That's The Breaks...

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will."

-Jawaharal Nehru

Sometimes, we get a shitty hand. I say this with mere bluntness, because it is the truth-and as they say, it will set you free. With this new-found freedom in the realization of this truth, I will not argue with it. As truth is set in stone, one comes to realize that nothing or no one can deviate the fact. Now, this shitty hand that we get may be an accumulation of so many things at one time-we get laid off, and we cannot find another job. The rent is due and damned if the cable is ready to get cut off. Can't afford a landline phone so we get minutes filled on a card to talk wirelessly. The baby is sick, your back hurts and you got to cook in a 1/2 an hour when your favorite television show is ready to come on.

I know. I know. Cry. Or snap the hell out. To each their own.

Regardless of the inevitable way which we conduct our self from our shitty hand that we were dealt, we take into consideration of other people. Sometimes we compare ourselves to other people and their shitty situations.

"Well, Joe Smoe down the street just got his car repossessed. Damn. That's messy."

We call it hard times. A shitty hand. A messy situation. Oh-here's a throwback: The breaks.

Regardless of our comparisons, we cannot escape the fact that misery loves company and to exalt one's situation, we must compare to uplift ourselves. This, however, makes a more shitty mess because all we are doing is acknowledging all negativity and focusing this shift of energy to become our humanness. Without even thinking, we have gained so little by just focusing on the negativity. If Joe Smoe down the street is now taking public transportation in the rain with no umbrella because of his car being repossessed, we secretly feel better about our situation. It is our mere compassion that we briefly think of how it is "such a shame" that this has occurred-but not for one minute will we re-think our brains to accept that by comparison, we drift ourselves into misery in our half-ass attempt to exalt our self.

Now, with this shitty hand, what do we do?

Well...glad you asked. I, myself like to use toilet paper.

We clean up our messes. Even if it wasn't our fault for the spilled milk (that we shouldn't cry over anyways). We take our time to buff out and shine the mirrors in our self so that when we see our reflection staring back-we aren't ashamed to look at ourselves. We pick ourselves up when we don't want to stand. We pull ourselves by the bootstraps when the buckles don't even stand a chance to bear weight. We fight, day after day with faith and stronger faith and even stronger faith. We do this to survive.

The way which we react-the way which we take action to fix it-that's the human ability of free will to conquer one's demons. To exercise the right not to be a victim, to be a pity seeker or to demand attention because "woe is me". Reaction from free will which we can control on our own: what a beautiful surprise. Knowing, that even with a shitty hand that is always uncontrollable, we have the power to empower ourselves to rectify the situation.

A beam of light, even when all the darkness surrounds you.

So how will you react the next time you find the breaks?