I'm beginning to think my life expectations were damaged by too many Hollywood feel-good movies. Okay, so there was the odd hint of somberness through films like Stand By Me and My Left Foot, but I'd like to apportion some of the blame for my general under-achievement in life on films such Almost Famous and The Beach.

Such fantastical films invariably moved me from the real world to the one that I was grasping for.

While in your teenage years, I would argue this is acceptable. But here I am, weeks short of my twenty-ninth birthday, and I find myself falling into the same trap.

Maybe it's because of the time I have on my hands at the moment, or the fresh start that I have embarked upon, but sitting through Jay and Silen Bob Strike Back and Clerks II back to back (yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan) has ignited a flame of ideas in my head. I suddenly feel again that yes, I CAN get that girl. I CAN go on a road trip with my mates and live it up again. I CAN find an enjoyable job working with exciting new people. I'm not sure how I'd go about these things, but I feel that anything is possible.

But really - is that so crazy? I think not. Maybe my youthful naivety has returned, but I think in reality it's more likely the fearlessness of my childhood. Nothing seems to matter any more, and the only thing I'm scared of is time passing me by.

It's time to stop thinking.

It's time to start acting.