“I Bully Myself”

8 Mile is to Michigan as Canandaigua is to New York. One backdrop created a Hall of Fame lyricist, and the other produced some guy named Marshall Bruce Mathers. Okay, so maybe my St. Baldrick’s lyrics don’t stack up to Eminem’s — but at least mine are for a good cause.

The name BlogGaud was inspired by Eminem’s Rap God. Not the lyrics, but the title itself. I was listening to the song during a recent morning run (brag), when I caught a line I’d somehow missed before:

“I bully myself ’cause I make me do what I put my mind to.”

That lyric stuck with me. It reminded me of my earlier post, I Can’t Let People Down, which was all about the pressure I feel to do right by others — my family, my coworkers, my students. Slim’s “bully” line, on the other hand, sounds like the pressure he puts on himself — the drive to live up to the greatness he knows he’s capable of. Two very different motivations, but both coming from within. One is a push to be the best, and the other is a pull to be your best for others.

Of course, “bullying” is a loaded word in education. It’s one we work hard to define clearly for students. I recently listened as a school counselor walked a group of third graders through the official definition:

“Unwanted, aggressive behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.”

So, just for fun, let’s break down Eminem’s line using that framework:

• Unwanted behavior: Forcing yourself to grind, revise, and improve could definitely feel “unwanted.” It would be easier to be lazy and not push yourself.
• Aggressive behavior: Eminem’s known for being hard on himself. His internal dialogue probably isn’t gentle — that’s where the “bully” part comes in.
• Power imbalance: There’s Marshall Mathers the person and there’s Eminem the icon. When the legend overshadows the man, that’s a power imbalance.
• Repetition: If he’s still rapping about it after all these years, this is a cycle — maybe even a habit — of self-driven pressure.

So maybe what Eminem’s really describing isn’t bullying in the traditional sense, but discipline disguised as self-bullying. It’s that relentless inner voice that refuses to let you settle. In my world, that same voice just sounds a little different. Mine says, “You can’t let people down.” His says, “You can’t let yourself down.”

Either way, both voices are reminders that motivation — whether born from guilt, pride, or pure determination — comes from the same place: caring enough to keep going.