07/05/2025

What if it doesn't suck?

Howdy. Thanks for your patience on the website move, hope you're enjoying the new design and layout~

Those who know me more personally can probably attest to the fact that I have a negative streak in my thought and personality. All my role models are very positive-presenting people and I hope to also be a light in the world. But like everyone else, I can get down. It's inevitable at times, this side of heaven.

However, one phrase that has been pretty helpful to pull me out of that is to ask myself, "what if it doesn't suck?"

Now, this phrase probably isn't going to help you deal with the loss of a loved one in the moment. But for day-to-day matters, it can be surprisingly effective. When you're in a negative mire, you may be subtly telling yourself over and over, "this sucks." But since you are the only one who is ultimately responsible for your attitude, you can examine yourself through the day, and if you want a pick-me-up, ask: "what if life actually doesn't suck?"

If you want to get into the mud of the mechanics of this, stick with me here. (This is just kind of my mental process with this whole thing, if you're curious about how I got here.) At times, my underlying "mental hum" that colors how I'm seeing everything can shift to being: "this sucks." However, saying "this sucks" to tons of things around you means that you're admitting that you know how everything should be going - you're basically sitting around saying something to yourself how you know what's best for everyone and everything. But last time I checked, I know I'm definitely not God who knows all such things.

In this sense, then, part of my misery can be insisting on myself, my ego, my thoughts, my way. The solution is then humility - accepting things as they are and daring to pose the question, "what if life doesn't suck?"

Note too that this isn't a matter of forcing an unearned smile or telling yourself to simply "get over it!" This question is an invitation to your mind to step back and just wonder, what if? What if that person meant better than how I interpreted their actions? What if things ARE going to look up? What if God and others around me actually have good in store for me? What if I am worth something? To mare and paraphrase something someone smarter than me said: "concepts and ideas taken too seriously create idols, and people kill one another over idols. True wonder, on the other hand, makes us fall to our knees in prayer and acceptance."

And for all my Christian friends in the audience, this invitation serves as a reminder that the answer to the question is no, things don't suck, ultimately. Not in God's creation of things. (People can be bad, yes, but that's a different story; ask Thomas Aquinas about God's active versus passive will if you're not on board there.) Digging down into deeper Christian territory however, one can even find reason to rejoice in our own failings and trials. (Ask Therese of Lisieux for more info.)

Again, this solution here involves humility. While it's not technically forcing an idea back into your brain, the fact that it's an invitation leads us to that "true wonder" that makes us step back, stop insisting on our own ways -- and, in case you need a reminder, it's a matter of WHEN our ways get de-railed, not IF -- and just take things in. A way to get back into a better mindset of remembering that we are only ever co-authors in the stories of our lives.

Just a little thought that I hope can help you. Let this also serve as a preview to my shrine page, which, as of writing, is still a work in progress. But I hope to begin a collection of similarly hopefully helpful snippets that will embolden and enliven your life.

And, if you're interested in JOJO2K LORE, this mindset of "what if" and, reductively put, considering the pragmatic consequences of one train of thought over another in evaluating which habits of thought to adopt, is PARTIALLY how I came to the faith in Jesus that I now enjoy today... maybe a fuller write up about that is in order down the line, who knows.

For my full philosophy nerd take on the matter, some of my Catholic contemporaries might scoff at such things as seen above, but I don't see how people can simultaneously think that Pascal's Wager regarding a given matter can be considered a helpful tool while the same person also thinks that the pragmatism of William James is problematic. They're quite close to being the same way of thinking. Just different angles and tools in the toolbelt -- AHEM. Getting carried away...

Anyways. Peace out brotherrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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