Category Archives: Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Why You Should Be Like Groot

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The new Marvel movie hit the theaters last week and it’s raking in the dough. Avengers: Infinity War features Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America and the Hulk,  matched against bad guy Thanos, and this is how it ends – C’mon, I wouldn’t do that!  Instead, I’d like to tell you why you should be like my favorite character, the tree creature Groot.

You may remember Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He’s not as famous as the other Avengers, and he’s not even human. But he possesses some of the best possible human qualities without sporting any of those awkward looking tights.

The Backstory

Originally a bad guy from Planet X, Groot showed up on Earth to capture and study humans. But he himself was captured, and by the mentoring of Gorilla Man (?!), he became a positive force for good.

He’s been a good guy ever since, using his incredible strength to help the Guardians of the Galaxy protect Earth from a host of evil-doers. The least human superhero of all, Groot is a role model for us all.

Communication

Because of his tree-like anatomy, Groot cannot flex his larynx and talk like the other characters. So unlike the others, he doesn’t waste or mince words. No run on sentences, no blathering gossip, just direct and to the point.

In fact, he only says one thing: “I am Groot.” But he communicates everything with those three little words.

You have to know him to understand him, but friends Rocket and Star-Lord understand everything he means when he says, “I am Groot.”

We should all be as brief and concise as Groot.

Improvisation

Like jazz legends Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and  Miles Davis, Groot is a virtuoso improviser. In the moment and on the spot, he does his best work. He fits his talent and skill to the situation at hand and turns in imaginative performances that delight and amaze.

When the gang needs to reach a tower, he grows himself three times his size to reach it. When they’re plunged into darkness, he sprouts hundreds of tiny luminescent spores that light the way.

When they are overrun by the enemy, Groot saves his team by sprouting a branch, lancing a dozen soldiers in a line, and whipsawing them back and forth into unconsciousness.

The breadth of his creativity is amazing. Groot never uses the same method twice to solve his team’s problems. But whenever they need a solution, he steps up to perform like a jazz soloist at the mic.

Loyalty

Once Groot picks a side, he stays with it through thick and thin. When he gets arrested with his friend Rocket, he could have smacked the human jailers aside and left his buddy to fend for himself. Instead, he goes to jail with his friends, protects them all, and engineers their escape.

He doesn’t look to upgrade or trade up for a better deal. With his strength and skill, he could join any gang he wanted and demand any concession they have to give.

But Groot is loyal to a fault. He accepts every new team member without reservation and gives them his wholehearted support. If you are a part of his team, he will always have your back, no matter what you look, sound, or act like.

Sacrifice

At a critical moment when death in battle is imminent, Groot chooses to sacrifice himself so that his friends can survive. He grows himself around his team, in a protective branchy cocoon.

Rocket implores him to stop. “No, Groot! You can’t! You’ll die! Why are you doing this? Why?”

Groot does it because he is selfless. He puts the greater good above himself and demonstrates what it means to be part of a community. He is willing to sacrifice himself, knowing that in the end, his actions will lead to survival for everyone.

In doing so, he brings his team together in the strongest way possible, with a deep, compassionate philosophy he conveys by uttering the greatest line in the movie – “We are Groot.”

I challenge you to watch this and not get teary-eyed.

WE Are Groot

If we are to survive as a community, a democracy, and a civilization, we must be Groot. We must follow his lead and display our higher human qualities.

We must communicate directly and honestly.

We must improvise to create positive solutions to the problems that threaten us.

We must remain loyal to our friends, fellow humans, and other species with which we share our planet. Even when times are tough or we’re tempted by monetary gain.

And most of all, we must be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.

Because if there’s anything I’ve learned about the human experience from sitting in a movie theater, it is this one immutable truth:

WE ARE GROOT! 

 

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

The Most Important Lesson From The Sound Of Music

 I encourage you to sit down with your family this holiday season and watch The Sound Of Music together. My family did this over two nights with lots of buttered popcorn, hot chocolate, and candy canes. It was a joyous family activity, and though I’d seen this musical many times, I never realized its most important lesson.

Based on the true story of Maria von Trapp and the Trapp Family Singers, The Sound of Music is much more than a fabulous Rogers & Hammerstein musical and heartwarming story.

