an Ahhhh Haaaa moment

"Never take advice from someone you wouldn't trade places with."

I love it! I love it because I tend to weigh my options before making a decision. In doing that I talk to several people to get their opinions. So much so that I forget what I really want and I end up choosing what other people would want.

Let's look at this emotionally. When I look back with regret I see that I was just trying to live up to everyone else's over embellished life scenarios. It could be a relationship, or a friendship, or just the type of person someone is. They seem to have something you want. You're a smidge jealous so you listen. You take the advice and you follow it thinking you can get there too. It doesn't work out for you. You wonder why because it worked for so and so. But then if you look at it with different eyes and you see through the facade. You see that what you wanted never existed. It was just an embellishment. Then you realize they didn't get to that place by following their own advice.

Honestly, in looking at their lives with these new eyes, I don't want it. I like the shoes I'm in. I like the place I'm at. I like the person I am.

I can count on one hand the people I would trade places with. And once I looked at it that way I see that they also happen to be people that have characteristics that I aspire to have.

I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense. It does to me and I guess that's all that matters.

Thanks for the advice. You know who you are. And the characteristic I take from you is self respect.