am i effected?

Those people who are closest to me in life have a unique opportunity to have a great impact through their words. So much of the time when I am explaining to friends and family the new people I am meeting and the new things I am experiencing, there is vast opportunity for reactions to play a role.

And especially when I have met new people...new men in particular, words have power. And I pay attention to the reactions of those people I cherish. Someone had asked me yesterday if the comments made by others on people I know and am close with have an impact on how I proceed forward.

In these situations, I feel as though it is very critical to examine the source of the comment. If I feel as though the person speaking is speaking words with malicious intent, I will acknowledge that. If I truly to see it as something "with my best interest" at heart, then I will acknowledge that. Therefore, I feel as though examining the source is critical.

It is difficult though to hear words spoken of someone that you are close to that aren't necessarily in a positive light, and not have your mind preoccupied by that planted seed. For me sometimes it will spin me into a cycle of examining my relationships and seeing if those qualities are actually there, instead of making the decisions and conclusions for myself.

This blog is short but important: I feel as though if we allow ourselves to be effected negatively by words of impression and expectation of other people, then we aren't confident in who we are inside. I realize that the line isn't so black and white, but in a sense it can be. We can allow or not allow those words to impact how we conduct our own relationships.