It’s a story of finding your place in the world and how a Manic Impressive saved her family by outwitting Nazis. And not those goofy, klutzy Nazis from Hogan’s Heros – real, scary, killer Nazis.

Maria Was A Manic Impressive.

Maria was a misunderstood soul at the Abbey where she was training to be a nun. Though her colleagues all express their love for her, they throw her under Mother Superior’s bus, singing, “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?” They harmonize that she’s a “flibberty-gibbit, a will-o’-the wisp, a clown”, and should be tossed from the Abbey for being different.

Maybe the cranky old nuns have a point. Maybe Maria doesn’t fit in. Let’s look at the facts.

1) She was always late for everything, except for every meal. (Classic Manic).

2) Her colleagues didn’t know what to do with her and were uncomfortable with her unconventional ways. They sing, “When I’m with her I’m confused. Out of focus and bemused.” (Yes, we Manics have that effect on conventional types).

3) She was unpredictable. The singing nuns get a bit nasty and complain that she’s “as flighty as a feather,” and “a demon!”                    (I’d just say she was spontaneous and leave it at that).

On the other hand, she had strong admirable Impressive qualities.

  1. Maria was full of infectious creative energy and enthusiasm.
  2. She was an engaging performer that thrived in the spotlight.
  3. She could improvise like a pro. Even under pressure. From Nazis.

All very clear, Manic Impressive traits. Here comes the lesson.

How Do You Hold A Moonbeam In Your Hand?

The nuns close out their scathing opus with the musical questions, “How do you keep a wave upon the sand?” and “How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?”

Well, you don’t. Moonbeams and waves aren’t for holding in your damn, wrinkly nun hands. You can’t squeeze and control them like rosary beads. Moonbeams and waves are beautiful, powerful, majestic forces of nature.

They exist to inspire you to love and greatness.

The Most Important Lesson

As the story reaches its climax, the Nazis roll into Austria and demand that Captain von Trapp accept a commission in the German Navy. The von Trapps decide to skip the singing festival they’re booked to perform at and slip away under cover of darkness,

But the local Nazis are waiting for them. And just as it looks like the whole family is going to get thrown in the clink, Maria steps up with nerves of steel and improvises. She seamlessly follows her husband’s lead and bamboozles the Nazis with some crafty storytelling, agreeing that the Captain will join the Nazis as soon as the performance is over.

Then as they are on stage performing their final number, “So Long, Farewell”, they pull a fast one.  They slip away, two at a time, and while the audience and Nazis in attendance wait for the judges to announce the winner of the festival, the von Trapps race away to hide in the Abbey where Maria couldn’t fit in as a nun.

Let’s face it. If Maria is not Manic Impressive, she crumbles under pressure and gets her husband arrested by Nazis. This joyous musical becomes a tragedy and the von Trapps don’t headline at the Salzburg Music Festival. They headline in a prison camp.

But Manic Impressive Maria steps up, performs in the spotlight, outwits those damn Nazis, and saves her family. The real lesson here is that the very traits that get you kicked out of the Abbey, help you save the day in the outside world.

Be A Moonbeam Like Maria

So do yourself and your family a favor this holiday season. Rent this movie, sit down together with your hot chocolate and buttered popcorn, and remind yourself that it’s not too late to find your place in the world.

The Manic Impressive tendencies that can cause you to be out of step with your current co-workers, can be invaluable, lifesaving skills in the right situation.

Your job in life is to find that situation. Then climb every mountain, ford every stream, and follow every rainbow, ’til you find your dream.

 

 

 

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Why You Need To Keep Your Dream Alive

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Protect Your Dream
Tomorrowland

We Manic Impressives are the dreamers of the world. But a dream is a fragile thing. It needs to be nurtured and supported so that you can act on it. No matter what, you need to keep your dream alive.

Bringing A Dream To Life

Fred Smith was a dreamer. As an undergraduate student at Yale in the ‘60’s, he submitted a paper on improving mail delivery in the coming information age. But his professor wasn’t buying the dream and panned the paper. Just to get a ‘C’, said the professor, the idea had to be “feasible.”

Less than 10 years later, Fred Smith used that idea to bring his dream to life. He started a little company called Federal Express – perhaps you’ve heard of it? He revolutionized the way we send mail, when it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight. In the end, Fred feasibled the crap outta that one!

