Reality bites.

My reality, the things I have experienced, and how I respond to them, may not be the same as yours. Your reality, the things you have experienced, and how you've responded to them, may not be the same as mine. They may not look anything alike. They may look very similar. 

Help me understand your reality. I want to have my bubble burst. I want my paradigm to shift. I want my soap box to burn. I want to learn how your journey has shaped you. I want to learn how you handled having your reality shaken, shattered, and stirred. I want you to shake, shatter, and stir my reality. It's called empathy. 

I want to learn how you got through things. I want to learn more about why I'm listening to you. I want a glimpse into your reality. This is the importance of honesty. This is the importance of being real. Honesty is reality. 

I had my reality rocked last night. I learned things that I didn't know about some of my friends. They were real with me. They helped me understand another reality. That's why they're my friends. 

I am trying to realize that the more I live, the more I interact with people, the more chances I have to shape reality. Everyday, time after time, I have the chance to change my reality. I also have the chance to shape other people's reality. The choices I make affect the realities of those I'm around. 

If I can't look at myself, and my reality with honesty, what good am I? If I'm unwilling to be honest with other people about my reality, and if no one is willing to be honest with me about the accuracy of my perception, what do I really have? 

I am blessed. I have people that are real with me. I have people in my life that are honest. I have been protected from many of the realities of this world. There are realities that I will never understand. There are some that I will never even hear of. It's a big world. But, I want to improve my reality. And I want to improve the realities of the people around me. 

For me, the best way to do that is to be honest. I have to look past my comfort level and get real with myself and with other people. It's hard. It requires a lot of trust. It requires entering into relationships. That's scary stuff. But it's real. And I think it's the only way to affect true change. In myself, in my reality, and in the lives and realities of others. 

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."