Lessons Not Always Learned

I still get seriously pensive in the shower.

About the same subject: friendship, expectations, etc. This time I was semi-productive and thought of a question. There are life lessons we learn early and stick to them, and then there are those that no matter what, still have to be beaten into our heads. Time and time again, the root of our problem goes back to the same adage we know but for some reason never live up to.

I'm curious to know you guys' lessons yet-to-be-learned. The one I have to repeatedly tell myself? If someone wants to walk out of your life, let them go. Don't chase anybody or wait for someone else to validate your relationship. Especially if you've been the best person you know how to be or have done as much as you can to stay with or around that person. And somehow always end up on the defensive when it all comes crashing down.

It is very hard for me to cut people out of my life. I like to give the benefit of the doubt. I harbor the thought that one day things will be normal and balanced and open so there's no need to be premature we can just wait it out.

I don't like to cut people out myself, but in certain cases people walk out or disqualify themselves by their own actions. If I could hold people accountable I'd let people walk out and stay there, but I'm not quite there yet. In my head it's still a process of figuring out where to place people in my life who have the potential to hurt me. I guess the question remains, though, do those people even have a place at all? It is always all or nothing? A middle ground?