Monday, October 13, 2008

Friendly Recommendation

So, I was reading a friends post today and ran across something that stuck out. It's something I've been thinking about the last few days. She says,

"Never make someone a priority in your life when you are only an option in theirs....
It's like, at what point does "loving your neighbor" and "being a good friend" turn into "being a doormat," or "being too available," or "being an option?".

I've been asking for advice from people I trust who are brutally honest with me. Over and over again, I'm told that I let people walk all over me.

Really? I do? I had no idea. In my mind I think I'm pretty good at standing up for myself and sometimes I feel I come across rude when I'm stepped on. But, maybe they think that way because of the fact I'm too forgiving...if that's really a fault. I guess it can be. At what point do I stop forgiving someone who repeatedly hurts me?

A close friend said to me the other day, "You should surround yourself with people who make you a priority". She explained that too often I make myself available for those who don't do the same for me. "You're always there to fill anothers void, but who is there to fill yours?"

I guess hearing this from several different trustworthy friends, has somewhat made an impact on the way I've been thinking and making recent decisions. But how do I change a value that's been ingrained in me? It's just the type of person I am. I guess what I really need to do is make the distinction as written above.

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