A Letter to my Daughter: Don’t Let the World Beat You Down
Say “no” to the people who want to use you
The Now
My 18 month old daughter is a bundle of joy right now, wanting to explore and test out everything and anything she can. She’s wide eyed at the sight of new things, and loves having any sort of control, like pushing her own stroller or handling the remote. She emulates our behaviors and our sounds, all in the hopes that we’ll like her more.
My wife is afraid for her though; my wife says she was like this too, but then the world beat her down. I want to write this to my little one: don’t let the world beat you down.
The World Beating You Down
You should be aware little one of what awaits you. A short list might be:
- The men and women in power will make your life hell if you let them (These people will suck the joy out of your life)
- Corporations want you to be a compliant cog in a machine
- And school is just the dreary runway to your corporate life
And these things are unavoidable if you don’t want to live out in the woods with the bears. Assuming you’re like me and you want to live in human society, these are the things you’ll have to contend with. But I’ll also say there’s a good amount you can do.
Antidotes to the Beatdown
Make sure you burn your flame bright. Do things you love to do and learn to love to do the things that make you whole.
Get good at something, be proud of it, and work on it until you’re one of the best.
Say no to people. Say it emphatically. Don’t do things to be a pleaser. Kick the users and losers out of your life. You have so much to give, don’t give it all to the takers.
Don’t accept what people tell you to accept. Don’t take crap from anyone, including me.
Work a job that is rewarding and pays well. Don’t settle for a low wage or a soul sucking job. Make sure you’re always on the hunt for the best job for you.
Lastly, I’ll say you should find inspiration from artists in the past that have pushed back against the world beating them down. Like these few passages:
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.— Do not go gentle into that good night, Dylan Thomas
So, don’t let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that f-d up and cold
Remember why you came and while you’re alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old— The Warmth, Incubus