Good thing Fred wasn’t a very good student and didn’t listen too well. Also good that he had the conviction to push his idea to fruition, despite the stomping by his professor. But for every Fred Smith, there are thousands of us who give up on a dream at the first sign of resistance or skepticism. And that is not good for our species.

What A Dream Needs

A dream needs careful tending. A loving embrace and lots of protection. It needs to be gently nurtured like the young living organism it is.

But too often a dream gets squelched by negativity before it can sprout and take life.

There are plenty of well-meaning professors, friends and family members that will stomp on your dream if you let them. But you yourself represent the greatest threat to your dream.

Have you ever done this? A great idea pops into your head, then you chase it right out with “oh, that will never work”, or “yeah, who am I kidding”, or “right, that will be the day!” Most of us fall victim to this so often we probably don’t realize what we’re doing to ourselves.

We need to protect our dreams, not dash them before others can. Because if your dream dies, so does a piece of you.

What Dreamers Need

The hero in the movie Tomorrowland said it best:

“Dreamers need to stick together…” 

We need to feed these thoughts before they get stomped on, by others or by ourselves. That’s why we must band together with our support groups, our communities, and our Masterminds. People we can trust to support us and our desires. People we can brainstorm with. But gently and safely without all the stomping.

Sure, not every idea can be a winner, but the process of brainstorming is only successful if we allow all ideas the light of day, the wilder the better.

You never judge too soon. You pull and pull and pull until you get all the possibilities from all different angles. Then, when you have the right people in the room (and only then!), you begin to evaluate the ideas carefully to sift out the unworkable and start with those that show the most promise.

So don’t believe everything you’re told in school. And don’t believe what your well-meaning friends say. Grow your dream, take action on it, and surround yourself with other dreamers.

The 3rd Annual Resolution Invitational

Like we’ll be doing here on December 31st at the Third Annual Resolution Invitational. Where a close, committed group of like-minded people will help you nurture your dream, and commit to a plan of action that will grow your desire and bring your dream to life in 2018.

There is still an open seat at my table, and two remote spots open those of you who can’t be here in person. Commit now, with a comment below, and we’ll help you give your dream the loving support and accountability it needs to grow to fruition.

Because we Dreamers need to stick together!

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Why Catfish Are The Most Important Fish In The Sea

Yes, I know that Catfish are freshwater fish and don’t usually live in the sea. But we’re talking metaphor here, smarty pants, so don’t get so literal on me. If you can hold your horses long enough for me to explain, you will see why catfish are, in fact, the most important fish in the sea.

First, it’s important to know the other meaning of Catfish.

The Term Catfish

You may be too old to know this on your own, but Catfish is a term that means to pose as someone else online to lure someone into a relationship with you. It comes from the MTV show called Catfish, where they expose people who post phony profiles of themselves in order to trick people into online relationships.

Nev Schulman and his sidekick Max investigate these cases, and expose the Catfish, who are often lovesick individuals who lack the confidence or good looks to attract the ones they desire.

The Origin Story

We’re 6 seasons into this show, but most people don’t know the origin of the term “Catfish.”

It comes from Nev’s own personal experience of being “Catfished.” He had entered into a relationship with a woman who approached him online. But she was not who she claimed to be, and he made a documentary film about the experience. The film, a hit at Sundance and the impetus for the TV series, unraveled the woman’s deceptions, until finally uncovering the bizarre truth.

Angela, the woman who “Catfished” Nev, went to great lengths to hide her true identity from him, telling lie after lie. A married woman, she was somehow living out a fantasy at Nev’s expense.

When the documentary team uncovers the scheme, Angela’s husband Ronald learns about his wife’s deceptions. The most understanding husband in America, Ronald is not angry. He does not express feelings of betrayal. Instead, he explains his wife’s behavior by saying the most brilliant thing I’ve ever heard on TV.

Why Catfish Are Valuable

Ronald explains that when Cod fish are caught in Alaska and shipped to China, they lose their freshness in the hold of the ship. Their flesh becomes mushy before they reach market.

So they put some Catfish in the vats with the Cod. The Catfish chase the Cod around, keep them agile, and preserve their freshness.

Ronald explains that his wife Angela is like a Catfish.

“There are those people who are Catfish in life, and they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh.”

“I thank God for the Catfish, because we’d be droll, boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.”  Ronald is brilliant, and this is how the TV show got its name.

