Member-only story
Just Half-Ass It
An antidote to ambition
I know this might sound absurd, but recently, I’ve come to a conclusion that, some years ago, I wouldn’t have entertained in the slightest: I should half-ass more things. And weirdly enough, it’s Matthew McConaughey’s fault.
Here’s how this came about — in seven stages.
Stage 1: Stumbling On Three Wise Words
It all began two years ago when I listened to the audiobook of McConaughey’s Greenlights, narrated by the man himself. I immediately fell for McConaughey’s smooth Texan cowboy voice, and I found his tone surprisingly relatable and down-to-earth.
One story, in particular, has stuck with me.
The story goes like this. When McConaughey was in his 20s, he was cruising down a well-paved career path that would make his family proud: He was about to graduate, attend law school, and become a defense attorney.
But then, suddenly, he felt a divine impulse that would yank his life in the opposite direction. He would go to film school. He would become an actor.
It was a risky move. For most people, this would be the type of risk that comes with, say, sailing across a stormy sea. But for McConaughey, who grew up in a rugged, rural family, this was more like launching a canoe down a…
