Living Proof

Lies come in all shapes and forms, but nonetheless, they're still lies. If someone omits a portion of the story, is that considered a lie? How about if someone exaggerates a story to look more "entertaining" -- would that be considered an all out lie? I'm sure every single one of us has lied in the past, or still lying in the present, whether reasons for getting out of trouble or just trying to hide certain facts that you don't necessarily want revealed. Some are considered "white lies" while others are just downright dirty lies. I read somewhere that toddlers begin to lie at age 2, which seems way too young in my opinion. "Did you make that mess?!?!"  "Nooooo…….?"  Have you ever met someone who begged for attention all the time? They're the "storytellers" -- the ones who get people gasping from the shocking news they were told and "wowing" others with juicy gossip.  I'll never forget this kid at s...

Sometimes I wonder if having a “powerful personality” is a bad thing. The reason why I question it, is because powerful personalities come across more conflicts than the average Joe. They’re strong-minded and at times can be very opinionated, not giving way to an alternative solution or idea. At times, there are no compromises to be made, which makes them seem stubborn or perhaps, rude. You either ‘hate em’ or ‘love em’. There is usually no in between. Sometimes, people are downright scared of them, or feel somewhat intimidated, hoping not to get into any type of altercation or argument whatsoever. There are three types of “strong personalities” I can think up: the type where their beliefs are absolute truths and nothing more, and the type where they’re absolute people magnets because of the powerful lure they hold, perhaps persuasive and even possess an attractive yet manipulative charm. The other type that I categorize myself in, is strong-minded, my beliefs are my truths, howev...

Most knowledge comes from life experiences. The best thing a person can learn is what ‘not’ to do. They know better. It sometimes takes many trials and errors to figure out what does and doesn’t work, what should and shouldn’t be in your life and what you love, as well as what you dislike. And sadly, there are some that just don’t seem to learn no matter how hard life smacks them in the face. There are no wake up calls for that person, just the same day over and over with the same expectations and outcomes. They go around the same mountain a million times and expect to view a different scenery each and every trip. It has to get redundant. Believe me, I know... I’ve gone around that same mountain quite a few times. When I finally stopped and said, “no” - would you believe there were people traveling along with me begging me not to leave them? I hadn’t realized they were traveling with me this whole time. About a year ago, I became friendly with a person who I thought was brigh...

The basic lessons in life when you’re a child are all about social skills: saying please and thank you and being polite to those around you. Learning the golden rule of life deemed important and “sticks and stones” were embedded into our brain so we wouldn’t get offended so easily. We were taught to protect ourselves with the “sticks and stones” quote, by those who would hurt us with mere words. Did we ever really learn? What about “two wrongs don’t make a right”? It seemed to have lost its importance as years went by. So, when someone bad mouthed you, it was because they were hurt by what you did, therefore hurting you back twice as badly. Especially in matters of the heart and relationships, all of these great rules to live by have simply trickled down the drain. Nobody likes getting hurt. And, as hard as this may be to swallow: nobody enjoys hurting others - even if it seems as though they do. I guess this is what I believe anyway. We try to give the benefit of the doubt. If y...

There are many people who do not realize that they’re being manipulated. From Coping.org, there’s a perfect description for detecting when and if you’re being manipulated. Here are the signs: Manipulation is a set of behaviors whose goal is to: Get you what you want from others even when the others are not willing initially to give it to you. Make it seem to others that they have come up with an idea or offer of help on their own when in reality you have worked on them to promote this idea or need for help for your own benefit. Dishonestly get people to do or act in a way which they might not have freely chosen on their own. "Con'' people to believe what you want them to believe as true. Get "your way'' in almost every interaction you have with people, places, or things. Present reality the way you want others to see it rather than the way it "really is.'' Hide behind a "mask'' and let people see you in an acceptable way wh...