Philippians 4:13

We are all driven by our individual and collective experiences that shape who we are. And who we are in turn shapes the experiences that we have. It’s a constant cycle, and it explains why different people approach situations differently. I am who I am because of the people who broke me down in the past, and because of the people who have lifted me up during those times, and especially in the past few years. 

There are some people in my life that I could just be hella real with. I can be honest, harsh when needed, supportive, and come from the same place and the same intention, and there wouldn’t be any hard feelings there. But then there are some people I feel I need to be delicate with when it comes to my real opinions. It’s so difficult to remember that the reason why I have such different relationships with different people is because we have had different experiences collectively and different individual experiences. I vibe with certain people differently than with others because of personality differences as well.

Above all, I value honesty and realness, and I want to be honest and real all the time. I wish I was comfortable enough to just tell it how it is all the time to everyone, without biting my tongue, even if the things I say will most likely be hurtful. However, this isn’t always the case of course.

Friendships do take work. A friendship needs to be built on a foundation of positive intent and trust, so no matter how words may sting, it comes from a place of positive intent. Yes, being a good friend in different situations is difficult. Developing this kind of relationship is harder with some than with others. But an honest, real friendship is one of the best friendships that will last. And I hope I can open up more this semester, be myself, and be completely honest and just be real 100%. Some of the shit I say may hurt, but it’s all love.