“Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all.” –Mandy Hale

Throughout our lives we will meet various people who do not agree with our beliefs: politically, religiously, idealistically, and morally. The hardest part about living, is that these people surround our everyday lives. Trying to make these people happy is probably one of the most exhausting and pointless things you can do in your life. No matter how hard you try to be a better person, no matter how many times you try and be inclusive or how many times you go out of your way to make people happy…someone is going to find a way to be unhappy or unsatisfied. Over the course of my 21 years (not long I know), I have honestly learned that if someone is willing to get to know you, or wanting to be a part of your life, they will.

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

It’s time to stop going out of your way to make others happy. For many years, I have tried… effortlessly, to understand why people are so unhappy, or how to keep people in my life. Unfortunately, not everyone is mature enough to communicate the reason for their indifferences and sometimes we must accept that. Additionally, we also feel that we have done so much to keep people in our lives, and they will still find a way to leave. When I was younger, my mom used to tell me, “Just turn the other cheek Breanna...be the better person.” However, after so many years of “turning the other cheek”, you get tired of being treated poorly. I get it. Trust me. We all deserve respect. We also deserve to be treated the way we would want someone else to treat us. Sometimes it is best to stop extending our hands to the unworthy. Sometimes, people are underserving of our friendship and our effort.

If you’re like me, you want to be inclusive and welcoming. You never want to leave anyone out, or make them feel unwanted. You get upset when someone is at odds with you, and if you feel a friendship may be drifting apart, you probably will do anything and everything just to keep it in tact. Unfortunately, I have learned...the hard way, that not everyone we meet or befriend will have pure intentions and a pure heart. I have also learned that not everyone sees love, friendship, and the world as I do. The hardest part about all of these realizatios is that sometimes the best way to be civil is to not say anything at all. And…sometimes the art of silence could quite possibly save your heart. To make things clear, I am not saying that blatantly ignoring, being rude, and cruel to others is the way to go. No, what I am saying is that sometimes the best things in life are left unsaid. Stop forcing yourself to make everyone happy, and stop trying to keep people in your life who don’t wish to be there. If people want to be in your life they will call, they will text, they will reach out, and they will try to make an effort. If not, don’t waste your words trying to make people stay or make others happy. No matter what, believe that your heart is made of gold, and if others wish to see the bad in you, it shows more about their character than it does yours. Focus on yourself and those who wish to be in your life. Save your precious words for those who are worthy, not for the undeserving. I promise...sometimes the art of silence is a beautiful thing.