The art of coolness?

'Are you cool enough?' It's the tag line for my blog and the title of one of my first posts, but am I cool enough? What makes someone cool and someone else not?

The coolest people I know don't know they're cool. They make me want to be with them, they challenge me, they make me laugh. They don't always wear the lastest fashion or drive the poshest car, although some of them will, but they're cool because they like what they're doing and they do it well. They can laugh at themselves, but they make time to look out for others. And while they don't expect anything from anyone - they are the most generous people. Their confidence increases their appeal, as they say it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it.

So what does it take to be cool? I think it's a matter of perspective. Looking for the things that make you happy - not just the things that make you feel good, but the richly rewarding things that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. You will know what they are for you - for me they're usually involving interacting with people on a personal level, helping make their world better and happier, and for me I'm lucky as I get to do this with both my personal and professional lives. Then there's swimming and being creative - ie photography and design - which are my Zen spaces... they just make me feel healthy and well. Everyone is different, but that just makes us so much cooler. Trying to be the same as anyone else is pointless, being individual and excelling in what you love is part of being cool, not worrying about what anyone else thinks.

Being cool is not about how you look, it's about how you feel.
Are you cool enough?...
The question might really be, are you happy?