Stick To Your Guns

     Stand up for your rights.  Keep your convictions and beliefs.  Refuse to change your ideas even when other people criticize and  try to make you change.  Protect yourself, value your opinions, and stick to your guns.
     Too often, we are expected to put ourselves second...or third or fourth.  Some religions stress that we should give up our self and live for the benefit of others.  Self-sacrifice is promoted as the highest  form of love.  Of course, helping each other is a wonderful goal, and compromise is often the best solution.  This type of mindset, however, can often cause feelings of injustice and resentment.  These feelings are warnings that something is unbalanced.
     Looking out for number one is the first step in survival and a necessary step in developing our potential.  We can overdo pushing our pause button so that others may grow and flourish.  People may then expect us to serve and take our actions for granted.
     Having confidence in our own ideas and beliefs is a necessary step in growing up.  As we mature, we may change our minds and behavior.  Change can be difficult.  Those closest to us may become uncomfortable as we assert our updated ideas.
     Our own best interests are served by being aware of what we think and what we do.  As our opinions and goals evolve, we need to be strong and stick to our guns.