Have you ever wondered why we spend so much time trying to be “better” for people who wouldn’t recognize better if it hit them over the head?

for most of my life,
i was a rule-follower.
at work,
with family,
in friendships,
and let’s not even font about looking for a partner.
i bent over backward trying to be the version of “better” everyone claimed they wanted.
they’d say they needed someone dependable,
thoughtful,
or different from all the “bad” they’d experienced before.
like a fool with a savior complex,
i tried to be the answer to their complaints.
here’s what they don’t tell you about following the rules…

Most of these people and situations didn’t actually want better,
they were perfectly content being their same toxic, unhealthy,
and miserable selves.

i was just a shiny distraction until they got bored.
the thing about being someone’s “answer” is that,
eventually,
they’ll start looking for something to question about you.
you will become the story to someone else.
these people are not and will never be happy.

Stop living to fit someone else’s idea of what they need.

be you and make yourself happy first.
you can’t fix people or companies stuck in their ways.
it’s who they are and no amount of effort will change that.

in the end…

Isn’t it better to break your own rules for joy than follow theirs for nothing?