There are times in life when everyone needs to be picked up from a bad day, bad month or even a bad year. When everything gets too out of hand and even ice cream has difficulty problem solving, the only thing left to do is consult the master of accepting the important things as they come and letting everything else roll of his back and move far, far away into a state of forgotten.
Those looking to forget about their troubles for a while need look no further, for this article focuses on the teachings of one truly awesome man. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. Barney is played by Neil Patrick Harris as an arrogant, overly confident womanizer, but above all that and through all his personal problems, Barney is able to work through... or ignore... everything and still continue to live an outgoing lifestyle. Those who have problems moving on or letting go need to tune in, sit up and pay attention.
Barney: [Talking about how easy it is to run a marathon] "Step One: You start running. There is no Step Two."
If this quote had the ability to teach only one thing, it would be that no matter what happens or how hard life happens to get, people need to focus on looking to the future. They need to keep going no matter what happens without ever looking back.
The worst thing about looking back is getting caught up in the past which can’t be changed while neglecting to take care of present issues which are likely to cause future problems.
Barney: "In my body, where the shame gland should be, there is a second awesome gland."
This is a typical Barney response when he receives comments from others questioning his decisions and choices. Although, he’s often wrong, Barney makes enough of these choices and decisions to ensure that when the time is dire, he’ll always back himself. This results in the Barney’s characteristic trait of never giving up when things go wrong.
The key to Barney’s self satisfaction is that he confident in himself. He feels a great pride for himself and his achievements and this in turn allows him the confidence necessary to keep making decisions that lead to numerous chances of making great memories for himself and his friends.
Barney: "You know what Marshall needs to do. He needs to stop being sad. When I get sad, I stop being sad, and be AWESOME instead. True story."
A lesson that can be learned through this quote is that instead of worrying or feeling bad about something that has happened, people should instead focus on the positive aspects of life instead. After enough healthy thinking time has passed, people who stay in the same mind frame enter into the more stressful and much less healthy brooding territory.
Moving on may not be necessarily easy but it’s an important part of regaining the ability to take a step forward from pain and begin living again.
Barney: "Believe it or not, I was not always as awesome as I am today."
Fans of How I Met Your Mother will no doubt be aware of the humorous but often topically sad episodes relating to Barney’s past. He has been dealt several bad hands and finds a good way to combat them is to keep playing until a good hand lands in front of him.
Barney, however shallow everyone, including his friends believe he is, is always somehow able to move on from tough moments bigger and better than he was before. This is a trait most people would find useful when attempting to deal with tough life situations.
To conclude, Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother often states things in the bluntest, most untactful ways possible. But in his words, one can find wisdom and comfort, if only they’d take the time to look a little harder and read between the lines. Even though normal people, arguably more than television characters have to deal with difficult moments in life it is important to carry on believing that there’s a way out. After all, even in apparently hopeless life or death situations, there’s always two possible endings. Everyone just needs to work for the ending they want the most.
Sources:
Classic TV Quotes Barney Stinson Quotes
Official How I Met Your Mother CBS Website
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Why Everyone Should Love How I Met Your Mother
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Altair Roxas - Altair Roxas is a graduate of The University of Auckland with a degree in English and Film, Television and Media Studies currently living ...
