Honestly, I couldnotgiveyouananswerbecause I hadnoideawheremylifewasgoingbefore I startedthischannel.
Itwasoneofthereasonsthat I didstartdoingthisbecause I hadnoideawhatelsetodoitmytimewithmylife, withmyself.
I wasverysad.
I wasmiserable.
I wasverydepressed.
I didn't knowwhatwasgoingon.
So I starteduploadingvideosandhopethatpeoplewouldwatchthemandhopethatanybodywouldlistentome.
And I wouldfindsomesortofpurposeanddriveinmylife.
Sotosaythat a feelluckythatthatactuallyhappenedis a completeunderstatement, because I couldnotbemoregratefulforwhat I havebeenabletodohereonthisplatform.
YouTubehascompletelychangedmeas a person.
I know I wasn't a badpersonbefore I starteddoingYouTube, but I'm definitely a muchbetterpersonthan I evercouldbebydoingthisbecause I'vemetsomanydifferentpeopleinthelastsevenyears.
I havingtodothisandhavingsomuchresponsibilityandsomanypeopleandeyeballsthrustuponyouatoncehasmaturedmefaster.
It's mademesuch a betterperson, and I cannotbemoregratefulforthataswell.
I was a verysad, depressedearly 20 yearoldin a logcabininthemiddleofthewoods, freezingmyabsoluteassoffwithnorielfriendstotalktodayinanddayoutonyou.
Thefriendsthat I didhave.
Wegotalongandeverything, butwenevershared a lotofthesameinterests, and I I justsatathomealone, watchingvideos, playinggamesallthetimeonthen.
Doingthishas I'vedonesomanythingsdoingYouTube.
I've I'veaccomplished a lotofmywirelessdreams.
I'vegottentoplayvideogamesas a job.
I'vegottentohavesomanyofyouguysouttherewatchingwhat I doandbeingsoinvolvedinitandsolovingandcaringandsupportiveandallowingmetodoweird, wacky, crazy, wildthingsallthetimeandreallysupportmecreatively.
I'vegottentogooutontourandmeet a lotofyouinreallifegonetoconventionsandseeinghowmuchthishasmeanttoyouinreallife, I'vegottentomeetpeoplefromMake a Wishwhosewishwastocomeandmeetmeanddivulgeabouthowmuchthischannelmeanttothemandhowmuchmyenergyandmypositivityhasmeanttothem.
I'vemetsomanypeoplewhohavebeeninlowpartsoftheirlifewhoreallyrelatedtothechannelon, reallylookeduptomeandreallywantedtoeitherdowhat I doorjustbealongfortherideandhavefunwithit.
I'vegottentomeetsomeofmycelebrityidols.
I'vegottentogoontalkshowsand I runthebiggesttalkshowinIrelandthat I grewupwatching.
I'vegottentodosomanycharitylifethings.
We'veraisedoveralmosttwoand 1/2 $1,000,000 sincelastyearforpeopleinneedandsomanydifferentcharities, and I'vegottentoworkwithsomanyamazingpeople.
I'vegottentomeetsomeofmybestfriendsthat I'veeverhadinmylife, who I wholeheartedlyrespectandenjoyhangingoutwith.
It's beensuch a densesevenyearsthat I feelsocompletelyundeservingofhowmuchloveandsupporthascomemyway, thatall I candoisspendtherestofmytimedoingYouTubetryingtosendthatloveandenergyandpositivitybackoutintotheworldbecausetheworldhasgivenmesomuchalready.
SonomatterwhathappensonYouTube, nomatterwhere I go, nomatterwhere I'vecomefrom, nomatterwhatmymentalityisnoworwhatitwasbefore, justknowthatnoonecanbemorethankfulforallofthisthan I ambecauseithasmeantsofuckingmuchtometodo.
Yet I havesomuchmorepotentialandenergyleftinmethat I haveyettoexploresomanyotheravenuesdoingYouTube.
Butpleasenever, everdoubthowthankful, howgratefulandjusthowmuchlove I havefordoingthisonforyou, forthiscommunity, becauseyouguysarenottogetallsloppyaboutitandnottotryandsoundlikeandblowingsmokeupyourassandgetalllike, Oh, I lovemyfriends.
But I seriouslydo, becausethisisthecoolestthing I'veeverdoneinmylife.
And I'm sohappythat I gettodoitdayinanddayout, and I neverwanttolosethatfeeling.
Ifyoushowedupinthechannelandyoudidn't likeit, atleastyougaveit a shot.
Ifyou'restillhere, ifyoujustshowedup.
Thankyouforstillbeingherebecause I couldn't doanyofthiswithoutyou.
I getverydoubtfulofourthingsfromtimetotime.
Maybeit's thatimpostersyndromekickinginthe A lotofpeoplewhodothistypeofstuffhavebecausethere's timeswhen I sitdownandreallythinkaboutwhatitistohave a channelofthissizeand a communityofthissize, andtohavedonesomeofthethingsthat I'vedoneonit.
JustItalmostfeelslike a differentpersonhasdonethem.
Maybethatselfawarenesskickinginis a goodthing, becauseagainitkeepsmegroundedandaccusemerememberingthat I didn't alwaysgettodothis, anditcouldhaveeasilyjustnothappened.
