We Are One! Wisdom From a Year of Mr Feelgood

Here at Mr Feelgood, we are about to turn one year old! August 19, 2020, was the day we first went live and launched the site into the world. And what a year it has been.

We have learned so much and are grateful to all the collaborators who have trusted us wholeheartedly and jumped into our creative hub. Thank you to every single person we have interviewed, and who have graciously shared their stories and wisdom, enriching our lives along the way, and we hope yours too. This has always been, and continues to be, our intention. And to all those who have contributed to our mission: our brilliant creative director Alison Edmond, every fantastic photographer who has captured beautiful images to help tell our stories, all the amazing creative teams who have worked on our shoots, and everyone who has read and engaged with our content.

We personally feel inspired, nourished and informed by this journey we have embarked upon. It seems that we all have our unique experiences and perspective, while also searching for the same things: Love, community, purpose, balance and growth. So let’s celebrate that, because we are one!

Here are 30 of our favorite quotes sharing wisdom that have inspired us over the last year, along with some of the special images that brought our interviewees to life. We believe we’ve curated an authentic collection of stories and guidance that have focused on sustaining our mind, body and planet. Here are just some of the highlights, and there have been many more, with many more to come.

“The goal is to organize, plan, balance myself with exercise and mindfulness, find clarity in the moments, stay on point, be vulnerable, challenge myself, and give.’ –Actor Gabriel Macht, ‘Who The F*** Is Gabriel Macht?’

“Most important in these difficult times is to keep a healthy, positive mind and spirit.” –Supermodel Naomi Campbell, ‘Freedom 2020’

“You have to be good at falling. And you have to just get back up. Skating has taught me that a loss isn’t always the worst thing. It’s a step in the right direction to a win.” –Pro skateboarder Ishod Wair, ‘Ishod Wair on the Art of Skateboarding’

“I felt desolate. I was 14, mum’s gone, I had a broken leg, my dad was depressed, it was grey skies and raining and all that stuff. See, I remember that time really well, it’s always there. When that’s how your brain works, when something else happens that’s similar, the great trick is to see that your mind is thinking that, but not to go into that loop, and just step to the other side of it. Just look at it like it’s a movie, but decide you’re not going to be a part of that script, you’ve written yourself a new one.” –Eurythmics star Dave Stewart, ‘Who The F*** Is Dave Stewart?’

“Mood follows action. The change in state that you seek is only a result of taking actions.” –Vegan endurance athlete and podcaster Rich Roll, ‘Who The F*** Is Rich Roll?’

“Very early on, I had this question pop into my head, ‘What if this is the best thing that’s ever happened to you?’ And if so, what does that look like and what does that mean?” –Rupert Isaacson, father to an autistic son and founder of the Horse Boy Foundation, ‘The Adventure of Autism’

“Dancing and moving forces me into the moment. You go to a place where your mind is quiet and focused. And one of the most powerful, masculine things you can do is to be present.” –Emmy-winning dancer and choreographer Derek Hough, ‘Dance Like a Man’

“Guy de Maupassant is a man I quote on a daily basis, and his best piece of advice for a writer was, ‘Put black on white. Put ink on white paper.’ It’s something I urge myself to do. And to young writers I say, ‘Just put black on white and see how you go.’” –Author William Boyd, ‘Who The F*** Is William Boyd?’

“When I was young I was very stubborn and hard-headed, and when I started boxing I thought I could adopt that same mentality. I thought I could just come in here and do things my way, but boxing teaches you to listen and be humble. I learned that the hard way.” –Amateur boxer Ede Omoregie, ‘Boxing Has Taught Me to Respect Whoever Is In Front of Me’

“What excites me is what is new to me, whatever feels like I have never done before.” –Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, ‘Who The F*** Is Olivier Rousteing?’

“When I was young and acting, people not liking me used to scare me. But the more I direct, the more I find that if I’m concerned with those things, that stops me from being honest about who I am, what I think, and what I really want.” –Actor and director Dexter Fletcher, ‘Who The F*** Is Dexter Fletcher?’

“Managing expectations does work. If life meets your expectations, or beats it, you’re happy, if it misses your expectations, you’re unhappy. We’re always happy out in nature because the events are always meeting expectations. Nobody ever looks at a crooked tree and says, ‘No, hold on. This tree needs to be vertical.’” –Author and former Google X chief business officer Mo Gawdat, ‘How to Engineer Happiness’

“Life is a gift. And the most precious commodity human beings have is time, because time that is wasted will never come back. So spend your time wisely.” –World record holding barefoot marathon runner Alberto Perusset, ‘The Wisdom of the Barefoot Runner’

“My clearest feeling is that, after a time that was not easy for humanity as a whole, a new time of renewed serenity and trust in human relations is opening up before us.” –Fashion designer and philanthropist Brunello Cucinelli, ‘Who The F*** Is Brunello Cucinelli?’

