Be the Change

I believe that you learn something new everyday; whether that something new is information on a topic or you learn something about the people in your life... you're constantly learning. I believe in staying open minded because different people can introduce a new point of view on ideas or situations you thought you may have mastered. I believe in constantly learning things about myself because we as humans are like onions; there are many layers that make-up who we are. In order to be comfortable with who you are and the person you're becoming, we must not be afraid to peel back a new layer. I say all of that because in my journeys throughout my life I have met some very interesting ( in my opinon) people who all have introduced a new method of thinking, a new way to accomplish something or showed me a new goal that I should consider reaching for. Yet amongst all the interesting people I have met and have the pleasure of still having in my life, I cherish those who have showed me myself; Those people are a rarity.

We all at one time or another have met a person who just feels like they have you pegged. "I know your type" is the most common phrase used when you come across those people. Majority of the time you just write them off, "Umm, No dude you have no clue who I am"... immediately turned off by the idea of what they may say without giving them a chance to explain. Alot of times we confuse being "judged" with "constructive criticism" and immediately become defensive. Something inside of you is screaming to reject the the concept being given... but do we ever stop to examine why? I am definately guilty of this and while luckily it hasn't cost me opportunites or many relationships, its a lesson still worth learning. Sometimes in life, things happen to us that causes us to become a certain way and we hold on to that incident that gave birth to this new quality. We all have baggage that we carry around but rarely do we notice when that load has become to heavy and its even more rare that we decide to unload.

Our 20's is definately a time to grow; its when we make the transition from being a helpless child to a responsible adult. We face many challenges that we sometimes feel unprepared for and overcome things that may have seemed impossible to do. Yet the biggest challenge we face is learning how to get out of our own way and to be accepting. Many people compliment my intelligence and how loving or friendly I am, yet the demanding side of me seems to shine through as well. I'm demanding because I had alot of demands placed on me growing up and never really had a voice; being picked on in school didn't help this at all. So as I got older I felt the need to be the same way because I felt that was the only way to be heard, respected and acknowledged. No one ever told me that despite how people act towards me, that there was nothing wrong with me and it was ok to stand out. It took me almost 26 years to discover that this was the issue and 1 night to decide to change it. To grow is to learn and to learn is to be accepting of all lessons.... even those about yourself. My dear 20-Somethings, It takes a smart person to recognize their own flaws, but its takes a brave person to do something about them.