I’ve been thinking about something that Steve Harvey has talked about in regard to relationships.  He stated that you should never make someone a priority who has made you an option.  This is a very powerful statement.  Whether  dealing with a boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, brother/sister, mother/father or a friend in general, you should always be able to know where you fit in.  

I have learned over the years that actions scream louder than any word anyone could ever speak.  I like the stage play, “Madea Goes To Jail.”  In one of the scenes, Madea quotes Maya Angelo.  She says, “If someone shows you who they are, BELIEVE THEM!”

Talk about an epiphany!  For me, this means that if you see and study the actions of an individual, you will know what they are capable of and who they really are.  Do not overlook something  just because you want to believe something different about that person. 

Now back to the subject at hand.  How can you tell whether or not someone in your life has made you a priority or an option?  Simple, just ask one question. “Am I penciled into your schedule or do you have my name in permanent marker?”  When someone ‘pencils’ you into their schedule and life, then this means you are an option. Writing in pencil means you can erase it if needed!   On the other hand, permanent marker is just what it says…PERMANENT or priority; if you have ever written in permanent marker you will see that it is in bold therefore you cannot miss it.   If you make a mistake, you will just have to deal with it because you cannot erase it, you can only work around it.

Let’s recap.  If you cannot  judge someone’s character well enough to know whether or not they have made you a priority or an option, then just ask them that one simple question and see what the response is.  You may be surprised.

Do you have anyone in your life that you have made a priority who should be an option?  Or vice versa?  Would you change anything?