2012: Year of the Honey Badger
In the Chinese New Year, each year is represented by an animal (I.E. horse, ox, snake, dragon, etc). Those being born of various years designated to the specific animal are supposed to share a number of core characteristics. Being born in 1982, I happen to fall into the Year of the Dog. Loyalty and obedience, being the dog's most distinguishable qualities. Personally, I feel these traits are highly over-rated and I would like to switch animals. I would like to propose a new animal to the calendar year: Introducing the honey badger, 2012.
In my experience, dogs rarely, if ever, put themselves first. They are there every night when their owner comes home from work. Most of the time they have waited all day for that very moment. And they want nothing more than attention; a pat on the head, walk in the park, maybe even a treat for obeying commands of 'sit'. Nothing is more pleasurable than the thought that they have pleased their owner. Dogs are the only creatures who truly love others more than themselves.
Great characteristics, right? I guess for the simple minded, selfless people it wouldn't be that bad. Personally, I think being a dog would totally suck. Being someone who struggles with issues of control and people-pleasing for almost 3 decades, I can see this now. OK, time to look at the honey badger. If you've watched the youtube video, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you have been hiding under a rock for the past year, look it up. You won't be disappointed. Raymond the narrator, is pretty great too.
The Honey Badger video is a perfect example of the idea that perception is everything. Here you have a creature, not the best in any category, yet after watching the video it makes you think he is a badass. Who doesn't want to feel like badass occasionally? Lord knows, from time to time, I do. Yet, it seems that in my own life I am more likely to fall into the trap of self-doubt. When in reality, the healthiest approach to adversary, in many cases, is confidence and apathy.
Confidence is something that I always felt was earned from various victories in one's past. Victories which were obtained from struggles. (Blood, sweat, and tears.) Yet, a lot of the most confident people I know, really haven't done anything all that awesome. They are simply the people that project the image they want the world to see, regardless if it is an image they see or have even earned. However, these are the people that are getting ahead. These are the ones that are getting the jobs, the promotions, surrounded by people, and project success to the rest of the world. But what do they have that others don't? Confidence: Be it deserved or completely fabricated by a narcissistic mind. Regardless, the result is having this aura, which sets them apart from the rest of the population.
For me, 2012 will be a year which I will really look at what it means to be successful. I will do my best to answer questions of my own purpose and how to achieve my goals. Thus far, the honey badger approach feels like a good place to start. Even if I don't feel like I've had the victories in life I need to project true success, I need the confidence to compete with the self-absorbed assholes out there. Otherwise I will continue to backdown every time I am screwed over for something I feel I have deserved. It's so easy to get discouraged by setbacks and let being told 'no' be the end of the road. Instead, I am trying something new, and replying to those setbacks and naysayers with a simple, "I don't give a shit", and go on with my life.
Maybe getting to the place I want to be, involves perceiving my life as though, in my mind I am already there?
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