Oftentimes in life, people will question your behaviors, your decisions, and your motives. They will give you unsolicited advice, and tell you what they would do. And yet others will tell you what YOU SHOULD do. And those people will often do so without knowing all the facts. They will hear one side of a story, and assume they know everything they need to know. For those people, I have one thing to say...
This is MY life, and these are MY choices. That's it. Period. End of subject.
Don't tell me that I will regret something, just because you would. I am not you.
Don't tell me that I need to forgive and forget, because I don't buy into that theory. Forgiveness is a choice, not a requirement, and I NEVER forget.
Don't tell me that I will sleep better if I just do this one thing. I sleep just fine.
Don't tell me that I've made the wrong decision, when you don't even know the reasons behind it.
Don't assume that my decisions were made in anger, or youthful ignorance. I am not angry, and I am far from young and dumb.
Don't judge me based on the opinions of others. Make your own decisions based on my actions towards you.
Don't tell me that blood is thicker than water, because I can tell you without hesitation that that is not always the case.
And don't EVER tell me that life is too short. Trust me... I know that better than most.
Whatever you may think of me, there is one thing that holds true, and even my enemies know this: I am always honest. Brutally, and to a fault. I never pretend to be someone I am not. What you see is what you get. Love it or hate it.
So if you wish to tell me how to live my life, you should know that I will not hesitate to tell you exactly how I feel about that. And you should also know that if you wish to point out the flaws in my life, I am just as happy to return the favor.
I am not perfect, nor do I ever claim to be. But I am fully capable of making my own choices, and I do not ask for permission or approval from anyone.
Sometimes in life, we have to make decisions that aren't easy. And many times, the rest of the world will not understand those choices. And that's ok. The rest of the world does not have to live my life. But I do. So I have to do what is best for me. Not what is best for anyone else. If you cannot accept that, than you cannot accept me, and I will not continue to allow room in my life for people who cannot accept me for who I am. I will not be made to feel guilty or ashamed, and if you truly believe I am an awful person, then I strongly suggest you remove me from your life as well.
Think long and hard about the "truths" of others, and judge not what you do not know. And for those out there who want to spew hate and lies; you should be careful what you say... because Karma can be a real bitch. And so can I...
With all the talk about the current trial results, (You know what I'm referring to, I don't need to name names.) I find myself saddened.
I'm saddened that the word racism is being thrown around so carelessly. I for one, did not watch the trial. I tried a few times, but I just couldn't handle the media bias that went along with it. So I don't even begin to pretend I know all the facts involved. But what I do know is that the world is an ugly place sometimes. There are ignorant people out there, and they come in every shape, size and color. That is a fact. While we spend hours discussing race and hoodies, there are parents mourning the loss of their child.
This isn't a black, white, brown, purple or green issue. This is an ignorance issue. No matter what color your skin, you should be saddened by this story.
We live in a world where people are so quick to judge one another by what we wear, who we date, where we live, etc, that we forget that at the end of the day we are all human. We share this world.
I would love to live in a world where people were judged solely by their actions and not by outward appearances, but I don't. I cannot control the attitudes and behaviors of others, but I can control my own. I choose to follow the Golden Rule. I will treat you with kindness and respect, so long as you do the same. Simple as that. And I try to surround myself with like minded people. I can't change the entire world, but I can change my own personal world. I can't make hatred and ignorance disappear, but I don't have to tolerate it in my life. We can choose to change ourselves, and teach our children to be better. We can let those around us know that we won't allow their negativity in our lives. And little by little, these actions might start to spread and impact those around us. That's how you change the world. You start with yourself. You can't change other people. But you can give them an example, and hope that by seeing what kindness and goodness can do, they too, will want to change.
I've seen evil in this world, but I've also seen good. I've seen hatred, and I've seen love. Yes, there is ignorance out there, but there is also tolerance. Choose your battles and your words carefully, for there will always be war, but there can also be peace...
