Hải Nguyễn

If I’m Being Honest, I’m Done Waiting For People To Act Right

If I’m being honest, I’m done waiting for people to act right. I’m done waiting for something that may never happen and hoping against all odds that eventually people will own up to their mistakes or apologize or make up for their hurtful behavior. I’m done waiting for someone to give me an answer or give me closure, because part of me doesn’t even want it anymore. When you’ve been waiting for something for a while and it doesn’t come, you stop wanting it. If I’m being honest, I’m done putting people on a pedestal when they don’t deserve it and I’m done giving them too many chances waiting for them to act right. 

If I’m being honest, I only did that because I wasn’t ready to lose them or because the stubborn part of me didn’t want to admit that my choices were wrong or that I was a fool for letting them in my life. If I’m being honest, I’m done letting my pride control my actions. It’s okay to admit that you were wrong about someone or that someone didn’t turn out to be who you thought they were. It’s okay to admit that you trusted the wrong person or ignored the red flags or forgave someone who wasn’t sorry. It’s okay to admit it, but you have to let it go. Don’t hold on to someone to prove something to yourself or to others. Don’t wait for someone to act right when they’ve acted wrong so many times. Don’t wait for someone to change just so you can feel like you didn’t waste your time. 

If I’m being honest, waiting for people to act right is only hurting you, because you don’t have a clear answer or a deadline. You don’t know what’s going to happen, you’re only hoping and guessing. You’re not sure of anything; you don’t have something tangible. They’re all assumptions and what ifs and maybes, and you don’t want to be stuck in that cycle, because you’re the only one spinning. If I’m being honest, if you constantly have to wait for someone to show up for you, it means that this person is not fully present with you. It means that you don’t fully trust how they feel about you, because when you’re sure about how someone feels, you don’t question whether they’ll show up for you or not, you just know. You don’t wait for them to act right, they just do. 

It’s sometimes not as complicated as we make it, but wanting to keep someone around is often the fastest way to switch off your brain and your logic. You start making excuses and best-case scenarios and giving them more power to hurt you or come back the same way they left. If I’m being honest, wanting someone to change or waiting for someone to act right is a complete waste of your time. People who want to show up for you do that willingly and lovingly. People who value you will act right because they wouldn’t risk losing you. People who truly care about you won’t keep you waiting for their love or their time or their attention.