Special People

It's been a while since I've posted, so if you're still here, scrolling through my blog, reading my posts, I thank you.
      I've got a story I more than want to share... I feel the need to.
I made a friend a few months ago. This person and I met, and we instantly clicked. Sometimes it's extremely easy to get along with someone, it could be that you like the same things, or you listen to the same music.. you could bond over something as simple as liking the same beer. Whatever the case, this friend and I have a lot in common, and we get along really well. As I said, it's only been a few months. Maybe three months, if even that, since we met. Regardless of the amount of time we've known each other, I've grown to love this person. I've come to care about this person very strongly. We've begun to spend more time together and get to know each other on a deeper level, and my, do I love him more every day. I believe we've created a strong and healthy friendship and I am grateful to have him. 
      The point of this post is to share that I've learned, over the weeks, how this person feels about himself. He is a sweet, friendly, silly, adventure-seeking kid like the rest of us. Unfortunately, he doesn't always see that. To be honest, he doesn't see much at all when he looks in the mirror. As time has passed, I've paid more and more attention to this friend's behavior and his word-choice when he speaks about himself. I've gathered that he truly doesn't find as much worth in himself and his life as he really has. It's easy to become blind to your own worth sometimes, especially when there are certain people helping cloud that for you. This friend, he cares about other people. He has fun in his eyes when he laughs. He is good company, and he has become someone important to me. 
     A few nights ago, this special person and I we're headed home from a get together with some friends we share. I told him I'd give him a ride, and said it was time to go. Learning this news, he grabs a new beer from the fridge. Of course, I ask why he's doing this, considering I just said we were taking off, and I don't want that open bottle in my car. He replies that he just wants to chug the whole bottle "real quick" and get "more messed up." (Mind you, he was already well passed his limit, you could see the sadness in his eyes.) I told him it was unnecessary, and that he's better than the person he's acting like just because he's hurt. This friend, amongst many other regular life struggles, has a girl issue. The whole 'I like this girl, but she likes another dude,' issue. The same boat one million and five of us have been in before... Well, in his drunken state, while in my car on the way to drop him off at home, he blurts out, in silence (and the radio low in the background), "I don't think I care anymore,"
so naturally, I respond, "About what?"
He says, "Anything."
We sat in silence for a few more minutes. He mentions to me that he is sorry if he offended me back at the party, and he's curious if I'm angry at him. This is when I decided to be brutally honest.
"The only thing about our friendship that pisses me off, honestly, is that sometimes you care less about yourself than I do. Sometimes you act like you completely don't give a shit about your own self, and it's not fair to people who care about you and want to see you do well. It's selfish, to sit here in my passenger seat as I make sure you get home safe, and as you know very well how important your happiness is to me, for you to just tell me you don't care about anything. It may seem silly, but your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and drinking your problems "away" won't solve a damn thing. I've gone through some depressing times, and I know depression when I see it, big or small. You've got to care about yourself, about your own well-being. You let people get close to you, and they're gonna start caring about you. I don't wanna see you beating yourself up and feeling like shit constantly. You've gotta pick yourself up. You're better than this. You're better when you're happy. Things get better but, man, you've got to let them. You can't keep your head down. I'm here for you and I promise that."
He sat silent, so I added, "I'm sorry if I crossed a line, but -"
"No," he stopped me.
Then we both said "Sometimes you need to hear it," at the same time.
He stayed quiet, though. After a few minutes, I asked, "Are you alright?"
His response is the reason for his whole post.
His response is the reason I keep doing what I do... Giving advice when I can, telling random people how worth-it they are, pushing to put a smile where a frown is found.
His response.. "I'm okay... You just made me feel special for a minute."
"That's because you are," I told him.

    WE ARE ALL SPECIAL. We all deserve a friend who cares about us enough to be a little harsh in order to get it through to us that we are awesome. We all deserve to be our own friend. We are all worthy, so worthy, of love and care and time and whatever else you think you aren't worthy of. We are ALL fighting a battle, but NONE of us are alone. So, if you're still with me, if you're still reading, do me a favor and tell someone today that they are worth it. Tell someone, whether it be a stranger or your very best friend or your mother, let someone know they are cared about, and the world would be different without them. Everyone needs a pick-me-up once in a while, and a random one is the best kind - blindside someone with kindness today, Love them. Love yourself. Love ALL.

Thanks for reading guys, I know this isn't like my usual posts, but I had to share. I love each and every one of you!!

