QUEEN.

Never let another person convince you that your standards are too high. Never let them con you out of altering the way you want things and what type of person you want in your life, especially if you’ve worked hard to figure out exactly what it is that you deserve. I find myself meeting people throughout my journey that judge me for having standards and I know that I’m not the only one that has experienced it. I was raised with good values and raised to treat myself as a Queen, but throughout the twenty years of that practice that I had with how to properly treat myself, it has been so easy on multiple occasions to accept lesser treatment. As of now, I had a conversation with my boo yesterday about this exact topic. My standards were high in a sense where, I chose to only date educated men for the longest time. Not only that, but if you did not have a car or a certain amount of income and stability within your income, I did not pay you any mind either. My standards are high in a sense where, I will sit in the car until you come around and open my door because my parents raised me to be that way in a world where it is now something that is uncommon. Or... if you were too ghetto or uneducated within conversation, then I really did not look your way. Everything that I practice is how my parents raised me to be, need I say it again, as a Queen. I always prided myself on practicing things in the manner that I practiced them because it makes me stand out in this pool of women with no values, no morals, with no idea of what they want and where they want to go, and it makes me look "together" in a sense. Not to say that I have not had any slip-ups, but for the most part, keeping up with these standards of mine has been slightly easy. I have learned though, that some people might come into your life to challenge whether or not those standards still hold importance because in order for you and that person to come together, you have to make some type of adjustments. I mentioned earlier that finances was important to me with the men that I date, mainly because I was raised to be with someone that is able to support the lifestyle that I have always been accustomed to, but I found myself lowering my standards a few times just for the sake of not being alone and keeping a man. Crazy, right? I found myself picking up checks way more than I am comfortable with, paying for haircuts, sending money just because... knowing damn well that these things were not appropriate based on the standards that I was raised to have. I also dated one or two men that dropped out of college and supported themselves based on JOBS and not careers, and finding an educated man was always something that was important to me. If a man is not financially stable or educated, it was deemed that he was not fit to be with me and/or maintain the lifestyle that I want to carry on. But, I did tell you that sometimes our standards need to be changed. I always said that I wanted an educated man, but what happens when education is not for that person? Or, they go to college, but cannot finish because they do not have the support and/or money to keep going? And, if they choose to not get educated, but that have a PLAN as to how to get somewhere without it and I like this person.... can those standards be adjusted? Financially, if I fall for someone that makes less than me, does that mean that I cannot be with them and I fell in love with them? If this man treats me like a QUEEN, but is just missing the financial part of it, does the money really matter? Aaron challenged my thought process last night by asking me these questions since I came at him with all these wants, expectations, and demands. This is what I mean when I say that people have the ability to alter your standards, and sometimes it is really for the better. Maybe, what I thought was appropriate and fit for me WAS NOT appropriate and fit for me. I have gotten older and realized that some of my standards might be too high like some people say, but it is simply with the intentions of providing the best lifestyle for myself and of being good example to others as to what a decent woman should be.