Relationships (Family & Friends)

• Not everyone will have your best interests at heart.
• Know how you want to be treated by your friends and anyone else that you let into your life. If they don’t treat you the way you want, clean house and get rid of them.
• Surround yourself with people who make you happy and lift you up.
• People will come and go in your life. Some will be present for a short time, and some will stay forever.  Each of these people will teach you something.
• Listen to your Mom’s advice. No one will ever love you more or have your back as much as your Mom.
• Don’t let your partner determine who you should be. If your partner can’t accept you for who you are, move on.
• Associate with good people.
• Love the people who make you happy.
• Expect to be treated with respect. Accept nothing less than this.
• Brains over beauty every time. Beauty fades.  Intelligence will allow you to be sitting on a beach relaxing while the rest of the world is hard at work.
• Not everyone is going to be your friend or like you. That’s okay.  Keep being you and your front row people will always show up.
• You need your Mom no matter how old, driven, or stable you are. Your mom has always been and always will be your best friend.  Your mom has strong shoulders to cry one, big ears to listen, and eyes that might see things that you don’t.
• Walk away from toxic relationships.
• Never be the first to let go in a hug.
• If he EVER hits you, it’s over.
• Never enter a relationship thinking that you can change that one quality that you don’t like. You can’t change it.  If you can’t accept him for who he is, he isn’t right.
• Too many ‘Mr.-Right-Nows’ won’t feel good down the road.
• If someone’s words don’t align with their actions, move on.
• Don’t move in with him too quickly.
• Be selective about who you give your time and attention too.
• Put others first, without compromising who you are.
• If he has female friends, get to know them and don’t be jealous.
• Always says ‘I love you” to your family before you walk out the door or hang up the phone.
• Don’t listen for what you ‘want’ to hear.  Really listen.
• Always listen to your parents. They made those mistakes.  They know.
• If you have a bad feeling about someone, trust that feeling.
• No, matter how mad they are, no matter how upset they are, if they love you, they will never put their hands on you.
• You deserve to be treated with respect and love.
• Get to know him before deciding that he isn’t right for you.
• His looks will change. Who he is won’t.  Think about this.
• Love should never be measured by the gifts he gives or the money that he spends on you.
• Call your parents at least once a week. You’ll understand why once you have children.
• When your spidy senses tingle, pay attention.
• Always have friends of the opposite sex. Keep them in the friend zone – always!  Don’t cross any lines here.  Sometimes, crossing the line ends the friendship. 
• If you broke up with him, do NOT contact him. Too often, people get back together only because they are lonely.
• Be with someone who excites you.
• Pay attention to character. Watch how people in your life treat others and pay attention to how they react when someone makes a mistake.
• Be kind, but have boundaries. Don’t give all of your care away.
• Not everyone wants to be helped. Always ask, “Do you want help, or do you just want me to listen?”
• Never go to bed angry with your partner.
• Not everyone can read your mind when you’re angry or upset. If you don’t tell people what’s bothering you, nothing is bound to change.
• If they talk about you behind your back, they are not your friend. Real friends will tell you, to your face, what you don’t want or need to know.