Okay so we’re on day 2 of this “Blog Challenge”. Yay! Bring it on!

Today’s writing prompt is “what do people thank me for”.

OMG…seriously people!

Let me think……………………………………………………………………………………….

I guess. I’m often asked for ideas on places to travel. Good restaurants. Tips on things to see, places to go, and when.

I’m sure there’s a really interesting and sexy answer to this question. Unfortunately, in all honesty, it isn’t mine!

I get thanked at work.  Mainly because people feel obliged, you know, to be polite, that’s okay, I do the same.

The only other thing I can think of is providing encouragement, advice, honest opinions, that kind of thing.  Nothing crazy.

I’ll sit down with my friends.  They’ll ask my opinion. I’ll tell them what I think they should do.

Sometimes they argue with me.  Often these conversations are just a means for people to talk through their anxieties and validate what they’ve already decided to do.  They often don’t do what I think they should do.  Most of the times, they do nothing! Which probably doesn’t bode well for me as a motivational speaker. Don’t worry Tony Robbins!

I’ve also been tragically asked for relationship advice. I had one friend who was completely besotted, obsessed with a girl. She was bad for him. He was bad for her. It went on for months, maybe even years. The guy spent the vast majority of his life savings on her. He was depressed, he was drinking heavily.

Each conversation during that period would circle painfully around a message, or some sort of encounter. “This is what she said”, “what do you think it means?”, “do you think it means ………?”, “or do you think it means…..?”.

OMG – shoot me now! It was painful.

After months of this, I finally got asked for my honest opinion. I tactfully exploded:

“Dude – what do you think you are doing!”, “You need to get over it”, “Move on”, “Stop wasting your time!”.

I’m not the most patient person to be honest.

But, I’ve been there buddy. I was in the same place when I was 18, boring every living being in sight with tales of unrequited love. It wasn’t pretty. I was addicted to going over the relationship in my head. It wasn’t healthy. I was slowly sending myself and everyone around me insane! I finally got over it when good friends started telling me to pull myself together.  It was painful, but looking back they were right. I wish they had said it all sooner.

My abrasive outburst was my way of trying to help my mate. Not sure if he’d thank me for it though!