Choose Wisely!

Hi,

I find this blog quite cathartic, so I want to tell you select few who read this that I appreciate all of your kind words about what I have to say. There is nothing better than a pat on the back for something that I worked hard on. Thanks!

I feel slightly strange giving all this advice on things that I feel are important. People probably scoff at the 25-year-old telling others about life; however, I feel confident in saying that I am a 75-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old's body. I am sure of it. Therefore, my thoughts have some validity.

What's my advice? Choose wisely. I don't necessarily mean paper or plastic, scrambled or over easy, or the blue top or pink top. I think one of the most important decisions people can make is whom they choose to be in their life. Duh, right? Well, it is much easier said than done. It's far too easy to let people stay in our lives who drain us of happiness, trust, and faith.

I had a friendship like this for far too long, and I was miserable. I was giving constantly, which was fine for the first nine years, but by the tenth, I had nothing left to give. Once I got my teaching job, I became very close with a group of ladies who treated me like I deserved. It was hard for me to take instead of continually give; I didn't think I deserved it because I was not used to it. I finally had people who appreciated me not for what I could do for them but just for being me. They supported me and helped piece me back together. My smile is back, and I have my pep back. These friends made me realize the importance of choosing wisely.

There in lies my advice. You can't choose family, but you can choose your friends. Find people who appreciate you for who you are, faults and all. Find people who make you laugh and who you can be yourself around. Find people who will drop whatever is going on when you're in desperate need of them. Find someone who is willing to give just as much as you are. Find people who celebrate your successes and are not jealous of them. With this, have the courage to let go of those people who drain you. Life is too short to waste time waiting for people to change. Maya Angelou once said, "The first time people show you who you are, believe them." Trust me, it is so true. You are special and deserve only the best people in your life.

I am who I am because of those who are around me. Thank you for being a part of that.

Go do good things,

BT