They’re Leaving Us Clues. Are You Noticing?

The Names That Shaped Us

Author

Ed Clementi
July 28, 2025

We’ve lost some names lately.

Names that were part of the fabric of our youth.
Part of the era that shaped us.
Hulk Hogan.
Ozzy Osbourne.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

They weren’t just entertainers.
They were there—in the rooms we grew up in.
On the screens, in the music, in the moments that made us.

And now, just like that… they’re gone.
Another headline. Another goodbye.

But something about this wave of loss—especially Ozzy—made me stop to reflect (As I do).
It wasn’t just nostalgia.
It was something more layered.
A mix of memory, time, and the kind of pause that asks—
Are you paying attention to what matters?

The Light Behind the Darkness

Ozzy Osbourne was known as the Prince of Darkness.
The wild one. The untamable voice of Black Sabbath.

But here’s the irony—he lived like a light.

I remember watching The Osbournes many years ago, when reality TV was barely a thing.
Even in the middle of all the chaos, there was something magnetic about him.
He seemed genuine. Present. Funny.
A little lost at times—but always real.

Now, watching the interviews being shared in his final weeks…
What struck me wasn’t how he looked.
It was how he spoke.

With pride.
With gratitude.
With awe—like he couldn’t believe he got to live the life he lived.

“I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said.
“Great moments. Some bad ones. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

And you could tell he meant it.

I heard Gene Simmons reflecting and said:

“Everyone… everyone… just loved Ozzy.”

Not because he was polished.
But because he was Ozzy.
Fully, unapologetically himself.

He didn’t water it down.
He didn’t back away.
He lived his life—loud, wild, and full of love for the ride.

And in the end, that’s what showed up most.
Not darkness.

But light.

When Life Gets Quiet

Too often I meet people who’ve quietly stopped hoping for more.

They don’t say it outright.
But you can hear it in their tone.
In their energy.

You ask how they’re doing, and they say it:

“I’m fine.”

And I get it.
I’ve been there.

But that phrase?
It doesn’t mean “fine.”
It means: I know it could be better… I just don’t think it will be.

And that hurts to hear.

Because what it tells me is that somewhere along the way, they gave up on the idea that life could still be full.

Still joyful.
Still theirs to shape.

Stop Settling for Fine

I see it too often.

People just trying to make it through the week.
Another Monday. Another meeting. Another checkbox.

But the ones who stay with me—the ones I keep thinking about—are the ones who lived differently.

Ozzy.
David Wright.
Tommy Lasorda.

Different lives.
Same message:

Live while you’re here.
Go for it while you can.
Be someone who burns bright—no matter how dark the world around you seems.

They’re leaving us clues.

I Wrote About Lasorda Last Year

I was at Dodger Stadium last year and found myself reflecting on Tommy Lasorda.
The long time manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lasorda’s story wasn’t just about baseball.
It was about belief.

Belief in people.
Belief in doing what you love.
Belief in giving everything you’ve got until the very last inning.

I wrote about him back then because his energy reminded me what living with purpose really is.

Passion.
Conviction.
A willingness to go all in.

What Do You Want to Feel at the End?

Seriously.
Pause for a second and ask yourself:

If it all ended tomorrow…
Would you feel full?

Would you say:

“I went for it. And I’m so glad I did.”

Or would you be stuck in that quiet place of “It was fine.”

I’m not interested in fine.
Not for me. Not for the people I care about.
Not for anyone reading this.

You get one shot at this.
And you owe it to your chance here to give it everything.

Your Life Is Sending You Signals

Through the people you admire.
Through the moments that hit unexpectedly.
Through that gut feeling that tells you you’re meant for something more.

Pay attention to the clues.

Whether it’s Ozzy showing joy with a broken body…
Or Lasorda pumping his fist in the dugout…
Or Wright walking off the field with quiet pride—

The message is the same:

Live like it matters.
Love like it’s your last chance.
And don’t wait for permission to go after what sets your soul on fire.

Because “fine” isn’t the finish line.

Fulfilled is.

With Absolute Sincerity,

Ed Clementi, Founder & CEO of Inspired Fire, LLC

Make an Impact and Feel an Impact.