I’ve got legitimate complaints, things I wake up bothered by and others I could go to sleep angry about. But you know what — who the fuck cares, honestly?
I’m not talking about the barista screwing my order up either, mainly because I’m too poor to afford a coffee at places where baristas make and serve it. I’m a maxwell house kind of mad instead. But I bet a barista would take one look at me and sabotage my order on purpose, as a way of saying “you don’t belong here”. Or because they felt I endangered their safe space, or whatever.
If I could afford to pay $5 for the outrageous amounts of cups of coffee I drink on the reg, I’d just start doing cocaine again instead.
Do you see how worked up I’m getting about coffee? Imagine how mad I get about things that actually matter and have happened to me.
I was an angry fucking teenager. I probably didn’t need to curse just now, but I need you to understand how mad I was — at you, you and you.
I’m not tall, in a word, I’m short. So there’s that whole Napoleon complex thing I suppose. But here’s the thing — I was never ever bothered by my size growing up, I was legit comfortable with me.
What bothered me, is the fact people thought I was bothered by it. I have no desire to be tall, never have. Outside of the NBA, what purpose does it serve? Society says women prefer tall men because they make them feel safe and protected. Well, I’m short and have my license to carry, how do you like them apples? Besides, there’s no evidence to support the thought of just because you are tall, you can fight. Have you ever seen a tall guy try and fight? It’s awkward to watch, honestly. All dangly for no reason.
Okay, so now that we’ve established my ability to get angry over literally anything, let’s talk about how I channel it. How I use it to get me out of bed each morning. If it wasn’t for the number of people I’m out to prove wrong and spite, depression would probably leave me riddled in bed.
In all seriousness though, you can use emotions most would deem as negative in a positive way. They can be incredibly motivating if you know how to use them correctly. If it’s what you have to work with — then work with it.
Use the people who screwed you over and kicked dirt in your face while you were down as reminders of why you will never stop until the world is yours. Every time you feel like quitting, think about the people who said you’d never make it. About those who never accepted you said you weren’t good enough or made you feel like less than. Because they do exist and you know it.
Don’t get mad, or even — become successful instead. Use the frustration you feel over the obscure and mundane as fuel for building the life you want for yourself. Plenty of people have used petty slights to propel them forward.
Eminem and Michael Jordan both come to mind, both of who are arguably the best to ever do what they do, respectively. Eminem was bullied as a kid and not only did he never forget the name of the kid who made his life hell when he was young, he called dudes name out on a song two decades after it happened.
Michael Jordan called out everyone who ever slighted him or didn’t believe in him since grade school, during his Hall of Fame induction speech. Call me crazy, but I’d say he mastered the art of using his negative thoughts and emotions in a positive manner.
Biggie Smalls opens up one of his most popular songs by stating “This is for all the teachers who told me I’d never amount to nothing”. As troubling as it is to think teachers in America are telling students they’ll never amount to anything, let’s focus on the fact that another industry great bottled up those emotions and the negativity that others threw at him, saved it all up and used it to build a legacy as one of the best to ever do it.
So you can go to anger management, write angry blog posts or angry letters and never send them or whatever other dumb shit therapists and judges tell you to — or you can save it all up and let it fuel you. Use it as fodder for the animal who lives within you. Let that animal become king of the jungle.
I used petty attempts at humor throughout much of this to prove my point, just to keep it lighthearted but I truly mean what it is I’m trying to tell you. Not everyone sees the world or society through a shiny rose-colored lens. For some of us, it’s just a rageaholic brand of red. This is not necessarily a bad thing unless you let it be and don’t use it to your advantage.
You can get mad and complain or you can use it to get ahead of everyone who ever left you behind. The choice is completely yours.
