Steel toed motivation

From time to time, I've realized that things in my life needed to change.  I made a conscious decision to not be shy.  It took a great deal of effort on my part initially, but I'm much happier being extroverted.  While I maintain a very Black and White view of the world, I now make allowances for the existence of Grey sometimes.  That was another deliberate decision on my part.  I know these things may not seem like big deals to the casual observer, but trust me, HUGE deals.

 

It's hard for me to change.  I don't like to change, but for a while there I went through this stage where I decided to be more accepting of stuff and I've been pretty good about keeping it up.  It was an effort to open myself up to things I may have been missing.   I'm a close-minded liberal.  Weird, I know, but so true.  So I opened myself up to different kinds of people who I otherwise may have overlooked or even snubbed. 

 

In a few cases, that's worked out really well.  However, in my personal life, not only have I opened myself up to men who are outside my norm, in some respects, I've just lowered my standards.  I've made allowances and put up with things that make no sense.  If someone I know and loved told me they were dealing with some of the crap I've accepted in their relationships, I'd tell them not to tolerate that shit.  I realize that I've spent way too much time pissed off and confused...and that's just not who I am.   I don't know when I made the move from accepting different to accepting bullshit, but it ends now.   As my loving sister told me, at times I need a push…with a heavy boot…in the butt.  Both cheeks are sufficiently bruised.  I'm moving on.