I want to start off by saying you don’t have to be punk to have a punk philosophy for life (though kudos to any Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and NOFX fans out there!) 👊🏼
Now, let me ask you: Have you ever been hit with criticism? Negative feedback? Or felt that familiar imposter syndrome creeping up on you? How do you handle it?
In punk music, the chords can be chaotic, raw, and loud. One of my favorite bands, The Exploited, has a song called Fight Back where the sound feels like a swarm descending on your ears and brain. It’s a perfect metaphor for the negative thoughts that attack our motivation, inspiration, and willpower to go on. That mental chaos, that barrage of doubt and fear, it can feel overwhelming, just like those crashing punk chords.
But the beauty of punk, just like life, is that there’s always a melody. It might be subtle and buried in the chaos, but it’s there to give everything purpose and unity.
Take another of my favorite bands, Bad Religion, for instance. Greg Graffin’s lyrics in My Sanity hit on this when he sings, “My life is a song, a short melody harmonizing with reality.”
Reality can be harsh; plans fall apart, people can be jerks, and sometimes things just don’t make sense. That’s the chaos that threatens to bring us down. But with a punk philosophy, we can harmonize that chaos with the melody of our lives, no matter what we’re feeling whether it’s joy, sadness, anxiety, or fear. It keeps us grounded. It keeps our heads from drifting into the clouds, preventing complacency, or it can give us the strength to keep moving forward.
So, what exactly is the punk philosophy?
· Don’t cower to fear - Stand up to it. Got criticized? Own it. Learn from it. And next time, do what’s in your power to improve. Fear isn’t the enemy; it’s your fuel.
· Stay real and authentic - In a punk philosophy, being fake just doesn’t fly. Be yourself, flaws and all. Yeah, you’ll make mistakes because being human guarantees that. As long as you’re real and always striving to grow, people will respect you for it.
· Fight back against mistreatment - especially from yourself. When that nasty voice of imposter syndrome shows up, don’t let it take over. Kick it in the a** and tell it scram. Tell it, “You’re the imposter. It’s literally in your name!” Then move forward, head held high. Never let your worst enemy be yourself.
So you see, you don’t have to be punk to have a punk philosophy in life. Punk is more than a genre. It’s a culture that anyone can be a part of. It’s a vibe. It’s an attitude. It’s about standing up to fear, staying true to yourself, and not letting the chaos drown out your melody.
Stay punk! 🤘🏼
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