It's Cool To Be You
"The only currency you have in this bankrupt world is what you share when you're not cool."
That is a line from the movie 'Almost Famous', spoken by actor Philip Seymour Hoffman in a phone conversation with a down and out friend. He was admitting to being not cool and understanding that his most genuine moments in life were when he was not trying to be cool. He was being his un-cool self. I have this habit of talking too much but I really do listen for these little clues in what people say that may say more than what they're actually trying to say. Does that make any sense?
Have you ever stopped someone in conversation asking them to repeat some profound thing they just uttered without realizing themselves the wisdom of their words? They were being cool when they weren't trying.
"Life is not about living longer, it's about living life." The guy who offered that line alternates between being really stupid and very smart. His problem is, living life is a day to day experience he wants to feel and savour but at the same time he must plan for the future. He's not always good at the 'future thing' and sometimes makes bad decisions based on today's faulty information. It's like the whole 'weapons of mass destruction' argument that seemed convincing to so many people at the time. Mistakes were made but we didn't know back then what we know today. The intelligence was not intelligent, nor were the people making the decisions.
Sometimes we feel like a president with more information than our limited brain power can handle.
Regardless of what we decide based on 'today's intelligence' it's important to make choices we know are for the best, well intentioned. Do the right thing, be honest and don't screw someone else to gain a personal advantage. That basic rule starts with being who you really are and not pretending, or aspiring, to be something more. You don't need to be cool. The truth always comes out in the end so we may as well be honest at the start.
Accepting your un-cool self......and the mistakes you make in life....... should never be embarrassing. In fact, it should be liberating. The shallow pretentious facade many people attempt to maintain is so hard to manage. It's a burden to be one of the insecure beautiful people. Knowing everything and always being right is impossilble, yet some people insist on insisting.
Being you is the easiest thing you can do for yourself even if it's not cool. Being genuine is natural...it doesn't matter if you're wrong. At least it's honest.
That is cool.
............to be continued