People as Cars-Part 1

"I do good all by myself, but baby you, you make me better." Fabo and Ne-Yo.

Okay, so I really don't like Fabolous as an artist too much, simply because his flow to me is kinda boring, but this song has really hit home with me when it comes to evaluating the people in my life. I have noticed that when I classify people who are important to me, I tend to put them into two basic categories: accessories or enhancements.

Everyone that you meet in life will play a role in your overall development, no matter how big or small a part. But what their overall value is to you is not determined by the amount of time they are in your life, or the amount of love they have for you...but ultimately the value that they give to your life (and your value to them can be measured in the same way.)

Accessories, as with cars, are people who may look good in your life, but essentially play no major role in how your life functions. Spinning rims, fishtails, racing stripes, etc. are all things that we add to vehicles for aesthetics, but not for function. For example, we all have friends that are fun to go out with, or are great people to socialize with, but we would never spend anything more than that with them. Or we all have dated someone who is fun to look at, or even entertaining, but never seems to have more than that to offer. So besides their presence, very little is actually added to your life. They are to be seen, and that's it. The problem is that we often get so used to how the accessories make our lives LOOK that we rarely realize that they are not important to our overall function...and in many cases will actually devalue our vehicle as well. (Spinning rims and candy paint have never raised the value of a Chevy Caprice. LOL) At some point, we will eventually mature past the need for those accessories, and they get removed or replaced by newer accessories, which starts the whole process again.

Enhancements, however, are things that we add to vehicles that improve the overall function of the car. Better engines, dual exhaust pipes, fuel injection cleaner, etc...things of that sort. These are all things that when added lead to better waste emissions, higher horsepower, and better driving. People who are enhancements are the types of people who not only add value to your life, but their benefits can actually be noticed once they enter your life. It's as if they help to elevate your performance in some way...ways that mere accessories cannot do.


So I am learning to determine who in my life actually helps me to be a better vehicle, and who in my life merely are pleasant but not necessarily required. I submit to you to ask yourself if the people around you fall into these two categories, and it will provide clarity as to what and who is important to your overall well-being.