Choices

     We are who we choose to be.  We make choices based on what we want.  We know that our choices have consequences, and that some of them will be more negative than positive.  We know that we will see a lot of negative things in our lifetime.  But we are the men and women we choose to be, and have to accept that.  We have to accept that our behaviors may tear people apart, and that we make some choices for purely selfish reasons.  We have to accept that it takes work to be the person we deserve to be, and that that persona won't reveal itself until it goes through a lot of pain.  And that the pain we feel know is growing us into something that will be so much more beautiful than we are right now.  People may hurt us with their decisions, but they will never break us.  They may tear away at who we think we are, but they will never change us.  We must believe in and work for a better self in order to be the better self.  And nothing can offer us a shortcut to that person, no matter how hard we try.