Confidence

Confident people have no interest in pleasing everyone they meet.  They are aware that not all people agree on things, and that’s just how life works.  They focus on the quality of their relationships, instead of the quantity of them. 
 So never let the opinions of the masses define who you are or what you can or can’t do.  When you let go of the need to impress everyone, that’s when you begin to be truly impressive to the

 few people who actually matter.  

Change

I actually do NOT agree that "shady" people cannot change.
People change only when they accept complete responsibility for their behavior, make amends and strive to make the behavioral changes in their lives.
We, all of us, were once something or someone we longer are.

Carrying

Turn

Being Manipulated

There are emotionally manipulative people of varying degrees all around us.  When we are young we like to think that we are immune to the psychological pressures that confuse, manipulate and condition other people.  We are not so gullible, are we?  But part of truly maturing as an individual involves understanding how you too are led by the environment, influenced by others, and driven by the needs you have as a human being.

Human beings can be manipulated precisely because we share innate psychological characteristics that render us ALL susceptible, to a point.  Although, like any other weakness, some people are naturally more prone to succumb, while others have higher levels of immunity to the external pressures that can make us do things we would normally never think of doing.

1. Be aware that extreme “promise of gain” and “threat of loss” are basic universal tools for manipulating belief and behavior.
2. Understand that if your basic emotional and physical needs are not adequately met, you become more vulnerable to being manipulated by anyone willing to exploit this gap.  Just understanding this can help immunize you against becoming a victim.
3. Stay calm.  Breathe.  A calm mind can perceive the world much more clearly and objectively.

Character

Pact

It’s important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes.
  We need to learn from our errors and move forward.  
Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. 
 Often the greatest gift to come out of all your hard work is not what you get for it, but what you have learned from the experience.