Who we are

Many people say decisions we make shape our lives and path our future. Some say our parents give us the foundations and we build the life on top of them.

The truth is, we are who we decide to be, only sometimes we build on the foundations with the wrong bricks!

Often when my mum got angry at me, she would state I was not the son she had raised. Apart from being paranoid that I was swapped at play group I realised that I was the son my mum raised, but as I got older I was also the person I raised.

When so many problem children and young adults are the subject of news stories many people turn quickly to the parents, wondering if they were to blame for the bad decisions their children made! But at what age do we stop blaming someone else and start thinking about our own actions?

Through life you'll be sure to meet many types of people from many different backgrounds. Some will be rich, some poor, some white, some black and some many different colours on the outside and in, even pink! They may have been brought up in these categories or may have developed them through things that happened or decisions made... But they are just like you, trying to build their lives.

I have a friend; I use the word friend in a loose way, not because I hate them but because I don't always agree with how they are. His family appears to come from money and he is stuck in this mind set going about his life with money and what he has as seemingly part of his personality. He talks down to people worst off, treats waiters like his personnel staff and offends without even being aware of it. He does all this and doesn't realise he doesn't need too.

He apparently has a side that's great, which I haven't really seen, he believes this is how he should be and thinks it impresses... He is who he is because it's what he believes he should be. It's almost as if his bricks are complete but missing at the same time. He is who he is, but could be so much more.

I have always been brought up to respect others, to care about feelings and to try and lead an honest and good life. My parents are great and did bring me and my sister up well. But I am not perfect, no one is! I have picked many bad bricks and I'm pretty sure I will again, I guess that in a way, it is part of who I am.

The great thing about building lives is they can withhold a re-build.

Some people you'll dislike because you feel they might not deserve what they have and some you'll feel sorry for not having as much. Then they’ll be some that won't care about any of that...

Who are we? Different! The world would be a pretty boring place if we weren't.
That's the thing we don't always remember, it doesn't really matter where you come from, it only matters where you're going. If you are lucky enough to come from solid foundations, which doesn't only mean wealth, it means love, happiness and support, then respect those and still grow...

At the end of the day, life isn't about who you dislike or who gets ahead when you fall behind. Life is about who you are, inside and out.

Be the best you can be.

Bricks might wear, but we have the tools to rebuild.

The question is, who do you want to be?