I’ve always admired Keanu Reeves. Not just because he’s in some of my favorite films. Not because he’s famous. But because of how he carries himself when he doesn’t have to. That quiet, simple, humble, grounded energy, even when the world is watching, even when life has been cruel. That’s what made me stop and really take notice.
The more I read about him, the more I realized, this guy has been through hell. Loss, hard years, being underestimated, being misunderstood, all of it. And yet, he walks like someone who’s not trying to prove anything to anyone. He rides the subway. He stands in line. He keeps his life simple. He doesn’t talk about his pain, and he doesn’t wear his success like a crown.
I’ve always felt that pull, the need to show I’m right. To speak up when someone disrespects me. To correct someone when they try to push me down. And I’ll be honest, I still struggle with it. I still lose my cool sometimes. And the moment it happens, I regret it. Every single time. Because I know better. Because I don’t want to be that guy.
I’ve never liked showing off. Even when I’ve done things I’m proud of, I keep them quiet. I don’t name-drop. I don’t flex. I don’t say “I know this person” or “I’ve done that project” because it just doesn’t feel right. It feels fake. It feels like insecurity wearing a suit. And I hate that. I want to be the guy who gets things done, walks away, and lets the work speak for itself. Like Keanu.
But it’s hard. It’s hard when someone’s being rude. When someone tries to measure you by how you look, how you talk, or what you wear. I don’t wear suits. I don’t try to impress. I still dress the way I did in school, plain, simple, comfortable. Because that’s who I am. I never changed that part of me. And I don’t want to.
But ego… ego’s tricky. It sneaks up when someone crosses a line. It whispers, “Say something. Show them who you are.” And some days, I listen. Some days, I react. Some days, I raise my voice, even when I don’t need to. And every time I do, I feel smaller, not bigger.
The truth is, I’m still learning how to hold on to calm. Still learning how to let people’s noise pass through me instead of pulling me in. Still learning how to walk away without carrying their energy with me, it's hard. And Keanu, without even knowing it, keeps reminding me that humility is not weakness. That being silent isn’t surrender. That being kind, even when you don’t have to be, is a kind of strength most people will never understand.
That’s who I want to be. Not the right one in the room. Just the one who doesn’t need the room.