Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity.

"Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity..." - Tool

Find me a successful person…and I don’t mean an heir or heiress…a person who has had their wealth passed to them. Our society, especially our young generation, has become entrapped in the phantasm that we are entitled. Once I graduated from college, I felt entitled to a managerial job…when in reality, I had no such related work experience that would justify such a hiring. We feel entitled to “natural” rights. Wants become needs, as the line quickly blurs into a gray perforated area that no longer has a proper barrier.

The bottom line is that to get to where we are today, millions had to suffer, millions had to die, millions had to rise up and establish what natural rights are. Unfortunately, there may be no such thing.

The economy is bad right now. Two major beasts of burden are the housing and auto industries. For almost two generations, the American auto industry has been victimized by the unions. The unions have taken the quality and innovation out of American manufacturing in general. Why? The unions say that if you are uneducated and unskilled, you are entitled to short working hours, a multitude of regulated breaks and meal time, as well as inflated salaries and benefits. The bottom line is, if you have not earned it, you haven’t put the time in, you don’t deserve such amenities! The housing industry went crazy throwing ridiculous home loans around, giving them to anyone…even those without a source of income. Well, how are they supposed to pay off the loans? Again, another case of entitlement.

I graduated college just at the beginning of this recession and it was difficult finding a job. I was a history major with a solid, diverse, work history…but I had mediocre grades, a bullshit useless area of academic study, not to mention some alcohol and mental health issues coming out of school. But I had some intangibles going for me: good people skills, an incredible work ethic, which I had lost in college and an ocd approach of “never being satisfied.” Because I never am.

When people ask me how I got my job, they can’t understand it, especially if they knew who I was and where I came from. Underestimation is ignorance.

Every successful person can pinpoint indelible moments in their lives to create them. For me, my life turned for the worse with a few asshole coaches, bad parents, bad school, a 12 pack of bud ice, bad friends, and a bad attitude. Accepting your weaknesses is a path to enlightenment. People say to “forget the past.” No way! As a history major, I say never forget the past! Remember every time you were short changed. Every person who said you couldn’t. Remember how that felt! Hate it. Rage against it. Let those thoughts seethe. Yes, you will be miserable. Yes, you wil be jealous of those who got everything handed to them, but in the end, there is success and self worth.

So to all of you reading this that are envious of my successes, who stood in my way at some point along the way…hahaha…fuck you! I remember every one. Parents, coaches, and peers…in the words of Shaq, “Tell me how my ass tastes!”