'Can't Help It' Expert: The Strength of Adults is All Forced Smiles

The phrase in the picture is practically a 'soul painkiller' for the vast majority of us corporate slaves. We're constantly told to be brave and strong, but the little yellow creature in the image, wearing a party hat, with tangled wires on its head, facing a mountain of documents, tells us with its vacant stare: facing everything alone, frankly, means 'there's no other choice!' This isn't bravery, it's 'the calm before giving up the struggle'; It's not strength, it's 'too tired to even cry'. Look at its spread-out hands, paired with cold coffee and scattered documents. This is clearly the true depiction of every Monday morning. We go out wearing our smiling 'party hats', facing overwhelming work, unreasonable demands from the boss, and an endless to-do list. Outsiders see us as warriors conquering the waves, but inside, we just think, 'So what do you want me to do now?' As kids, we thought we'd save the world when we grew up. Now, we realize being able to leave work on time is cause for celebration. We carry everything alone, not because we're exceptionally gifted, but because when we look around, our teammates are all playing dead, while the mortgage and bills won't. Escapism is shameful but effective. The problem is, we don't even have the right to escape. So, we take a deep breath, swallow our tears, and keep typing. This is the highest form of 'can't help it' for adults. So, next time you feel like you're about to break but still finish the task, don't think you're great. Pat yourself on the shoulder and say, 'Good job, it was purely because I couldn't help it.' Then, put on that party hat symbolizing a 'forced smile' and continue to be a competent 'Can't Help It' expert in this farce called life!