I should actually give credit to my wonderfully wise friend, who, in a conversation many years ago… told me that she really wanted a certain person in her life to just give a shit. I was like, “yes! That’s what I want too, from everyone in my life… to know that they give a shit.” And I haven’t been able to get that idea out of my head ever since.
I want to embroider it on pillows, except I don’t because I don’t embroider, and don’t intend to learn. Why? Because I don’t give a shit about embroidery. But I do give a shit about a lot of other things, and I’m going to share them with you in many blog posts to come…
To me, giving a shit means passionately caring about things, about people, about issues that make your blood boil or your heart sing… it means contributing in a real way to the world, leading with compassion, and putting forth new ideas rather than living within the old ones.
My “extended” motto is this: DON'T JUST DO YOUR DUTY, GIVE A SHIT! Because I don't want my motivating force to be, “I should do that.” And I’ve heard that referred to as “shoulding all over yourself.” Yikes! Doing my duty and shoulding all over myself… not exactly the two things I want encapsulating my way of life.
But if someday my tombstone reads, “Jordan Toronto: Gave a shit” I would be proud of what that says about me.