Advice For Me From My Pals (Sort Of)

So there are a lot of things I've learned from my great friends, without them knowing it. Basically I've taken their examples and followed it, or avoided it, depending on the example. One friend - lets call this friend Patty - has taught me not to ramble to people about things I find interesting but doubt that they will. I learned this through talking about trivial things to her and then having her continuously remind me, through indifferent responses, that not every thought that pops into my head is a gem. Patty also taught me to treat everyone like they are completely worth my time and not a hassle to be around. Patty showed me this by acting like I was a hassle sometimes, and I hated the times that she did that so much I'm vowing not to do it to others myself. Patty taught me that I should be open and honest about my feelings to my friends, because deliberately being closed off and substituting constructive criticism with confusing eye rolls is not the way to get people to like you, especially in a first-impression situation. Again, she did that so much I wanted to just CALL HER OUT, but I never did. Another friend who has taught me a lot, in a more positive way, is, let's see... LouAnn. LouAnn has showed me that to be popular and more likeable, it's necessary to treat everyone as though they are important. This goes along with what Patty showed me, only LouAnn actually demonstrated how to do it right. LouAnn taught me that you don't need to be a genius to be successful; you just need a good work ethic. She wasn't stupid by any means, but not a genius either. And yet she succeeded in every endeavor simply because she knew how to commit to what matters. And LouAnn taught me that forgiveness is completely possible if your heart is in the right place. She's much better at it than me, but I hope to improve. Finally, my old pal Gertrude. Ol Gertie taught me not to be flirty. Like ever. If that kind of thing is working with a guy, it's not a guy you want to be with. Not to mention you most likely look really silly and stupid in front of your other friends who can see straight through the act, Gertrude. Oh, did I say Gertrude? Oops. Gertrude also taught me that being confident is not the same thing as thinking every opinion you have is actually fact and should not be debated. Nor is confidence bragging about the superficial feats of your wilder nights and weekends. My other friend Betsy, who isn't as close but still knows a thing or two about life, taught me what real confidence is. Confidence is being yourself, not over the top, but just you. I'm still trying to figure out all these little life lessons, but the girls have rubbed off on me over the years. The negative aspects might sound like ranting, but in reality, when I think back to these memories that taught me so much, I smile and sometimes laugh at how we all used to be. Hopefully going forward we will all continue to improve ourselves on the inside.