Life: Should be Sought. Relationships: Should be cared for. Growth: Should be Life-Long. Self: Should be taken care of, first.

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A word of the wise in this day and age: if you ever consider an NSA (No Strings Attached) Relationship, they're not worth it. If you find someone you really fancy, and you resort to that, as a relationship starts, you're making a damned fool of yourself. I see it too often. It may last for a while, but in the end, you end up just a mess, and many a time, you lose a person worth fighting for. Once, a guy I know tried to stop the NSA he had with a girl, so he could give her a proper relationship, by getting up the nerve to tell her he loved her. She wasn't ready for those words, that meant so much to him (her last relationship had ended badly), so he continued unwillingly with the NSA- the informal relationship they had started with. He wanted to be serious, but unwillingly, he accepted reality. A few months later, they had a falling out. She told him, that she wanted him around, as a friend, not closing the door on a future relationship. (She's now trying to woo two boys in her physics classes into being interested!) He told her what she wanted to hear, but he told me, as far as he's concerned, the door be as well closed.

The fallout was bad enough, that he can't trust himself in any sort of relationship with her again, friend, lover, or otherwise; he tried, gave himself, but it wasn't enough. He's accepted it, and is moving on to take care of himself more. I told him that's a good thing. He did so much for her, and her as well, but as I told him- "...You made the right call to go ghost mate. You need to take care of yourself. She was descent to be honest, in spite of you trying to be honest with her months back. Just remember tough: Seek out and explore life. Take care of your relationships. Keep growing, all life long. Your own self, is the only one you have, so you need to take care of you."

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People need to be more socially self-sufficient, in their life. So it's NOT "...So Whatever..." Instead of whining about how none of your friends want to "go to museums," "play laser tag," "hike a foothills trail," et cetera, go do it yourself. Go out and meet people, as you travel through the day. Take a cooking class. Ride a Ferris Wheel, go to a Festival, heck- go ride a bus from one end of its route to the other, or even just go to a park, and stroll around- maybe even pet a dog (with their owner's permission, of course!). Life is out there, you just need to buck-up and seek it. And in the process, you'll make new friends along the way, who want to do this stuff!

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It's seeking life, that is the biggest part of Personal Growth. Growth should last your whole life, for, if you don't change, what point is your life. Life isn't static, life is flowing, ebbing, flourishing, floundering, and so, so beautiful and brutal. I'm not the same person I was five years ago, or ten, or even a day ago. I'm learning, creating, growing; we all are really, but we need to keep moving, keep living, and keep being curious about the world around us, to truly thrive with Personal Growth. And with personal growth, you should always strive to be the best you can be, as one Author, responsible for "Bull Running's Popularity" put it:

( Source: http://www.geekfill.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ernest-Hemingway-On-Personal-Growth.jpg )

Hemingway, makes a great point, and so does Nelson Muntz:

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In short, Personal Growth is necessary; it won't be easy, but it's necessary. Anything worth the time will be difficult, but in the end, it makes you better, because you put in the time, because you are worth the effort to do so. You're worth it.

( Source: memegenerator.com )

With all of that growth, you've got to keep it in check. That's why you take care of your self. That goes beyond looks folks. It's mental maintenance as well. You need to really be careful what you think, what goes into your mind, and how you handle all of it. Thinking before you speak, thinking before you act, deciding your mindset, all are underrated-yet-crucial skills, you need to handle your mental care. If people put half as much effort into their mental self, as they do the physical self, the world would be a lot better off. Imagine, a world of people who look descent, and were actually half descent to each other, every single day. "Do unto others, as you would have done unto you," would actually be the rule, rather than the exception. A world where the Mental Self, is thought of as much as the Physical Self, could solve a mighty lot of problems.

(Source: memegenerator.net)

So, once you start seeking life, growing yourself, and taking care of yourself, Relationships of all kinds, are a piece of cake- a cake walk, right? NOT! You still need to work on those too, as healthy relationships are a two-way street. It goes back to that "Do unto others, as you would have done unto you" business; you've got to treat others, as you'd want to. Treat rotten, you get rot. Treat kindly, you get kindness back. See, two way street. Healthy Relationships- of any kind, involve Respect, Interest, and Clear Communication channels. Respect who you're friends/lovers/family with, and they'll do so as well. Always take an interest in the other's thoughts, daily lives, et cetera (listen carefully, you may actually learn something), even if it isn't interesting, as a sign of respect and understanding. Keep your communication as clear as possible, because mixed signals, un-understood implied things, even misreading body language, can scramble the lines, and muck everything up. Communication is key, to growing healthy relationships. I can't emphasize enough, that Respect, Interest, and Clear Communication, go hand-in-hand-in-hand, toward making Healthy Relationships- of any kind, possible realities.

In Closing, the summary's clear: Life should be sought. Relationships should be cared for. Growth should be Life-Long. And Self, should be taken care of, first. I can't say it simpler enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got assignments and fiction writing to do. I'm going to cruse on down the highway now...

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