"I've narrowed it down to what really matters to me."

That line appears as a quote in one of the many obits for David Crosby that I've been reading. It's a good life philosophy for anyone. What really matters to one can change over time, and can sometimes be foolish in retrospect. Also, being able to do what really matters sometimes means doing stuff that doesn't matter as much in order to get to what really matters.

I guess what Crosby is getting at here is integrity, being honest about who you are and what you want. There's a whiff of solipsism about the line, and I don't think Crosby is talking about being selfish, since he's attacked Neil Young for that. I think instead that he's referring to an antidote to conformity; what matters to him, not letting the expectations of others drive him.

One of my favorite lines in a pop song is from Joni Mitchell, David's one-time lover:

"You know the times you impress me most

Are the times when you don't try"

When you narrow it down to what really matters to you, you don't have to try to be someone, you already are.