Unlocking the Power of Gray Areas: Embracing 'Nothing Really Wrong, Nothing Really Right

Nothing Really Wrong, Nothing Really Right

Early in my writing career I held a staff editor position at a small magazine. One day my boss approached me and asked for my thoughts on my role. I refrained from expressing my desire for a byline and my frustration at being overlooked for writing assignments. Instead I kept those feelings to myself fully aware that the truth would not be appreciated in that environment.

I felt like just another statistic labeled as "grateful" to have any job in an industry where my potential contributions were ignored in favor of maintaining a mediocre status quo. But that no longer mattered to me. Deep within I possessed a hidden strength ready to eliminate any doubt about my identity and future achievements.

So when my boss asked how I felt, I simply replied, "Nothing is really wrong."

She smirked confidently and walked away, wrapped in her self-made arrogance. In that moment it hit me like a wave of dirty laundry and musty pillows. She feared my potential seeing me as competition for her own promotion. I knew she had settled for a position she didn't deserve and was desperate to hold onto it. Watching her disappear down the hallway I realized that I had nothing to fear from her or anyone else. The only person capable of holding me back was myself as long as I chose to pursue my aspirations with determination and intellect.

In my toolbox of life, I possessed an array of self-crafted tools untested and unconventional. These included widgets thingamajigs and practical wardrobe suggestions. They were techniques that worked for me and could potentially help others with some personal modifications. Among them were:

Embrace knowledge and continuous learning.

Embrace innovation and leverage technological advantages.

Stay ahead of the competition and abandon outdated trends.

Compete fearlessly and avoid conforming to the passé.

Draw inspiration from the past to conquer the future.

Value humanity and cherish the planet.

Strive to do your best in all endeavors.

I realized that allowing others to define who I was would only limit my potential. I made a conscious decision to take ownership of my life break free from constraints and defy societal expectations. No one would ever be allowed to poison my mind with doubts about my capabilities again. This life was mine to own and I embraced it fully.

That night I channeled my newfound determination into writing a song that reflected not just my role within the organization but the person I knew I could become. It was a declaration of independence, fueled by my commitment to education training travel and the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of both myself and humankind. As I finished the song I felt an overwhelming sense of freedom. The dismissive attitude of my boss no longer affected me because I knew the truth she had yet to grasp.

The following day when she saw my letter of resignation on her desk she was taken aback. Concerned about the prospects of a black writer in our town she questioned who would hire me. I calmly responded "That's not a problem you need to worry about."

With confidence I placed the key to my cubicle atop the letter and left her office closing the door silently behind me. I knew exactly where I was headed and from that moment on I never looked back.