Brennen Studenc

You are already naked Today's thought is simple: you've got nothing to lose. You got nothing to fucking lose. This is the one life you get; you might as well go down swinging and not get caught watching strike three go right by you. If something's holding you back in life, fucking get out. If you're in a dark place, flip the fucking light on. We all go through our darkest moments, but they're temporary. What’s beautiful about those times is that’s where the most creativity is born, where the genesis of new ideas begins to sprinkle in. When I first dropped out, I had this idea for a clothing company called "Built Different," because everyone is, in their own way. It was just meant to be an idea, and my heart wasn't fully in it, but it was the first thing I ever put out publicly. I even taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator to design the logo. Looking back, I didn't run with it long enough. The point is, nothing's that serious. I keep a notecard in my wallet for whenever I'm going through it. It says: "Nothing is serious. You're going to die one day. You're already naked." You're already butt-ass naked. You're exposed, dude. We're all heading in the same direction. You might as well follow that vision, kiss the girl, book the one-way trip. I'd rather live my life knowing I squeezed every single ounce out of it than be on my deathbed wishing I could have given more. Empty the bucket every single day. What you do and say will outlive you, so have intention with everything. Social media does a great job of sedating us from that intention. I've spent way too much time on it this past week, and honestly, it just makes me feel dumb. When you're intentional, it shows others how authentic you are, and it’s easy to spot when someone isn't. The card also says, "It's not over until it's over." This is coming from a stubborn bastard. I will never throw in the towel until it's completely over. This has broken me in the past, but overall, I think it's a great trait to have because it shows you're resilient. Do what you say, say what you mean, and never give up. I pull that card out whenever I need a reminder that we're all going to die one day, we're already exposed. It’s not that serious. That doesn't mean don't take life seriously, but... nothing's that serious. Do everything with pride, to the best of your ability. If you can say at the end of the day that you gave it your all, then that's a day worth living. It gives you a purpose to wake up in the morning.