January 3, 2011

Survey says… inspiration! Or broccoli.

It’s 2011. Fuck.

It’s now time for people to scoff at me and return my checks due to my failure to remember it’s 2011. Not that I write checks that often. Other people do. And those people are usually in front of me at the supermarket.

Shit. This post isn’t so positive. One of my 2010 2011 resolutions is to think more positively. Wow, that shirt looks great on you.

There’s a reason for the timely negativity. A reason for my cowering in the corner, very reluctant to welcome in a new year. It’s because 2010 2011 will be one of the biggest years in my professional career. I’ve planned it that way, so that’s how it’s going to be. Shit is going to happen. My vision board agrees.

That also means that I’m going to have to make all that stuff happen. And that’s creating a lot fear and vulnerability all throughout my little body that is miraculously still pretty little compared to the amount of food I’ve eaten this holiday paired with alcohol in the hope that I’ll forget the fear and vulnerability.

You, see, I have this dick of an ego, Lawrence, and he likes to chime in and tell me I’m a failure and that it’s stupid to actually try to be a full-time non-advertising writer because I’m just going to fail. But, rejoice! I read a book about dealing with dickface egos, and it said to write out Lawrence’s words with the non-dominant hand and then respond with the dominant hand. And let me tell you, Lawrence has some bad handwriting.

It did teach me that my biggest fear is failure. And that I’m making failure out to be this horrible demon of a thing that I won’t be able to escape, a red X on my face like that on the faces of the Family Feud contestants who don’t know that the survey said broccoli.

But then I thought more about it and realized that failing is my own invention.

Some people think Obama is a failure. Others still really admire him (I swear. We’re out there.). But what’s really the most important is how he sees himself. He can choose to be mad at himself and listen to his jerky ego, or he can be proud of what he’s been able to accomplish and go to bed smiling.

My point is that fear and failure live only in our own minds. And if we have the power to deem ourselves failures, don’t we also have the power to deem ourselves winners? Let’s choose that option. Let’s all be winners.

I’m still unclear on the very objective failures like fathers who leave their kids and never call them until they’re in their twenties. That’s a parental failure, right? Well, I guess the kid could think the father failed, but if the father was doing the best he could at the time, he could still think of himself as a winner. See how I turned that around? I should really be a helpful guest on Jerry Springer.

Is that show still on? If so, I can believe it. I spent a lot of time avoiding Lawrence by watching my mother’s television this holiday season. There are some really crap shows on. Cake Boss? Seriously? See how I’m starting to go all over the place now down here toward the end? My old self could say that this is a total writing failure. But my new self declares this post a winner.

I’m coming out of hiding and am now prepared for 2010 2011, the best year yet. For real. Because I said so. Let’s enjoy it, fellow winners. Let’s be positive and make things happen. My, that shirt looks really, really good on you.

UPDATE: I don’t really have a vision board.

UPDATE #2: Tony Robbins called. He wants his post back.

UPDATE #3: The guy who made up the joke about things calling and wanting their stuff back called. He said that shit is old.

{ 26 comments }

The Incredible Woody January 4, 2011 at 9:52 am

Why, thanks! It is new! Glad someone noticed:)

Rahul January 4, 2011 at 2:49 pm

I was just thinking about how disappointed I am that we missed any year like 1011 or 1001. Binary code years would have been awesome and very positive. But did they have binary code back then? The Dewey Decimal System? Anything else nerdy?

That's not that point, the point is that your vision board is right. Hopefully it doesn't need corrective lenses because this year we will make it! You'll become a famous writer and I'll make figgy pudding.

Dreams will come true!

Brooke Farmer January 4, 2011 at 3:05 pm

I think we are having the same year. Biggest year yet. If we can remember which year it is.

Dewan January 5, 2011 at 6:52 am

You got on stage in front of tens of judgmental people and told jokes. That's ballsy. There's nothing else to fear, except birds and fish that die mysteriously. The hell with Lawrence. Beat his ass.

Gary L. Lester January 5, 2011 at 8:16 am

Love your posts. Your wit and biting satire have success written all over them. If you ever get to Baltimore, I think you would be a great speaker for our writer's group.

Lindsay January 5, 2011 at 10:33 am

Yay for this post!

And, if you figure out the part where you become a real writer and leave behind the advertising writer, please tell me the secret. I am working on it as well.

Megan (Best of Fates) January 6, 2011 at 8:48 am

You're a winner. Or a loser.

But probably, like most people, you're both.

So rejoice!

(But this post is a winner, so that's what really matters, right?)

alonewithcats January 6, 2011 at 11:57 am

When you mentioned Jerry Springer, my first thought was, "Is that show still on?" And then I read your next line, which said, "Is that show still on?" So if I share a thought with a post that you've declared a winner, does that make me a winner by proxy? I'm thinking yes.

Extending that theory, I haven't blogged in about two weeks, and I'm pretty sure all the posts I haven't written are winners, too.

Happy new year, dear.

Kelley January 8, 2011 at 9:50 pm

Your posts are perfect! If they make me laugh, that's all that matters. It's all about me, right?

laurenne January 11, 2011 at 10:13 am

Oh, you guys! I totally didn't write this so everyone could agree that I'm a winner, but rejoice! We're all winners. Especially Gary Lester for loving my satire. Yes! SEE! Winners. We're all winners.

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