Hand in Hand

Lately, I've been consumed with thoughts about human relationships. What exactly is it that brings people together or tears us apart? Yes, many times it is situational; however, there are times when it feels like there is something stronger that either attracts us toward one another or away from one another.

It amazes me how much we are able to care about people we barely know. We can sit there and replay events in our heads only to over-analyze every word and every move. We can spend hours wondering whether there is a slight chance that our actions are being reciprocated. Yet, meanwhile, we tend to overlook those that care the most about us.

What is it that makes a stranger feel so familiar while others seem to be getting more and more distant? What is it about certain people that make us want what we always ran away from? How is it so hard to let go of something that never even felt significant for a moment yet we are able to magically dismiss what has been holding us back for years?

We go out of our way for those that pay us no attention and don't give a second thought to those that go out of their way for us. At the end of the day, we all want the same things. We want to be surrounded by those that truly care about us. So what is it that makes the chase so desirable?

I have the tendency to always want what I can't have and disregard what is right in front of me. I am currently making a conscience effort to break this ugly habit. Although I'm trying, my heart just doesn't seem to be in it. Isn't there a reason some catch our attention as opposed to others or why some have the ability to have us doing things we normally would not? Just because something looks right on paper doesn't mean it will feel right in the heart.

Leading me to the never-ending battle between the head and the heart. It's not so easy to convince yourself to feel a certain way, just as it isn't easy to make yourself stop feeling a certain way.

"Man is a knot into which relationships are tied."

Empty as the Wind

Far too often we give up simply because we feel that our efforts are not benefiting us in any way. We're in an age of instant gratification. We want what we want and we want it now. Unfortunately, not everything works that way. If you really want something, you will stick with it in hopes of improvement regardless of praise and recognition.

At the same time, kind words don't hurt. Sometimes, that's all we need for encouragement. The same goes for compliments. I believe that words are powerful, written or spoken, and they should not be taken lightly. All it takes is a few kind words to make someone's day, to make someone smile, which I think is the most beautiful thing. Those few kind words could be what brings laughter to their day, a subtle sparkle to their eye or meaning to the perfect moment. The words people use express so much of themselves, whether they realize it or not, as do their actions.

Just as our words and actions display fractions of ourselves, they also affect the ones around us. That's what most of us tend to forget. It's amazing how much of an affect we can have on each other. Just as we have the ability to create happiness for others, we also have the ability to take it away. We have the ability to frustrate and confuse each other. We have the ability to cause pain. The worst part is that we are able to do this unintentionally.

They say the truth hurts. While that can be true, isn't the blatant pain that arises from knowledge of the truth less painful than that of being lied to? Some people beat around the bush to protect the ones they care about while others do it to protect themselves. Somehow, having power over someone else's thoughts and feelings makes us feel powerful. It's true that being honest and straight-forward can leave you vulnerable, but it's also true that playing games can leave you lonely. The lengths we go to in efforts to attain something or someone can be the exact thing that drives them away.

What I have realized is that anyone and everyone around me has the power to have an affect on me. And if you don't like who you are around someone, how they make you feel or how they cause you to act, it's better to just distance yourself. Sometimes, the idea of someone is far more superior than the person themselves.

"The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine."