I got your attention didn't I? You were probably just surfing around and noticed the title of my blog and were interested to see who I hate the most. It's funny how things can get our attention. Before I tell you who I hate the most, let me give you a few reasons why. This person has made promises that they have broken, they have a set of values that they have allowed to become compromised. The demands of daily life has bogged them down, preventing them from staying in contact with the people they love and care about the most. They have allowed things to replace people in their lives, being too busy to find time to connect with others. Sure, they are on Facebook, but that is like having a private conversation in a crowded room with everyone listening. They have ignored the people closest to them, not spending quality time with loved ones. Sure you can spend time with someone, but is it quality time? Sitting together watching TV or a movie is spending time together but if you don't talk or look at each other then it isn't "quality" time together, especially if you are sitting at opposite ends of the couch. It is really no different than riding the public transit together, you sit beside someone and never exchange words. At the end of the bus ride you might say "Excuse me" so you can get by the person but there is no real interaction. Studies have proven that we need social interaction, and not just a "how do you do" or a "good morning" but real in-depth conversations to stimulate our minds, and to help us stay sane. Solitary confinement is one of the ways that they punish prisoners. Why? Because it takes away one of the most vital things to life, interaction with others. People that are lonely and isolated get depressed and depression leads to all sorts of issues, including death. One of my jobs requires me to be outside going to different locations and the other morning while at work, about 4:30am, a man walked past me. As is my custom when I see someone that early, I said "Morning" to him and he just kept walking, didn't say a word. After walking a few steps away, I looked back at him and I saw that he had turned around and looked at me with this puzzled look on his face, maybe trying to figure out if he knew me from somewhere, or maybe wondering why this stranger spoke to him. Most people that I run into that early usually respond or even initiate the "Good Morning" but for some reason this guy was caught off-guard. I don't know how that story relates to the topic, but it was interesting to see his reaction to something that used to be so common among people, a simple "Good Morning" regardless of whether the person was a neighbour or a stranger.
But back to the topic, The Person I Hate The Most. This person has good intentions, wanting to connect and reach out to others, but has allowed life to get too busy to be able to do that. I always say that "life gets in the way of friendships" and it's true. When was the last time you really connected with an old friend, or made time to visit with a loved one? The person I hate the most hasn't connected with any old friends, or even made new ones. They have isolated themselves into a world of work, and staying busy with all sorts of things. They got a new patio set last summer and only used it a handful of times. They also got a firepit so they can sit around it and enjoy a nice summer evening with family and the whole summer they only used it once. They have a trampoline that they set up but was barely used last summer. Not once this winter have they gone out to play in the snow, which used to be a regular occurrence. Work consumes most of their time, working 10, 11 hour days most of the time. And when they are not working, they are too tired to do anything else. The person I hate the most used to be fun and carefree, cherishing the moments that make up the journey. The destination is important, but the moments that are shared along the journey are just as important. The person I hate the most needs to remember what is important in life, what their priorities are and used to be. They need to take the time to make sure that what the priorities used to be are aligned with what today's priorities are. I don't believe that life should change who you are, but that your priorities and goals should always remain the same. Take a baseball player for example, he is up at the plate to get a hit. In his mind, his goal, his priority, is to get a hit. Let's say he expects the pitcher to throw him a fastball, but instead the pitcher throws a slider, well now that hitter has to adapt because he was looking for a fastball. Has his priorities or his goal changed? No of course not, he still wants to get a hit, but his approach has to change. He now has to make changes to his swing in order to make sure he makes contact with the ball. If he was to say, "Oh well, I was expecting a fastball and I have a slider coming at me instead, I no longer am interested in getting a base-hit" he wouldn't be in the majors for too long. The best athletes, regardless of the sport, are the best because they adapt their approach, but not their ultimate goal. Too many times we have life throw us a slider when we are thinking fastball and instead of adjusting our approach we adjust our goals. Our goals should always stay the same, regardless of what comes our way. Life is full of sliders, and curveballs, and knuckleballs, and all sorts of twists and turns, but we have to remain focused on our goals and adapt our approach in order to continue with forward progress. The person I hate the most has forgotten all the priorities and goals that were set all those years ago when they first started out on this journey we call Life. They have forgotten how they promised to be there for others, always willing to put things off to help a friend. They have gotten selfish, greedy and a shadow of their former self. But the good news is it's not too late to change, they can go back to being the person they were, the person that was always willing to reach out and lend a helping hand. There still is time to make a difference, to make an impact in their world. All they have to do is to simply do it. The priorities are there, the goals are still the same, just have to refocus and zoom in on how to reach their goals.
By now you are probably wondering who this person is. Well I'll tell you.........The Person I Hate The Most is........ME. Now don't worry, I'm not depressed or suicidal or anything, I am perfectly fine. I have just realized that I am becoming the person I hate. The person who is always too busy working to stay in contact with friends, the person who says "what do I need" instead of saying "what do you need," the person who says, "this is the best option for me" as opposed to "how will this help others." See, I despise those people, they are sefish, rude, arrogant, and conceited. They only have friends for two reasons: because people are scared of them, or because people need something from them. I don't want to be one of those people. Those people get to their destination but have no one to share it with, no memories were created along the way, no memory of the journey. I am going to take back my life, my friends and my time from all these things that are trying to take them from me. No longer will I lament the fact that "life gets in the way of friendships" but I am going to stop life in its tracks. Maybe things won't go the way I planned, but I am going to keep the same goals and priorities regardless of what life wants to throw at me. LIFE WILL NOT GET IN THE WAY OF ME LIVING!! Watch out Life cause I'm coming after you!!!
And that is life thru my chocolate-covered glasses. Why? Cause Da Chocolate Says............
