Don’t half-ass it

When Matthew McConaughey told his dad he wanted to be an actor, his dad said, "Is that really what you want to do?"

Matthew answered, “Yeah Dad, it is.” His dad said, "Well, don't half-ass it." From that day forward, Matthew never half-assed it in the movie business.

When Shawn Mendes told his dad he wanted to be a songwriter, his dad asked, "Well, can you write a song?" Shawn answered, “I don’t know.” His dad said, “Well go write a song.”

After that, Shawn says he’d sit in his room and play guitar for hours at a time, until his hands bled. His dad didn’t talk about starving musicians. He just said, “Go try it,” which empowered Shawn to give it a whirl.

When you were growing up, what response did you get when you shared your dreams and longings? Whatever you were told back then, is that what you’re telling yourself now?

Your dreams and longings are worth it — even when they are faint glimmers and you don’t know where they’ll go. How about starting to tell yourself, “Well don’t half-ass it,” or “Go try it.”