An Outlet

You woke up late. You spilled your coffee. The car won't start. Traffic is making you bite your steering wheel, and it isn't even flavored. Maybe you got into a fight with your woman. Or man. Or family. Or that automatic door that decided to stay shut and make you look like even technology hates you right now. Any of these ever happen to you?

If they haven't, then you're clearly not human. Which means if you're reading this, you've learned yourself into the English way of reading, writing and most likely speaking. In which case, hello friendly nature critter and/or alien space dweller.

W've all had those days where we just want to throw a drink coaster at our cousin Ingrid, but doing such a thing wouldn't be advised as it's still regrettably illegal (one day, Ingrid...). So, we're forced to hold in our frustration and take it out on the stapler at work. And if you don't have a stapler, you're probably reading this from your jail cell for what you did to your cousin. Don't do that.


OR. We can find an outlet. And no, I don't mean taking out your troubles on the wall socket. Put the fork down, that's a horrible idea. What I mean is some kind of emotional or physical release. One that won't get you in trouble with the law or your meth-addicted-soap-eating neighbor. Though, he does have REALLY clean teeth. Way to go, Dove For Men.

Example time: When I get frustrated, upset, sad or even lonely...I sing. Or I exercise. Or I shoot things (at a shooting range, not in my living room). Sometimes, I just drive around to clear my head or gather my thoughts. All of which work for ME, but may not necessarily work for you. The problem that most of us have is that we take out our emotions (good or bad) on the first thing we feel deserves it. Or even sometimes on a thing that don't deserve it at all, but we tell ourselves that it does so we don't think ill of ourselves later. I swear, stop signs are so self-righteous...

Serious-face time: Don't lash out against something or someone just because you're emotionally overloaded and you THINK it/they deserve it. Maybe some guy cut you off, and you honk violently at him and flip him off. Just take a second to consider...maybe he's on his way to the hospital because a friend or loved one was in an accident. Or even when someone doesn't say thank you after you hold the door open for them, there could always be something you don't see. Perhaps they're lost in their own thoughts and emotions because they got fired, or maybe life took a bad turn and their house was robbed. The point is, someone else could be having a bad day and accidently made you upset, which caused you to lash out against them when perhaps they didn't deserve it. Hell, even if they did it purposely, don't take it out on them because it'll get you nowhere. Instead, just find your own outlet. Wish them well, and keep moving along. Then later, if you're still upset, do whatever it is you do to let it all go. Get it out of your system in a way that doesn't focus towards developing negative feelings towards another soul. Stand on a bridge and scream if it helps, but don't be negative towards someone else when they don't deserve it. You never know what they're going through, either. Open your eyes and see all of the colors, not just the ones you want to see.