♥ Being Yourself and Love Part 4 ♥

♥ I was shocked to discover
♥ Getting to know me
♥ We all want the same things

I was shocked to discover and I finally had to admit to myself that I didn’t want a career for myself; I wanted to work from home and searched for a job I could do from here, I wanted to be at home. I love being a homemaker, cleaning, cooking, working outdoors, and being on my own doing my own thing, a stay at home job was ideal for me. Every job I ever had, I jeopardized in one way or another because I kept going against what I wanted for myself in life. Once I finally admitted what I really wanted and started going with the flow, life became a whole lot easier. I had to give up wanting nice things for myself and had to stop believing what society told me I had to have to be a real person. Having the best clothes, a beautiful home full of fancy furniture and all of the rest of it didn’t have anything to do with who I am, I realized I was happy with a whole lot less and it didn’t diminish me in any way what so ever. Once I realized material things didn’t make me happy I started to find ways to allow myself to go with the flow. I always knew when I was going the right direction because I didn’t have to fight every step of the way anymore. Now I am in a place that I love, the universe has blessed me for recognizing and accepting me for whom and what I am. There are still some things that need to happen before I am completely free, however, I believe it is just a matter of time before that happens.

Getting to know me also helped me to know and to understand others. The faults I saw in others, I saw in me, the beauty I saw in others I saw in me, the more reflections I saw, the easier it became to love me and to love others. I now treat people like I want to be treated, and I have learned to develop a sense of humility knowing that I am no more nor no less than anyone else.

We all want the same things – to be healthy, happy and free – we just need different things to accomplish those things. I was also able to see what I needed to change about myself and what –in- the end, was just fine about me. I can now accept my weaknesses and my strengths. I am now more able to love and to be loved, where once I was afraid to love because I was afraid of being hurt, I now love because I know that if things don’t work out- it is all for a reason. I may get hurt, however, I will heal and I will gain more knowledge about myself and life in the process. I now know I have to go with the flow. I have also learned that it is in the times of greatest pain and in times of darkness that I learn the most about myself and when I become a stronger person. It has helped me to discover my purpose in life, to be the best I can be and to finally, be me. Not by somebody else’s standards, but by my own.






You can see “Being Yourself and Love Parts 1,2 and 3” @


http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-1.html
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-2.html
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-3.html

♥ Being Yourself and Love Part 3 ♥

 ♥ Hobbies
♥ New interests
♥ I have learned

Hobbies may also be beneficial especially if they are in any way an expression of who you are, painting, sculpting and writing as an example, may lead you to some inner insights about who you really are. Try to remember what interests you had as a child and do some of that stuff now. Sometimes who we truly are is all wrapped up in our childhood and we need to visit ourselves in those days gone by to get a glimpse of that person whom we have long forgotten. I used to love sewing and knitting and I still love to do these things today, I loved to create things when I was just a little girl, my mom would give me a needle and thread and/or yarn and needles and I would create for my doll or for myself. My grandmother, my mother and some of my aunts were talented sewers and knitters, I guess it was in my blood. I still feel a sense of fulfillment when I complete a project either for myself or someone else.

New interests may be something you can look into. Do you have a desire to be a great cook, a musician, a painter, a dancer, give yourself permission to take the time to learn some of these things, you only live once (as far as I know) so make the time to do some, if not all of the things you’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to write but never believed I had anything important to say, now I took a chance and started a blog, it may not be a best selling book, but it’s a beginning, people are interested enough in coming back every day to read what I have to say, so it is fulfilling a need in me, I am being myself in these pages and learning about me every time I add a new blog.

I have learned along the way that finding out who you are is an amazing experience, not always easy, but very worthwhile. Once you begin to know who you are doors tend to open up for you because you now know what you want. Getting to know me was a long journey, it seems to have taken for ever, however, once I started to write things down and started being completely honest with myself it got easier to let others in on who I am. It was tough sometimes to look at the things I wasn’t too proud of, some things I couldn’t look at at all because they were too painful, however, the time came when it was ok to visit those places. Once I learned why I did the things I did, it was much easier to stop the behavior. One of the things I learned that I truly hated about myself (among a whole lot of other stuff) was that I cried too easily, part of it was a family pattern, part of it was because I carried it from childhood, and it was time to let go of it. I am still sensitive at times, still cry when I see a sad movie, and when other sad things happen, however, now I am in control and cry at appropriate times and often in private. I am so much happier with myself now, it is incredible how this one little thing has changed me into a person I respect a whole lot more, and this is just the beginning.






