The Edwards Of My Life

Dear lovely people,

“Your enemies can kill you, but only your friends can hurt you.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

 

As agreed, I emailed my completed project proposal to my friend Edward so he could review and make constructive criticisms that were to help me improve the project document. Well, he did the work as needed but guess what? My friend, one of the few I could count on actually made another copy of my project and submitted it on his behalf, changing the necessary coordinates on the project document so it will look like he’s.

Unknown to Edward, my project idea was already known at the funding agency. Actually, I had been requested to submit that particular project so when they saw the same project but bearing another author’s name, they had to contact me. That is how I got to know what my friend was up to.

Edward was bewildered the evening I made known to him his dubious nature and even gave him a photocopy of the project bearing his name. He sat in front of me like a massive concrete statue. He could not comprehend how I got to know the truth. Just like I tell people, the truth never ever hides, it’s the best friend to light.

For the safety of your dreams, you really have to beware of the interlopers in your life. Such people, use you and your ideas; interfere with your social and professional contacts; take over conversations you're having with others; tries to network and make friends with anyone you talk to; and generally climb on you to get where you're going, not setting their own course. This so-called friends seek promotion/or get promoted on the backs of more talented colleagues, manipulating authority, making him- or herself look good at your expense and often using ideas and insights you shared with them.

If you say "I'm going to compliment someone’s exceptional skills in public", they will beat you to it and act like it was their own observation. If you say, "I think someone will be good for a job opening I saw", they'll chase the person down and suggest applying for the job. If you work with someone like this, they'll take credit for your ideas and tell the boss about your latest, greatest thoughts, saying: "I was just thinking ..." after you explained to them how you arrived at your conclusion. If you are in school with this person, she'll run to the professor with every brilliant insight you share and pretend ownership.

“To be of good quality, you have to excuse yourself from the presence of shallow and callow minded individuals” Warns Michael Bassey Johnson. You have to beware of the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. The biblical verse of Matthew 7:15 warns, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” If you have heard that one of your friends is talking or behaving badly behind your back, yet is nothing but friendly to your face, this person is not revealing their true character. As the biblical reference suggests, this person’s actions will eventually reveal their true character. This is the worse type of “friend” — one who conceals malicious intent under the guise of kindness or trust.

That is exactly what Edward was to me. If you have to get to where you have set your sights in life, you might want to be careful of such Edwards and keep them a long distance from you and your dreams.