Yo, yo, yo. Let me start this off by saying, you are Brave, you are Bold, you are Strong, you are Competent, you are a man of Action, you are a man of Value, it is a privilege to know you and to be in your presence, you are a FUCKING Beast, and with that said…Let’s get to work!
My wife left me after 10 years. On top of that, she left me for a woman. In no possible way did I see this coming. I seriously considered ending my life. Why? Because she was my world, I had no life of my own, I had no purpose, I had two friends in which one of them accused me of sleeping with his wife. I was at a job that was going nowhere and I was back at my parents’ house. I figured…who the hell would even miss me. According to menshealth.com, studies show that men experience more depression, distress, and anxiety after break ups than women do. I believe this stems from the fact that we treat settling down as a type of finish line, I know I did.
So, how did I bounce back?
I bounced back by choosing my suffering. What does this mean? You can either choose to allow life to keep kicking the shit out of you, which is suffering type 1, or you can choose to be a fucking beast and start kicking the shit out of life. But make no mistake, life ain’t no punk, to kick life’s ass you have to learn, study, train, practice discipline, work, perfect your craft, and sometimes isolate yourself, which is suffering type 2.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche stated that “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find the meaning in the suffering.”
My favorite super-hero is Batman. He lost both parents as a child and used that pain to become the savior of Gotham City. Michael Jordan lost his father after his third championship. He channeled that suffering into trying something new and rediscovered his love for the game of basketball which then led to him winning three more titles. Kanye West unexpectedly lost his mother. That pain propelled him into becoming a billionaire. Behind each tragedy, behind all suffering, lies greatness for us all.
We all will suffer, but you can choose to channel your suffering. I utilize my suffering by easing the suffering of other men through my podcast, these articles, and the many other endeavors I am currently working on. What will you do with your suffering? Will you search for the meaning in it? Or will you waste your suffering and let life have its way with you?
If you DECIDE to kick life’s ass…remember this. You will be alone. No one will come to help you. No one will cheer for you. No one will reward you for your efforts. As Drake has so eloquently stated... “Ain’t no awards for that.” But remember this as well, at the end of your suffering, there will be peace, joy, and fulfillment. At the end of your suffering, you will look back at a life full of meaning.
So…again, I ask you, what will you do with your suffering?
WALT FACTUAL
