Bitter or Better?

I’m currently reading “A Selfish Plan to Change the World” by Justin Dillon. In the book, the author has a small section entitled “Bitter or Better.” It’s about how we have a choice when we face failure. There’s a whole book worth of ideas that could be written on this topic, especially as we finish out 2024.

Are we going to be bitter or better when it comes to our politics? There’s a whole lot of polarization, anger, fear, and more. People aren’t talking to one another over so many things. Cruelty seems to be ramping up in how people act towards others and what possible policies might be enacted. We have a choice — we can be bitter about all of it, or we can be better. Bitter is easy. Just focus on how right you are about any given topic rather than doing something. Bitter can feel good in a weird kind of way — bitter has feeling to it. Bitter requires no responsibility. Bitter is just shouting loud. Bitter is burning bridges. Bitter is escaping to a fantasy world. But better is hard work. Better doesn’t mean accepting things as they are or whatever direction they are headed in. Better sees what is and says — “there’s a better way, even if I don’t know what it is.” Better tries things until you get a better result. Better doesn’t quit when the odds are against you and no one seems to be listening. Better adapts and adjusts in order to make an impact. Bitter is like a sugar high — it feels good in the short term, but it dies off pretty quickly, leaving you tired and hungry. Better is a steady diet that improves your health — it’s choices made every day on what you are putting…