The Dark Side Of Catfish In Social Media

Catfishing has become a common phenomenon in our Social Media driven culture. But I’m not suggesting that this practice is good. I think it’s rotten. Even Crappie (see what I did there? Rimshot).

It ruins people emotionally, and often, financially.  Manti Te’o, an All-American linebacker at Notre Dame, was Catfished during  his senior year,  just before the NFL draft. A projected first-round pick, Manti dropped to the second round, due to the cloud of controversy over him when his Catfish story became public. Though he recovered and went on to play in the NFL, his Catfish experience cost him a lucrative first-round contract.

Despite all that, I do think there are good and honest Catfish among us that keep the Cod agile, keep them thinking, and keep them fresh.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m talking about you.

Why Manic Impressives Are Valuable

Yes, you Manic Impressives play a vital role in society. You challenge cultural norms, you speak truth to power, and you make people think.

You dream up outrageous schemes and try to influence your organizations to swing for the fences instead of laying down bunts. You challenge others to innovate, and to stop doing things the way they’ve always been done. You are a positive force for change.

Manic Impressives do more to realize mission statements than the administrators who write them up and post them on office walls. You keep everyone around you agile. You innovate, you challenge, then you make folks laugh.

You are the Catfish among the Cod, and we desperately need you to keep things fresh.

Yes, your spontaneity may come across as impulsiveness, and your extroversion may challenge the introverts. Your risk-taking may make the conservative thinkers uncomfortable at times. But we need you.

You keep us all healthy and fresh, so we fetch a better price at market. Don’t stop. Keep up the good work. Keep chasing the Cod around the tank and know you’re making the world a better place.

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

3 Important Reasons Why You Need To Watch Fight Club Again

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Fight Club

Fight Club is a movie you need to watch over and over. Because Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, says brilliant things you should be thinking about. Sure, you’ve all heard, “The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club.”  No doubt you’ve heard about the second rule too.

But all that is just a vehicle for the message. It’s not about fighting in the literal sense. It’s about fighting the values of modern society that are killing your dreams. About fighting Materialism, Perfectionism and Authority.

The Genius of Fight Club

The genius of Fight Club is the language Tyler uses to rally his tribe of disaffected young men. His words inspire them to examine the direction of their lives and take action. He’s not just speaking to the disaffected, though.

He’s speaking to you.

Here are some brilliant quotes you might not have remembered from watching it just once.

On Materialism

“Reject the basic assumptions of civilization, especially the importance of material possessions.”
“The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a woman from my son’s school. I hadn’t seen her around for a while, so I blurted out an insensitive question (where the hell you been?) and received an amazing answer.

They had to leave town and hunker down in their in-laws’ guest room, because they’d gotten in over their heads and lost their home to foreclosure. They lost everything.

I was mortified. But she wasn’t. She told me it was the best thing that could have happened to her family. They were on the wrong path. They got off the materialism merry-go-round and re-focused on their values because of the setback. It brought them closer as a family, and had a powerful, positive effect on the kids. I was amazed.

But I shouldn’t have been. Materialism is a toxic force in our society. Sometimes a financial loss leads to a huge gain. Therefore, we should embrace these opportunities that look like failure. They can lead to better things. And make us better people.

For more on this, see the movies Larry Crowne, Everything Must Go, or The Jerk.

On Perfectionism

“On a long enough time-line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.”
“I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let… let’s evolve, let the chips fall where they may.” 

There you go. All the permission you need to start letting go. Let go of the need to be perfect, to have all your ducks in a row, to be fully ready for the next item on your list. Tyler thinks you should start before you’re ready and adjust on the way.

Because you’re going to die. Hopefully on a long time-line, but you’re going to die. So forget about perfect and get out there and live. Though to do that, you need to change your mind on whose rules you’re going to follow…

On Authority

“Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don’t you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can’t think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it?
“Do you read everything you’re supposed to read? Do you think everything you’re supposed to think? Buy what you’re told to want? Get out of your apartment. … Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned.”

Tyler challenged authority at every step. He set a good example for us all. We should fight authority much more often. Maybe not how he did it, though, since the dude was bat shit crazy. Perhaps we can fight the power in a more effective way.

And we should always ask “why” before we follow along. We should question our leaders, and they should answer without retribution or shame. There needs to be constant dialogue about what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and most importantly, why we’re doing it.

