“Everything happens for a reason” doesn’t do all that much for me, but this quote is pinned to my bulletin board and scratches at my brain every time I’m disappointed by a fellow member of the human race. It helps me see the value in frustration, angst, pain and longing.

Bad vibes can be fertilizer for writers; if we put in the time, that shit will only make our gardens grow. Words intended to be hurtful can be used to expose the villain’s weaknesses, and you can make your oppressor play the part of the buffoon. There’s nothing they can do to stop you.

Sometimes I forget, but I own everything that happens to me. Everything that’s said to me. No matter how it makes me feel, it’s material. It’s a gift.