12 GQ.COM.AU FEBRUARY 2017
inside
Editor’s
Letter
ell,thankfuckthat’sover.Youcouldalmost
hear people the world over expel those
wordslikeaMexicanwaveofmassrelief
as the clock struck midnight in succession
around the globe on January 1, 2017.
Feignedenthusiasmreplacedtheusual
revelry for ringing in the New Year through
sheerexhaustionfrom2016–ayearthatfor
allintentsandpurposes,sucked.It’salmost
toomuchtothinkjusthowmuchcrapness
was crammed into those 366 days.
FromterrorisminParis,Orlandoand
NicetoabsurdityinUSandBritishpolitics
thatsaw,wellyouknowwhatitsaw–the
shockandaweofworldeventsbecameso
shockingandawfulthatattimesitwashardtobelievetheyweretrue.Thentotop
italloff,themumfromThe Brady Bunchdied,almostlikeametaphortosaythat
goodnessandsweetnesshasdefinitelylefttheearth.Welostagenerationoftalent
lastyear,too,withRIP’stoDavidBowie,Prince,GeneWilderandAlanRickman.
Itwasenoughforustothrowourhandsupintheairandsay,“What’stheuse?”
Onapersonallevel,Iadmit,2016reallygottome.ItwasthefirsttimeI’d
experiencedrealsearingpainandlosswhenmydearfatherpassedawayfrom
acourageousbutdamnterriblebattlewithbraincancer.EventhoughIwas
preparedforwhatwouldbetheendtothatchapterinmineandhislife,nothing
couldpreparemefortherealitythatsadnesslingerslongafteryouputsomeone
soclosetorest.Theysaylifegoeson,buttome,gettingthroughtotheendof
2016 was like crawling to the finish line of a Tough Mudder obstacle course –
battered, bruised and caked in shit.
You’llforgivemethen,withthisNewYeareditionofGQ Australia,for delving
alittledeeperintothetoolsyou’llneedtogetinto2017.Successhasalwaysbeen
ourdrivingfactorwithourBacktoWorkissue,butwhatissuccesswithoutthe
thingweallarereallyafter–happiness?Forthat,journalistMichaelPaterniti
trackeddowntheguydubbed‘TheHappiestManintheWorld’.Hisdetermination
tofindthetemplateforhowtobehappytookhimtoNepaltofindaFrench
scientistturnedBuddhistmonkbythenameofMatthieuRicard,whoasyou’llread
(p116),oozeshappiness.TheresultisanincrediblereadandoneIthinkchallenges
ourtraditionalnotionsofsuccessversushappinessandhowwecanachieveboth.
Alotofourvoidinhappiness,hethinks,comesdowntoego.“Ourattachmentto
egoisfundamentallylinkedtothesufferingwefeelandthesuffering we inflict on
toothers,”RicardtellsPaterniti.“Freedomistheopposite.”
Ifthatallsoundsalittletooself-helpy,wealsohavethetoolstodeliverthose
outwardsignsofsuccessin2017.AcrackingnewworkwardrobeinOutfitter(p59)
takinginthenewmoodofrelaxeddressrulesintheoffice,thebestinbusiness
travelandaccommodation(p49)andourpickofthecarsthatwilltelltheworldyou
meanbusinessthisyear(p78).Lastly,asanacceptanceofthecrazyworldwelivein,
GQInc.(p85)takesalookatDonaldTrump’srulesofbusiness.Hey,ifTrump can
make it to the Oval Office, there must be something he can teach us.
Enjoy the issue,FOLLOW NICK
@NICK_SMITHGQNick Smith
EDITOR IN CHIEF