Growing up everyone is raised differently. Everyone has their own beliefs, morals and standards and even views. A lot of the time those aspects of people are taught to us. Some of them are definitely learned but a lot of how we are as people in my opinion is a taught trait by someone we look up to or the environment that we are raised in.
I feel so lucky to have been raised around strong women and by a father that never told me I couldn’t do something. One of the life lessons that I was taught early that my father would always say was “Can’t never did anything.” Every time I used the word can’t around my father it was followed up with that statement. I remember it use to drive me crazy but now looking back I realized it pushed me to try and do my best whenever something tried to get in my way. Whenever I wanted to try something knew my dad has had my back even if he thought it wasn’t the best idea he still supported me. I was raised by a heck of a guy that yes definitely isn’t perfect but he helped form me into a independent women that knows that the sky is the limit if I want to reach it.
The women in my life that also helped shape me into the independent driven women that I am helped to teach me that it is ok to lean on someone if you need to but it is also ok to stand on your own two feet and be ok with who you are. I have had such an amazing village help raise me and I will forever be grateful for that.
Being raised to be independent is a curse as well as a blessing. Some find me to be cocky because I truly believe that I can accomplish whatever I want. Some find me selfish because I don’t want my own children. Some find me to be to independent because I am not constantly on the search for someone to date/marry because I truly am ok with who I as a single woman. To those people that think that about me I thank them and also feel for them.
I thank them for seeing me as a strong women that knows that I am not just on this earth to just survive but on this earth to live. I thank them for saying I am selfish because when they get to the bottom of it I know what I want and how my heart and head feel. I thank them because they can see that I am ok on my own and not sad or lonely. I feel for them because deep inside 9/10 times your haters hate something about themselves that they haven’t worked out.
This world is hard and this world can suck. People can be your friend at one point and turn around and prove to you that they actually aren’t. But that is life. Sometimes life is hard, sometimes you have to push yourself to get out of bed, sometimes life is incredible and you want to yell from the rooftop. Every morning I try to thank God for another day on this earth because your day is what you make it. You can wake up hating life but why? Why not find the good in the bad? Why not be a friend to someone who needs you? Why not yell from the rooftop how good you have it even if you think that your world is falling apart? Everyone goes through things. Sometimes they are good sometimes they are bad but overall even at your bottom you are still doing good because you have still have the chance to live and change.
From the amazing people that helped raise me I also have a heck of a support group with my friends. There are a handful of people that I know I can call at any time day or night and they will be there for me. Even the friends that I have grown apart from and that I am not super close with anymore I know still have my back because I have theirs. Aside from your blood family I truly believe that the people you surround yourself with turn into your family. They turn into your tribe, your ride or dies, the ones you can call in the middle of the night and know that they will come to you if you need them. They know you better then you know yourself most of the time and can tell by the look on your face if you are ok or not. Those are the people that you hang onto a little bit harder because even in the crappy times you know you have each others back. To say I’m grateful for my tribe is an understatement because they truly know me and the independent person I am.
Aside from being independent and having an amazing support system that yes I realize not everyone has I also try to be kind and volunteer. As Ellen Degeneres would say “Be kind to one another.” That little statement has stuck with me since I first heard it. Why not be kind? Why not say hi to the random person you pass or even just a simple smile can go a long way. This world has so much hate in it why not be the person that helps bring joy? Volunteer for something not to make yourself feel better but because you want to make a difference. Take the time to find your happy, support your people that support you, help a person in need, make a difference in someones life especially a child’s and overall just be kind and love one another. When you look in the mirror make sure you are happy with the person that you see because in the end if you aren’t happy with yourself are you truly doing what you are meant to be doing?
Liz's Gypsy Journey 