I can't make you love me...

...if you don't.

The word love here can be interchanged with like, want, respect, care for, understand…take your pick.

Eve Ensler, of The Vagina Monologues fame speaks about a woman she met in Kenya who went on a crusade to end the horrible act of female circumcision – or more appropriately referred to as female genital mutilation…which is exactly what it is. As a 10 year old child, Agnes suffered this horrendous fate, against her will. She vowed to make a difference, dedicating her life to ending this atrocious practice. The fucked up thing is that as this woman began to speak out, trying to teach people that this behavior is brutally inhumane and appalling, she was actually exiled by her community. Here's something that you'd think wouldn't take much convincing, right? But because people are so conditioned, they are simply unable to sense right and wrong, literally unable to see when wrong is happening in front of their faces. Thankfully, Agnes pressed on for years and insisted on fighting for what she believed in and people eventually started to come around. Although, the fight continues; girls continue to have to run away to the safe house that Agnes had built specifically for this cause. There are still people who believe that Agnes is the one who is in the wrong.

It's incredible to fathom that on both sides of this particular conflict, for instance, both parties truly believe that their belief or action is completely justified, (even though the average person reading this in our society would, without question, deem one side clearly right and the other obviously wrong.

It's difficult to comprehend that even when you have the best intentions, choose the noblest path, give straight from the heart, and care so much it actually hurts, there may continue to be someone (or even many) who will continue to simply not feel your vibe of energy. No matter how much you truly believed they just would.

It's sad that though you might try and hope and wish, you just can't MAKE people understand you…you can only continue to do what you truly believe in your heart is right in your life and hope that maybe one day they might finally come around. And if they don't. Well, then that's the unfortunate part of life too.

I guess the lesson is you don't ever let them discourage you from your path. And God forbid, never, ever stop being you.