Last updated on April 2nd, 2021 at 07:25 pm
Life changes only help cement things we know already. At our 2011 wedding, I knew there were plenty in attendance who I wasn’t seeing again anytime soon, with me moving from Mississauga to eastern Toronto, and frankly, changing my priorities as I made room for new things in my life. Same goes for fatherhood—things were already changing with marriage, social media and an ever-shifting job situation being major influences, but my son changed the game entirely, putting my focus in a whole new direction and giving me less time to dabble in things I used to find important.
Along with growing up, I was outgrowing much of what defined me for so long, but that’s part of life—it was time to come to peace with it.
Living in Fear is No Way to Live!
Too often we cling to things for the wrong reasons: fear of the unknown should we let them go; convincing ourselves that we don’t need to try new things because we’re kept safe by the comfort of familiarity; turning a blind eye to things that hurt us or hold us back because that’s just the way it’s always been.
If I could go back in time and tell a younger Casey a thing or two, I’d teach him how to see the unhealthy relationships for what they were. That being a shoulder to cry on is no substitute for an actual relationship. That no matter how much you love someone and how many times you forgive them, some people just aren’t meant for each other. That the people who cut you down aren’t there to “keep you humble”—they’re just jealous and what to drag you down into the muck with them, because they’ve no intention to escape it themselves.
Instead, I’d tell him what I’ve learned since—it’s damn hard to find good people, but they’re the ones you should have around you—the ones who inspire you to become a better person. The ones who stay in your corner, cheering you on with your successes and offering help when things go sour. The ones you might not see for a while, but you never wonder whether you’re still cool—you’ll just see each other sometime in the future and pick up where you left off.
It’s up to you to take the shade the haters throw and toss it right out with everything else you don’t need—life’s too short to waste it on the people who’d see you fail.
Life’s difficult enough without unnecessary complications—it’s time to clear out the clutter!
Life doesn’t have to be complicated—every now and then we need to take a look at all the clutter we’ve amassed and make some choices: do we let go of the things that shackle us, continuing to move our lives forward; or do we continue letting the wrong people and the wrong things dictate our lives, never letting us grow to our full potential? Do we let the world get us down with its daily gospel of horror and hatred, or do we keep our heads high and surrounded ourselves with everything and everyone we need to be successful?
Live your life the way you want to live—surrounded by people who only want the best for you—not to take it from you. Get out there and find your people—with 7 billion of us, they’ve gotta be somewhere!
Good luck and Godspeed,
