2016: The Year I Own Myself

A lot of what I'm about to say is obvious. But that doesn't make it any less true or genuine.

Like anyone on this Earth, I've got a lot of ideas and things I want to share. Some of those ideas I want to share in a public space of some kind  -- be it blogging, vlogging, etc. Now by ideas, I don't necessarily always mean concepts but rather projects, personal takes on certain things. Two things have prevented me from pursuing this: worry about how people will perceive it, or rather me, and not being disciplined enough to maintain consistency in posting content. I'd also admit that part of my hesitancy was rooted in my discomfort knowing that an underlying motivation for starting up a new, personal blog was a desire to gain some recognition. I've always created because it's what gets me out of bed in the morning. I do it for myself before anyone else.

I don't want to be famous, but over my lifetime, I've had a lot of people encourage me and tell me I had talent -- whether it be in design, video, or music. Often times, I finish creating something and think it's something that people other than me could get something out of. Anyone who actually knows me is aware of how self-deprecating I can be, but over the past year I've come into my own and begun to shed the fear of socially recognizing my talent. That's not to say I will walk around and think or believe I'm the best at anything -- I'm not -- but with age I've come to appreciate the importance of taking pride in both what my capabilities are and what my potential truly is.

So, I reminded myself while running today that at the end of the day I really don't care what anyone thinks. You may be the only thing you carry from the cradle to the grave, but life is more about making connections, making people smile, and, hopefully, leaving the world having made some sort of positive impact -- even if it's just with one person. That doesn't happen without being fearless and living honestly. Now, we have this thing called "the Internet," and, for better or worse, it's the ultimate avenue for making those connections -- outside of engaging people in person, which, let's face it, happens less and less because people decided it was easier (and in some cases better) to learn about a person via his or her Internet persona. This makes me super bummed, but that's the world we live in now. Anyways, naturally some of those connections that happen will be superficial/fake/etc., but on occasion you can forge some truly amazing relationships. From my passion for sneakers and nature to my artistic endeavors, I'm going to try to be more prolific in how I share it all in 2016 -- and, well, maybe beyond. But I'll start with this year.

Life is short and it could all end tomorrow...or in a few minutes. Or maybe it won't end, but I won't be able to live like I want to because of some unfortunate accident. It's now or never to make the most of it. I don't know what this all means quite yet, but it starts on Monday. Let's all kick fear and inhibition to the curb in 2016 and fully embrace our passions.

Cheers and Happy New Year.