Yes, challenging authority has its price. Manic Impressives pay this price all the time. But the price of blindly following even the most beneficent leaders is too high. Blind obedience produces results that are blind to reality. It spreads blindness. And causes catastrophe.

Watch It Again

So listen to Tyler. Watch this movie again and again. Let it inspire you to ask why, and come up with a better way to accomplish your mission. Just don’t go around blowing things up. Please.

Now I leave you with my favorite quote of the movie. Sorry, but you’ll need to analyze it on your own:

“Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.” 

Amen to that, Tyler.

 

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Vibrant Life Lessons from People of Earth

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Alien Dickery AfootPeople of Earth is a sitcom on TBS that just launched its second season. Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show) plays Ozzie, a journalist interviewing a group of people who claim to have had alien encounters. He starts out mocking them, but finds repressed memories of his own, and soon becomes a member of the group.

I think I am going to join them.

Alien Encounters

No, I have not been abducted and probed. But something weird is going on in my life right now that I can’t explain in normal terms.

As Ozzie and his new buddy Jerry are piecing together clues of an alien presence on Earth, Ozzie coins a term that’s been stuck in my head all week. I think it will be my new explanation for all of the mysterious forces at play that make life so hard. Ozzie blurted out…

“There is Alien Dickery Afoot”

I know, the language is a bit coarse, but it got past the TBS censors so I’m thinking it’s okay for this blog. Ozzie and Jerry add up the clues, realize what’s going on, and call it out for all to hear.

Alien Dickery. Afoot.

This could explain what’s been happening to me.

We’ll start with afoot. Monday, I woke with a sharp, piercing pain in my foot. Friends suggested it could be gout or plantar fasciitis, but whatever it is, it’s killing me.

I couldn’t get a doctor appointment ’til next week, so in the meantime I’m popping Ibuprofen and hobbling around with a cane.

Worse, it’s gotten into my head, and made everything in my life look and feel bleak. Really freaking bleak.

But Wait, There’s More

Last week I was in a strange souvenir shop in Kissimmee, Florida, looking at alligator heads. Actual alligators, chopped off at the head, their eyes replaced with marbles. Even stranger, I was actually considering buying one, when my phone rang.

It was my therapist (yes, I see one regularly) and I picked up. But it wasn’t my therapist – it was her colleague. Suddenly I knew there was alien dickery afoot. The colleague broke the news. My trusted coach and counselor, the one person who always gave me validation and encouragement, had come down with flu-like symptoms two weeks ago.

Then she died.

It was some sort of bizarre infection that led to renal failure. I’m mourning the loss of her, and the huge help she’s given me the last four years. I’m having a good cry right now.

Who’s Mocking Who?

But it occurs to me that there is some form of dickery afoot. Because this renal failure happened to a very important person in my life.

Named Rena.

Yes, let that sink in. Rena died of Renal Failure.

Tragedy or a New Beginning?

At first I thought it was some cosmic message that her time had come, and now it was time for me to sprout my wings and fly on my own. To the next level. To greater success and happiness. So I won’t be Rena’s Failure.

I’m crying again, knowing that a good woman, who helped me and many other people, was cut down in her prime, while she was still healthy and very productive. If this is a new beginning, why does it feel so bad?

Because that’s not what this is. I now know this for what it really is.

It is Alien Dickery Afoot.

So What Now?

All we People of Earth can do at this point, is band together, forget our differences, and fight off the pending invasion. Laugh and cry at the alien dickery afoot that fills us with encouragement one minute, and despair the next.

That, and follow along on TBS Monday nights to find out what Ozzie and friends will do to save themselves. Have yourself a good laugh.

Meanwhile, I’ll have a good cry. For Rena. She taught me Yiddish and how to go easy on myself. My mentor and cheerleader, Rena saw  my humor as my greatest weapon to fight the battles in my life.

She’d approve of my irreverent tone here, and encourage me to find the humor in all of life’s pain. It’s what I’ll need to do now to get by without her. I’ll cry for a while, then I’ll find a way to laugh.

At those fucking aliens, their dickery, and my foot!

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

5 Strong Manic Impressives You Should Know And Love

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I’m often surprised when people who seem much different from me (together, disciplined, grown up) admit to sharing my Manic traits. Since it’s sometimes hard to identify someone’s style, I thought I’d give you some examples. So for purely academic reasons, here are 5 strong Manic Impressives you should know and love.

