Why do we really need caffeine?

As I was looking up ways to make your own Red Bull, or in other words, a high-sugar, high-caffeine recipe, something dawned on me. There’s a plethora of products out there selling energy boosts, promising to stimulate your brain activity also your metabolism. But do we really need it?

Is it just a cop out for bad health and a lacking desire to do what we have to do? I think that we don’t really need it, in my opinion. I think that if you do things that you truly believe in, or truly want to do, you will put in the extra work required and will not need caffeine to help you along the way.

Case in point, last week I was a part of a 168 hour film project, where a team has — you guessed it, 168 hours to make a 7-10 minute film. Essentially I had 2 days to complete my portion of it, (which was the film score) since I had to wait until they finished writing the script and filming the scenes. Side note, I’m in a high-stress program in school (which also does not have anything to do with music, engineering actually) and drink tea almost every hour to keep me going. Anyway, back to the film, I worked 18 hours each day, probably had one complete meal in that entire timeline and a glass of milk. I kid you not. Despite that fact, I was able to focus and concentrate.

Never did I give it a thought to even grab a cup of hot black tea or coffee or red bull. The only source of energy I had was my motivation and determination to get the music done. Yet, the moment I was finished that project and I had to go back to my school work, the first thing that hit my mind was that I needed a cup of tea. And candy. And whatever food was out there. I cannot say that this was because I was starved the previous days. But I really do think that I was in a different frame of mind when I was making music.

In consuming all this caffeine and energy boosters, are we actually trying to fix something that has nothing to do with our lack of physical capability and everything to do with the fact that we are not doing what we want to do? Is this healthy?

Are you doing what you really want in life? Are you getting out of life everything that you can and want and believe that you should have?

I know I am not. I know that I hate school and the things I learn — I should have quit 3 years ago. But, its too late now. I am going to grab what it is that I want and do what I love to do. We all know what we love to do but so many of us choose to go the safe route and stick to a 9-5 job. I will not do this. I will not give in to the caffeine.