Unleash Your Inner Awesomeness
“Life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself.”
In sporadic periods of my life, I’ve felt awesome. Good examples include when I broke the four-mile Cross-Country record at Illinois College, holding my daughter in my arms, marrying my wife, and other similar awesome events. However, for the most part, I’m not awesome, nor do I feel awesome.
I’m actually pretty introverted. I’m not a big self-expression guy. I don’t wear loud clothes or have a huge personality. But lately, I’ve been thinking it might be worthwhile to embrace my inner awesomeness.
Undoubtedly, being awesome holds an abundance of self-expression and personal growth opportunities just waiting to be unlocked.
I’m reminded of the television show, How I Met Your Mother. One of the leads, Barney Stinson, played by Neil Patrick Harris, has a line that is trite and silly but also has a kernel of truth to it, “When I get sad, I stop being sad and be AWESOME instead! True story.” To be fair, I’m not sad, but you can easily substitute sad with any other emotion.
For me, being awesome is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing the awkward, the silly, and the downright ridiculous. It’s about defying societal norms and giving yourself permission to be authentically you. By doing so, we grant ourselves permission to explore uncharted territories and discover hidden talents and passions. It’s like a rollercoaster ride of self-discovery, where you unleash your inner awesomeness and let it shine for the world to see.
For many years, I was chained down by self-doubt. It still has a good foothold with me. But I know what I need to do to break the chains and be more vulnerable and open to new experiences.
Unleashing my inner awesomeness means having fun and not taking myself so seriously. To do that, I’m breaking out of my comfort zone by trying new things such as writing here regularly. Whether it’s trying a new hobby, taking on a challenging project, or engaging in conversations that push boundaries, embracing the unknown can lead to remarkable personal transformation. Moreover, being awesome is not limited to grand gestures or extraordinary achievements. It can be found in the simplest of pleasures and everyday moments. It’s about finding joy in the small things, appreciating the beauty in the ordinary, and living life with a sense of enthusiasm and gratitude.
I’ve always embraced my likes and dislikes, quirks, and certain points of view. Right or wrong, it’s me. What I haven’t always done is present myself that way and be me 110%.
Doesn’t the world need more individuals who have the courage to be unapologetically themselves, to shine their light brightly, and inspire others to do the same? I think so. I want to be one of those awesome people.
I challenge you to embrace who you truly are! Embrace your awkward dance moves and indulge in guilty pleasures without fear. Let’s make this world brighter moment by moment!
As Gene Simmons once said, “Life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself.”
Be seeing you.
Ms. Rachel grew up on Mister Rogers. Now she’s carrying on his legacy.
I spent a weekend with a three-year-old, and Ms. Rachel was on our TV for most of the time he was awake. This in-depth profile explains not only the phenomenon but also what Rachel Griffin Accurso wants to do with her platform. SPOILER: She’s advocating for children.
Rick Wilson + Scott Galloway: What We Should Pay Attention To
I’m a huge fan of Scott Galloway. I think he’s a deep thinker, and I like his approach to practically everything. Rick Wilson also has great ideas, but I’ve attempted to limit my consumption of political hot takes. This is a worthwhile discussion, but I wish the audio were better.
Color Find
Here’s a fun game to play at your desk. All you have to do is find the different colored square. Obviously, it gets progressively harder with each level. My personal best was Level 21, which, at the time, put me in the daily top 100.
Jon Batiste - “Lonely Avenue” featuring Randy Newman
This is just a lovely rendition of the Ray Charles track. Newman is in his 80s and shines. I also really like the first single off his upcoming new album, titled “Big Money.”
We Don't Spend Enough Time Talking About the Jedi Living Among Us
American Jedi is a documentary about fans who treat being a Jedi like in Star Wars as their religion, in real life, for realllsssss. This story about this documentary is insane. I have a weird desire now to watch this doc, but I’m afraid I’ll not want to be a fan of anything afterwards.
Six Scenes of Hulk Hogan, in Reverse
Dan Sinker captured something with this brilliant breakdown of Hulk Hogan over the years. Dan Buffa also addresses how you can admire the entertainer in Hulk Hogan without admiring the man.
Superman 2025 Prologue with Clips
I thought the same thing as this YouTuber, who decided to do some creative editing with previous incarnations of Superman in the movies. The prologue itself was a little exposition-heavy, but James Gunn felt the need to establish that moviegoers are entering this DC movie universe in medias res. Not really any spoilers for the movie here, so feel free to watch if you haven’t seen Superman yet.
I’m a Therapist. ChatGPT Is Eerily Effective.
I’ve had conversations with an LLM in ways similar to those outlined in this article. My conclusion mirrors Dr. Lieberman’s final thought, “ChatGPT wasn’t a therapist, although it sometimes was therapeutic. But it wasn’t just a reflection, either. In moments of grief, fatigue or mental noise, the machine offered a kind of structured engagement. Not a crutch, but a cognitive prosthesis — an active extension of my thinking process.”
