Paper Napkin Wisdom - Podcast And Blog For Entrepreneurs, Leaders And Difference-makers

Every so often, a line in a movie sneaks past your defenses and lands directly in the center of your chest. Not because it's poetic. Not because it's profound. But because it is absolutely, undeniably true. That's exactly what happened the first time I heard John Candy say three simple words in Planes, Trains and Automobiles: "I like me." If you know the scene, you can probably feel it already. Steve Martin's character lashes out, attacks Candy's character—Del Griffith—on every level: his personality, his quirks, his energy, the way he moves through the world. It's the kind of attack you can only deliver when you're stressed, frustrated, disconnected, and trying to control everything except your own emotional state. Candy doesn't fight back. He doesn't crumble. He doesn't apologize for existing. He just breathes, feels the sting, and answers: "I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. Because I'm the real deal." And in that moment… the entire movie shifts. But something inside us shifts too. Because