Truth, Bitter Truth

I've been thinking a lot this week about being a good person, and if it really matters or not. One of my favorite shows had an episode this week, which got me thinking a lot. The premise of the episode was whether or not the actions you take, even the little ones, affect your life and the lives of the people around you. Since it's a TV show, the final verdict was yes, it matters and can affect others as well. But my question is, does it really?

I think it's pretty obvious that what you do affects others, and sometimes the affects can be profound. But should you consider others feelings when you make decisions? It seems that in todays world, you need to be cutthroat in order to succeed, and being a good person and being kind takes a backseat.

This brings me to two things. First, I like to think I'm a good person, and I care about others, and try to do what's right. This hasn't always been the case, but I like to think I've come along way from the person I used to be. Although I have along way to go, I think overrall I'm the type of person I want to be. Well, do the people I used to know when I was different really care? Does it matter to them that I've changed, and I'm different? When I see someone I used to know, in the mall or something, will they mutter "he's an asshole" to the person they're with. Probably. So, in some (not all, hopefully) cases, no matter what you do, you'll always be the person you used to be. Some people will always judge you by some wrong that you committed against them, and even if you cure cancer you won't be able to change their opinion of them. I must say that I am sometimes guilty of judging people this way. I try all the time to get better, be more mature, and forget about things that have happened in the past…but it's not always easy. So, to some people, I'll always be the arrogant, selfish, high school jock that I was 7 years ago…and that's fine, because I know that's not who I am now.

Secondly, can you be successful, and still be a good person. Pretty much every successful (mostly $$ wise, and I mean successful as in owning a company, big house, etc.) person you hear about or know is arrogant, full of themselves, or incredibly mean. I know the business world is hard place to succeed, and sometimes you have to be cold and cutthroat to be successful, but can you be the person you want to be and be as financially successful as you want to be? Or do you have to sacrifice your morals or values to be successful?

I'm not sure what conclusion I'm trying to come to here. I just think maybe this is a bridge I'll have to cross in the future, but I guess I'll worry about it then. During this thinking process of mine, the only thing that has become glaringly obvious is that I'm neither the person I want to be nor financially successful as I want to be. So maybe I shouldn't be worrying about this. Regardless, it's something I wanted to figure out, and I thought that writing it down may be helpful…it really wasn't. Til next time, enjoy this freezing cold and enjoy the holiday season.

"Regret comes in all shapes and sizes. Some small. Like when we do a bad thing for a good reason. Some are bigger. Like when we let down a friend. Some of us escape the pangs of regret by making the right choice. Some of us have little time for regret because we're looking forward to the future. Sometimes we have to fight to come to terms with the past. And sometimes we bury our regret by promising to change our ways. But our biggest regrets are not for the things we did but for the things we didn't do. Things we didn't say that could have saved someone we care about. Especially when we can see the dark storm that's headed their way".