I am a winner.

What makes a winner a winner, Allen?

We do it!

Do what, Allen?

We just do it.

We do it, and do it, and do it, and do it until the job gets done.

We are excited, enthusiastic and passionate. And we stay that way for however long it takes us to win.

..:: I'm a leader ::..
When I was a mid-teenager, I was captaining a private research vessel through three oceans to study wild dolphins up close. I was still young, and it was a vessel I did not own nor steer. But I plotted its course, I did the main research, and my word to stop or go was the word to be listened to. However, it needed 12 years of training with (wild) animals, including 16 months of living in the Australian wilderness to prepare me for this journey. Such things never come easily. To get there, you have to do it. And you can.

..:: I'm confident, but not arrogant ::..
People often mistake these two for each other. Arrogance is false-confidence, a fake used by people who have less than they are comfortable with. I am confident and not arrogant because I do it. I work on my mindset, on my behavior, on being humble, on controlling my pride. I read about human behavior, I do mental exercises, I cultivate my conduct. I have done so since I was very young. Nobody is perfect, but everybody can reinvent and better themselves.
Sometimes it all fails and my responses to people aren't nice - interestingly, I have observed that it usually occurs as a defense mechanism against bad treatment or in times of great trouble. Even a trained personality can be pushed too far, so always remember to be good to each other and you will be treated likewise.

..:: I'm educated ::..
I'm educated because I never started nor stopped being a student. I have always been a student, even as a small child, and I have always used the scientific method to build the model of the world I have in my head. What I don't understand I try to deconstruct and analyze at the most fundamental level available to me, then put it back together and build a model of it in my head that I can draw and make predictions from. I work hard to gain deep insight. Be it the laws of nature, the laws of human behavior, behavior of other life, the evolution of life on Earth, or the Earth itself. It does not matter, because I continue to work on it and get exited about new things. And I ALWAYS use what I learn in one way or another.

Don't be intimidated by great minds or accomplishments. The people behind it are capable because they do it. They do it, and do it, and do it, and do it until the job gets done. And they have the passion, enthusiasm and excitement to do it for however long it takes them to win.

..:: I'm a good teacher ::..
I am this because I haven't learned much in school, but taught myself and know how to gain an understanding of something, which means I can convey it to others. I learn from great science communicators like Krauss, Greene, Tyson, Dawkins and I model after them to improve my own communication skills. I enjoy teaching and opening a person's mind, exhilarating them, astound them of the marvels of the universe. I enjoy helping them to see something they have never seen before. And I continue to do it and think about ways to deliver it. After all, you are reading these words right now.

..:: You are safe in my presence ::..
I'm very proud on the following fact: Whatever you think is weird about you, you can tell me and feel safe. I am trustworthy. I'm likely to accept you. I will catch you. I understand you, no matter how weird your quirks are to those who don't usually think far. Weird is only what is not understood.

Got an unusual taste in food or music? I understand you.
What we like is based on our emotions. What we dislike we can come to like by experiencing it and by attaching good emotions to it. If by any chance you were exposed to unusual foods and music while you grew up, this is how it will freeze out in you. I used to be disgusted by olives, but one day decided to acquire a taste for them. So I tried one, and another one the next day. Then two, then one, then three, being disgusted each time. Now I love them.

Got a weird kink? I understand just fine.
It's not weird! Everybody has at least one kink outside the norm. Everybody. But few people say so openly, thus creating the illusion of a norm that doesn't actually exist. Anything is someone's kink - you can't imagine how diverse humans are in this matter. But the Internet reveals it all.

Got a homosexual brain? I understand you.
It's natural. It's not immediately apparent, but homosexual relationships increase the likelihood of survival of a species - the human animal included. The brain is extremely versatile and will switch what it likes if the situation requires it. It does so with all kinds of things all the time. Homosexuality is a survival strategy, purely biological and beyond choice. I'm glad we had you 40,000 years ago when survival was a struggle and only 10,000 to 30,000 humans lived on the Earth. Don't sweat it, but beware of those who are following doctrine. I think they will never understand.

..:: I'm a gentle person ::..
When I was 3 to 7 years old, I was in touch with wild deer in the woods behind my home. I observed them for a year, learned their behavior, then approached them and formed a bond. Walking with these deer made me an adventurer and overall gentle. I treat a nervous heart with great care.
I try to get over my fears. I give to others; I lead them if they need a leader, I teach them if they need a teacher, and I understand them if they need someone to see into their heart. I enjoy being kind. I enjoy being good. And of all the girls in a public gathering, I like the shy one in the corner the most; the one who is unsure of herself and doesn't want to be there rather than sitting alone under a tree, for I can be good to her in ways I can not be to any other.

..:: I have purpose in life ::..
I am passionate about saving the oceans, protecting the natural world, increasing the quality of the future. I am a writer and have my own science-fantasy world as rich in detail as some of the most popular out there. I plan to publish a whole saga settled in that world. I shall travel the world more, find and capture its beauty. And I will make a very special person happy throughout her life, if she so chooses me and the adventure our life would be. Everybody has purpose, but you define it yourself. Don't wait for another person or occurrence to define it for you.

..:: I don't give up ::..
I fail to succeed perhaps more than others, because I do more than others. All failures are learning experiences and thus have intrinsic value that I shall never dismiss.

..:: I am flawed ::..
There is much I can still do to better myself. But if life is a novel, then I'm a Mary Sue in many ways. Not because reality is unrealistic, but because I do it. And I will never stop doing it until I am no longer able.


If you want to be a star, do it.
If you want to be successful in business, do it.
If you want to lead a happier life, do it.
If you want to be healthier, do it.
If you want to learn how to draw, do it.
If you want to deepen a friendship, do it.
If you think there is no way to do it, do it anyway.

Listen to your heart, but don't wait for something to happen on its own. Most people in the world almost do everything they need to win. "Almost" is the word. They are almost ready to go, almost over the hump, almost out there at work. Tomorrow, they'll start. Always tomorrow.

But I'm a winner.

And the winners do it.