“You think you know better, don’t you?” is a phrase that I’ve often heard from authority figures in my life, whether it be my parents or past managers. Given my independence that only grows as time goes on and having shrugged off a “normal” job working solely for other people, I find the answer to that question is more and more obvious. Yes, I fucking do know better, and not for lack of trying.

Why play by the rules when we can make them ourselves?

We love to be fucked. Plain and simple. By our government, by our jobs, by our so-called friends who take us for granted. We want to be told want to think because critical analysis is too hard--let someone else do it. We want to be told what to do because this way we can avoid responsibility, that if we fuck up, we can just blame the person who instructed us. What a load of bullshit.

Do you ever have days where you know you should do something, yet you can’t be bothered to do it? They’re not even difficult tasks by most standards: laundry, running to the bank, vacuuming, writing. Hell, even the things you enjoy that aren’t chores or errands bring you little pleasure. You try to eat, but the food is just ash in your mouth: tasteless and bland. Everything is gray, yet you don’t feel sad. You merely exist. And you cannot move.

Do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Instead, break your struggle into smaller tasks, immerse yourself in each task--loving each one as much as you hate it--and move on. See stress as an opportunity to grow, not a test that threatens to break you.

Make your competition compete with you, rather than you compete with your competition.