I think there is a lot to be said about people who harbor a lot of bad energy. I don't think it's because they want to and I don't think it's because they want to be angry.

I think it's just because they haven't had the opportunity to let go of whatever or whoever built that inside of them. We have all experienced things that we wish we could forget; things we over analyze and think through all of our actions leading up to it. We fight ourselves mentally, we destroy ourselves physically--and for what? For something that already happened? For something we can't take back? For a battle that has already been lost? Yes, that's what we do.

In philosophy you learn about various different concepts but, one that stuck with me was the argument between free will and determinism--specifically hard determinism.

We are born with free will, or so we are taught. We are taught that all of our actions have consequences--whether they be good or bad. We are taught that as humans we are untouchable by earth and that our actions are simply that: actions.

But when it comes to people being the way they are it makes me wonder: do they choose to be that way or were they determined to be that way? Are our lives already paved for us and even though we believe that we chose one way, our life already had a paved section for that "choice" we made?

Obviously, I am no philosopher. All of my deep thoughts come to me while I'm showering, using the bathroom, or eating. Yet, I can't help but wonder when I see people who just have nothing but anger within them--bursting out at the seams, are they consciously choosing to be that way?

Do we choose to be happy or is it already determined when we will be happy and when we will be sad?

Do we choose our partners or did the universe already lay out our paths to intersect?

At the end of the day, it is your choice of how you want to see your life--be it determined by the universe or chosen by you each day. Nevertheless, it is your choice to let go of the anger, the depression, the hostility, the grudges and the overall bad juju.

There are many great arguments about whether we have free will or not, but I'm going to just say: whether we have free will or not, we have the ability to let go. We have the ability to grow. We have the ability to strengthen those around us. We have the ability to teach. We have the ability to move forward. We have the ability to be our own light.

No one is prohibiting you from growing unless you allow them to. No one is prohibiting you from learning unless you give them permission to.

You are your own compass.

Like Max told Lavagirl, "You are light" so are all of us.

Life is weird.

Life is rough.

Life is beauty.

Our lives, our day to day lives, are what we want them to be.

Bad things are inevitably going to happen--determined or by happenstance.

It's up to you to choose.