Here's what I do to get myself out of a funk...
(1) I determine what is the cause of my funk and then act accordingly to remedy the funk.
For example, if I am going through a writing slump, I force myself to write. It was a writing funk that led to the idea for this column.
(2) I remind myself that I am capable.
Believe it or not, I suffer from poor confidence and low self-esteem. And while this sort of action is generally met with self-deprecation and opinions to the contrary, I have to remember that I am an entirely capable and above-average intelligent individual that has absolutely no reason to believe otherwise.
(3) I count my blessings.
As I have often heard it said: "It could be worse." And while there are times, I refuse to believe that fact; I simply have to consider my surroundings to see how wrong I am. I have a roof over my head, I comfortable bed to sleep on at nights, internet access, food on hand despite my selective tastes, and so much more that others do not have.
(4) I go for a drive.
If all else fails, I drive. I get behind the wheel of my car and drive and vent and think and clear my mind. Most of the time this works and sometimes I wind up some place that makes me feel much better.
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Some of my favorite [vloggers] are...
I am going to change things up a bit because I really do not read many blogs. Sadly, I do not read very much aside from comic books and graphic novels. So, in the interest of giving me something to actually write about here, I am going to share with you some of my favorite video bloggers (or vloggers) because I watch way more YouTube than I read personal blogs.
(1) Casey Neistat (www.youtube.com/caseyneistat)
All die hard YouTube viewers know (or know of) Casey Neistat or you have seen at least one of his viral videos: Aladdin carpet ride through NYC (a collaboration with Jesse from Prank vs. Prank) or snowboarding through NYC during a winter storm. Aside from the viral videos, Casey's daily vlogs are filled the daily ins and outs of his pretty awesome life as well as tidbits of positive life advice.
(2) Vlogbrothers (www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers)
Author John Green and brother / all-around nerd of all trades Hank Green make up the Vlog Brothers as well as the inspirations behind the Nerdfighter community. Their, now, biweekly vlogs (John posts on Tuesdays and Hank on Fridays) cover a wide-range of topics from the less than serious (e.g., John attempts to prove that water is the best accompaniment to cereal) to the more serious and informative (e.g., Hank explains net neutrality) all while keeping things as casual and easy-to-follow as possible. Along with their vlogs, John and Hank also make it a point to "decrease world suck" by hosting the Project for Awesome as well as promoting other important causes like the Syrian refugee crisis. In the end, the mantra for their vlogs is simple and it's one I try to always make an effort to remember: DFTBA (don't forget to be awesome).
(3) Jimmy Conrad (www.youtube.com/thejimmyconrad)
So, Jimmy is actually pretty new to the vlog scene, but it is clear that he is trying his best and he does not have an issue with sharing his growth with his viewers. Fortunately, he has some prior in front of the camera experience as a former presenter for KickTV. Oh, did I forget to mention that he was a professional soccer player? A former United States men's national team player as well as the anchor and captain of the back line of the Kansas City Wizards, Jimmy has plenty of charisma and loads of charm. For me, as a fan of his and as a consumer of copious amounts of YouTube, it is fun to see a channel start from scratch and hopefully grow into something amazing.
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That does it for this week's "Random Topics". Hopefully, I was informative and insightful or at the very least, engaging enough to keep you reading up until now. DFTBA and bye!