You can see “Being Yourself and Love Parts 1,2, and 3 @,


http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-1.html










http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-2.html

♥ Being Yourself and Love Part 2 ♥

♥ Spending time on your own
♥ Find books that prompt you
♥ Try meditation

Spending time on your own journaling, walking, reading, watching movies, what ever it is you like to do - do it – do it for you. Experience life on your own terms, doing for yourself the things you would gladly do for other people you love. Write about the things you discover about yourself as you experience these alone times. Write about the feelings you have, write about what is good about life and about what is really bothering you, write about the day ahead of you and how you would like it to be. Write about anything that suits your fancy, it is your journal so write about anything and everything that affects you.

Find books that prompt you to write about the things that you are reading about. Pick up books on self development; they especially have questions that probe deeply inside to get you thinking more critically about you and your life. Be aware that when you start looking into your subconscious that it may cause you to see things you are not especially proud of, or things that may frighten you, be cautious and see a counselor if you feel the need to have help. I ran into some issues and needed help getting past the rough spots, it was too tough to go through alone, however, I persisted and it was an amazing journey. I am truly glad that I did finally see the real me, the work doesn’t end, I learn new things about me often, but I am no longer afraid to dig deep down when I need to do so.

Try meditation, although it is not something that I am any good at, I know that others benefit from doing so. It is about observing yourself in the moment and helping you to empty yourself of any worries and anxieties for a while. It teaches you to relax and to be still allowing you to see within and to connect with the essence of your true self. “The process involves stripping off false layers of identity, going back through all the conditionings, realizing – “I am not that, and not that, and not that”, an emptiness out of which arises the realization – “Ah ha! I am that”. “http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/meditation/objectives.html














You can see "Being Yourself and Love Parts 1 & 3" @,












http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-1.html

 

♥ Being Yourself and Love Part 1 ♥

“Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.”

Julius Charles Hare

♥ What it means to be yourself.

♥ Getting to know yourself.
♥ Ask yourself questions such as.

What it means to be yourself is essential to being a mentally healthy individual capable of making the right decisions which will help you to have an easier life. It means being real and true to yourself and others. It means figuting out what you want and what you need out of life and how to get these things. It means knowing your strengths and weaknesses, your good qualities and your bad ones, what you are capable of doing and what you cannot do. It also means learning to love yourself for who and what you are.

Getting to know yourself is sometimes as simple as getting yourself a journal and writing about yourself in it. Ask yourself questions and answer them honestly. The journal is yours, for your eyes only, so write whatever feels real to you.

Ask yourself questions such as;

♥ Who am I?
♥ What do I believe in?
♥ What am I passionate about?
♥ What do I stand for?
♥ What makes me happy?
♥ What makes me sad?
♥ What do I want out of life?
♥ What do I not want?
♥ Who do I want to accompany me on my journey through life?
♥ Do I want anyone to accompany me?
♥ What do I need?
♥ What do I like/dislike about me?
♥ What do others think about me?
♥ What kind of work do I really want to do?
♥ Do I even want a career?
♥ Where do I want to live?
♥ Do I believe in God?
♥ What makes me happy?
♥ What are my favourite foods?
♥ What am I afraid of?
♥ Am I happy where I am right now?
♥ If not, where would I rather be?
♥ What do I have to do to get there ?

See "Being Yourself Part 2, 3, and 4" @
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-2.html 
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-3.html

http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/being-yourself-and-love-part-4.html

♥ Courage and Love Part 3 ♥

♥ Developing courage.
♥ Courage is not the opposite of fear.

