Surrounded by negativity growing up, adapting to a lifestyle focused on nothing but bad things was easy. All through elementary and high school, even my time in the military, I was angry, frustrated, and judgemental. I’d get upset because of changes in my schedule because I might have to cover someone who had to leave work early to care for a sick child. I was angry because we had to go to physical training (PT), but I already knew that PT was scheduled three times a week at 1600.
Experiencing a childhood filled with negativity, anger, and judgment toward others posed significant challenges for me, especially as a young airman. This mindset hindered numerous opportunities for personal growth. Witnessing fellow airmen being selected over me only fueled my frustration further. My short temper and tendency to become hot-headed when things didn’t go my way made me question how I maintained any friendships.
Looking back, I would have told myself to calm down a lot sooner, but if I had, would I be the person I am now? Fast-forward to today, and I realize that my anger, negativity, and self-entitlement were sure ways for me to get nowhere fast. My stubbornness made things so much harder than they needed to be.
The proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together.”
I recall a former supervisor who often said, “You attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Despite her own negativity, I now understand the wisdom in her words, realizing that she and I should have taken that advice to heart.
Life experiences have definitely calmed me down a lot. If I had the chance to speak to my younger self, I would recommend treatment sooner to find calm. The experiences I went through were either a lesson or a blessing.
With everything going on in the world now, instead of being angry with decisions someone else makes or a circumstance beyond my control, I don’t give energy to it. I am aware of a lot of things happening, and there are a few that I’m passionate about, but looking from a 30,000-foot aerial view, it is going to take a miracle to make everything right in this world. Because of it, I don’t involve myself in anything negative anymore. Yes, I have my opinion about things; however, there is no need to force my opinion on someone else because we all know what they say about opinions. I now focus on being positive and seeing the good in everything. Because everything happens for a reason, and as cliché as it sounds, there is a lesson to be learned in everything.