You’re looking unusually focused this morning

That’s a line from the 1998 Halloween episode of the Simpsons — “Treehouse of Horror IV.”

When this episode aired, I was 17 years old. It was still a few years before I’d become interested in marketing or consulting.

The moment that stuck with me was a 2 second clip that probably went unnoticed by everyone else.

Moe Szyslak (the seedy bartender and proprietor of Moe’s Tavern) said it to Homer when he walks into the bar.

“my, you’re looking unusually focused this morning.”

As soon as I heard it, I wrote it down. I’m not sure why, but I had a feeling I’d make use of it someday.

I love the phrase “unusually focused” because it describes the state of mind I want to experience.

“Unusual” is cool because it can express the quality or the quantity of an experience.

And who doesn’t want to be more focused?

It’s kinda perfect.

That’s why it’s the name of the coaching & consulting business I started in 2016.

Before that, it was the name of my band. We never gigged. It was just me and my friend Terry fucking around with acoustic guitars.

Terry’s the man. He changed my life. He was the guy that helped me crack out of my shell.

We used to sit in my car, getting way too high, and making up skits and scenarios.

He was the funniest person I’d ever met. My face would hurt for days because we were laughing so hard.

Most of the time, it was him talking. I was — and still am — pretty shy. Less so now than I used to be, but it remains how I see myself.

One day, I took a bigger risk with a contribution to one of these skits.

He punched me in the shoulder and said:

Dude, what the fuck. You have to stop being such a fucking punk and speak up more. That was funny as fuck.

Motivating. Inspiring. Life-changing.

Anyway, I still love the name Unusually Focused. 

I stopped talking about it last year because it didn’t feel honest. 

If anything, I was “usually unfocused.”

But no more. I’m feeling focused again.

I might even say Unusually Focused.