"if you just realize, what I just realized..."

“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”

I believe that hard work pays off.
My parents taught me: treat others as you would want to be treated.
My brothers taught me to stand up for myself and never back down.

I’ve taken all of this to heart and it’s made my professional career very successful.  But it’s easy for someone to take all of that away from you in a split second.  It’s easy for people to knock you down because they don’t want to see you happy or successful.  It’s astounding how jealous some people are of others successes.  But what’s more astounding is how self-absorbed most people are.

How well do we REALLY know someone?

I always thought – “people don’t change, we are who we are.” But lately I’m starting to realize that people can and do change, and not always for the better.  Maybe that’s why relationships fail.  Maybe that’s why friendships end.  Sure, we can blame failed relationships for mis-communication or long distance or “growing apart”.  We can blame friendships ending for betrayal and deceit.   But as much as we want to believe we’re the same person year after year, the truth of the matter is, we are constantly changing.

Five years ago I was a somewhat shy person (shocking, I know).  And I never really talked about half of the things I talk about now.  And I didn’t really care much about my friend’s circle outside of the close ones.  And I didn’t really value family.

But now?

Now I’m much smarter, wiser and more mature than before.
I realize my family is all I have – they are the ones who will be there for you no matter what.
I realize that some friendships and relationships just aren’t meant to be.
I realize that there are very few people in this world that would do anything for me.
I realize that there are quite a handful of people I would do anything for.

It’s all part of growing up – figuring out who’s worth it and who isn’t; which jobs make you happy and which ones don’t; what you want in a relationship and what you’ll never tolerate.  And at some point you have to make a decision – do I hold on and accept mediocrity or do I take a risk, let go and hope to find something better?

One big lesson I’ve learned recently is – if you want someone done right, do it yourself. When it comes to business, I trust very few.  So many people do something to “get their own” or to take advantage or because it only benefits themselves.  I do it because

…it makes me happy,
…I want to make a difference,
…I’m standing up for something I believe in.

And I’m not going to let someone who’s self-absorbed and doesn’t know any better, to take that away from me.  I’ve worked too hard to get this far.

give me something to believe in
’cause I don’t believe in you
anymore, anymore