!
Look Within 