“Friends” & The F Word
The people surrounding you.
Yesterday when I was working the store, I had a customer come in that it was his first time in. We went over a foods list and I helped him with how to eat right & showed him a protein that worked well for his goal.
Upon checking out, we were talking about life and he told me he was battling depression pretty good. He said "I was living in a trailer with a couple guys and we used to just get trashed every day rapping and shit...". He went on to tell me that he woke up one day a few weeks ago and decided he didn't want that life anymore. He wanted to get out of that environment and become a healthier person with a more satisfying life & sense of purpose. So he moved out and started working out, but now the couple guys he was friends with "... basically told me to fuck off and don't talk to me. So I don't have anyone."
We talked for a little while longer before he left. An hour later I get another customer that I had a very similar conversation with.
A young guy, probably 18, scrawny, looking to bulk up, comes in. I could tell he was a bit timid coming in the store, which as much as I try to put off a welcoming, non-intimidating vibe with Fit Republic, it doesn't always mean that people won't still be a little intimidated walking into a supplement store - I understand that.
I talked to him for a few minutes about life and then we discussed how I could help him. We go over some things and he ends up getting up to the counter with a meal plan, workout tips, all his questions answered & is buying a couple products. Upon checking out, I ask him if he wants to check-in on Facebook (something we do with every customer) and he said, "No thanks" while laughing. I asked him what was funny. After a couple "Nothing"s but still laughing, he tells me that he is trying to bulk up and get into working out and his friends all give him shit and make fun of him for it. My response to him was, "Fuck them". Which of course caught him off guard - I mean after all, they're his "friends".
Your "friends" aren't friends when they're trying to hold you back.
But I explained the same thing I did to the guy who came in earlier: Your "friends" aren't friends when they're trying to hold you back. When they don't support the positive changes you're making in your life.
The old cliche, "You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with" is a cliche because it is the truth.
These people that laugh at you for working out because they want you to be scrawny or overweight with them: ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.
The people that aren't supportive when you choose to stop drinking or stop using drugs: ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS
The people that encourage you to do the "comfortable" things in life & not take opportunities to better your life because they selfishly don't want you to pass them in life: ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.
Friends challenge you.
Encourage you.
Tell you the uncomfortable truths to make you better & don't feed you comforting lies.
They support you.
REAL FRIENDS WANT THE BEST FOR YOU.
Upon sharing this story with somebody, the conversation came to a halt all because I used the word fuck and the person I was sharing the story with, didn't like my word choice. So I figured in this blog, we can just bundle that topic right in.
The Word: Fuck
Fuck. Such a BAD word. The "F word".
One of the most flexible words in the English language with so many applications; And that's honestly super impressive.
Is it a word that I want my kids running around saying? No.
In fact, one night when driving through a Holiday Christmas light park, Jack dropped the F word in perfect context saying, "UGH, why aren't these fucking cars moving?!" - I was NOT happy about it.
But let's be real here... In probably five years, they're going to be exposed to far more things than just the word fuck. And when they are grown up, the will hear the word fuck in the real world, daily.
But this isn't about them saying it.
This is about the usage of the word in general.
Do you say the word fuck?
I do. I mean I am not an every fucking sentence kind of guy, but I do.
The interesting thing to me is that you are sitting here reading this right now and you are 1 of 2 people:
1. You either love the word fuck or it just doesn't really matter to you. (Me too)
2. You absolutely hate the word fuck & you can't believe you've made it this far and by god, you have lost some respect for me for talking like this. (Pictured)
(If this is you, go ahead and close this fucker now because I guarantee that you're too close minded to listen anyways & you probably shouldn't have clicked on a blog titled "Friends" & the F-word. 🤔
I even censored the title for you!)
Now let's get down to it.
Me personally, I say the word fuck occasionally in conversation.
I say the word fuck when I get passionate about something I'm talking about like explaining my POV on something when I get very enthusiastic.
If you know me, I honestly limit my use of profanity pretty well.
I try not to excessively use the word fuck in front of women, strangers, professional settings, loud in a public place, etc. you get the point - I keep it classy with the way I use the word fuck.
My goal is not to offend anyone with the word fuck.
I'm just being myself. And I don't need to reason that with any of you - In fact, I am only typing this out for the sake of having a good, complete article about the word fuck & if I want to say it, then I will. 😘
I don’t need to censor myself or water down my message for those who are weak-minded. I speak the truth. And sometimes the truth might be "fuck them".
So in the past, I literally probably only have a few videos & a few written posts where I use the word fuck and I have put out a lot of content over the last few years. But the crazy thing to me is that in just the few times I have said the word fuck, there is always somebody leaving a comment about it, "losing respect for me" or telling me "I just didn't need to say it".
Listen: I don't go on your posts telling you how I think you should live or how I disagree with you - especially not over your vocabulary. So just keep scrolling or even just unfollow if you don't like my content. Then you don't have to be offended.
You hear fuck and you immediately stop caring about whatever the topic is, if you can learn anything from it, if you agree/disagree with the content, what the intent is, everything. Everything just goes out the window for you. You are so weak-minded.
Is this how you are in real life?
Do you hear something you don't like and just shut down mid conversation with your comment about what you think of them and walk away?
Do you go to Chilis and see that there is a quesadilla on the menu and up & leave because you don't like quesadillas?
"Well maybe I'm offended that you're offended" 😂
Open up your mind. Fuck.
Understand that all people are different and you don't have to like their vocabulary or agree with them on every topic you discuss in order to like them or learn from them or be friends. It just shouldn't affect whether you like the person or not. Do you cut someone out of your life because they didn't vote for the same president as you? If this is you, you are the one that needs to take look in the mirror and do some personal reflection. That is a character flaw.