About a month or two ago, we asked Andrew W.K. — that great unwashed Rock God, party incarnate, a walking/talking ode to the Power of Positive Mental Attitude — if he would be at all interested in writing an advice column for us. Of course he was. And what I mean by that is, "Of course he was interested. Because he's interested in everything. He's interested in life. Every single, solitary bit of it."
He'll have no problem navigating outside his comfort zone. He lives there, sleeps easy. He is as accepting and eager for new experiences as he is loath to wear a new outfit.
He can help you do the same. (The experiences part -- good God, buy some new clothes.) In these pages and on our music blog each week, Andrew W.K. will take your life questions, and set you safely down the right path to a solution, a purpose or — no surprise here — a party.
He is the Pope. He is Ann Landers. He is Dear Abby. He is the Pope, Ann Landers, and Dear Abby at a raging kegger, helping talk the highest guy in the room off the chewed-up ledge of life. Got a problem, question, or concern you want to put past him? Email him at [email protected].
Let him help you.
Now, on to this week's advice.
By Andrew W.K.
Dear Andrew,
Like many, when we turn our calendars over to 2014 I will be doing my best to drop the extra pounds I packed on over the holidays. It's always a struggle, and I wonder if you have any mental tricks you use to help stay in shape.
Sincerely,
Lean and Mean in 2014
Dear Lean and Mean,
For me, the best way to stay in shape is by partying extremely hard. Just move around and dance through the day. I even think that an active inner life and active mind can make your outer body follow suit. A huge part of fitness is realizing that it comes from feeling good, wholeheartedly and deep inside. It's not just about how you look or how much you weigh. Weight is extremely overrated, anyway. There are plenty of heavier people who are awesome, and it's just part of who they are — just like an eye color or a skin color. For example, would anyone really prefer a skinny Santa Claus? It's how he's meant to be. And there are plenty of skinny people who aren't very much fun to be around, no matter how good they might look by some standards. Feeling awesome is our goal, and that should be the focus of our party mindset. With that being said, I highly recommend head-banging, air-drumming, and speed-jigging for extremely effective forms of fat burning. But remember to love fat, too. It's one of the things that makes life worth living. PARTY LARD!
AWK
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| Photo: Jesse Dittmar |
Andrew,
You have been — and always will be — a beacon of light and huge inspiration to me and many. You take Positive Mental Attitude to new levels, and it's quite refreshing, especially in this day and age. Without going into too much of my life and/or problems, my question is: How do I truly start to love myself with the hope of soon changing my entire outlook — and life — for the better?
Wishing you continued success for 2014. Victory Strikes Again!!/Don't Stop Living in the Red!!
Your friend,
Stuck in a Rut
Dear Stuck in a Rut,
First of all, thank you for your kind words. I'm so glad that my party efforts have given you any energy or inspiration at all. I also really relate to what you're describing in terms of wanting to get charged up and make big life changes, because my entire party mission began with me wanting to feel better about being alive and being myself. I figured that if I dedicated my life to good feelings and pure partying, it would help cheer me up, and hopefully cheer up other people, too. So far, it's really been working. I recommend this same approach for you. I'm officially cheering you on and up. The most important thing to harness is your own desire to make life better and ride it toward that goal. Enjoy and appreciate every part of the process and take pleasure even in the most painful and uncomfortable moments. We're exercising our souls, and just like when we exercise our muscles, some pain and soreness is part of the growth. Also, we must remember that sometimes being "stuck in a rut" is just part of the natural dynamics of existence and the adventure of living a big life. Just like a heavy breakdown in an awesome song, the breakdowns in our lives can provide necessary contrast and rhythmic change — they give us a chance to process the music and madness that's already taken place and apply it to ourselves. The magic in life happens when our dreams are combined with our enthusiasm and energized by our physical action. The fact that you wrote in to me is you already taking action. Now just keep it going! I absolutely believe in you, and in us, and in the time we have right now. More Positive Party Power to you!
AWK
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