Lessons from "Hamilton" by Taylor Baez, MA

I was five years late to the wonder that is Hamilton: An American Musical. Aside from the originality and progressiveness intertwined in every fabric of Hamilton’s creation, the musical grapples with all the indefinite life questions that’s ever kept us up at night. Here’s only a few takeaways from Hamilton:

What am I doing with my life?
Eliza – Look at where you are, look at where you started. That fact that you’re alive is a miracle. Just stay alive, that would be enough.

I can almost guarantee you that therapy will never be able to definitively answer what the point of life is. Having someone to help you unravel the jumbled thoughts and put them into words though can be very helpful to figuring out what your best life can be.

Did I deserve that great opportunity or was it luck?
Burr – There would have been nothin’ left to do for someone less astute. He woulda been dead or destitute without a cent of restitution. 

A third option you may have not considered is: you were at the right place at the right time AND you had what it took to turn that chance opportunity into something real. There were other people who were exposed to that same opportunity you’re questioning, yet you’re the one who is doing to work to make it a reality. 

Have the best years of my life passed already?
Hamilton – And there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait, just you wait.

I know that the messaging that your teens or 20s are the best years of your life, but that just can’t be true; You’re broke, don’t know how to say no to others yet, and every challenge that comes by you is likely actually the hardest challenge you’ve ever experienced. No matter what your age, your next decade (let alone five years) is your next greatest growth period full of hope and opportunity. 

What is there to be grateful for during this terrible year?
Eliza – Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.

If Eliza can find gratefulness during a revolutionary war, how many gratitudes could we find in the current COVID chapter of our lives? Remember that gratitude doesn’t mean pretending that the bad doesn’t exist, it means to take a moment to acknowledge the good amidst the challenges. Sometimes all you can think of to be grateful for is that you have a roof over your head and that is completely fine! A forced gratitude is not as powerful as a genuine gratitude.

Do any of these questions feel familiar to you? Is it time to share their heaviness with someone? If yes, Hamilton would urge you to not throw away your shot! Taylor enthusiastically invites existentially angsty conversation and currently has telehealth openings. Whether you want only a few sessions or to start a long-term healing journey, contact me today to schedule a quick 15-minute call for us to talk about your vision for your best life.