...and I'll never see you if I had no loot...

Da-da-da-day, da-da-da-da-day-ay,
Da-da-da-day, da-da-da-da-day-ay
Da-da-da-day, da-da-da-da-day-ay

If the shoe fits I want you to wear it, and wear it good,
ah-ah, ah-ah-yeah, ah-ah-hah

Talkin' 'bout them times when I was by myse-e-elf,
I would always be lookin' for somebody else
But as time went on I had a talk with my mi-i-ind,
friends like you and you I gotta leave behind

And so, you ca-all me your friend but you only want my gifts
And I'll never see you if I had no loot, I'll never see them
I'm just glad I know the truth
and I'm payin' my own bills and I'll never ever depe-end on you

Friends and enemies around me everyday,
I can't believe half the things they say
Takin' me for granted givin' no credit at all,
I'll just keep bouncin' like a bouncin' ball
Everybody seems to disappear on me-ee,
can't trust no one as far as I can see
If I could be that fly that's on the wa-a-all,
listenin' to my friends talk about it all

You ca-all me your friend but you only want my gifts
And I'll never see you if I had no loot, I'll never see them
I'm just glad I know the truth
and I'm payin' my own bills
And I'll never ever depend on you, some soul you are

I don't mean to step on nobody's foot, but ah -

When I need somebody there's nobody to ca-a-all
When they need me, my phone rings off the wall
But these are my friends and that so what they say-ay-ay
Constantly takin' from me everyday, you say

You ca-all me your friend but you only want my gifts
And I'll never see you if I had no loot, I'll never see them
I'm just glad I know the truth
and I'm payin' my own bills
And I'll never ever depe-end on you

"If I Had No Loot" - Tony! Toni! Toné!

There is a manifesto that I chose to live by several years ago called "Life is a Theater", and every so often I must remind myself of that. The past few weeks have been another one of those moments in my life when I needed to evaluate myself as well as those that I choose to spend time with.

This past weekend I drove to Washington, DC with my girlfriend for a wedding that she was participating in. I got the chance to see one of my oldest friends from back in middle school, as well as a good friend of mine that I met in Atlanta through another friend. One thing my girlfriend pointed out to me in meeting both of them (that I guess I already knew at this point anyway) is that all of my friends are very different from one another in terms of personality, preferences, mannerisms, etc.

What was different about this epiphany was that I started looking back on some friends that I grew up with and no longer hang out with regularly because of various reasons, but primarily because I saw our lives moving in conflicting areas. When I first read this statement relating life to a theater, I began to understand why:

***

Life Is A Theater - Choose Your Audience Carefully

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.
There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a DISTANCE.
It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or at least
minimize your time with, draining, negative, incompatible,
not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships.

Observe the relationships around you.
Pay attention.
Which ones lift and which ones lean?
Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?
When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse?
Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know or appreciate you?
The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of Your Life.

"If you cannot change the people around you, CHANGE the people you are around."
Remember that the people we hang with will have an impact on both our lives and our income. And so we must be careful to choose the people we hang out with, as well as the information with which we feed our minds.
We should not share our dreams with negative people, Nor feed our dreams with negative thoughts.
It's your choice and your life..... It's up to you who and what you let in it......

***

I can't think of a better analogy to the way you should perceive those around you. Maybe it takes a while to notice those people around you that are draining and make you feel worse than you did before you see them. First time, shame on you - second time, shame on ME. Looking back on this past weekend and my girlfriend's comment - I also realized that my truly positive, good friends can mix and mingle with any of my other friends and we can all have a good time regardless of where we are. Those are the people that I want in the front of my theater - not the ones that rub everyone around them the wrong way (myself included). It's not my intention to sit here and say that I will never speak to them again (although I could easily do that), I just want to step back and see what happens when that negative vibe isn't around me as much. Is that distraction keeping me from doing something that I need to do? What kind of karma am I bringing to myself by participating in your destructive activities?

Whatever the answers to those questions may be, it is my obligation to myself to find that answer. If that means that you're not in the front of my theater, I hope that you will understand. I completely understand if I'm in the back of yours - or not even invited in.