Buttercup

I have always loved the song "Build me up, Buttercup" by The Foundations. There is just something about the catchy beat that has me swaying and bobbing my head in no time! Now, I realize this some is about a girl who "builds" him up and then lets him down. The singer is urging for her not to break his heart. That being said, my point to this post is a tad bit different. This phrase means something a little bit different to me, which is why I wanted to share it with all you lovely folks.

I think it is incredibly important to build one another up in our everyday walks in life. There are so many distractions and stumbling blocks that life throws at us and the last thing we need is negativity and more trials from one another. I know that I do not always live by this motto, but my goal is two fold with this. A. I want to continually build up those around me by encouraging them to know their worth, know their passion and stand strong in that. B. I want to surround myself with people who do the same for me.  Doing these two things will be more than amazingly helpful for oneself as well as those they surround.

It can be as simple as a smile or as complex as a gift or service. I think alot of times people see gifts or deeds as a way to "flirt" with someone or "try to get ahead"- when in reality is can simply be a random act of kindness with no ill intention or goal behind it.

One side of this goal is as important as the other. You can build people up all day long, but if you are surrounding yourself with people who are constantly tearing you down or discouraging you than your goal has been shattered. Now, this can mean distancing yourself from some "friends" or acquaintances in your life, which can be difficult for anyone. Does it mean you can not be their friend and you can never talk to them again? Absolutely not. For example, I had a friend that I loved dearly, but every time we hung out I felt terrible afterwards because all she did the entire time was gossip about other people. This sucked me into it and I found myself following the same path. I would hate for someone to sit around and talk about me in that manner, so what kind of a person does that make me for doing it about others? At first I tried to escape her gossip tactics and change the subject. This did not work. It always went the same way and I always felt this feeling of negativity after leaving her. Finally, I came to terms with the fact that I really just needed to distance myself from her. Does that mean we aren't friends and that I don't love or care for her anymore? Absolutely not. It simply means that we don't share the same closeness that we once did because our friendship became toxic. It's tough. We had alot of fun! But in the end... I know that it was the right thing.

In relationships it is all about quality, not quantity. Don't count your friendships and relationships in numbers, but instead in strength, encouragement and integrity.

Encourage others today. Build them up and allow them to do the same for you. You'll be glad you did.

**My friend Tanya made the "Build me up Buttercup" canvas above. She did a wonderful job and it has book pages in the background. I have it sitting in my living room to remind me daily of this goal. Thanks, Tanya! You rock! :)