Sometimes, I get really tired of uplifting blog posts.

Or motivational quotes. Or inspiring stories of people triumphing against all odds. Or pictures of animals hugging each other.

Sometimes, I just want to be in a thunderously bad mood, all right?

Sometimes, I want to be a toddler having a tantrum; I want to stomp my foot and pound my fists against the floor, and scream, “It’s not going to be okay, it’s not it’s not it’s not!”

I refuse to be cheered.

I won’t breathe deeply, or imagine my ethereal higher self cradling me—in fact, just the thought of imagining that makes me want to run head-first into a wall.

I don’t want to chant forgiveness mantras or hug a freaking rhododendron. I will not be assuaged, damn it! Stuff is seriously sucking around here and I demand my right to be pissed off about it!

So you know what I do? I go right ahead and get pissed off.

I stomp around. I eat something ridiculous like cold leftover pizza for breakfast (because I’m too irritated to be gluten and lactose-intolerant, okay???). I cry, I play online Scrabble, I hide under the covers and sleep.

And sometimes, allowing myself to feel exactly what I’m feeling moves me past the fear and the anger and the despair and the suckishness way faster than any meditation session or motivational pep talk ever could.

When I allow myself to feel what I am feeling—even when I’m not proud of what I’m feeling—I make room for those feelings to change.

And then, sometimes, I find that after having that tantrum or hiding in mindless media marathons or eating stupid stuff, I pop out the other side, and boom, just like that, I’m calm and positive and in a good place again.

Sometimes, I find that I end up writing an uplifting blog post after all.

Damn it.

Maggie McReynolds is an award-winning writer, certified life coach and writing coach who helps clients with real or perceived limitations break through to create lives of meaning, fulfillment, and joy. She specializes in helping both writers and non-writers find their authentic “voice” and create compelling content and manageable writing routines that don’t suck, as well as in life, love and career coaching.

 

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Assistant Ed: Kate Konieczny

Ed: Bryonie Wise

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