Why is it hard to grab the seat of our pants and jump? We stand, peering over the edge of everything we dream of accomplishing, and too often we can’t or won’t jump. We are stymied, sometimes for years or decades. Or a whole life. We watch as others take the leap, beating ourselves up for not doing so ourselves. Since ancient times, we’ve been urged to seize the day, and this song is a modern-day carpe diem anthem to surrender, to abandoning doubt, ego, and hesitation. Success isn’t about who you are; it’s about what you do right now.

Eminem,"Lose Yourself," written by Eminem, Jeff Bass & Luis Resto, 2002. "Lose Yourself" was the first hip-hop song to win an Oscar.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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