How to be more Keanu

Reeves… all day, every day

By James King27 July 2020

Actor, aesthete (a person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art
or nature. a person who affects great love of art, music, poetry,), motorcyclist and meme, Keanu
Reeves is all those things… and more. Who wouldn’t want to be more Keanu?

A new book by film critic James King celebrates the life – and the way of life –

of God amongst men Keanu Reeves. So, if you want to be more Keanu, here’s

how…

7am
The situation: You wake up feeling a bit miserable.

© Lionsgate

What would Keanu do? OK, let’s start with a big one. As someone who’s

recovered from more than his fair share of sadness in his life, Keanu has all

the answers. It’s made him like a walking, talking motivational quote, full of
doozies (sayings) such as, “The person who was holding me back from my

happiness was me.” And, “Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the

person you are today.” His current contentment is proof that change comes

from within. Clarifying your problems by writing them down is perhaps the

simplest way to begin the process of recovery. Once isolated, issues are

suddenly a lot more manageable.

7.45am
The situation: It clicks why you’re in a bad mood (cranky). You had too

much to drink last night and overshared on Twitter.

© Warner Brothers

WWKD? Delete the app. Keanu isn’t on any social media and it all adds to his

mystery. If he started ranting online about bad service from his mobile phone

provider he wouldn’t seem quite so enigmatic, would he? “Silence is true

wisdom’s best answer” goes the old saying. Be a real warrior, not a keyboard

one.

8.30am
The situation: On your way to work a group of kids laugh at you for wearing

a face mask.
© Niko Tavernise/Thunder Road/Kobal/Shutterstock

WWKD? Of course in a movie Keanu would wipe out any such oiks (noun,

plural oicks, oiks.British Slang. oaf; lout.) with a barrage of jiujitsu, but in real life the

John Wick star is famously courteous and kind. He would never get into a

slanging match.(an argument in which both people use angry uncontrolled language and insult each

other:) “I was raised to treat people exactly how I would like to be treated by

others. It’s called respect,” he once claimed. So stay calm, take a deep breath

and move on. Or you could just baffle the hell out of them with a Matrix

misquote: “Dudes. There is no mask.”

10am
The situation: You bump into an old colleague at work but you’ve

completely forgotten their name.

© Orion/Kobal/Shutterstock

WWKD? Politeness gets you a long way. Dig yourself out of the hole with a

classic Keanu-style earnest compliment. Example: “My most resplendent and

non-bogus friend... you’re breathtaking!” After such poetry, they hopefully

won’t mind that you really can’t remember who the hell they are.

2pm
The situation: You have to do a presentation in front of colleagues. To joke

or not to joke?

© Lionsgate

WWKD? Gags (A practical joke, a comic effect or remark) break down barriers and

Keanu knows that the most appealing way to raise a laugh is through

self-deprecation. Watch him spoof himself in Toy Story 4 for evidence.

Self-awareness like that is an important measure of emotional intelligence.

Subconsciously we recognise that those who can joke at their own expense are

confident in themselves and that in turn builds trust. And if you’re nervous,

just remember the phrase that John Wick has inked across his shoulder

blades: “Fortis Fortune Adiuvat.” Translation? “Fortune favours the bold.”

2.10pm
The situation: OK, so you’ve got some laughs from your presentation but it’s

hot up there at the podium. How to avoid those sweat patches under the arms?

© Action Press/Shutterstock
WWKD? A basic one, this. Why do you think Keanu wears black all the time?

3pm
The situation: You wow with your presentation and your female boss wants

a photo together for the internal newsletter. But where do you put your hands?

© Michael Tullberg

WWKD? Keanu is the master of posing with women in pictures yet not

appearing too grabby. His technique? The arm goes around the waist but

hovers rather than ever actually touching the body. Tactile but not

Trump-like. Most excellent.

7pm
The situation: It’s been a day of wins, but now you’ve got a first date and

you’re nervous. How to behave?

© Netflix

WWKD? “The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way,” the

great man once proclaimed. In other words, he’s no mansplainer (Mansplaining

is a pejorative term meaning "(of a man) to comment on or explain something to a woman). Listen

closely to everything your date says. Be open-minded to her ideas, even if they

differ to your own. And for the full effect, throw in the occasional “Whoa”.

8pm
The situation: Your date catches you eyeing up another woman at the bar.

© Moviestore/Shutterstock

WWKD? Stupid question. Keanu would never do that in the first place.

11pm
The situation: Time for bed but after the day you’ve had you are way too

wired (agitated) to sleep.

© Lionsgate

WWKD? Keanu once played Buddha, so the guy knows how to chill out

(relax). And as the legendary Siddhartha himself once revealed, “The ultimate

truth is not even to think.” In other words, meditate. Meditating lowers stress

and anxiety while improving concentration and last thing at night is the ideal

antidote to the distractions of your iPhone. Sleep well and you’ll wake the next

day ready to take on whatever life throws at you... even if that’s keeping a bus

above 50mph or catching a bunch of bank-robbing surfers.