If the Odd's Aren't Stacked Against You, You Are Doomed for Mediocrity

I have been hearing this gripe lately with the Presidential political season in full swing that, ‘life isn’t fair.’ ‘The chips are stacked against me.’ 'The political system is corrupt and that’s why I can’t succeed.' 'There are just no opportunities where I live.' Then they follow that with, 'and that’s why I’m voting for Bernie Sanders [insert your favorite candidate] 'because he/she will make it equal for me' and 'help me by providing free college [insert hand out of your choice] that will finally give me the leg up that I need.'

If your eyes glazed over and you immediately closed this article because you were offended by the opening paragraph then this article isn’t for you. If you are continuing to read then maybe deep down you already know what I’m going to say and you know that I’m right.

Last year when I was thinking about starting this website for Prince of Wales Island I knew that this was something that residents were wanting for a long time, so I thought this idea would be well received. Then two things happened:


1. I found out that a competitor also saw the void on Prince of Wales Island and wanted to fill it and profit from it. And boy did he have the experience and the know how to do it.

2. As much as people say that they support you or your ideas. They truly don’t.


People are self-interested. Narcissists if you will. And don’t mistake this for me blaming people. It’s natural. Part of the biological human condition. And don’t mistake this for me pouting or playing the victim--in fact, it’s the opposite.

It gives me the Motivation to succeed and make this website successful.

Sure, I have writing experience, I’m edumacated (Read: Don't Encourage Your Kids to Go to College), I’ve written a couple articles under pen-names that have been published. However,I know that I have certain weaknesses and knowing how to run a public access news blog website is definitely one of them.

However, that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t try.

If the odds aren’t stacked against you, you are doomed for mediocrity.

If I didn’t decide to start this website that only has (173 likes on Facebook...[507]) where would I be? I would be on Facebook arguing with friends over which episode of Game of Thrones reveals the pivotal secret to who John Snow's mother is.

I would be going to work everyday. Coming home. Opening a beer. Sitting in front of the television and watching The Voice, Nascar, The Walking Dead, The History channel--then going to sleep. I would watch myself age in the mirror, as day after day, I repeat the same cycle and the same mundane tasks, while muttering to myself that the reason why I still live on 'Prince of Wales Island' and am 'not successful' is because the Man is keeping me down.

If the odds aren’t stacked against you, you are doomed for mediocrity.

You see, it’s the challenges that ultimately make us better people and improve our character. It’s someone saying, 'you will never succeed, your competitor will make more money and be more popular than you' that should give you the motivation to push through your fears and weaknesses and give you the opportunity to learn something about yourself that you never knew existed.

If life was easy where would you be? If life never had any challenges what kind of character would you have? If everything was handed to you on a silver platter without work and effort how could you ever appreciate those things and appreciate life?

Why run a marathon?
Why go on a diet?
Why read a book?
Why start a small business?
Why go to school, if you already have the mindset that 'life is stacked against me and I will never succeed?'

If the odds aren’t stacked against you, you are doomed for mediocrity.

Honestly, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and I truly don’t care if you read this news blog (hypocrisy much dear POW Editor?) I’m not doing this to make money and become rich. I’m not doing this to garnish some kind of notoriety.

I’m doing this because I want to do it. I’m doing this because people say that I can’t. I’m doing this because when I’m laying on my death bed and I’m looking back on my life I want to say, 'You know what? You sexy good looking sonovabitch. Despite all the many failures in your life, You never gave up. No matter how many times someone scoffed at you, you kept Going.'

You rose above Mediocrity.

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