Know Yourself, Know Your Worth

     Too many times, too many relationships I've seen poisoned by what someone thinks is "love." Someone who shows you what you deserve from day one, but slowly changes to bring you hurt and disrespect, has shown you who they will really be throughout your relationship. Yes it is true, people change. And sometimes, some of us go  through what you might call a "rough patch," but that brings no excuse to continuously mistreat your partner. Too many times I've seen someone, male or female, take the mistreating that their partner gives them and say things such as "they're having a bad day" or even "they're like that with everyone." It's mind-boggling that we've come to   point where people are unsure of what they deserve - unsure of their own worth. WE ARE ALL WORTHY of someone who loves us unconditionally. There should never be a time when you tell your partner it's "okay" for abusing you, both physically and verbally. There should never be a time when you wonder if you are enough. There should never be a time when you think they used to love you "better". If that time comes, you know it is your time to leave. And there we find another issue - leaving; not many people think they have the strength to leave, especially if the relationship has a label of a year or longer.
     Leaving will be one of the hardest things you've ever done. To some, harder than others. It always depends on the relationship. Strength is within you. It is within all of us, and we don't even know how strong we really are. Leaving can destroy some, and that might sound scary, but once you have left, you can begin to rebuild..
     Rebuilding; this is the part that will bring you the greatest joy. Nowadays, people run to relationships for security. We are all scared of what might come and no one wants to face it alone. But you are NOT secure in the arms of someone who does not see your value. And everyone has GOT TO STOP trying to PROVE their worth to someone who does not SEE IT THEMSELVES. Those people are poison. Those people do not deserve the endless mountains of love you have to give away.
     One day, YOU will find a way to rebuild your heart, and you will find your soul, and you will know yourself, better than you've ever dreamed. That day will only come when you realize what you've been taking isn't what you deserve. Stop taking from others and start giving to yourself. LOVE is all you need.. And when you realize that, my friend, you've won. 

To Love or Not To Love

It's scary knowing you've begun to "catch feelings" for someone. Knowing that someone has a piece of you, no matter how small, is frightening to us, and some can't even explain why.
We are all living in a world where it is terrifying to love and be loved, only because we would rather not have it at all, than to have it and lose it. We live in a world where people, teenagers, adults, almost everyone has chosen to not only block out their feelings, but pretend they don't exist. This is the most unhealthy trend we've yet to create. I've been in the position where my feelings were hurt and I'd felt betrayed, but there is a difference between protecting your heart and pretending you don't have one. It is always smart to be cautious, there is nothing wrong with not wanting to be hurt. But you cannot let the fear of not knowing keep you from finding true love. I read a quote once, although I have no idea who said it, it really stuck with me, "You have to love. You have you feel. It is the reason you are here on Earth. You are here to risk your heart." 
YOU ARE HERE TO RISK YOUR HEART. You were put on this very planet to love and love and love some more. Love does not come easy, and it is not found, but given. You cannot search for it, but as you sit and wait, when it comes around, you've got to accept it and see what new heights it can take you to. The opportunities are endless once you open your heart to love. It may seem like it has failed before, but LOVE will always shine through and crush your doubts and fears. Give love a chance. Give yourself a chance. 

beaYOUtiful

There will always be someone who doesn't agree with you. There will always be at least one person who does not think your actions are acceptable. That person's opinion should always be irrelevant to you, as you should always stay true to yourself. If you feel a certain way, if you believe something, stick with it. Don't let anyone tell you who you should be, or how you should act, or what you should feel. You are your own person, you are YOU for a reason, and no one else gets to be you, which is awesome if you ask me. 

Bad days

It's a new day, a new chance to make life even more beautiful than it already is. I woke up feeling loved, and feeling like I am so FULL of LOVE that I just want to share it with everyone. But first I want to share about a bad day I had.. I want to share because I want those who doubt themselves to see that even the most positive and optimistic people have bad days. A day where I felt like nothing was right, and I was scared of the future. I found myself feeling lonely, which is entirely unusual for me. I felt as though I had already spent so much of my life thinking I was in love with the wrong person, and I felt terrified, because I didn't want to "waste" another few years on another "Mr.Wrong." It took me a while, a few tears, an uplifting talk with my dad and a bunch of texts between myself and a close friend, but I was reminded of how in love I am with myself. Your mind plays tricks on you and as I've mentioned before, the hardest thing you'll ever learn is to control your own thoughts. I have wasted NO time. I have learned lessons and I have made memories. The past is where it belongs and I am headed for a bright future. I need no one. You need no one. We only want a partner to share our love and experiences with, but we need to stay well aware that that person will be presented to us when the Universe feels we are ready for that change. This post is to share the fact that everyone will have a bad day, or a bad moment, or hard times. It is completely natural, completely human. It's okay to be sad! It is absolutely alright to be upset, and to cry, let your feelings out. Usually, crying will make you feel better! No matter where you are, it is where you are supposed to be! Just be sure to remember this when you're having your moment. Remember that you are strong, you are loved, you can do this. Be sure to remember to pick yourself up after you cry, and carry on with your life, telling yourself you are worthy of love, especially your own.