Developing courage;


♥ learn to love yourself
♥ allow yourself to love others
♥ know yourself and what you are capable of accomplishing
♥ believe in yourself – you can do what has to be done
♥ know what you are up against
♥ know what your fears are – stop making excuses – you know what they are
♥ face the fear square on
♥ find a solution
♥ commit to change
♥ resist and ignore the urge to give up
♥ feel the fear and do it anyway
♥ pat yourself on the back now and again
♥ the hurdle is in sight – now jump over it
♥ congratulate yourself….again
♥ learn from the experience
♥ develop more courage knowing that you can now face your fears face on
♥ know that fears lessen as you develop more courage and that you can overcome anything that life throws at you.
♥ know that fear is our greatest enemy, the sooner we face it – the quicker it will dissolve
♥ stop worrying; use your intellect instead of your emotions
♥ know that some things cannot be changed and that is ok; just remember you have the wisdom to know the difference.

Courage is not the opposite of fear it is acting despite the fear. It’s about taking an action when the outcome may not be as you thought it would be. It may be about going through some tough stuff before you get stronger. It involves dreaming about better things to come and about possibilities. It means moving away from our comfort zone, taking a chance and then making a commitment to stick it through. It means trying, stepping out in faith and trying again until you accomplish the feat. It is about taking risks and about being willing to fail – believe me you will get stronger no matter the outcome. Admit it when you get things wrong and then get up and try again. Accept the consequences of your decisions and be patient with yourself. One day you will get it right, then you can sit back and enjoy the pay offs!


See Courage and Love Parts 1 and 2 @,
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/courage-and-love-part-1.html
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/courage-and-love-part-2.html

♥ Courage and Love Part 2 ♥

♥ The courage to love others.
♥ I have learned along the way.
♥ The benefits of change.
♥ Change isn’t easy.

The courage to love others comes a whole lot easier if we have a good dose of self-love, but it also takes a whole lot of courage to love others, many I have discovered just cannot love other people fully. Why, probably because they are afraid of getting hurt. Love requires becoming vulnerable, requires opening up to others, being honest, being trustworthy, to love unconditionally, in essence to share our heart with another person, and to do so we need to overcome our fears.

I have learned along the way that living in fear is a lonely place to be. Doing or not doing what has to be done because of fear prevents you from growing and learning new skills in life. I know, because I was stuck in a lousy marriage and I didn’t have the courage to get out of it. I was full of fear, I would be alone with two children, no job, no place to live, and I was petrified. I lived that way for way too long. Don’t get me wrong because believe me, it took a great deal of courage to stay in the marriage too, I made some really rotten decisions and everybody got hurt. Then one day I hit a wall, it was time to move on, it was getting way too painful and my children were the ones suffering the most. I did move on, I got a place to live, I took everything I needed from the home for me to run a household, I finally got a job – and voila – I learned that having courage was a pretty amazing thing to have.

The benefits of change began to be evident as I learned to face more and more of my fears. I eventually dated again and got hurt, I dated again and got hurt – so I quit that for a long while….almost for 10 years. But that was a good thing, for in that time I realized that I was very happy on my own, that I could manage my life quite well without the headaches of being in a relationship, besides I had plenty more to learn about myself before I was ready to go that route again. Instead, once my children were old enough to handle it, I decided to go back to school, I only had a grade 10 education and I wanted to go to university. I didn’t think I had the brains to get through it; after all I couldn’t make it through high school. Once again I was petrified, but I was accepted and off I went to university, I came out of it with 2 majors and 4 minors, my marks were wonderful and I was able to look back and to recognize that I had once again made use of my courage and had faced my fears.

Change isn’t easy, we get comfortable with the way things are, but avoiding change can be just as horrible so it’s probably a good thing when our world comes crashing down. Change will happen, it is inevitable, so we may as well embrace it and reap the benefits of the growth, strength and all that we learn from these experiences. And by the way, after almost 10 years of being on my own I was once again faced with a huge decision to get involved with someone again. I made contact with a man I had known 30 years before, he was someone I had cared for deeply and someone I respected and I remembered how he had respected me. I always wondered what happened to him and as it turned out, he had been wondering too. Too make a very long story short, I was once again petrified, but I had the courage to try, and it worked out wonderfully, I made use of all of the knowledge I acquired along the way, and it is an amazing relationship. As I always tell my children, “everything happens for a reason”, so embrace the bad when it comes along, it may turn into a golden egg.

