Negative thoughts are like pop-up ads on a Windows 95 computer. They’re annoying as hell, they show up at the worst possible time, and half of them are complete bullshit. Somewhere along the way we decided every negative thought needed to be analyzed, discussed, and unpacked. Meanwhile, Gen X was over here paying bills, working jobs, and trying to keep the lights on. We didn’t have time to hold a committee meeting every time our brain started talking trash.

I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to two classic Gen X solutions. Number one: ignore them. You’re a grown-ass adult. Your brain says you suck today? Cool story. You still have shit to do. Get up, go to work, mow the yard, feed the dogs, pay the bills, and keep moving. Not every thought deserves your attention. Sometimes your brain is just an asshole, and the best response is, “Thanks for your opinion,” before carrying on with your day.

Number two? Well… plenty of us grew up believing you grabbed a few beers, turned the music up, and forgot about it until tomorrow. It wasn’t exactly healthy, but pretending Gen X didn’t cope that way would be rewriting history. Most of us eventually figured out that alcohol doesn’t solve a damn thing. It just postpones the argument until morning, and now you’ve got a headache joining the conversation.

These days I lean toward option one. Ignore the useless noise, deal with the things I can actually control, and keep moving forward. Negative thoughts are going to show up whether you invite them or not. They don’t get to drive the damn car. They can sit in the back seat, complain all they want, and watch while I keep heading down the road.