Popeye The Sailor Man

Popeye showed several strong Manic Impressive traits. He was an advocate for others with a strong sense of justice.  He was assertive, and would take action when others wouldn’t. While they cowered and ducked for cover, Popeye stepped up to take down the bully.

And he had a strong sense of self. With his own personal branding statement, “I Yam What I Yam,” Popeye was a strong, confident, somewhat existential, working class poet-philosopher.

He was also a bit forgetful and got in his own way. Ever watch him babysit Sweat Pea? Constantly allowing that tyke to wander into traffic, construction sites, and other life-threatening situations.

And yes, he was a substance user. Possibly an abuser. But like all Manics, Popeye needed to be inspired to perform. It may seem like a weakness, but let’s face it, when Popeye downed his spinach, he always kicked ass. He made no excuses for it either – it was right there in his theme song – “I’m strong to the finish, when I eats my spinach, I’m Popeye the Sailorman!”

Peter ‘StarLord’ Quill, Guardians Of The Galaxy

“Starlord” as he wants to be called, models Manic behavior in several ways. He is a rule breaker. He is a smartass. He starts out as a delinquent and falls into his role of Guardian by accident. He usually means well, but often falls victim to his bad habits and dysfunctional childhood.

And like Popeye, he relies heavily on inspiration. But instead of using a substance to trigger his inspiration, StarLord’s trigger of choice is music. This is an extremely Manic trait.

But not just any music. The R&B pop hits from the 70’s, the favorite music of his mother, who died when StarLord was just a kid. There’s a reason Manic Impressives can never seem to get enough attention, and it’s often rooted in childhood abandonment issues.  This guy is a classic Freudian fuck-up hero.

But like most Manics he is completely loveable. Even when he’s breaking all the rules, you just want him to win. Because he’s a scamp, he’s audacious, he thumbs his nose at authority, and he loves his mama. All the qualities we love in a hero.

Anthony Dinozo Jr., NCIS

You may not have realized this one because he’s in the by-the-book field of law enforcement, he’s a former jock and, yes ladies, he’s extremely handsome. But look at his behavior on the job. He’s a classic smartass constantly needling his co-workers and getting slapped in the back of the head by his boss.

Tony is irritating.  He gets under people’s skin with his constant razing and hazing. But he’s impressive. Not as a specialist like his computer geek sidekick or martial arts badass love interest. He’s a generalist who uses his intuition and perception to solve murders and identify the killers.

He too uses the arts as inspiration, and often makes breakthroughs in a case with his extensive knowledge and obsession with cinema, often to the great annoyance of those around him. To them it looks like he’s screwing around. But he’s actually using his knowledge of popular culture to think outside the box, in a highly imaginative way.

Tony, though often inappropriately playful at work, is a strong leader. But his antics lead others to underestimate his work ethic and intelligence. A true Manic Impressive, he never lets the seriousness of his profession get in the way of a good time.

Deadpool

Wade Wilson, former Special Forces badass turned super-antihero, is a vulgar smartass. And like most Manic Impressives, he uses his biting, dark humor as a weapon, and also as a shield, to protect his tender feelings and insecurities.

He is one seriously fucked-up dude, having become a mutant in an effort to cure his terminal cancer. But the disfigurement caused by his treatment creates incredible self-doubt, a trait common among Manics. So he covers it up with his costume and his raging sarcasm.

Deadpool’s need for revenge drives him to do regrettable things, and to many people he comes across as a total a-hole. But underneath his mask is a deeply misunderstood soul that longs for the intimacy he constantly pushes away in his relationships.

But oh is he impressive. Not just in his fighting ability and his quest for justice. He is impressive with words. His profane, guttural, wicked humor puts him in a class all his own. This guy is hilarious, with a wit sharper than his weapons of choice  – two razor-sharp Japanese katanas. Deadpool is a deadly smartass’ smartass.

Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce, MASH

Hawkeye Pierce, an amazingly skilled physician, was the heart and soul of the team at the 4077 Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Though an inveterate rule breaker and prankster, Hawkeye was a dedicated, conscientious, and deeply caring man.

