Crabs in a Bucket – A Reality – Or is it All in Your Head?

I could write this post 5 ways (1) Do you really have Haters-or is it all in your head (2) Why do you feel the need to constantly address your Haters (3) Are the Crabs in a Bucket the Real Reason You Can’t Get Ahead, or is it because – You Suck (4) Artists, Business Owners, ETC – Get Over IT! The only Person Holding You Back is YOU (5) The Only Way a Crab Can Hold You Back Is If You Are a Crab Too!

From the jump, let me say this – You Have to Be a Crab in order for another crab to hold you back – that’s why you’re in the bucket….right?

So, I’m doing one of my least favorite activities, scrolling down my Face Book timeline, and I see this image, and in the title it says Crabs in a Bucket – Charleston, SC. The image shows blue crabs, with the faces of Black men, clawing at each other in a barrel. The first thing I think is, dang that’s some pretty good art work. Then I start looking at the comments section, people talking about this picture reminds them of people in Charleston, etc. Then I start to remember all of the comments you see about Haters, Blockers and all of the other sayings we have for people who we assume are trying to hold us back.

Reading the comments makes me ask the question, WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT CRABS? I heard this on the OWN Channel, don’t judge me. In the 90s & 00s Oprah had tons of competition, people were talking about her, people were saying she couldn’t compete with Ricky Lake, Phil Donahue, Geraldo, etc. She said she didn’t have time to address what other people were saying and what other people were doing. She used the analogy of running a race, when you look back to see where your opponents, naysayers, haters and crabs are doing – that SLOWS YOU DOWN. If you are in a race, you only need to focus on the finish line.

So why do we feel the need to constantly address Crabs and Haters. If you have spent any amount of time on Facebook/Twitter, you see people talking about their haters all day long – and this Image is no different. For whatever reason, when we (especially OUR PEOPLE) feel like we aren’t getting ahead – it is easier to blame someone else instead of accepting our own responsibility. I mean come on, think about it– how much power does a crab really have. Yes, their claw might sting a little and they may look a little scary, but the only way a Crab can hold you back is if you are a Crab too –after all the saying is Crabs in a Bucket, so in order for you to be kept back is if you are in the bucket with the other CRABS.

I could go on all day, but the point is to keep your focus on the goal, you are the Master of Your Own Fate. In reality, no one can keep you from achieving unless you allow them.

I’ll end it with some of my favorite quotes from some people I actually enjoy following on Twitter. The Carolina’s own Charlamagne Tha God, who says “Life will teach you what to give a F@ck about and what not to give a F@ck about. Soon as you learn you will truly feel free.” and Dr. Raphael Spiller; “When one has become intimate with FEAR they become pregnant with excuses and give birth to procrastination.”

Oh By The Way – if you don’t like the city that you living in and you think your city if infested with crabs, Greyhound is still in business, buy a ticket and be gone…