Being cool is considered, well, pretty cool.
It’s that effortless demeanor and the calm, collected vibe that suggests you’re somehow above the everyday world.
And it’s not just a high school thing. Even as adults, we place value on being unfazed in the face of awe-inspiring moments—as if we’re too “grown up” to be caught marveling at the ordinary magic around us.
The way sunlight filters through the leaves and dances on the ground? Seen it before.
A stranger’s unexpected kindness—a door held open or a compliment given? Whatever.
Here’s the irony: When we act like we’ve seen it all before, we rob ourselves of the chance to see anything at all. In our effort to seem above it all, we miss out on the very things that make life worth living.
I’ve tried to do “cool” before, and let me tell you, it is exhausting. Not in the obvious, sweaty way, but in a more subtle, soul-draining way. When you’re always striving to be unaffected, you’re resisting what’s coming alive inside you. You’re putting up a dam to stop the flood of emotions, curiosity, and wonder that naturally want to flow through you.
And that’s hard work. It takes energy to keep that dam in place and shield yourself against anything that might make you look overly excited or, heaven forbid, a little uncool. Although that might protect your image (whatever that means), it also shuts down an essential part of being human—the ability to be genuinely moved by the world around you.
Think of the people in your life who just seem so . . . alive. They’re the opposite of cool. They get giddy over the first snowfall of the season, running outside to feel the flakes on their skin, even if it means getting cold and wet. When a catchy song comes on, they let themselves dance, even if they’re in the middle of the supermarket. They can look at a pencil and say, “Wow, this is incredible. Who invented this thing?”
These people aren’t busy trying to be cool.
They’re too busy being alive.
There’s something infectious about that energy. It draws people in. It makes you want to know, “What’s their secret?” It’s not about being naive or over-the-top. It’s about letting yourself be moved by the world, in whatever way feels right, without the armor of coolness that says, “None of this impresses me.”
Not everything will move you, of course. But the only way to discover what moves you is to allow yourself to be moved. To feel what sparks a flame inside you. You can’t ignite that spark if you’ve perfected the art of staying cool in the face of warmth.
These sparks often aren’t big or obvious. Sometimes it’s just a gentle nudge to take a different path on your morning walk, or to pick up a book you’d never usually read. But these small acts of following your curiosity can lead to some of the most profound changes in your life. You get good at things by trying things, and you’re more likely to try things that make you say, “Wow, that looks cool!”
So, my challenge to you—and to myself, always—is to drop the cool. Stop resisting what’s trying to come alive inside you.
And that’s the point, isn’t it? To feel alive. To walk through the world—not with a mask of indifference—but with an open heart, ready to be surprised, delighted, even a little shocked. To tear the dam down and let the water come through.
Who knows where the current might take you?
I promise it’ll lead you somewhere far more interesting—and a lot more fun—than just being cool ever could.
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