Chapter One: A New Hope

As of late I've come to many realizations and I feel as though it has been a very influential and necessary series of thought progressions. I've spent so much of my time, so many years of my life brooding on negativity. Focusing so intently on my failures and my inability escape failure. I'm aware that few relate with the malicious, self-inflicted and often pre-medidated torture of being consumed by personal failure. Due to the self infliction of this sort of torture it seems jaded and destructive, in essence it is. Regardless of intent it proves a vicious cycle. However, I no longer feel a contempt for those to whom I can't relate and for those who do not understand my troubles. As self inflicted as much of my pain has been, it has held such an unbreakable grasp on my life that it felt immovable. Providing nothing but criticism, self-sabotage and always reducing me to the relentless depths of self-deprication. My anxieties, my depressions, my frequent bouts of self loathing became the basis of my thoughts; the intial premises that lead me away from progress, growth and contentment. I have let my mind stand in the way of itself for sometime now. I have let my most proficient saviour hold a gun to my head.

I have come to realize that life is not predictable; that you in fact have no way of distinguishing which curve ball will knock your teeth out and leave you breathless. This realization as apparent as it may seem is one I have grappled with for my entire life. In order to accept the premise that one cannot predict the events in life to the degree of direct influence one has to accept that the only constant is the existence of variables. If someone had asked me one month ago what I thought would come of the next, I would only be able to speculate. Although extremely unexpected and occassionally tumultuous these experiences triggered an urgency for flight. Many people wish not to experience hardships and struggles that life bestows upon us. They want nothing more than the American Dream; stimulated by granules of sugar and team sports. And as much as I spent hours yearning to join them, to be un-encombered of the weight of and ability to formulate these Achilles abstractions. To be reduced to a longing for the blind comfort of ignorance.

I've learned from this that I am the only variable I have the ability to control. I and only I, posses the faculties necessary to overcome the struggles and most importantly, to qualititate the malaise. I now realize that armed with capacity of a functioning, rational mind there is an opportunity to gain insight and to experience self edification. The use of rational thought has proved invaluable in my internal struggles. My newly shall I say 'realized' ablitity to analyze situations as objectively as possible has proven paramount to my ability to avail myself of the the potential of the human mind. I have come to firmly believe that in every experience there is a lesson to be learned, there is a choice to be made and there is a genuine opportunity to grow.

I have shown myself that self loathing and displacement of blame have no right residing within the walls of my mind. I am replacing struggle with determination. I am irradicating my acceptance of failure and half ass-ness. I will not sell myself to groundling bidders, I have held out for the highest offer and she is here to collect. I will no longer accept alternative directions formulated by the craving of the facile. I value others by their ability to use their minds, to create, contribute and cultivate. As humans we must take advantage of our capacity to formulate ideas and extrapolate from point A to infinity. Our entire sociopolictical and economic structure facilitates our ability to reap what our minds produce. If one was to truthfully wish to escape their mind it would be to preform the greatest injustice on oneself. Often it seems to me as though it is those of us who know most of our gifts that struggle with the dilemma of actualization. When in possession of heightened faculties of reason and analysis it becomes easy get caught in the egotism of intelligence. Instead of applying our theories and hypothoseis we hide behind laurels of intellect.

Until now my gift of intelligence and the capacity to comprehend has proved a venerable facade to the world and sufficive representation of my character. Although adequate to others it has long since begun to proliferate my mental stagnation. I had begun to accept my intelligence at face value, as most others accept it. In coming to the realization that I could search within myself and find the strength learn from the most negative and seemingly devestating of situations I illuminated the false reality I was hiding in. I used to believe that only some events in life possess a didactic quality and would present themselves accordingly. But the joyous reality is that if you search hard enough, if you objectively rationalize and don't to sucumb to the reactionary and the emotional you will feel as though the insight you've gained has qwelled your pain or sadness. I've found in the month past I have found solace in my ability to control the way situations effect me. I believe that this is the Holy Grail of intelligence and in essence of the Human Mind. Although we cannot control what happens to us, or begin to predict the endless possibilites of circumstances, we have the overarching power to control what we do when faced with the mundane to the monumental. We have the ability as rational humans to determine the end result of our experiences. We formulate thoughts that lead us to act, grow, and learn based on what we encounter and personally take whatever we will. No more will I stand surrounded in the static safety of a comfortable facade and pretend that is excusable to embrace mental lethargy.

My life has been given a new hope, or rather I should say an improved hope. I have realized that I can control my thoughts and emotions and use the that ability to find meaning and purpose in things that would have devestated me at any other point in my life. I have rediscovered the value of introversion for the sake of self betterment. Relativity and context have acted as sword and sheild against doubt, insecurity and stagnance. Finding solace and strength in yourself is so utterly liberating, it possesses a quality energy. That you have been able to take something and learn from it, really learn from it. To always possess the knowledge and rationality that you will forever have as ammunition against the next challenge, as the fuel to keep pushing forward.

My future has never seemed brighter, I have never felt more confident in myself. I am at the point where I'm ready for the next battle, the next attempt to take out my knees, to catch me off guard and send me reeling. I am ready for anything you throw at me world, I want all of it. I'll show you what I've got and God damn I'll take what's mine.