“The worst possible condition to be in life is cool. Dead animals are cool! Show some emotion!”

I loved reading this at the end of Scott Alexander’s book Rhinoceros Success (Lampo Press 1980) I spent most of my life trying to be cool. I thought to be aloof and unimpressed was akin to being sophisticated. It was hard, because I’m naturally a bit goofy. I get excited and I don’t get tired of or bored with things easily. In high school, I loved band and scholar bowl and the softball team but it seemed like the “cool kids” thought everything was boring and lame. In undergrad, I loved the goofy friends on my honors floor and some of my professors but the “really intelligent” co-eds were always highly unimpressed by others. Now that I’m a doctor, I love my patients and marketing and decorating my office for holidays and teaching my team but the “more experienced” doctors who know how “the world really works” are always exasperated by their staff and patients. As a result, I feel like I’m being unprofessional, silly or naive if I’m too positive or excited about things.

I realize the easiest thing to say is “who cares!” Who cares what other people think? While I can certainly say that I care A LOT less now than I used to, as a human being on planet earth you can’t just not care what others think. You may say you don’t…but you do. We all do. Caring what others think is part of relationships and getting along in society. It’s OK (sometimes even important) to care about what others think of you. But…don’t let it stifle you. Don’t let them rain on your parade when you love to march in the band! If something excites you GET EXCITED! Don’t be a dead animal. Let your passion inspire others.

I’m looking forward to sharing something neat I learned about the origin of the word “enthusiasm.” Until next time tell me: What are YOU passionate about?

P.S. Scott Alexander’s book Rhinoceros Success is a quick read and really good. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to get the most out of their life. You can also check him out at http://scottrobertalexander.com/