'Squirrels' has hit the nail on the head. It's all about confindence in yourself. When you are truely comfortable with yourself & don't try to impress people or gain their approval, then you'll get their respect. Thats what it's all about.
Over the past year particulary, I've really grown in self confidence / belief in myself. I've aksed many questions concerning my personal philosphopys / spiriatuality / etc. & i've come out a stronger person than i've ever been.
It's all about how you feel about yourself. I know it's a cliche but it really is true.
also.. on a different note...
Originally posted by Desdinova
It's difficult to damn near impossible to change other people's perceptions of you. They've know you to be the same guy for a long time, and they'll always know that person. Even when you make personal changes to yourself, people you know won't buy into the new you. They'll expect the same crap from you that they're used to.
When you do something that is unusual to your old personality traits, they get confused, or even pissed off about it. They'll try to "knock some sense" into you and attempt to drag you back to your former level, because they want you to be the person you used to be.
If the people you know can't accept the new you, it's better to abandon them because they're only going to try and drag you back down.
This is SO true. When i meet up with my old friends (who i haven't really seen much of since i went to uni) they are always acting this way to me.
It's like, i think my general aura i give out now, & my posture / man-er-is-ums & my attitude is of a more confident, in control person. I'm more articulate & speak with more passion & identity & most of all.. dignity.
My 'friends', who are still quite imature in many respects, &, i hate to say this, a little socially inept. They are what would be refered to as 'geeks'.
Sometimes, when i meet up with them, i can tell that they're taken aback by my attitude & generally shocked & suprised with the way i am.
Other times, then can be just complete ar*eholes. For example, I invited them up to my uni for a party. While they were there they met my uni friends. What did my old friends do?
Throughout the WHOLE NIGHT, all they did was be-little & debase me in front of my uni friends. They told embarressing stories from the past (not lighthearted stuff.. we're talking really personal & emotional things that scared me for life) & they were quite malisicious about it. They made stide & cruel remarks all night & the whole thing seemed like they were desperatley trying to convince my uni friends that i'm a complete loser.
From a psychological point of view, it can be said that they're jealous of my achievements & (subconcisosly) trying to sabotage my development; to come back down to their level.
(as Morrissey says : "We hate it when our friends become sucessful")
Anyway, the point is.. i've written so much i've forgotten.
sorry for clogging this thread up with irrelevent junk.
i'll stop now.