Just ‘be’

Be a Person.

Sounds simple, right? We wake up, go to work or school, hang out with friends, spend time with family, sleep, eat, breathe, etc. Functions of a human being. But what does it really mean to BE a person?

It’s important to be somebody, whether it’s for yourself or for others. You have to be: Be present, be alive, be happy, be a functioning human being.

We are always learning the art of being a person. Different people present different perspectives and opinions on things, giving us the opportunity to form perspectives and opinions of our own. Each day brings news, laughter, fears and growth. I’ve always been one to keep an open mind on everything, because you never know the silent battles people are fighting every day or how they live their life. The ultimate goal is to always be understanding and receptive. You make the choice to be accepting of certain things and people, but you must always be receptive and respectful.

Each person, each experience, each moment is a gift or a curse, a blessing or a lesson, good or bad. All of that depends on our approach. This crazy idea of open communication and conversation is far and beyond for some of you, and for that I feel sorry for you. You live to be a closed book with a lock and no key and you will look back wondering ‘what would have been’ if you had just opened up just a little bit. We can’t fight for people’s attention. That’s just absurd. I fall to a level of guilt in not always sticking to my plans, but I am always, ALWAYS about my word. It’s such a daunting task nowadays to be honest and straightforward. People would much rather retweet something or subtweet someone with the hopes that they’ll ‘get the hint’ (Yes, that’s a thing. I don’t understand it either). Newsflash: The tweets and Facebook statuses and Instagram filters you hide behind aren’t the words you SPEAK, the facial expressions you MAKE or the emotions you FEEL. The physicality (technologicality?) of that is thin–thinner than cappellini. You see, I appreciate the art of communication, because I believe wholeheartedly that the conversations you share and the in-person exchanges you make are the most valuable experiences to be had. When you live to be ‘figured out,’ you set yourself up for a lifetime of headaches and loneliness. I hang onto the words of many, because I like to believe that those words are thought and said with sincerity as they roll of your tongue. So do not tell me one thing when you mean another. There’s a level of insensitivity I’ve dealt with over that last couple of weeks (no fault but my own), but regardless of what may occur—I need everyone to understand that respect is at the forefront and as a PERSON you are deserving of that, if nothing else. Too often we place our own tendencies in front of our awareness for others and forget that, while YOU may not care, other people do. Being bitter and unthoughtful is ugly. Where’s the love? I need the love.

Be present.

This does not mean scroll through your twitter timeline as you attempt to remove yourself from an awkward situation (It happens sometimes, I promise. If someone is ignoring you when they shouldn’t be and you know ZERO people around you, scroll away my friend). However, the beauty of being a person of character is knowing when to speak, how to speak and when to listen. Take in the world around you. Walk around aimlessly if you have to, but embrace the people and the environment you’re in and take good mental pictures. Change is constant.

Be alive.

Complacency, contention, settling for mediocrity… none of those coincide with being alive. In order to get what you want, what you dream, what you deserve, you have to be willing to take some risks. In moments where you are unsure of the next step and your heart is racing as your mind is wandering, know that those are the feelings of a person who is very much alive. You have to FEEL the moments or you might as well be dead.

Be happy.

You derive your happiness from yourself. I mean that. No one is going to wake you up and tell you to be happy (unless you still live with momma, in which case you should just hug her and say thank you bc moms really are angels on Earth). You dictate the happiness you feel. No person, no situation could ever influence the happiness within your heart so long as you continue to tell yourself that sometimes it’s okay to fall, it’s okay to have fears and it’s okay to be angry/sad. All of that is temporary. Until that day you find someone who provides the balance, the love, the commitment and additional happiness you’ve always deserved and desired. Then you can rely on that person, because that’s what it’s all about, right!? Until then, you really only have yourself.

My last tidbit…. I tweeted this earlier in the week and it’s seriously the most fitting thing I’ve said for my own life and some of my friends. History has a way of repeating itself when you don’t leave the people from your past where they belong. You put yourself in a similar situation and you are bound to experience the same deceit, heartbreak, dishonesty and games you experienced a week/month/year ago. Everything happens for a reason and unless someone is coming back and approaching you properly (see what I did there), you need to run faster than Kanye did when grabbing the mic from Taylor Swift at the VMAs. The people in your past are there as reminders of what you didn’t want, what you didn’t have and what you rightfully deserve as a functioning human being.

And here… if someone gives you a second chance after you’ve screwed them over or toyed with their emotions, don’t be stupid. Seriously. Consider it to be good karma working in your favor and work to BE AND DO BETTER. Otherwise, god bless and goodbye.

Sometimes we just have to BE, and that’s okay. You are a person, you are important. Be a person. Be alive; be happy; be present and you will be what you are working to become.