He just found the conditions of a field unit in the Korean War too much to bear at times, and did what any good Manic Impressive would. He attacked the stupidity of the army rule-makers and installed a moonshine martini still in his tent.

He never lost sight of his mission, to care for the sick and wounded, but he went out of his way to poke fun at his leaders and make an untenable situation  as human and compassionate as possible. This meant taking on every chance to seek justice, and making a pass at every attractive woman in sight.

Without Hawkeye’s brashness, the downtrodden and low-ranking personnel would have had to suffer in silence. But he was their champion and took his role seriously, in true Manic fashion. He mocked, ridiculed, pranked and shamed anyone who put rules above logic, and order above decency.

Hawkeye was a strong leader, and a huge smartass. But everyone loved him for it, and the show (and movie) would have been unwatchable without him.

Leading By Example

All five of these fictional characters were strong leaders, and constantly put themselves in the spotlight when it mattered most. They sacrificed their own comfort to make life better for others, and took advantage of every opportunity to seek justice and punch lines.

If all of us can just channel their energy, bravado and humor in our daily lives, the world would be a much happier and funnier place.

 

 

 

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

How To Find Lost Things

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How To Find Lost ThingsManic Impressives often struggle with things. Organizing them. Keeping track of them. And often, finding them. It is estimated that the average Manic Impressive will spend 7.2 years* of his or her life searching for lost things (*oh yeah, I totally made this up). Which is why we need to know how to find lost things.

The answer can be found in the second act of the cinematic gem, “Dude Where’s My Car?” Ashton Kutcher and Seann Willam Scott play stoner party boys that come out to the curb after a night of fierce partying to find their car is missing.

After Ashton delivers the movie’s title line, Seann gives him the solution that all of us need to use whenever we lose something:

“We need to get back into the state of mind we were in last night. That way we can retrace our steps. Sense memory, simulated perception, altered conscious memory retrieval. Discovery Channel.”

Yes, Discovery Channel indeed. Continue reading How To Find Lost Things →

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Always Think Before You Move

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Always think before you move - Cuba Gooding Jr. as Eugene BrownEugene Brown screwed up bigtime. He landed in prison for 18 years for sticking up a bank. But in prison he got lucky. He had a mentor who taught him to play chess, and to always think before you move.

This became the metaphor Eugene used to earn his redemption.

He used it to reflect on the decisions that led him to prison. He stopped blaming others, took responsibility for his actions, and began to work on himself. Playing chess helped.

He learned to see all the possible moves on the board, then to make moves based on smart decisions. Which moves would strengthen his position? Which sacrifices were worth making? Which gambits could he afford to offer or accept?

Always Think Before You Move

I learned about Eugene Brown lying on my couch watching the movie of this life story, Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. It was pretty damn inspiring.

Every move in a chess game, like every move in life,  has consequences. Continue reading Always Think Before You Move →

Everything I Know I Learned From Television

Time To Count Your Blessings

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Count Your BlessingsA major tragedy hit the Bay Area last Friday night. A fire broke out in a warehouse with 36 people trapped inside. Known as the Ghost Ship, this building was home to a collective of young artists and musicians who’d built a community to support the arts. Sadly, this was a preventable tragedy and there will be plenty of blame to go around. But while this community mourns its loss, it’s time for you to count your blessings.

Major events like this cause us to check ourselves, and be grateful that we aren’t the folks suffering the loss. But the idea to count your blessings has far-reaching benefits beyond the momentary display of empathy for others.

Successful people make a practice of looking back each year to acknowledge where they’ve done well. They feel gratitude and give thanks. But they don’t do this because they’re touchy-feely types trying to game their way into Heaven.  They do it because when you count your blessings, you receive more blessings.

What?

Yeah, that’s right. The more grateful you are, the more you’ll have to be grateful for. There are two ways to see this:

1) The more you focus on the good things in your life, the more good things you’ll see. This will put your mind in receive mode for good ideas and opportunities.  Next thing you know you’re coming up with all kinds of good ideas, and your confidence and positivity will attract people to you. They will tell you YES.

2) Sometimes we get so focused on what we’re not achieving, we get down on ourselves. We don’t see what’s right with things, and while we’re bemoaning our poor fortune, good fortune passes us by. Because when a pissy attitude leaks out, it will repel people from you. They will tell you NO.

It’s Like That Febreze Commercial

Continue reading Time To Count Your Blessings →