I’ve said it before, I’m no fan of all things celebrity. Especially the Hollywood kind.
There are, however, exceptions to most every rule.
Anyone can lead a remarkable life. Fame and fortune have nothing to do with it. Other than possibly lending a more direct route. But I don’t even want to try to defend that assertion.
Occasionally, I come across a story or interview with a famous type that I find noteworthy. Again… I don’t go looking for them.
Why the cynical disclaimer? To me it comes down to this… We’re all peeps. We all have our own unique genius.
Forget about the royals, forget the actors, forget the super-wealthy, forget those who believe they’re somehow more special than the rest of us. We’re all peeps. It’s that simple.
Here’s the reveal… with one more disclaimer… I have no earthly idea why the headline, “Jeff Daniels Wants You to Embrace Your Inner Dumb and Dumber” caught my attention. (Article by Michael Hainey in GQ May 24, 2016)
Possibly it’s because Jeff Daniels is a well-known “Jeff.” We all tend to like our namesakes, right? That’s not weird or unusual.
But that Dumb and Dumber thing. What-is-up-with-that?
I did not see the movie in the theater. And I only made it through the first seven or eight minutes when I tried watching it on cable before diving fearlessly for the remote.
The headline notwithstanding… for some reason unknown to me, I kept reading. It sounded intriguing. You know, something to edumacate my inner Dumb and Dumber.
Did you mean educate? Well yes, I did.
It could have been this little nugget…
“[Jeff Daniels’] three-step plan? Find a job that doesn’t feel like one. Work to get better. Repeat forever.”
Easy enough? Even sounds like good advice to me.
I know you’re just dyin’ to click the link to the whole article, but here’s the condensed version with the dumb and dumber parts left out. Let’s call the remaining parts wisdom –
“You Think You Want to Stop. But You Don’t Really.”
“Sometimes all I can think is, ‘God, I wish I were done. All I want to do is sit on my porch in Michigan and play the guitar and not have to do anything, not have to work to get paid.’”
(WARNING! Unfortunate discovery follows – There was a sequel to Dumb and Dumber). That is hard to imagine.
“When Jim Carrey and I were making the sequel to Dumb and Dumber, I told him that I wanted to retire.” And he said,
You can’t! You have something that people want. You have a gift. And you have to keep giving it. You are not allowed to stop.”
Ironic that one can find true wisdom within a reference to this fine work of comic genius, but I think we may have.
But wait, there’s more!
“Keep Chasing What You Should Never Catch.”
“There’s something about the process of creating. When you are in the middle of it, you feel most alive.”
Now we’re getting somewhere.
“Put Yourself in a Position to Fail. It’ll Help You Succeed…”
Though not original, this is good advice. We humans fear failure way too much. Usually in a way that holds us back. We hold back over the grown-up equivalent of the skinned-knees of our younger days.
“Embrace the Seven-Day Workweek.”
This one he got wrong… “Life is competitive… Your weekends are gone. You do nothing but pound it until it is ingrained in you. That’s just work ethic.”
To that I say, “Knock yourself out. There is more than work.”
“With Age Comes Smarts—and Old-Man Swag”
“There’s something great about getting older… You know more at 61. You just do.”
“If you don’t use all that stuff you’ve learned, you should be put on a porch with a blanket over your legs and everyone should just walk around you.”
Ouch! Can’t make it clearer than that.
Who came up with the idea of a time where there’s nothing left to give? Why buy into that?
“You Think You Want to Stop. But You Don’t Really.”
“Keep Chasing What You Should Never Catch.”
Just don’t tell me I’m getting Dumb and Dumber… because therein lies the risk if you stop.
Will you keep chasing that wild rabbit?
Be untucked.
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