I recently realize that far too many people don’t value themselves enough to require certain qualities in the people that they associate with. For example, me being the person I am, out-spoken and straight forward, I ask that everyone I know be completely honest with me at all times. It’s not a very hard thing, honesty, but you won’t believe the amount of lies that come out of people’s mouths for no reason. I’ve had friends that would lie straight to my face about the most tedious of things like, if I had something on my face, to the more serious offenses like talking negatively about me behind my back. It was so frustrating to deal with these character flaws in people that I ultimately couldn’t trust them enough to continue the friendship or association. I made it a rule of mine, that in order for us to continue a true friendship I need one hundred percent honesty and realness. It’s up to me to enforce this rule within my relationship with people, to avoid being taken advantage of and wasting my time.

I think people don’t require certain things from others as often as they should. So many friends of mine are in relationships with guys, who they believe are unfaithful and are liars. How can you continue to be in a situation that is making you uncomfortable? They have made their needs clear, told them on more than one occasion that these are the things they don’t want and don’t like. However, these people still try to lie and play their way through the relationship. When you make it known that certain things will not be tolerated and you ensure some consequence to these actions, I believe that these guys will take you more seriously in the future.

I won’t compromise my integrity or values to maintain a relationship with someone who does not respect me enough to keep it real. I just can’t. When I show that I’m not happy with that kind of behavior, when I let them know that I will not tolerate it, it happens a lot less often.

Trust me when I say, that when people “be about” what they tend to talk about so often, they not only get the respect of their peers but they also get a better sense of self-respect. It’s not easy losing friends, believe me I know. However, I rather lose a thousand fake and disrespectful people in my life, sticking to stringent criteria of association, and keep the small group of real folks, then to have a thousand people who truly don’t care for me and lie to my face everyday.

Expect more from yourself and those around you. When you say I don’t like when people smoke around me, then stop hanging out with that one chick who continues to chain smoke right in your face. She would be much better off not making you uncomfortable, by hanging with people that can appreciate the fact that she smokes and you wouldn’t have to constantly remind her about that issue. I think life is too short to waste on minor things, when you ultimately striving to do the major ones. Forget compromising for others, when you are sacrificing yourself. Look out for your star player, you. In the end you end up a happy person with a lot less drama.