Friends Eh?

Well for starters, this post was not triggered by any specific incident. Just a lot of things have been happening and I make observations and store them away in the back of my mind for later use. I am one of those people that is overly nice to everyone and I have a lot of "friends" and consequently I get walked all over a lot. The thing is that I don't want to change the way I am because every once in a while someone can come along and surprise me. There really are genuine people in this world, its just that they are hard to find.

I am finding more and more people out there seem to feel that they need to lie. I am not sure why because I am very open-minded and I accept people for who they are. If you don't have the greatest life in the world then change that. Don't just lie about it so people think you are so amazing. What you don't realize is that we can see right through you.

Myself, when I meet people I genuinely want to get to know them. I am fascinated by all the different things that people do in their lives, both the good and the bad. I think that everything that happens to us helps to shape us and make us who we are. Without these influences, we would be nothing. Hardships and difficulties either make us strong or beat us down and that all depends on how we manage our feelings. Some people are easily influenced by others and that can be a good thing if others are looking out for their best interests. If not, it can be very destructive and lead to a miserable life.

You may have heard that everything in the universe happens the way it is supposed to happen. I believe that very strongly. So many things in life don't seem to make sense at the time and then later on we realize that we are better off because of it. Maybe leading a healthy and happy life is simply a matter of embracing that fact and moving on. I know this has worked for me very well, and I try my best to not get hung up on a specific incident or person or event because I know things will go on as they should.

Back to the friend thing... I think most people can count on one hand how many true friendships they have in their life. These are the people that are there for you when you need them. They are not what I call "fair weather friends". The majority of friends are there when there is something in it for them, or when they are bored and have nothing better to do. Or worse, you happen to be influential in some way and they gain by being around you.

Anyways, this is sounding a little depressing, but that was not my intention. What I mean to say is that you need to keep your eyes open so that you can tell the difference between a fair weather friend and a true friend. The reason is that it is the true friends that you need to make sure you are a true friend back with.

I once told someone that they should take a look at every person in their life and ask themselves if that person adds value, or sucks life out of them. If they add value then great, but if they don't add value then get rid of them. One of the simplest keys to happiness is surrounding yourself with good people that make you happy. If you are spending energy on someone who does not make you happy then you need to be a little bit selfish and let them go. You need to realize that life is short and there is no point wasting precious moments with people that don't deserve your energy. Let them go out and find someone else who they can relate to and maybe they will realize what a true friend should be.

This Life They See

I have not been in a good place lately. I hope to come out of it soon, but I am having a very hard time with everything right now. I wrote this "thing" to try and express my feelings. I don't know if it is a poem or whatever but who cares, it is what it is...

the thoughts were easy
the path always clear
always knowing
never any fear

things happen as they should
goals achieved one after the next
life seems so easy
live with no regrets

how could this happen?
how did I get here?
with no one to talk to
all full of fear

have I been asleep?
or living some other life?
i feel so alone
so helpless and lost

you don't know about a perfect life
it's what you think you want
then realize the knife
nowhere to go

someone has to suffer
does it always have to be me?
thoughts are so dark
feelings so cold

who would understand?
who really cares?

with life there are choices
some easy and some hard
there are people you love
and others that love you

they are not always the same
one of life's little tricks
to beat you down hard
to test your strength
and harden your heart

no one is immune
it's your choice indeed
to let life break you
or to hold strong and need
to conquer your mind
and overcome your fears

it's okay to be alone
sometimes in tears
for you are only human
and it comes down to this
even knowing what you want
is rarely what you need

others think its perfect
this life they see

if only they could know you
how your heart makes you suffer
it's something not seen

you put on a smile
and make them believe
its a perfect life
this life they see