To Strive, To Seek, To Find — and To Fight for Your Right to Party

November 6, 2025

There’s something beautifully contradictory about today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day. On one hand, we have Tennyson’s poetic call to endurance: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” On the other, the immortal wisdom of the Beastie Boys: “You gotta fight for your right to party.” Somewhere between Victorian resolve and ‘80s rebellion lies the truth: life asks us to keep showing up, to hold on to what matters, even when it’s inconvenient, exhausting, or slightly ridiculous.

So today’s about that balance, about fighting for the things that make life worth striving for, even when the world tells you to yield.

Thought of the Day: To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield

Tennyson wrote this line as part of Ulysses, a poem about a hero who refuses to grow old quietly. He’s restless, unfulfilled, and unwilling to let his story end with the dullness of comfort. That’s not just a poem; that’s a life philosophy.

There’s something about those words, not to yield, that hits harder the older you get. When you’re young, striving feels exciting. It’s about ambition, discovery, chasing something new. But as you grow, striving starts to mean something else: persistence through fatigue, grace under repetition, and courage in the face of things you can’t control.

There’s nobility in refusing to yield, but there’s also a subtle warning. Because not yielding doesn’t always mean grinding harder. Sometimes it means holding fast to your joy, your humor, or your faith when life wants to flatten them out of you. Not yielding doesn’t mean being rigid. It means being anchored.

Maybe the most heroic thing isn’t charging toward a mountaintop, it’s keeping your footing when the wind picks up and your path disappears under the fog.

That’s where the Beastie Boys accidentally come in. Because when you really think about it, “fighting for your right to party” is just the goofy, modern version of “not yielding.” It’s about refusing to let the serious stuff crush the silly stuff. About making space for laughter, noise, and life even when the calendar says you’re supposed to be responsible.

Persistence doesn’t always look noble. Sometimes it looks like not turning into a robot.

If you liked this reflection, you might enjoy “Keep the Circus Going Inside You” or “When You Were a Child, What Did You Think Would Be the Best Part About Being an Adult?” — both of which explore what it means to hold on to the spark that keeps us human.

Question of the Day: What’s One Thing You’ll Always Fight For, No Matter What?

You always have to fight for your right to party, but also for your right to peace, to curiosity, to connection.

For me, I’ll always fight for time that feels like mine. The hour before the kids wake up, when the house is quiet and the coffee’s strong enough to remind me who I am. Or the late-night minutes when everyone’s asleep and I’m still awake chasing a thought that might turn into a post.

It’s easy to lose those moments to the noise of responsibility. But those are the moments that refill the tank, the ones where striving turns into becoming.

So, what’s worth fighting for in your world? Maybe it’s your creative spark. Maybe it’s your family’s laughter. Maybe it’s your sanity. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s your Friday night playlist and a kitchen dance floor that’s never closed.

Whatever it is, hold on tight. Seek it, find it, and don’t yield, not even to the dishwasher that still hasn’t emptied itself.

Now it’s your turn.

What’s the one thing you will always fight for, no matter what? Drop it in the comments, or better yet, join the daily email so you can start each morning with a new Thought of the Day and Question of the Day.

A little reflection, a little humor, and a reminder to keep striving, without yielding.