Honesty Box: Shape Up or Ship Out.

I interrupt this style heavy month to bring you a serious blog...

When I was working as a relationship educator (my first year out of college) we were always explaining to people that you 'teach people how to treat you'. When you're a kid, your behavior is met with one of two responses - the kind that affirms your actions and encourages you to repeat that action (say, taking your dish to the sink) and the kind that makes it clear you better shape up or ship out (say, drinking out of the milk carton).

I was pondering that over the holiday weekend. How am I teaching people to treat me? Let's just say the light bulb really clicked on for me and I said goodbye to some facebook friends, cut some ties, and burnt a few bridges. Alas, I'm dragging no unnecessary baggage from 25 to 26 on Monday. I'm starting fresh and I'm giving my best, and having reasonable but firm expectations of the people in my own life. We'll consider this my giving the necessary people the 'shape up or ship out' look.

No one's perfect BUT everyone needs their standards. I'm not unwilling to extend grace but I have a feeling you all know the kind of people I'm talking about...sometimes you just have to cut em loose. I'm not going to teach anyone to treat me poorly. In my mind cutting people out of your day to day life doesn't have to mean that you are rude, mean, or treat them poorly - it means you create some necessary distance from certain relationships.

Please don't mistake the tone of this blog as being negative. I have never felt more excited about my life and future or more grateful for the incredible people the Lord has placed in this season. I had a perfect weekend followed by a day off that cleared my head and got me pumped for the next year. I'm welcoming 26 (in 6 days) with passion, love, excitement, fun, laughter, and purpose.

I challenge you not to be afraid to shape people up or ship them out - teach people how to treat you right.

Love,
B