Gavin Oattes - A Head Full of Everything

Question:Are you putting in the effort to achieve it?

Can you imagine what would happen if you woke up every single day with the same fire in your belly for the day ahead that you had when you were 4? It would be extraordinary. Abnormal even. But can you imagine what you'd achieve? And how you'd feel? And the impact you'd have on the normal? It's a mix of frightening and enlightening, but in the most beautiful way you could ever imagine. Moreover, it's a mindset. A choice. And it costs nothing.

“I tried to be normal once.

Worst two minutes of my life.”

—Anon

Let me share with you my favourite quote of all time. We all love a good motivational quote. Everyone does. It's incredible how powerful a few positive words can be. There's a lot of quotes in this book, all quite different from the norm, but you've probably started to work out that neither this book or I for that matter are particularly normal.

And for the record, I'm very comfortable with not being normal. I wasn't for a very long time. I reckon my ‘2,555 days of WTAF’ consisted mainly of desperately trying to fit in and yet somewhat confusingly trying to determine how to stand out.

My conclusion?

Normal is boring.

Anyway, back to my quote!

This quote is by none other than Macauley Culkin. I'm pretty sure you'll know who Macauley is; if you don't, he was the wee boy in the Home Alone movies. Well, he was in the first two. I'm not sure if you even know that there are other Home Alone movies? Probably best to just stick with the first two….

So yeah, we're starting a book for teenagers with Kevin. Kevin McAllister to be exact. The cute, cheeky and street‐savvy 8‐year‐old that lit up our lives with booby‐traps, mischief and a lovely cheese pizza just for him. Apparently – according to his cousin – ‘he's what the French call les incompetents’.

Now, whether you are a fan of the Home Alone franchise or not, it's fair to say Kevin was anything but incompetent. He took us all on a journey, an exciting adventure that ultimately reminded us of the importance of love, bravery, family and making the most of what we have. Oh, and not relying on technology, particularly to wake us up before a flight!

The quote goes as follows:

‘I’ve yet to find a level of enthusiasm that tops

“Holy shit look at this giant potato chip!”’

—Macaulay Culkin

I love it.

Why?

Because it's true.

It doesn't matter what age you are, where you're from or what type of upbringing you've had. If you are sitting eating a bag of crisps and you pull from it a giant piece of fried potato, it makes your day! It puts a great big smile on your face. But not just yours!

Because, in that moment you turn to everyone else in the room and show it off. And you put a great big smile on their faces too. I'm not sure if you've ever realised this, but whenever you find any massive item of food, you always use your face as a comparative measuring tool.

‘LOOK MUM, IT'S THE SIZE OF MY FACE!’

And of course, if there's no one else in the room, what do we do? Yup, we reach for our phones, take a quick pic and its on Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and whatever else there is these days for the whole world to see.

I guess I love the idea of being able to reach into an entirely normal moment, an everyday situation, and pull from it something that puts a smile on your face, lifts you, excites you or makes you laugh. But so much so you need to share it with others.

And that's my challenge to you with this book. Treat it as your very own big metaphorical bag of crisps and reach in. Pull from it something. Something is always a good starting point. It might not be the something you expected, it might be something small, something new or it might just be something that sets your soul on fire. It might be something that makes you laugh, makes you cry, it might even make you angry. But whatever you pull from this book, make sure it's something worth sharing with the world.

I had no plans to mention Macaulay Culkin, but ultimately his quote above is what this book is all about. Seeing the beauty and wonder in everything. Even the ordinary, the every day. Even a giant potato chip. It's about simplicity and appreciating all that's around you. Allowing ourselves to be excited at life, what it throws us, everything. It's about grit, bravery and passion. It's about rediscovering that childlike wonder, living in the moment, getting through all sorts of challenges and yes, having fun, lots of it, always.

I mentioned earlier that nobody is normal. But being a teenager is. And yet there is nothing normal about our teenage years.

So, this book isn't normal, you're not normal, I'm not normal, but being a teenager is entirely normal.

Confused? Good, yet another trait of being a successful teenager!

“You're a ghost driving a meat covered skeleton made from stardust, what do you have to be scared of ?”

—Anon

We're born, we live and then we die. Now only two of these are really guaranteed. If you're reading this now, then you've definitely been born, which in itself – as previously mentioned – is extraordinary.

And guess what? You're definitely going to die. Again, blunt. But true.

Being born is mind‐blowing, but it's easy. Not for Mum obviously, she does all the work, you did absolutely nothing. Like dying, it just happens. Neither are particularly pleasant or enjoyable for anyone but for the individual on their way in or out, easy‐peasy.

But do you believe in life after delivery?

I've already said it, life can be rubbish. It requires energy and effort. It can feel like a chore but the more skilled at it we become, the better at it we get and the happier we feel.

We all have different thoughts and opinions when it comes to living our best life and what that even means. That's what keeps the world exciting, we're all different. But really, who has actually nailed living? Has anyone truly perfected life?

Nope, of course not. But we can give a go! And when better to give life a damn good go than in your teens.

Think back to when you were a wee kid and you saw your teacher outside of school, perhaps in the supermarket or in a restaurant. Remember how it made you feel? It was always one of life's real ‘WOW’ moments. It was exciting, mind‐blowing, weird and incredibly warming all at once. And it kinda made us feel on edge a little.

This is how being a teenager can feel, sometimes daily. Why? Because being a teenager is exciting, mind‐blowing, weird and incredibly warming.

And guess what? It kinda makes us feel on edge a little. This isn't just felt by teenagers though, this is what truly being alive should always feel like.

You're not 4 or 5 anymore. No one is expecting you to wake up every day buzzing. Now, depending on where you are from, the word ‘buzzing’ has many different meanings, but you know what I mean.

I'm talking about pinging out of bed with excitement and enthusiasm every single day, raring to go!

In most other books about teenagers, it's here they would present to you a whole bunch of science and aim to educate you all about your brain, demonstrating the changes that happen, in turn leading to the fact you no longer jump out of bed every morning excited about going for a poo and eating cereal.