The People In Your Life You Love To Hate

Hate (verb) - to feel intense or passionate dislike for someone or something

Admit it. You've all said you've hated something or have hated someone before in your life. Some of us say it a lot and some maybe fewer than others but we've all been there. The hate that you feel usually varies from situation to situation of course. But what brings it on so intensely?

Is the reason you hate your co-worker is because he/she got promoted before you? Or you hate the girl in your class because you think she's prettier than you? Every new situation you are placed with hate in your heart towards someone/something is because they have something you don't have and you feel like you should. But for some reason there is something holding you back that you can't quite figure out.

So let's rewind a bit and talk about my past, I was a die-heart athlete. I played almost every sport known to mankind and I was good at it. I don't mean to sound cocky or anything but I was. Sports were my thing.

Being an avid athlete, needless to say I'm extremely competitive. I do not like to loose nor do I let people win at anything. For a mental prep before games I would put into my brain that I am a caged lion and the only way I was going to get out of that cage is if I worked hard to break through those iron barriers. Easier said than done, right?

As much as I'd love to say, I won at everything everytime I played, I unfortunately did not. I found myself getting bitter the more and more I lost games or fell into a batting slump. I was so focused on hating myself for my performance on the field and telling myself I wasn't as good as the girls on the other team. I found myself in an awful situation of mind monopoly and the worst part was I was the only one playing.

I was bitter and I wanted to do better but I didn't know how. When I finally had some time to calmly collect my thoughts again I realized why I had been feeling the way I was feeling. I was taking the wrong approach towards an impossible vision. I had started to place blame on others for my own feelings.

I became obsessed with people who I thought in my eyes who were better than me. I focused all my energy on hating my competitors because I wanted to be the best. I wanted to be better than them.

Instead of channeling all that hate into people/things you can't change in your life I challenge you to let that person be your motivation to keep moving toward. Even though it's easy to hate them because they get better grades, have more money, or drive a nicer car doesn't mean you won't get there one day. Let your competiton and haters drive you to become a smarter, well-rounded educational individual. Living in spinal cord injury land, I understand that great things take time. So try your best not to get frustrated when you don't see immediate results. I am here to tell you life is a marathon not a sprint, so keep your stamina up.

Let me fill you in on a little secret, no matter how hard you try to be exactly like someone else you will always fail at it. You will always fail because you will never be that person. Then you have to ask yourself this why are you shooting to always be 2nd rate version of them when you can be a 1st rate edition of yourself?

In the midst of hate clouding your vision, it's very easy to loose sight of who you are. It takes great courage to grow up in this crazy world to become exactly who you were meant to be.

So when you feel the wave of hatred flowing over you, stay strong for yourself. If not you, then who? If not now, then when? Make your competition and haters wonder how you're still smiling.

Xoxo,

A Guy's Girl