Things I've Learned about People

My master's degree is in communication, all of my life I have been in the service/hospitality or communication industry -- and there are a few things that I have noticed about people that never ceases to amaze and surprise me. I figured, I should write a blog about these things because I deal with them each and every day -- plus they are good reminders so you won't become frustrated, discouraged or disheartened in the future. 

1. People Are Inherently Selfish - hey I get it you gotta look out for #1, even Mother Teresa said she is the "greediest person" because of the feeling of kindness that she felt -- overall no one is going to care about the things you care about more than you... and you can't expect them to either because their priorities are focused on making it through their day and their life. 
2. Take The Easy Road - no matter how simple you can make something or even if you have completely spoon fed them, people will still do things based on what is easiest and most convenient for them. People like to do what saves time, energy and money and they will do things that are easier and provide that for them. 
3. We're too reliant on Labels - when I was in Miss America people called me Miss Hawaii, when I was on the news people called me The News Lady, after that people didn't know what to label me so they went back to calling me a former Miss Hawaii - i was like "can't I just be Olena?" Why do we need a label to validate who we are and tell people what our worth is?
4. Empty Promises - I can always tell when someone is going to flake or if they temporarily make plans by saying "maybe" or "might," if you don't want to do something say you can't or won't be able to do something. Don't just say it or put it out there if you had no intention of following through. Maybe we can have happy hour on Wednesday or Lets try have dinner next week -- usually doesn't pan out and nothing happens so it's honestly just a waste of words. 
5. Friends Flow - many many years ago I heard that friends flow in and out of your life. This is so very true, you have friends in different stages of your life and most of the time they are based on your activities, actions and those friends with common interests and who like to do the same things. Once your life changes (marriage, children, moving) your friends will change too. For some, they still have the same friends from childhood (often their lives are parallel) but for others it just flows and depends on where you are in your life right now. So don't be afraid to let it flow and let it go too!