“In the same way we shouldn’t eat rubbish and should think about what we’re putting in our bodies, it’s the same with our ears.” –Pianist Rosey Chan, ‘The Sound of Science’

“I feel so deeply disturbed by the fact that we’re in a secular age, but if we can’t then replace organized religion by some deep respect for protecting the natural world on our only planet, then what kind of species are we?” –The Eden Project co-founder Sir Tim Smit, ‘Sir Tim Smit on the Future of Eden’

“I’ve often felt frustrated by the way guys get asked, ‘What do you do?’ And that phrase means, ‘What job do you do?’ Because the real answer for me would always be, ‘Well, what I do most is I’m a husband and I’m a dad.’ Men are often pressured to feel like they have to talk about their careers. I think the most creative thing you can do is try and make decent human beings. So the next time someone asks you, ‘What do you do?’ Don’t feel bad about saying, ‘I’m a dad. And I’m trying to be a really good one.’” –Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp, ‘What I Do Most Is I’m a Husband and a Dad’⁠

“I think that growing up, the easier path is to take the one of not giving a s***. But I think if you can bust outside of that, you realize that is truly why we’re here.” –Former pro surfer and Waves For Water charity founder Jon Rose, ‘Follow Your Passions and Plug Purpose Into That’

“I think my role, as an artist, is to be very specific about the work I’m creating. So for me it’s about the ways I choose to represent myself within my career, giving back to the community, talking to and inspiring the Black youth, buying from Black-owned businesses.” –Actor Siddiq Saunderson, ‘Enter Siddiq Saunderson: The Breakout Wu-Tang TV Series Star’

“It is so important to self-analyze and assess whether you are the person you want to be. I never did that before, so I suppose cancer has also helped me.” –Financier and former Army captain Ash Dale, ‘I Am a Better Person So I Suppose Cancer Has Helped Me’

⁠”I can’t lie to my dogs and say I’m fine if I’m not. If I’m going to be good for them, I have to be good to me as well. They’ve given me a new mirror that really allows me to be efficient with taking care of myself. And I don’t mean pampering myself, I mean, diagnosing, addressing, facing and understanding myself.” –Musician Hunter Hayes, ‘I Get To See Myself Differently Now‘

“One of the problems is that people aren’t connecting the dots around how the ocean is absolutely vital to solving many of the big issues that we’re all so aware and concerned about, like climate change. Historically, and to this day, the oceans tend to be an afterthought. But we can’t solve the climate crisis without restoring the ocean. It’s as simple as that.” –Oceanographer Philippe Cousteau, ‘It’s Out of Sight, Out of Mind. The Challenge Is To Help People Visualize It’

“Life is short – enjoy your ride, put one foot in front of the other and walk, prioritize yourself, and don’t forget to see and celebrate the little successes along the way.” –Canvas Malibu clothes boutique and art gallery owner Jac Forbes, ‘A Store Is More Than the Products It Sells’

“My father is my greatest mentor. One of his great lessons to me was that life is about how you make people around you feel and your contribution in your society, basically he said, ’A good name is better than a good fortune.’ I aways remember that.” –Model and shoe designer Armando Cabral, ‘Who The F*** Is Armando Cabral?’

“Boredom terrifies me. I think it is a glimpse of the underside of eternity. It’s evil in the sense that if you’re bored, you’re not doing or creating or providing what you’ve been called to do, create or provide. It’s a signal, like hunger, that you need to fill that hollow feeling with something substantive and good, not frivolous and cheap.” –Editor and writer Jay Fielden, ‘Who The F*** Is Jay Fielden?’

“The key thing is, in order to feel good about yourself, you need to see yourself.” –IMG Model and Fashion President Ivan Bart, ‘Fashioning the Future’

“We all go through struggles but so often we feel alone, and so I firmly believe that part of being of service is to be visible, to be vocal.” –Model and influencer Eric Rutherford, ‘As Someone Who Has Survived Trauma, I Have a Responsibility to Be There for Others’

“We ask each and every employee to frame a picture of their biggest fear and put it on the wall of Goliaths, to serve as a reminder of what they need to overcome. And when they do, it feels like they’re no longer afraid of this one thing, and they have all this space available for confidence, courage and creativity.” –Advertising executive and David and Goliath founder David Angelo, ‘Make Being Brave Your Brand’

“I’m excited by the idea of moving forward, setting goals for myself, achieving those goals, pushing myself to the next level, experiencing new opportunities, and making the most out of every moment.” –Fashion designer and car collector Magnus Walker, ‘Who The F*** Is Magnus Walker?’

“I think it’s really about being the best you can be. It’s beyond just surface goals, whether it’s a six -pack, big bicep guns or anything. It’s really just,’how do you feel?’ It is about using the movement to unlock your mind so you can find your purpose. And when you find that, everything starts to make sense, and all of a sudden, you start showing up as a better friend, better father, better boss.” –Legendary ad man and Aarmy fitness community co-founder Trey Laird, ‘Meet the Leaders of a New Fitness Aarmy’