Brion Hanks’ Poetry Inspires to Live Life on Your Own Terms
September 4th, 2024 3:19 pm | by Blog Contributor Posted in Poetry
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Life is good if you look at it from a relatively limited perspective, only focusing on what you have. You’ll begin to appreciate the blessings you’ve received, every good news you’ve heard, and the fun you’ve experienced. That is until you look over to how someone else is doing; then, you begin to feel lacking. Regardless of whether you’ve recently felt bliss for everything you have, the moment you look over to another, shame and jealousy will come rushing.
This is why author Brion K. Hanks reminds you to live life on your own terms.
Traveler of The Universe
“Don’t hurry, it is not a race.
Do pace your travels and in time
Taller mountains you will climb.”
– Brion K. Hanks
This excerpt comes from a poem by Brion K. Hanks, and the stanza alone, gives you a glimpse of the message Brion intends to convey. “Traveler of the Universe” serves as a reminder to live life on your own terms, to take autonomy over your journey, and to live it how you choose.
In his poetry, Mr. Hanks likens every human to a traveler who freely navigates around the universe—a vast space without certainty of where they are and will be. Perhaps this is the closest visualization of life you can get, a comparison to something so magnificent yet also unpredictable and potentially precarious. “Traveler of the Universe” urges people to explore the grand universe’s expanse slowly, without pressure, not especially from how someone else may be traversing. Rather, at the pace and choices you make.
This reminds you that life has given you two choices regarding how you must approach it. You can either live life on your own terms or depend on what others expect from you. The decision is yours to make, and possible consequences are likewise yours to carry. Either option has its ups and downs, advantages and disadvantages, and making and sticking to a choice may be intimidating but dare to make it.
So, if you crave defining life and finding your purpose amid its ever-intricate structure, living on your own terms is your best option.
Why Is It Important to Live Your Own Life?
Brion K. Hanks might have reminded everyone to live slowly and how they will. Yet, this concept is one that is goal-driven and may be fast-paced for some in society.
So, why is it important to embrace life on your own terms?
The answer is pretty straightforward, and that is because living life on your own allows you to decide freely, openly, and without limitations.
Life can suffocate when you listen to what others say and decide according to what they assume is good for you. It’s a constant race toward other’s reassurance and validation. Instead of living life on your own terms and becoming the main character of your story, you begin to morph yourself into someone else’s second – a character who can’t stand on his own and is pretty much dependent on others. Life like this becomes restricting. You’ll begin to limit yourself to a box that isn’t even yours. And frankly, why would you?
The more you listen to what others say and do things how they do, the weaker you become. You begin to feel inadequate and lose grip on your identity, especially your worth.
Your life won’t be defined by someone else.
Instead, it’s on you to make a definition and purpose.
It’s your life. Why should you let others have control over it?
What Does It Mean to Live Life on Your Own Terms?
Life is different for everyone. This is a logical and understandable ideology, yet it can be challenging to uphold. It’s easy to claim how you’ll live life on your own terms. But when it comes to actualizing such sentiment, words often fall flat.
How often have you encountered the words, “If I were you…” and contemplated following what the other has said? No matter how well you think you have things under control, the moment someone jumps in to give some innocent and harmless advice, you may end up faltering in your step. Suddenly, your control over life is gone, and you begin to sway according to what people say.
Living life on your own terms is about ruling your life alone. It’s about seizing every opportunity because you want to see where it takes you. It’s about confidently and solitarily walking down a path you choose, no matter how uncertain, because it’s where you are drawn to and empowered by. Living life on your own terms means prioritizing nothing else but what matters most to you.
It’s shedding every expectation and abandoning any idea of what you are “supposed” to do. One way or another, these concepts have been influenced by someone else. If you want to let go of someone else’s control, it’s time to choose a path that’s for you and written by you.
It’s one thing to listen and trust the good in someone else’s advice. But it’s another to forever putting these above what you believe is good for you.
To live life on your own terms means you have to listen to your heart. Hear what it has to say about what feels suitable for you. Believe that you, yourself, have your best intention in mind.
If you want to be inspired about life and how it should be lived, read more of Brion K. Hanks’ poetry through his website and books.
