Life Lesson # 1 - Beware the Onion People!

Some individuals are like onions.

They are the Onion People. You should avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, you only recognise the Onion People when it is too late.

There are certain people you meet upon your life journey that no matter how close you get to them, no matter how well you think you know them, and no matter how much you trust - or even admire - them, they will let you down. And not only will they disappoint you, but they are prepared to destroy you in pursuit of their own gain. You may think you mean something to them, but you do not. They lie to you with ease and frequency. They laugh at your innocence and ignorance.

That is because they are the Onion People.

And just like onions, as you peel back layer after layer you find there is no core; nothing of substance lies at the centre. The more you unravel, the less there is to see, you eventually discover there is no heart. Heartless, the Onion People can casually walk away without even a glance back. History means nothing to them. Bonds built up over many years are easily shattered by them. You are disposable, a piece of trash to be thrown. For them, there is no such thing as truth, only lies. And those lies will be told about you to others in order to justify their own unforgiveable actions. For the Onion People, the past is editable, pliable, there are no facts. They are Trumpian characters that scorch the earth they once trod alongisde you before racing to the next unwitting victim to begin the slow reveal once more.

Their coldness will leave you bereft, but time will eventually heal you. And with the passage of time, you will realise that their absence is really a blessing in disguise. One day, you will view the deep wound they left in you not as a scar, but as a tattoo - a forever reminder that the Onion People are not worth knowing. They cannot be trusted. You will awake one bright morning and be thankful that they are no longer in your life.

The lessons learned from the Onion People are undoubtedly hard, but all the more valuable for that. The truth is that sharing your life with them is not in fact a life, but a life sentence. Walking a path alone is heart-breaking, for sure, but nothing compares to the searing pain of sharing your journey alongside someone you thought was your friend; only to later learn as you peeled back that final layer, that it was really your worst enemy lurking inside. And they had managed to hide that secret from you for decades.

Life teaches us many things. Today’s lesson is not to waste your time on the Onion People. Instead, pity their next victim because the pain of deceit and discovery lies ahead of them.

And pity the Onion People themselves, for at the final reveal they will realise how empty and alone they are.

Live. Laugh. Love!

If you prefer life and work lessons wrapped up in short story format, why not read my book, ‘Journeys – Short Stories and Tall Tales for Managers’. Click on the image to the left to purchase the book on Amazon, or if you'd like a signed copy you can purchase one directly on this site via our products page.
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Life Lesson #2 - Have Values. Live by Them.

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