See Courage and love Part 1@,

http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/courage-and-love-part-1.html

  

♥ Courage and Love Part 1 ♥

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Winston Churchill

♥ Courage defined.
♥ When I think about courage.
♥ Loving yourself takes courage.

Courage defined; the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain etc. without fear; bravery.

When I think about courage in relation to relationships, I think about the work it takes to keep a marriage in tact, to raise a family, to hold down a job, to take care of a household and all the other things a person has to juggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I also think about the rough times we may encounter over the course of the years, loss of jobs, illness, addictions, overcoming abuse, death and other unforeseen circumstances that we may have to overcome. These things all need a good dose of courage on our part to get us through each day. Life has a series of hurdles we need to jump over and get past until the next one occurs. Every hurdle I have overcome has made me more courageous, stronger and has given me a growing knowledge that I can get through most everything I encounter if I persevere, and for that I need courage.

Loving yourself takes courage, yes, it takes courage to do what is right for you, to be healthy by eating a healthy diet and exercising, to find a job, a home, to find someone to love and to love you back, to maybe raise a family and then to overcome all of the hurdles you may encounter. It also takes courage to grow up and to learn to accept you for whom and what you are, and if you don’t like the way you are the courage to change those things when possible. As little boys you had to learn to grow and become a man and it was really difficult at times. You had to prove that you were strong enough, so you had to fight when you were clean terrified to do so, you were not allowed to cry when you were sad, you couldn’t reach out for a hug when you needed one, you had to carry the heavy loads because you were the guy, you had to be strong, brave, smart, do stupid things just to prove you were man enough to do it. As little girls we had to learn to become women, maybe we didn’t have to be as strong physically like the boys did, but we had to learn to deal with having to be the perfect, flawless little model. The hair had to be just right, worry about the nose being too big, the small boobs or the too big boobs, flat bum, or huge bum, all of it, keeping our tummies flat, the makeup perfect, and it just never goes away. It wasn’t easy trying to please everyone; it took courage sometimes to show our faces, knowing we were always being judged. We also had to deal with our friends, siblings, parents, school, university, work, becoming independent, finding a place to live, someone to love, someone who would love us back and not harm us, to have babies and to raise them, and with all of the other stuff life threw at us. We often failed at being the perfect little miss that society expected of us, we had to find the courage to continue- and we did. We nay have found it difficult to love ourselves at those times – but we found the courage to do that too.

  

♥ Honesty and Love Part 2 ♥

“We tell lies when we are afraid…afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger.”

Tad Williams

♥ What I have learned.
♥ Becoming more truthful means.

What I have learned about honesty in relationships is that;


♥ honesty is vital to a healthy relationship. It is truly difficult to develop a healthy relationship when one or the other distorts or withholds the truth. No matter what, honesty is the best policy


♥ being tactful is very important when being honest. Being honest isn’t about hurting or causing harm to the other, so I just don’t blurt out what I think. It’s important to think about what I want to say before I say it, be kind, be nice and be compassionate


♥ keeping things from others is also being dishonest, I saw what happened when I was found out, it  hurt my reputation and didn't make life any easier for me


♥ being honest about everything is important to the relationship and helps me to be open about how I feel about things, and in essence helps the relationship to grow


♥ it is important to confront others whom I think may be lying to me, getting the lie into the open as soon as possible deters further complications associated with the issue at hand


♥ honesty creates respect, it isn’t always easy to be honest but it builds character to do so


♥ honesty saves time, being honest about what I want or need instead of beating around the bush, gets things accomplished a whole lot faster and prevents people from having to guess about what I'm thinking


♥ Dishonesty has a nasty way of turning around and biting me in the butt – so it just isn’t worth it.

