Freddy and Jason vs. You and I

This is that time of year where you want to be scared. You’ll pay for it even. Not real fear of course, not life threatening. The fun kind of fear. The kind of fear you’ll have starting your own company or disrupting your current business model. There’s plenty to be scared about right now. Ebola, the stock market, artificial intelligence, ISIS, etc. The world is a scary place, risky. Doing your own thing is risky. But well worth it when you consider the alternative. So, over the weekend I sat down to a horror movie marathon. And while I watched Freddy and Jason slash across my laptop screen and sipped my whiskey on a rainy Saturday (pure indulgent joy), I was inspired. Inspired at what I could learn. Weird, right? I know.

Brains and guts. They don’t just feed zombies. They feed life. Without a nice combination of brains and guts people would be run of the mill. And actually most people are run of the mill. Only the greatest guts and brawnliest brains create things that matter. You can get braver by getting out of your comfort zone more often. You can get smarter by seeking knowledge daily.

Your bloody face. People judge your appearance. It’s not fair but good-looking, fit people generally receive better treatment. Everywhere. I’m not suggesting you get plastic surgery (though I’m not judging if you do) but do groom yourself daily. And dress nicely. Clothes that fit and are appropriate. Though not necessarily boring and blending. It’s okay to stand out.

Boo! Surprises are good. When they’re good. Nobody likes a terrible surprise. Except maybe a sadist. But good surprises make life more thrilling. They spice up a day. They bring joy to our lives. You shouldn’t be too predictable. Stable and reliable, fine. But predictability kills. Spies will attest to that.

Channel your rage. Anger is a driving force. Sadness just leads to depression where nothing is accomplished. Anger can drive you to be better, to “show them”. I’m not talking about violence. But I’m not opposed to a certain aggression. It’s natural and normal. Anger shows me you’re passionate about something.

Lead…or die. Be the leader or end up dead. Notice the main character always lives at the end of the movie? You need to step up. It starts with leading yourself. Leading the type of life you want, being the person you want to be. When you’re secure and have a vision, others will follow. And you can lead them out of that insane asylum full of clowns. Shudder.

Twisted plot. Life is full of twists and turns. It is not fair. There is no such thing as luck. Luck is you. You did something that put you in a position to capitalize on an opportunity. People who do nothing, rarely have good luck. But they’re the first ones to say how lucky the hard workers are. Shake my damn head.

Safety in numbers. It’s a team effort. You need a good team around you. And maybe I don’t mean just at work. You need positive family and friends. I cut off negativity or people who drain me or waste my time. It took a long time to start doing that. But once I did, I’d never go back. At work, you don’t want carbon copies but you do want positive. You’ll need some realists on the team. But never negative Nancies. Never them.

I hope you’re enjoying the spooky season. If you didn’t see it, go check out the “jack o lantern” sun that NASA captured. Or read my other blog posts. I hope you enjoy some apple cider, some Halloween movies and some inspiration this month. Do something this month. And do it really well. Do it until you’re the best. And then hopefully by next Halloween you’ll be your competitor’s big, bad boogeyman.

Shoot me an email at caitmackcs@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter, @caitmackcs.