Hey there— Alex here,
Let’s talk about talking shit. We all do it with our friends, family, or co-workers in one form or another. Does that make us mean? Bad people? Well, I’m here to say, my name is Alex Koons and I am a recovering asshole.
It can often be much easier to talk shit, to belittle something, to take away from someone or something in order to make yourself feel better.
See, I wasn’t aware of that underlying reason when I was doing these things. It was just negativity and passive aggression presenting itself via word vomit throughout my day. I spent time in kitchens, bands, and friend groups where talking shit was the pastime of choice. And really, you can flip on the news and/or hop on social media and 90% of what you’ll find is gossip. Gossip is just a more acceptable term for shit talking, by the way.
It’s in our make up, humans love talking shit. Don’t get me wrong, it can be fun, it can be funny, but it’s taken me 37 years to realize it does absolutely no good for my own personal growth or happiness, whether in a kitchen or at a family reunion.
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”
Thumper
I still have these thoughts. All the shitty things I could say still come rushing into my mind. Things I know would get a laugh, but I think twice before saying them. These days it’s getting easier and easier, and in turn is making those thoughts less and less frequent. That allows the positive thoughts to rise up and helps me see the good in everyone and everything.
Here is a challenge to try if you suffer from this like I do: this week try to stop yourself at least once from saying something shitty or negative about someone or something. See what happens.
