18th September - Why you gotta be a 'baddie'

Remember when we were kids? You'd watch cartoons or movies, or just about whatever really, and there would always be 'two sides'. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were busy tackling Shredder and his goons. The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers had to contend with Rita Repula and her Putty Patrollers. Even Ash Ketchup and his Pokemon pals, Misty and Brock, were regularly thwarted in their wholesome efforts by the dastardly Jesse & James, aka 'Team Rocket'. But somewhere along the lines, things got twisted, especially for adolescent males, and we were taught - and even shown - that being a real-life 'Obi Wan Kenobi' would get you nowhere... After all, it's the man who became Darth Vader who Padme lusted after, and eventually had children with.

Young males - like myself - began to notice that it was husbands with wives at home who were out seducing mistresses, women who should have known better but didn't really care. The excitement was more toxically enchanting than any kind of moral compass. At this point, you have a choice to make: Beat 'em, or 'join 'em. As headstrong as ever, I chose the former, and vowed to always stick to my principles as a man of integrity, honesty, and loyalty. As time went on, however, those characteristics were regularly proved to be to my detriment, and people saw the 'nice guy' as the guy to walk over, or take advantage of. My mother even recently remarked how I'm not the boy she once knew. No longer so soft, or willing to take beatings - mental or physical - from those around me.

These days, I've learned that you've GOT to be a 'baddie' to succeed in life. That doesn't mean sneaking out, doing dodgy deals, or partaking in abhorrent activities like cheating, drug dealing, crime, etc. It means, being a 'goodie' for the most part... Strong, caring, loyal, loving. But having that 'edge' when needed to stand up for what's right, for what you believe in, and boxing clever to get your own way in decisions that can benefit your loved ones and those around you. These days, I can be the biggest Teddy Bear you'll ever meet. But there also isn't one person on this Earth who already knows me, who knows they can get away with disrespecting me in the long-term, because it's just not going to work out for them in the way they hope it will. To live a healthy and fulfilling life, 1% of each of us, needs to be...

... The bad guy.