And The Winner Of The Sad Sack Award Goes To...

We all know someone that has it worse than we do. They carry around mental and maybe physical scars that they use to try to impress us with. Whatever terrible story from your childhood you bring to the table, they have experienced something way worse and carry that sadness like a badge of honor. It’s one thing to own your scars, it's another thing to constantly draw them like an insecure sword and gain attention through pity.  Congrats. You win. I'm not even going to watch the race, let alone allow myself to enter.

Stop.

Fueling your fragile ego with the attention you get through the pity of others is no way to move forward in life. I have had several unfortunate events happen in my life and it would be easy for me to allow others to look upon me with sadness or treat me as a wounded person. Giving up and demanding special treatment from others because you took a few lumps in life is shameful.  You are better than that. 

 I never want people to look upon me with pity or sadness. I don't want to be known as the "sad sack" in the room or have people feel the need to tip toe around me or filter what they say because they fear they might set me off and hurt my feelings. Your wounds are your wounds. My wounds are my wounds. We should not have to carry any additional burden for the other person. Sure, be mindful and don't be an asshole, but don't change who you are when you are around me. I'll do the same around you.

 Use your wounds to fuel you. 

I believe I have lived a blessed life. Regardless of what short straws I may have drawn over the years (or those drawn for me), I have fought and climbed to not allow those events to scar me or change me for the worse. If you're handed a bag of shit in life, burn it. Use the fuel from it to grow, move forward and improve your situation and the situations of others. Fertilizer is made from shit. Fertilizer helps plants.  If it’s good enough for the earth, it’s good enough for you, right? 

I'm not suggesting you bury your feelings or suppress them to the point where you become a walking time bomb. Just don't walk around begging for attention because of your scars. Doing that will only make you a magnet for more pain.  The more baggage you allow yourself to carry, the more you will be expected and cursed to carry. Make peace with your baggage. Examine it from all angles and look for ways to make yourself better because of it.  

 Also, you will never win the sad sack race. Someone will always be sadder and more pathetic than you.

 #Tryharder