If you don’t work for it, and someone gave it to you, they can take it away.
A great philosopher once said.
“Welfare checks are the participation trophies of adult hood”
- Johnnidamus
When I was a kid, we got pumped up about Mighty Ducks, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and pretty much any movie where it was US vs. Russia.
So what?
All of these movies were about people overcoming impossible odds and fucking winning.
We loved that shit. It was what we, red blooded Americans, we’re all about.
If Facebook existed in the 80’s and 90’s, when you posted something about overcoming some crazy odds, succeeding on a lifetime goal or whatever you’d have 1000 comments and 100 shares celebrating it.
If you posted something about how bad your day was they’d tell you to suck it up, try again tomorrow or give you advice on how to make it better.
They’d probably even help you, but if not, they’d ignore you.
Today if you post that same win today, you’re looking at 500 comments still, but very different.
100 of your friends being happy for you on social, 3 of your REAL friends sharing it, and 400 losers calling you an elitist, asking “oh you think you’re better than everyone else?” And doing everything they can to pull you down to their shit life.
Someone will probably even go on and post how bad they feel because someone hurt their feelings and ruined their safe space.
They’ll talk about how hard their life is, how unfair it is, how no one understands THEIR struggles, and so on and so forth.
They get 10,000 comments telling them it’s ok, it’s not their fault they are broke, it’s the systems fault they have no skills in the work place and society hates them for who they are etc.
When I was growing up, we rooted for the underdog.
We celebrated overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
We celebrated winning.
Today, it’s a race to the bottom.
Who can find the most reasons they aren’t successful, or why life is unfair.
Here’s the truth, and it’s going to hurt a lot of people's feelings.
I’m not going to say I don’t care because it isn’t true. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write this. I’d be in bed with my wife wrapping up the day, and getting ready to kick the next week's ass.
I care more than your “friends” who encourage you to eat the cake because you had a bad day even though you don’t like how you look naked.
I care more than your “friends” who encourage you to go blow off some steam with a night out even though you are trying to get in better shape and drink less.
I care more than your “friends” who encourage you to go shopping even though you’re stressed as fuck how you’re going to pay your bills.
The ugly truth is winning, actually doing the fucking work, day in. Day out. Every. Fucking. Day. So you can actually win, has become counter culture.
It’s not the norm.
And thankfully for myself, I was raised by parents and people who thought that losing was more horrible than winning was awesome.
Look around you.
Most Americans are fat.
Most Americans can’t do a pull up.
Most Americans don’t have $1000 for an emergency.
But you’re not like most people are you?
I’m not.
It’s time to start Rebuilding the American Dream, and doing that… starts with you.
🇺🇸 🏴☠️ 🦍