Running With Snakes: I'm Awesome

Okay - This is an unusual post but I think it is an important one in my journey.

I AM AWESOME!

Yes - I did just make that proclamation about myself. Why? Well, while I was walking during lunch yesterday, I was listening to my Tenacious D station which has a lot of fun, funny, and very inappropriate songs to round out the playlist. The song "I'm Awesome" by Spose came on and it got me really thinking about myself as I chuckled to the lyrics. These thoughts were running through my brain:

I am awesome - I just need to say it more.

I am awesome - I need to feel it more.

I am awesome - I need to be it more.

Screen Capture Taken During My Lunch Walk Yesterday

I can hear the critics now - "Cameron. You hear an inappropriate song and then write a blog post about being awesome? WTF!"

Whatever - I can write this post because I am awesome. That is reason enough. On a serious note and as I mention above, that song yesterday, while crude, rude, and inappropriate, really got me thinking. I have a great life. I really do. I am great with snakes and even better at getting people excited about snakes. I got an awesome dose of gratitude from numerous attendees of my talk last week at the Southeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation annual conference. I rocked it and it reminded me that I am good (great!) at teaching especially about snakes. Is it vain to say so? Maybe but I don't care anymore. I want to continue to teach and inspire people to care about and explore the world of snakes. I want the world to know it!

I Am Awesome!

One of the things that I am best at is finding snakes and this makes me awesome in my mind. The weather in Louisiana sucked for finding snakes - not horrible but it made it brutal to find a snake in February. It was in the 40s on Thursday when I arrived and never reached 50 that day. On Friday, it was warmer but the high hovered near 60 with a threat of rain all day. Saturday was my best chance for finding a snake and I spotted the little speckled kingsnake in the photo above basking beneath some leaves. This makes me awesome. I wish I had stayed another day to find some more snakes but regardless, I had a great time and the experience in Louisiana reminded me that I am awesome.

My feeling of awesomeness has extended into today which is the real reason I am writing this blog. I love that I can now keep positive thoughts in my mind and tell my bullshit negativity to go to hell. I don't know how I have done this but I like the shift. I think it might have to do with a better outlook and plan for the Center for Snake Conservation. Some exciting things are going to happen in 2015 with me and snakes - things that are going to change my life for the better and everyone around me is going to also benefit from this change.

I am excited and you should be too!