The hand behind this pen relives a failure everyday

It never ceases to amaze me how when people need help, they invariably run straight to the people who cannot help them. When people reveal confidences, they will unfailingly tell them to those who will treat them as news the public should know. Beware, friend, for those who seem most eager to help can often be the same who have not and will never have your best interests in mind.

And yet therein lies a problem: how can I warn you off of some people and expect you to turn right around and trust me? What do I offer that others do not? What assurance can I give you that I will not dissapoint where others will? How have I cornered the market on trustworthiness?

And see, that's part of my problem. I love to paint with a broad brush. A couple of things have aggravated me today, and to keep not-so-innocent parties anonymous, I will brand all other people besides myself as untrustworthy, when that is anything but true. I can think of several people who will think this blog is about them. Rest assured, it probably is not; and if it were, I probably wouldn't tell you, so don't ask. There are those who do have your best interests in mind, but realize that those best interests may not be what you want. And maybe that's the point behind all of this. If you surround yourself with those who will only validate and reinforce what you already feel, what do you do if you are wrong? "Yes men," while being great for your ego, are horrible for your health. Surround yourself, instead, with those who will challenge you to be what you can be - which may be different from what you want to be.

Why do I have a monopoly on healthy introspection? I didn't ask for it, it's just that no one else is buying.