One Life To Live

It's your life, you decide what you want to do with it. Making excuses and playing hacky sack with blame is pointless. You decide who you want to be, how you're going to succeed, and what you're willing to sacrifice. Who you listen to, befriend, and associate with is important. Whose opinion do you value, allowing to inspire or manipulate you? Nobody can make you do anything without your consent or partial agreement. People can only plant seeds, thoughts, doubt, and ideas in your head. Ultimately, you're the one that's going to make any moves. It is your actions that define you. Your actions offer a glimpse into your state of mind. You're the one that will incur criticism or praise. If you're not careful you might lose friends and even family along the way. Represent yourself in the way you claim to feel about certain people, situations, occurrences. I highly doubt one can fully accept a person, even less likely to fully accept many, for all that he or she is. There will most likely always be one or more qualities, views, or decisions that you are not in agreement with. That is always perfectly acceptable. Just remember that it does not mean you can not be friends. Share your experiences. Learn from your differences. The grass might really be more green on the other side however you might learn that, in fact, you prefer dirt, sand, or ice instead...but atleast allow yourself the opportunity to discover so. There will always be another option. This universe is too vast for you to allow someone else to choose for you. Why limit yourself to the rule of another?

Your image is only your representative, almost like an advertisement. Your actions are your services or product. Be more wise and consciencious about what you say, to who you say it, and how well you deliver what you intend to express. I'm not saying to hide anything. Simply be mindful as your comments may be misconstrued, misunderstood, repeated incorrectly, etc. Never forget, do not be judgemental. Your thoughts become you. It is okay to disagree with people. It is okay to not feel the same about "things" with your friends, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, or strangers. Being bothered or upset is understandable. Understand that people are all different and will act differently. Also, change is evergoing yet neverlasting. You might feel a certain way now, but a new experience or trauma can change that quickly. All I recomend is that you learn to recognize certain traits in people, how to communicate what your standpoint is, and decide on what your actions, either directly with that person or pertaining soley to a single situation, will be going forward.
Note that if you begin to think a certain way for so long, you'll find yourself subconsciously acting out those thoughts. Suddenly you find yourself voicing them too. That is why it is important to remember not to judge. You have one life to live. How do you want to spend your one chance to be ALIVE, to be blessed with opportunities, hopes, drive, kindness, love, family, friends, and to have a choice?