Don’t Let This Phrase Keep You Down: “Don’t Be Stupid”

We often let those three words stop us from trying and achieving, “Don’t Be Stupid”.

Sure it keeps us safe but I entered my 30′s with no police record, no embarrassing pictures to be found on the internet, so scars, no near-death experiences, and really no stories to tell.

The movie “Along Came Polly” encapsulates many of the risk-averse calculators. At some point in my 20′s I realized all of the cool stories I told happened to other people. But golly if I wasn’t really smart and mature – maybe even smug.

I wanted my own stories but I had missed my youth where it was more forgivable to be a dumbass. That left me wondering (calculating) if it was too late. At some point I started questioning if I was being so smart was actually dumb. Each experience leads you to learn and, hopefully, able to handle more of life’s ups and downs. I also realized I respected the people who pushed the limits more than the people who were like me, boring and sitting on safe edges of life. It’s safe but it isn’t living.

I am now a recovering risk-aversive and have some stories. One involves Vegas, some involve Mexico (where I never thought I would ever go due to my fear of foreign prisons), and others involve spontaneity which is not easy to calculate, and I am happier because of it.

If the above video isn’t enough to push you out of your comfort zone check out the book “Yes Man”. The movie didn’t do it justice.