Everyday Canvas

Frustration

Prompt: “A gull on an invisible wire attached through space dragged. You carry the symbol of your frustration into eternity.”
William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

If you were to design a symbol for your greatest frustration, what would it feel or look like?

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Most of my frustrations happen when I get impatient with my own behavior or at my failure of action for something that had to be done, which I didn’t do. At that point, I feel like I have lightning flashing through my very own teeth zapping all the lights around to leave me alone and helpless in the dark. When this happens, my first reaction is to run away from it all, but now the rage at my flight behavior has turned inward, amplifying my frustration.

Frustration occurs when I am unable to reach my goals, usually as the result of my ambitions exceeding my abilities or sometimes as the result of external barriers in my way, such as getting stuck in a traffic jam while trying to get to an important meeting.

Frustration brings with it irritation and anger, but if I am careful, I may succeed to take it as a sign to adjust and redirect my goals. In its roundabout way, frustration can help me to cope better with life by forcing me to adjust my behavior and the way I react to external obstacles.