There are many institutions meant to prepare us for the shift from childhood to adulthood,
They herd children in, and in their minds, send adults back out,
Many of these institutions fail, and I think universities are the most glaring example,
I am one of millions of people who worked hard to graduate with good grades and a degree I hoped would ensure employment in my field,
It’s been half a year and I have yet to secure that goal despite actively pursuing it,
However, I don’t want to delve into more negativity,
For the past decade,
I feel as if negativity has drowned out rationality and optimism in my life,
My life has not been perfect, but no one’s life is, and I believe I have a lot to be thankful for,
It has been too easy for me to forget this,
My bad experiences overshadow all the privileges and opportunities I have had,
I constantly compare myself to others, never being happy with myself,
Sometimes I spread my misery to others,
Lashing out at people who help me and driving them away,
It is a vicious cycle where my attitude leads to rejection, which then leads to more negativity,
It is easy for me to remember friends I’ve lost,
It is easy to remember those who betrayed me,
The people who made me feel unwanted, used, stupid, ugly,
The people who only paid attention to me to tear me down,
It is so easy to forget the people all around me who are always trying to clear the negativity from my mind,
The family that can’t stand to see me doubting myself and want nothing more than to see me happy,
The friends who always make time, not excuses, when they want to see you,
The co-workers, bosses who always go out of their way to praise your contributions,
I do not normally feel optimistic, and my writing reflects that,
Writing has always been my catharsis, my way to release my negativity,
Yet I have come to realize that my writing is not enough to combat the negative thoughts that my mind harbours,
My writing is merely another engine of negativity,
I cherish every piece I have written,
I don’t think my mindset makes them any less true but I now understand that my pursuit of happiness must be a proactive one,
I cannot wait for it to come to me,
I must create it.