If you’re a loyal MTV fanatic like me then you’ve probably heard of The Buried Life. And if you are absolutely entranced by these four Canadian cuties (who wouldn’t be?!), and you’re a Western girl then you definitely know that Duncan and Ben of The Buried Life made an appearance at the Mustang Lounge on September 26th. Chances are you were probably clawing your way through star-struck fan girls to get your own glimpse of the boys.
Now for those of you who don’t know what The Buried Life is (and may I ask, how big is the rock you live under?), let me explain. MTV’s The Buried Life is a documentary style series about four guys on a mission to complete a list of 100 things to do before they die. Duncan, Ben, Jonnie, and Dave travel the continent in attempts to complete this list with no tools but the goodwill of strangers and their own wit. Some of their list items are outrageous and hilarious, like crashing the Playboy Mansion (which they accomplished in season 1) and some are simple yet wonderful, like paying for a stranger’s groceries.
Everywhere they go they ask people one question: What do you want to do before you die?
The Reality show addict that I am, I absolutely ate this show up and needless to say that when I found out they were coming to Western to put on a presentation I squealed like a 12 year old girl seeing Justin Bieber.
The two hour presentation was funny, heartwarming, and entertaining. Ben and Duncan went over the history of The Buried Life and how it came to be the huge success that it is today. After they spoke there was an open mic segment in which people could tell the audience what they wanted to do before they die. One girl went up and told the audience that her dream was to be kissed by the guys from The Buried Life and so both boys gave her a kiss on the cheek, turning her dream into a reality. After steaming with jealousy, I was able to calm myself down and found myself extremely moved and intrigued by some of the other people’s list items.
The Buried Life, above all, aims to be an inspiration to people of any age to really go after their dreams. They even came up with 6 steps that they’ve used to cross off the things on their list:
1. Stop and think about it. Really think about it
The boys explained that you really have to take a moment and think about what it is you want to do with your life. They also acknowledged that the motivation to really make a life change often comes along with a crisis.
2. Write it down
Ben said at this presentation that there is a difference between a dream and a project. Once you write down your goal it becomes real – it becomes something tangible and achievable. He stated, “Dreams have a funny way of staying dreams. But a project is something that needs to be done”.
3. Talk about it
The Buried Life insists that the more people you talk to about your project, the more opportunities you open yourself up to. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone.
4. Be persistent
The most important thing is to never give up even after hearing the word “No” an uncountable number of times.
5. Be courageous
Even though you may not want to go after your dreams because you think they’re unrealistic, this is no excuse! Ben says, “When you dream big, you surprise yourself”.
6. Help others
The boys insist that the best moments they’ve had during their time of completing their list are the times when they were able to help others turn their dreams into realities.
The Buried Life encourages everyone to write a list themselves and to try to complete that list. It may seem cliché but all dreams are tangible if you just set your mind and heart to it. If these four guys can play basketball with President Obama, just imagine what you could do!
What do you want to do before YOU die?