Everything Sucks

There is nothing in the world like the teenage-zen aphorism, “everything sucks.”

This isn’t innocent until proven guilty, this is guilty until you fail to prove innocence and shamefully admit it’s still guilty.

And it’s not just teenagers who do it.

I used to think I didn’t like to cook. I never hated it, but I didn’t like it because I didn’t know what I was doing and was anxious about doing something poorly.

So I avoided it. Strategery.

An “everything sucks” attitude is doubting with cynicism. Like my cooking, there was a better way and a deeper truth within reach.

Instead of doubting with cynicism, try doubting with curiosity.

I’m no master chef (that’s my brother), but slowly and surely, my curiosity to try little things out of necessity developed.

A side became a dish between a menu of options. Over the last year or two making food became a form of therapy. A thing to focus on with a reward at the end.

And all it took was to stop doubting with cynicism and to start doubting with curiosity.

Everything undoubtedly does not suck. Some things definitely do, but not everything. Doubt with curiosity. It’s the path to a much more interesting life.

h/t Pema Chodron’s Don’t Bite the Hook. The quote that inspired this was her, “Doubt with curiosity, not cynicism.” Perfection.