The Madness of Unseen Ambitions (and Why Wet Socks Are the Worst)

Question and Thought for the Day January 28, 2025

Thought of the Day:
“It takes a certain kind of madness to work on a project nobody is waiting for.”

Bernadette Jiwa

Question of the Day:
What’s worse, wet socks or wet underwear?

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There’s a peculiar magic in the madness Bernadette Jiwa describes—a quiet determination to bring something into the world that no one asked for but, just maybe, will change everything. It’s the madness of artists, inventors, and dreamers. It’s also the madness of regular people with irregular passions, hammering away at dreams in the dim light of early mornings or the calm after everyone else is asleep.

No one’s waiting for your book, your podcast, your business idea, or even your quirky DIY project that takes over the dining room table for months. And yet, you persist.

There’s no applause, no validation, and most days, no sign that what you’re building will ever matter. But that’s the deal, isn’t it? To keep going, fueled by nothing more than faith in the process. It’s maddening and beautiful all at once.

But sometimes, that faith wavers. Sometimes, you’re stuck asking yourself the deep existential questions, like: Why am I doing this? Or, What’s worse, wet socks or wet underwear?

And let’s be honest: wet socks win the misery sweepstakes. They cling like tiny, damp betrayals, making every step feel like a reminder of your poor life choices. Wet underwear? Awful, yes. But at least there’s usually a towel and a quick change nearby. Wet socks, though? Those stick with you, literally and metaphorically.

The thing about pursuing a project no one’s waiting for is that it feels a lot like walking around in wet socks. There’s discomfort, frustration, and the urge to just sit down and stop. But the longer you keep walking, the closer you get to dry ground.

And that’s why you keep going. Because, someday, someone might look at what you’ve created—the book, the podcast, the business, the quirky DIY project—and wonder how they ever lived without it. They weren’t waiting for it, but now, they can’t imagine life without it.

So here’s to the madness. Here’s to walking through wet socks moments for the chance at something extraordinary.