Becoming more truthful means;


♥ making a commitment to tell the truth


♥ thinking before you consider lying, giving a false explanation or reason

♥ thinking before you use an exaggeration or what you consider a white lie


♥ thinking before you twist the truth or leaving part of the story out


♥ not saying anything – is lying too because silence may imply that you don’t know …..when you really do


♥ correcting yourself right away when you catch yourself lying – no excuses- just do it


♥ not stealing … no …. not for any reason


♥ not cheating


♥ admitting to your lie – no matter how difficult

 

♥ Honesty and Love Part 1 ♥

“When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback.”

Bill Copeland

♥ Honesty defined.
♥ Being honest with yourself.
♥ Being honest with others.
♥ You are being honest when you.
♥ Why tell the truth.

Honesty defined: honesty is being truthful, trustworthy, sincere, fair, honorable, genuine and loyal.

Being honest with yourself means being honest about your feelings and being honest about your actions. Being honest with yourself saves you a whole lot of trouble in the long run because it forces you to face issues as they arise. It means you have to be honest about how you feel about the things you encounter day to day – even if it just concerns you. It helps keep you real when you take responsibility for your feelings and your actions. It also builds up your self worth as it helps you to be honest with other people too.

Being honest with others means telling the truth, keeping your word when you make a promise, and if you break a promise, being honest about why you did so. It means admitting to yourself and to others when you made a mistake, especially when it affects other people. It means keeping something to yourself when a confidence has been shared with you. You don’t tell lies about your friends; you don’t steal from them or borrow something without asking first. You don't blame them when you get into trouble because you went along with something they decided to do. It’s your action and therefore your responsibility for the consequences of those actions.

You are being honest when you;
♥ Tell the truth.
♥ Do your own work and don’t manipulate others to do it for you.
♥ Tell the real reason for any screw-ups.
♥ Keep your promises.
♥ Don’t cheat anyone.
♥ Admit it when you see someone else being blamed for what you did.
♥ Turn in something lost – that you found.

Why tell the truth;
♥ it lets everyone know what really happened. There’s less chance of misunderstandings, confusion or conflicts arising
♥ it protects innocent people from being blamed or punished.
♥ it gives us an opportunity to learn from what happened.
♥ It allows others to learn to trust you.

You can see Honesty and Love Part 2 @,
http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/honesty-and-love-part-2.html

♥ Responsibility and Love Part 3 ♥

♥ Accepting responsibility means.
♥ Negative consequences for failing to take responsibility.
♥ How to develop a sense of responsibility.

Accepting responsibility means;

♥ Accepting responsibility for the choices in your life.
♥ Accepting responsibility for what you choose to feel and think.
♥ Accepting the fact that you choose the direction of your life.
♥ Accepting that you cannot blame others for the choices you made or make.
♥ Accepting responsibility for who you are and not blaming others for the things you don’t like about yourself.
♥ Accepting the consequences for your choice of actions and not blaming others.
♥ Accepting responsibility for your happiness, sadness, anger and all of your emotions. It is not up to others to make you feel good.
♥ Letting go of your sense of over responsibility for others.
♥ Accepting responsibility for protecting and nurturing your health and emotional well being.
♥ Letting go of blame and anger toward those in your past who did the best they could giving the limitations of their knowledge, background and awareness.
♥ Working out anger, hostility, pessimism and depression over past hurts, pains, abuse, mistreatment and misdirection.


http://www.livestrong.com/

Negative consequences for failing to take responsibility.


♥ You may become overly dependent on others for recognition, approval, affirmation and acceptance.
♥ You may become chronically hostile, angry or depressed over how unfairly you have been or being treated.
♥ You may become fearful about taking a risk or making a decision.
♥ You may become overwhelmed by disabling fears.
♥ You may become unsuccessful in personal relationships.
♥ You may become emotionally or physically unhealthy.
♥ You may develop addictions to unhealthy substances, such as the abuse of alcohol, drugs, or develop unhealthy behavior such as over eating, excessive gambling, shopping, sex, smoking, work etc.
♥ You may become over responsible and guilt ridden in your need to rescue and enable others in your life.
♥ You may become unable to develop trust or to feel secure with others.
♥ You may become resistant to vulnerability.


http://www.livestrong.com/

How to develop a sense of responsibility.


