THE VALUE OF CHASING DREAMS

Sarah Lawton A passion can be anything from playing a sport to reading novels. Whatever your passion is, its vital that you pursue it, whether you do so for a living or as a hobby. The poem the lesson of the moth by Don Marquis follows a cockroach named archy in his encounter with a moth. archy and the moth discuss their personal lifestyles and definitions of meaning in their life. While the moth follows his ambitions, archy prefers to sit back and observe. In The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones by Jon Ronson, the narrator follows a real-life superhero named Phoenix Jones on his mission to keep his community safe. Phoenix Jones, along with hundreds of other real-life superheroes, work normal jobs by day and patrol the streets by night. As seen in the lesson of the moth and The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, the pursuit of our passions improves happiness, helps us find meaning in our lives, and makes our lives more interesting every day. By simply pursuing passions on a daily basis, you can significantly increase your level of happiness. In the midst of the poem the lesson of the moth, after archy has accused the moth of having no sense at all, the moth preaches to archy insisting that: it is better to be happy for a moment and be burned up with beauty than to live a long time and to be bored all the while

The moth is so helplessly attracted to the light, so devoted to pursuing his passion and accomplishing his goal, that he would rather literally be fried than not fulfill his goal. In result, the moth is completely satisfied in his life and chases his dream until his death. Similarly, in The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, the author suggests that following passions leads to an increased amount of happiness. Throughout the story, Phoenix Jones is conveyed as a giddy, contented person. His passion is to safeguard his community: I dress up as a superhero and fight crime because I like to (262). Phoenixs intrinsic goal, or a goal that satisfies personal goals and leads to higher levels of wellbeing, improves his lifestyle and overall happiness. These texts also suggest that purpose and meaning of life can be enhanced through accomplishing goals and doing what you love. It is natural for humans to search for a purpose in their lives. Perhaps the pursuit of passion can mitigate the search for meaning and purpose. In the lesson of the moth, the moth argues that quality of life is more important than quantity: it is better to be a part of beauty for one instant and then cease to exist than to exist forever and never be a part of beauty His passion drives his life. The moth spends every day of his life pursuing the same dream, but because he is striving towards an authentic goal, it never looses meaning. Your passion becomes your meaning in life and that alone is enough to drive your life. This idea is mirrored in The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones in one of many scenes

where the pack of real-life superheroes roams the streets at night. Phoenix Jones passion for what he does shines in the following lines: Theyre in my house, he resolutely replies. Any corner where people go thats my corner. And Im going to defend it(241). Phoenixs obsession with keeping the community safe has nearly consumed his life, giving him his drive to live. In addition to defining meaning and increasing happiness, living a passionate life creates more excitement and enjoyment, which makes for a more interesting life in general. In The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones, real-life superheroes spend their nights breaking up fights and confronting drug dealers without cowering in the face of danger. The real-life superheroes are All regular men with jobs and families and responsibilities who somehow have enough energy at the end of the day to journey into Americas more needy communities to do what they can (237). Their excursions into the more dangerous neighborhoods undoubtedly fulfill their passions and make their lives more interesting. This theme also appears toward the end of the poem the lesson of the moth. After the moth has left archy to ponder the meaning of life, archy says but at the same time i wish / there was something i wanted / as badly as he wanted to fry himself. At this point, archy feels inferior to the moth because the moth lived nervously throughout his entire life while archy is still searching for meaning in his life. Through this, the author is showing how living a passionate life is more interesting and meaningful than a reserved one. In the end, archy, the moth, and Phoenix Jones have shown that one marker to a well-lived life is ambition. Whether your goal is to pass a test or save the world, strive

for success. Whether your passion is gardening or politics, fulfill your desire. As Tony Robbins said in an interview with NPR, We all need things that fulfill us Find your passion and rip through it. In the end youll find youre happier, have direction in your life, and a desire to live because of ambition.

WORKS CITED Marquis, Don. "The Lesson of the Moth." Literature on a Deadline - DonMarquis.com. N.p., 1995. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http://donmarquis.com/literature?pp=651>. Robbins, Tony. "Tony Robbins: How Can Drive Make You A Success?" Interview by Guy Raz. Audio blog post. TED Radio Hour. NPR, 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/2013/11/01/240778389/how-can-drive-make-you-asuccess>. Ronson, Jon. The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones. The Best American Nonrequired reading 2012. Ed. David Eggers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. 234 263. Print