I have all of my life been someone who is open. I am open to people, ideas, plans, you name it. If you want someone to be enthusiastic about doing pretty much anything that is fun, interesting, challenging, etc. then just call on me. I’ll be right there to encourage you, cheer you on, and be thrilled for you when you take off to do whatever it was you thought might be promising.

I consider this one of my greatest strengths since I see life as full of possibilities and opportunities and truly believe that the world is basically a good and safe place where we all think and feel pretty much the same when it come to core values related to love, family, community, and connection.

However, I am also aware that my openness can get me in trouble. Sometimes, I am not as discerning as I should be. I assume others think and feel as I do and then I discover a bit too late that they indeed do not. They are instead ready to jump on what must look to them as my naivete about life and are more than willing to assure me that I am just too open for my own damn good. Being accepting is one thing but sometimes you can just take that kind of thing too far.

Every once in a long while, I do let my openness take me too far and I get hurt. It’s true. There have been a few times when I would have done better to rein in my “Let’s do this!”  attitude and gone instead and quietly read a book.

But for the most part, I love my unbridled enthusiasm for life.

Even if I sometimes have to lick a few wounds.

In my mind, I’d rather approach life with a “yes” more often than a “no.”

And if I have to limp every once in a while as a result, well, that’s okay too.

In my mind, it beats the hell out of the alternative.