The Perks of Being the "Underdog"

If you are reading this article then congratulations....you have just been very honest with yourself.
We all, at some point in life, have been or will be labeled the underdog. After all, life is not a straight road to success and if it were, where would the fun be in that?

For those who aren't familiar with the term, the underdog is the "loser" in any type of new situation(usually work or school related). Its the bottom of the barrel, the burnt potato chip at the end of the bag, the coffee runner, the shafted and the b*tch worker. These are all harsh terms to digest, but if you've ever been in this lowly position, then you know exactly how it feels.

Now let's get something clear; You were not born an underdog, nor destined to be one. You were born an individual with creative potential, who is just as unique as you are connected to the great whole of humanity. However, society prefers that you do not know or pay attention to your creative potential, as it may distract you from the truly important things in life: Money and Success of course!(please note sarcasm). My point is, society at one point or another will want to put you in the underdog position so that you "know your place" in the beloved "system."

I would love to get outrageously angry with you about all of this, but I unfortunately, still live in one of the many great throngs of society: the big city. And although it may come as a shock to you, I plan on staying in society for the greater good of my future family and priorities, so I have learned to deal.
But fear not! there are perks to being an underdog....and here they are.

1. Success will come and they'll be in Awe.
The underdog is not expected to succeed. You are the comfort to everyone else at the office, they lean on you and count on you to remain at the bottom. But however painful that may feel....FUCK THEM! You are not a bottom dweller, you were placed there through habitual hazing. Just shut your mouth and observe, speak when spoken to and watch people. They're comfortable enough to show you the truth behind their bullshit and how success really works, so observe what they have to teach.

In time you will learn that no matter your industry, success is a game to be played. Just when everyone thinks that you know nothing, have nothing to say or have no potential...come out and prove them wrong. And when you hit success, you'll know, because they will hate you for it. They'll hate that they underestimated you, or never saw you coming and most of all, they'll hate your success. It sounds like a lot of hate, but take it in stride and enjoy your good moment with those who supported you all along.

2. The Underdog is everyone's confidant.
This is highly connected to my first point. You may find that while you are, or were the underdog, you had more friends than ever. Ever heard the saying "it's lonely at the top?", well its a f*ckin party at the bottom. This is because no one feels threatened by you. Friendships are a feed to the ego and there is nothing that feeds the ego better than perching oneself up above the underdog. It sounds disgusting, but such is society. Of course, you should choose your true friends wisely, but these types of bullshitters can serve you, the underdog, a great purpose. They reveal their secrets to you, they show you the ropes, they tell you what its really like at the top and they show you who's who. Pay attention! They are teaching you vital lessons for success...and they don't even know it.

3. Once you make it, your public will adore you.
There are two types of Bosses: the ones everyone hates and the ones everyone loves. There is no in between. Giving a group of people a lively hood, inspiring them, pushing their potential and working synergetically with them are enough qualities for many people to adore you. Putting people down, hazing them, discarding their ideas and axing at their self-esteem will always get you hated....even if it makes your crew lots of money.

You the underdog understand what it is/was like at the bottom. Chances are you were more of an underdog than others because there was something REAL about you. All of these qualities mean that when you do rise from the ashes, whoever your "people" are, will adore you and will want you to continue to lead them.

So now that we've established some perks of being a U-dawg, let's look at some tips for growth. Once you emerge into the adult world from whatever your studies, you may notice that what used to feed your ego no longer cuts it. Yeah you go out, yeah you have fun, yeah you still love your hobbies and down time, but now you want something more. That itch inside of you is a call for you to put your piece out into society. It's time for you to leave your mark, however big or small it may be, on the world. If you don't try to leave your mark, because you were too busy doing what others told you to do, you may find yourself with regrets later on.

I wish I could tell you that leaving your mark in the world was as easy as becoming a doctor, lawyer, or really f*cking rich, but we both know that thats just not how it works. As many self help books have started out, often at some point in the mid-life, the hard working career person comes to an epiphenal moment where he/she realises that they are not living the life that they wanted. So let's try and avoid that before it even happens.

Here are my tips for Growth

 1.It's not what you want to do, it's WHO you want to BE.
It's actually very simple. You cannot know what you want, if you don't know who you are. And you cannot know what you want to do, until you know who you want to be.

So who do you wan-A-be!?(I wanna really,really,really wanna ziga zig aaah)

Look around the subway. Which one of those people do you aspire to be like? The tired mother or the tired business person? What makes you happy? family? success at work? money?
Who's facebook pictures do you wish you were in. The hippy travelers in bangkoks'? The smoothely dressed business person in a swanky nightclub? The down-to-earth social worker in an underdeveloped country?

And most importantly, who do YOU see yourself being. Do you want to be in the crux of society; on the pulse of every trend? Do you want to let go of it all? Do you want to be a daredevil outlier and start your own brand?

Next time you're feeling blah, ask yourself this stuff. Be balsy and honest, you may find that your answer was not what you expected. You may find that you hate nightlife and actually want to be a family person. You may find that you want something more than social work and that underdeveloped countries are no longer for you. It doesn't make you a bad person, it just makes you, you!

Prioritize who you want to be and then ask yourself what you are doing whenever you are being that person.

2. Find your Craft. 

What you do when you  are being who you want to be, is your Craft.

Now your Craft doesn't always pay the bills....but it's still your Craft.

Your Craft may not be your parents top choice for you, but it's still your Craft.

And your Craft may not impress your friends, but doggonit! it's still your Craft.

Get a job anyways, don't mention it to your parents and screw your friends.....but keep working on your Craft. Research it. Take a class on it. Do it in your spare time. And if you should so happen to find an opportunity to expand your Craft into a project, and if you should so happen to get paid for it(or not) JUMP on that opportunity!

3. Critics are your friends and Haters are the Enemy.
As you explore yourself, you will get both critics and haters. But do not mix these up, as you may miss important lessons.

Haters are going to hate on whatever you do, no matter what you do. Haters know not of your life, your Craft or your current state of mind. Haters usually appear out of the blue, like a snake in the grass, pounce on whatever you are currently excited about and then walk away with a sly smile. Stay away from these fools....and as the Bible says,"Forgive them, for they know not what they do..."

Critics, on the other hand, may come in the form of a parent, an experienced professional or a teacher. They are trying to steer you and your Craft in the right direction. They are not trying to offend you. If, like mine, your Craft is creative, then you will be subject to lots and Lots and LOTS of criticism. You don't have to take all of it, but it is all there to help you. Love your Craft so much that you are capable of taking criticism, so as to mold it to the best that it can possibly be. And you will find in time that when you put in the work, the critics are actually pretty nice people with some tough love to give.

And Finally....

4. Remember....life is not a Vertical Climb......it's Horizontal Growth. 
In the corporate world many people want to climb up vertically, but in life, the climb is actually a Horizontal Expansion. Life is not just a job, a family or a status...its a juxtaposition of things. And you are not just a worker, a student, a mother, or a friend, you are multi-faceted and complex. DO not listen to the people who undermine your dreams. They don't know what the hell they are talking about. Life is not just a linear rise and fall, it is a constant horizontal expansion of opportunities. Instead of a line pointing up, its a tree blossoming in all directions. Love every tid bit of the silly unimportant shit that you are doing. It is all part of your growth!

                         So to all my U-dawgs, thanks for reading and good luck on your journey!