I neverwanttoforgetthat, becausethat's that's theenergyonthemotivationonthepowerthatkeepsmegoingbecausematerialthingsandnumbersandmoneyandallofthatstuff.
I'm tryingtothinkofthingsthat I haven't talkedaboutinregardstothisvideobecause I'vereactedthislikefourtimesbynow.
Buttheoriginalideaforthechannelwas I wassoobsessedwithvoices.
I mean, I stillam.
That's why I likedoingvoicesingamesandchangingmyvoicearoundbecausethatwasthestuff I usedtoalwaysdoanyway, withmylikemycollegefriendsofmyhighschoolfriendsbackintheday, andwhen I startedoffdoingYouTube, I waslike, Well, everyone's doing, Let's plays.
Everyone's doingthethingwheretheyjusttalkovervideogamesAnd I I thought I wantedtobedifferent.
I wasgonnadoitwhere I wouldbecharactersfromthosegames, doing a voicefromthegamewhileplayingthegame.
I amverygladthatthatdidnotworkoutbecause I don't thinkitwouldhaveexplodedthewayithadon.
I don't think I wouldbewhere I amnow.
If I continuedoingthat, somepeoplehavedefinitelydonethatsinceitwasbynomeanslike a unique, originalthingtodoatthetime, either.
Itwasjustwhat I wantedtodo.
I originallywantedtodolikeBanefromtheDarkKnightrisesbelike, Wow, James, whatdoyouthinkofthat?
But I lovethemetalgear.
Solidmetalgear.
Solidthreeisinlikemytopfivegamesofalltime.
I lovemetalgear.
Solidoneiswell, I thinkmetalgearsolidonehas a biggerimpactonsocietyandweliveinone.
Um, I thinkit's probablystorywiseandoverall.
Bettergame, butmetalgearsolidthreehad a biggerimpactonme.
I loveforests.
I lovecamouflage.
I lovesneakingaroundinforestandthatkindofstuff, and I likedthecharactersmore.
Ah, now I didn't likethat.
I liketheendfightthemost, but I justfeltliketherewassomuchmoretodointhatgame.
I hateditwhenitcameout, I thoughtitwas a crappymetalgearstory.
I thoughtthegameplacesocked.
I thoughtallthesoulandforeignoff a metalgeargamewasallsuckedoutofitand I haven't playeditsince.
I plantedliketwicebackthenoneveryonebacktoit.
But I didlikethisopeningcutseenand I wantedtodothat.
Sothat's why I'm alwayslike I alwayshavesuchhugerespect, and I'm alwaysobsessedwithvoice, actorsandsounddesignandthatkindofthing, becauseplayingvideogamesisonwatchingcartoonsandstuff, ofcourse, butthatwaslike, Oh, man, somebody's doingthatvoice.
Somebody's jobistorecordthemdoing a coolvoiceandactedoutas a characteronthatblewmymind.
Thepeoplecoulddothatfortheirjob, andhere I am, doingsomethingthat I didn't evenknowyoucoulddois a job.
Backthen, I wasuploadingvideos.
I thoughtthatwascool.
I thought, Oh, maybesomebodywillwatchitIf I toldthatpersonbackthen, sevenyearsago, the 23 millionpeoplewouldbeontheirchannel.
I wouldhavelostmymind.
Itprobablywouldhavescaredmeintonotdoingitbecause I was a veryinsecure, veryscared, verylonelydude, andall I wanttodoisgobackandgivethatguy a hugbecausehefuckingneededitatthetime.
I mean, weallneed a hogeverynowandthen.
But I wasin a veryroughplaceand I didnotlikewho I waason.
Andthen I finallyfoundpeopleontheInternetwhoweredoingthisastheirjoblikewaylater.
I wasn't I wasjustuploadingvideos, thinkingitwascool.
Andthewaylater I foundoutthatpeopleweredoingitas a job.
I thoughtpeoplewerejustdoingitforfun.
Like I waasdidthesnakeimpressionsevenyearsago.
Butthenmynextvideo.
Afterthat, itwasNovember 29th 2012.
Sowe'recomingupalmostsevenyears, andthat's itwasitwas a littlechunkoftimebetweenvideosthen, um, butthen I keptpumpingthemout, and I waslike, Youknowwhat?
Itmeanstheabsoluteworldtomethat I cangotoTwitteratanymomenton, likeanymomentofthedayand I cantweetsomethingandthosepeopletheretointeractwithit, I justtalkedtoNoteveryonecanaffordthatnoteveryonewillafford.
Thatdoesn't mean, hesaid.
Noteveryonehasthat.
NoteverybodyisableThiodothatintheirlivesondhe.
I'm incrediblyappreciativeofit.
Thankyousovery, verymuch.
ForsevenyearsonYouTube, it's been a wild, crazyright.
We'vedonesomanycrazythingssofaronguy.
Wehaveevenscratchedthesurface.
Yet I havesomanybigplansforthingsthat I wanttodonextyearthatareallbowlsinmotionthataregoingtotake a whiletogetdone.
I thinkbackwhen I gottheshotoutfromFelix, I was 2500 subsand I don't eventhinkhewasat 23 millionsubscribersatthetime, andsomebodyhadaskedmewhatitwouldbelikeif I gotto 20 something 1,000,000 subscriberson.