My Two-Cents: Fuck It Up
How can we live in a way that prepares us for some great occasion? By living in a way that allows us to look back at the past and not change a thing. This does not mean that we won’t think of things and cringe or regret, but the realization that these experiences that shaped us into who we are at this exact moment will trump the prior. The years of mistakes will not be made in vain, rather they made us train. Made us learn, made us wither a bit. Two steps forward in the face of challenge, three steps backward when challenge right-hooks us, and then one step forward again through our own ingenuity.
I think there are a lot of philosophies on how to get the most out of things. Even more on how to get the most out of life. But a majority of them seem to be on how to avoid making mistakes, and to avoid looking back at our past selves and judging our past actions. Maybe both of these things are helpful, but maybe they are both just a fucking waste of time. Maybe none of that matters. The only place you are is where you are right now. And where you are right now is the best place for you to be. And the only way you could get to here is through your past decisions – even your not-so-good ones.
One of the NYT columnists I follow has a sticky note on his desk that says I’m not gonna fuck it up this time. I think this is could be a good motto/mantra to adapt. Though I’m still pretty content with my current one, become weirder, funnier, and sexier. Which is sticky noted on my bathroom mirror for my cup of motivational coffee to go to class (and the gym). But the don’t fuck it up this time one might be going right below. It’s okay if you fucked it up last time. Now maybe you won’t fuck it up this time. ;) Or maybe you will again. But the good thing is there’s always a next next time! And either way you’ll be here, which is where you’re suppose to be.
