Am I okay with not being liked by everyone? Yes

To say my editorials are getting traction is an understatement. My reporter said something to me today, his comment was, “Lisa, it seems people either really, really like you or they really, really don’t”. That got me thinking. Am I okay with not being liked by everyone? The resounding answer is: You bet your butt I’m okay with it. 

The thing with me is what you see is really what you get. When I was a little girl, a lady once said to my mom, “you are so lucky you have one daughter that is so pretty, and one that is so smart’. Guess which one I was? It’s funny, even as a little girl that didn’t offend me, because I knew deep, deep down that being smart would get me farther than being pretty. I don’t pretend to be sweet; I often think to myself when I meet people who come off as sweet, is that real or is that fake? More times than not it’s fake. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not. I’m opinionated, I have a voice, I use my voice and I don’t care if you are a pope or a pauper, I’ll tell you to your face if you are being a jerk. 

It’s quite freeing when you don’t care if someone likes you or not. The other day I had a person say to me, “Lisa, I don’t really like you, but I respect you as a councillor”. That might have been one of the most refreshing things anyone has said to me in a while.

So, I decided to take stock in all the things that are amazing in my life, both work and personal. 

I am watching Nick re-create the Pass Herald’s website and layout of the paper, he’s brilliant enough to figure it out and take the Pass Herald to a whole new platform. 

I am watching beautiful Tina bringing in advertising like never before. I was having a coffee and a person in the shop said, “boy I love calling the paper, Tina is so happy and friendly, and she makes me happy”. I thought about that and said to myself, she makes me happy too. 

I am watching my son Keiran build up a business. He’s working his butt off and although he hasn’t been perfecting every time, I get a message like this, “Your son Keiran!! What a stellar individual. You must be very proud of the young man that he has become. Well done momma!” It’s moments like this that make my heart swell with pride and make me realize I am raising great men. Keiran is only home for four months as he’s decided to finish his degree from the University of Lethbridge. I wasn’t sure he’d finish it, but he is, and man alive I couldn’t be prouder.

I am watching Aiden thrive in university. He barely wants to come home and as much as those hurts, it also tells me I did it right and that he is using his wings to fly. I still remember my mother-in-law’s saying, “Give your kids two things, one is roots the other is wings”. Aiden is heading into fourth year engineering after his next co-op.

Quinn is thriving. Playing baseball and one of the top academic students in the school. Of all my boys, he’s the most like me and probably the closest to me. He can and does tell me most everything in his life. What 16-year-old does that!

I am surrounded with brilliant people in my life, not just brilliant as in smart, but brilliant souls. My circle is small, but the ones in it are incredible. They are real, they are kind, they have opinions, and they are solid, decent, REAL people. I don’t surround myself with fake people. When you have a group like that you have no choice but to be authentic too.

So, I’ll end this with the fact that although I was disappointed with humanity recently, I have taken stock of the wonderful people and things in my life and I chose to live an authentic life, not a fake one. If we all did that perhaps we would have a lot less whiny, hurt feeling individuals in this world and we would all be kinder, because we are real. You shouldn’t have to say that you are kind if you really are.