Those were yesterday's feelings.

Today is a new day, and a great one at that. Wake up, and decide to take on the day with your head high! Yesterday is where it belongs - in the past. Maybe there were some bumps in your recent journey, whether it be yesterday, last week, two months ago.. Choose today to say "I'm moving on." Pick up the pieces you need to continue, and know how to separate those from the pieces you should leave behind. Today is the day you tell yourself that you can make it. You can change the things you want to change. You have strength. Today's a good day to have a good day!

BALANCE

The universe is connected through balance. If we didn't know bad, we 
wouldn't know good; those are the simplest terms of balance.
 The times when you feel as though you've nowhere to go, you're trapped at 
the bottom, remember that now, there's no where left to go but up. 
Things get worse before they get better, so this is a shout out to 
everyone who thinks it can't get worse than where they
 are right now.. Take it apart.. Take the whole situation apart in your 
head, piece by piece, and realize it's only people or things that you 
are letting inside you, letting destroy you. Dismiss them. Let go of the
 heavy negativity. If you wanna fly, you gotta give up the shit that 
weighs you down. Stand, recognize, and walk away from the negativity 
that built up inside you. Abandon it there, on the ground, and move on 
to find yourself. To find your inner peace. To find your B A L A N C E 

Leave people better than you found them.

Sometimes, no one will appreciate your time and care given.. Give it anyway. Be kind to the unkind, for they are the ones in need of love the most. "Don't let them pull you into their storm, pull them into your peace!" "Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and forgiving heart." Be the one who looks for the best in people. Share the love you have with someone, everyone, no matter if they return it.

Mind | Body | Soul

I've come to know that there is nothing more challenging than controlling your
own thoughts. Learning to grab hold of my thoughts and change any negative to
positive has been one of the most fascinating adventures I've ever been on.
There's no doubt I've become my own best friend. Every day I come to find
something new to love about myself. There are connections that have been made
between my mind and my body that are unexplainable. I trust and believe in
myself more than anything; I know my worth and I know my abilities. My strength
has only grown during this endeavor. I've still so much to learn and to grow,
but my progress is phenomenal. I want to share with everyone and anyone who is
willing to learn and grow with me. I want to radiate positivity and love
everywhere that I go, and know someone has taken from what I try to give. I want
to prove to those who don't believe that this feeling is electrifying. There is
no man stronger than the one who controls his own mind. It takes strength and
courage to overcome the obstacles of a negative mind. Negativity lives in all of
our heads.. The mind is a powerful thing. LOVE and LIGHT are more powerful, and
once everyone understands this, we will know PEACE. There is no better feeling
than the feeling of pure joy. Happiness comes from within, and you must rid your
mind, body and soul of negative and harmful people, things, thoughts, etc...
Positive mind⏩Positive life. Without struggle, there is no progress... Of course
it will be difficult, but it will be well worth it to realize how much LOVE and
CARE you deserve from yourself and everyone else!!

What's coming is better than what's gone.

Tough times don't last, tough people do. No matter where you are, that's where
you are supposed to be. Don't give up hope, the past is the past, and your
future is bright. You'll never meet a strong person with an easy past. Once
you've hit the bottom there's nowhere left to go but up. I'm on my way to the
top... Where are you headed?? The best part is, YOU get to decide. Pick yourself up,

wipe away the past and move along to find what the Universe has in store for you! 

Happiness never decreases by being shared.

With this here being one of my favorite truths, I felt the need to share; to explain that
happiness, once found within, is contagious on the outside. Like a candle,
sharing it's flame with the next wick, but never losing its own flame, so is
happiness. It isn't a feeling, it is a state. It is a choice. True happiness is
felt only when one decides that everything they do, they are doing for the good
of their soul. Discovering how to be happy, despite any and all bad around you,
does not only take courage, but strength. Constantly I remind people that anger
is the easiest emotion, that is why we react on it so quickly. Only the
strongest can stay calm and content when in a situation that needs no reaction.
Those who are strong, are happy. Share your happiness with others. Show a smile,
that's contagious. Do a random good deed, something you know will help another
being. Happiness was the best choice I ever made. All I want is for others to
feel the joy I feel every morning when I wake up and choose to be strong and
positive. If you're reading this, keep your head up! You got this and you're
gonna make it! (And if you need anything I'm here for you -- I mean that for
anyone!)