♥ Seek out and accept help for yourself.
♥ Be open to new ideas or concepts about life and the human condition.
♥ Refute irrational beliefs and overcome fears.
♥ Affirm yourself affirmatively.
♥ Recognize that you are the sole determinant of the choices you make.
♥ Recognize that you choose your responses to the people, actions and events in your life.
♥ Let go of anger, fear, blame, mistrust, and insecurity.
♥ Take risks and become vulnerable to change and growth in your life.
♥ Recognize your priorities and goals, if you don’t have them, then create them.
♥ Realize that you are the one in charge of the direction your life takes.


http://www.livestrong.com/

See parts 1 & 2 @,


http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/responsibility-and-love-part-1.html

 

♥ Responsibility and Love Part 2 ♥

♥ Responsibility in relationships include.

• Spouse/mate
• Children
• Friends
• Co-workers

Responsibility in relationships include, your spouse/mate, children, friends, and to co-workers.

Spouse/Mate - - responsibility to your spouse/mate means loving them unconditionally, being loyal, loving, caring, telling the truth, being accountable for your actions and learning to communicate effectively.

Children - - responsibility to your children means that you love them unconditionally, feed them, clothe them, shelter them, guide them, protect them, make sure they are educated and you do these things until they reach an age where they can be adequately responsible for themselves.

Friends - - responsible to your friends means that you are loyal, you don’t lie to them, you don’t take advantage of them, you don’t say you’ll do something and then change your mind and leave them in the lurch, it means being a good sport and doing things together and keeping in touch when you are away from each other. http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/03/love-and-friendship.html

Co-workers - - responsibility to your co-workers means that you are a team player, you do your work, you show up on time, you are honest, you don’t gossip about your co-workers and you take responsibility for the consequences of your actions.


See Responsibility and Love Part 1 @,


http://www.familiesandlove.com/2010/04/responsibility-and-love-part-1.html


  

♥ Responsibility and Love Part 1 ♥

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt

♥ Responsibility defined.
♥ Responsibility for self.

• Health
• Shelter
• Behavior

Responsibility defined: something for which one is responsible, a duty, obligation, or burden.

Responsibility for self includes making sure we are healthy, sheltered and behaving in a socially acceptable manner. It also means not sticking our heads in the sand and allowing others to take care of our needs. 

Health -- to be healthy we need to eat properly, and if we don’t know what food are healthy for us, it is our responsibility to do the research necessary to find out that information. We need to keep the self and our environment clean. We bathe, we wash our clothing, and we wash our dishes and don’t keep them piled up on the counter collecting harmful bacteria. We clean our bathrooms often, for the same reason – to keep bacteria from growing. We tidy our house, dust the furniture now and again, scrub our floors, vacuum and make the beds and change the sheets often. If we own our own home, or rent a place where we are responsible for the property around the place – we keep our yards clean and free from clutter. Also in order to be healthy we need to exercise now and again ----- doing housework is classified as exercise in my book, so count it as a calorie reducer. We need to see a doctor when we sense there is something not right in our bodies, we need regular check-ups, see a dentist and an optometrist once a year so we know there are no problems that have to be taken care of right away. If we have mental issues, addictions, relationship issues, we need to seek out a counselor who can help us have a healthy, happy lifestyle.

Shelter -- to be sheltered we need to have a place to live, a place to eat, sleep, a place to call home. Therefore we need to be responsible enough to work in order to do that, you may be fortunate enough to have someone care for you however, if so, then you can at least be responsible enough to not take it for granted and be grateful for that. If there is absolutely no way of getting a job then go for help through your welfare system, ask for help from a family member or a friend. If you take this route however, you must be responsible and pay back what you take from others. If you find yourself making excuses for not working – don’t---if you just don’t want to work – admit it – and accept the responsibility of the consequences of that choice.

Behavior – behaving in a socially acceptable manner means being polite to others, your family, your friends, co-workers, the people who serve you in public places, and people you encounter in the run of a day. And yes, even if they are rude to you, try to keep your composure – remember – two wrongs don’t make a right. And yes, it is ok to express how you feel, just do so in a polite manner. Being responsible socially also means following the laws of the city, province and/or country where you live, and those places where you travel as a guest. It means setting an example for your family, friends and for your community.