Grain of Salt

Buffalo Exchange Dress | Chinese Laundry Lace-up Booties | Vintage metal belt | Forever21 Sun Hat

"Take this with a grain of salt"

Meaning don't hold me for every word and pick and chose what you take from what I'm saying.

Of course that’s how I feel about my blog, but most importantly we should always remember this when seeking advice or insight from others. Even if they are close friends, family or lovers. Yes, we keep those people very near to our hearts but that doesn't mean we should follow them word for word.

With that said, there is definitely a clear difference between taking something "with a grain of salt" vs. being stubborn and denying or passively "accepting” advice from others.

Although, if you seek it, you must take it for what it is. Advice.

I say this because I recently sought out advice regarding my love life from a friend. It was someone I truly trust and respect.

Regardless, sometimes we reach out to people, specifically the people we trust, and we expect one answer and sometimes get a complete 180 of perspective. Which of course is a beautiful thing. Exploring and understanding an angle through a different vantage point is what you should all strive to achieve because we can’t hold ourselves to our own opinion forever. We will get stuck and move nowhere with that frame of mind.

And although I hold all of that true, I also believe in keeping true to you. We seek advice because we want someone to understand us, relate to us, and fuel us with what we want or expect to hear. But even if there is a dissonance with what you get as compared to what you expected, it doesn’t mean your initial belief is wrong or unjustified.

You must never forget, that no matter what the situation, you were the closest one to the scenario or issue at hand.

Period.

You are the one that was affected personally by whatever you were going through. So you are certified to your own opinion on the matter even after reaching out to others. I mean duh! It is no ones business, even the closest of friends, to describe and decipher your personal thoughts and feelings if they had absolutely no involvement.

After receiving insight that possibly juxtaposes from your own, we often either 1. Deflect the advice given to us. Or 2. Chose to drop and belittle our own opinions and accept that of others. But we live in a world where we can have both. We can take in what our friends, family have to offer while maintaining what we believe. It is not stubborn; it is reasonable. Broad-minded.

You are allowed to take what you want “with a grain of salt” because you are ultimately the one going through those issues, struggles, heartbreak, battles, failures, etc. Its you, trying to overcome it any way you can. And you chose to seek out help, so it is your own personal prerogative to accept and interpret what you get. Don’t let anyone make you doubt, confuse, or discredit how you felt, when seeking out help.

Its all you! You are always in control of the situation, even if you reach out to people for perception, it is your entitlement to do what you’d like with their take. That power is always and has always been yours.

Annnnywaaay, again, take what I say with a grain of salt, but do the same for the things you value that make you seek advice. Make sure you understand each point of view but remember, at the end of the day, it is your word that holds the most weight.