You Can Be Kind Without Losing Yourself
The life where I only play the role of a giver. I have always believed in giving and sharing, and that is truly a good thing. But in doing so, I forgot about myself. If a person keeps giving all the time, what will he or she receive? Only what is left behind for them. It’s not that when you give to others, you are doing them a favour. But always putting others first and doing nothing for yourself is also not beneficial for you. Helping others is a good deed, but this is your life. If you become only a giver, others may take advantage of you.
Now, I want a life where everyone understands each other, where there is no comparison, and where everyone helps each other grow and supports each other’s passions and dreams. A life where people communicate without fear. Earlier, I always thought that if I took responsibility and put others’ needs first, I would make them happy, and my life would also become happy. But that’s not true. If you want a life full of happiness and peace, you must first start with self-care.
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It’s not always true that you will stay happy just by making others happy. Happiness in your life is only partially connected to that. Now I understand that if you make yourself happy, you will automatically start feeling happiness in your surroundings too. For that, you don’t have to become selfish. The only thing you need to do is understand that setting boundaries is very necessary in this stressful life. If you don’t do this, even after doing good deeds, you still may not feel happy.
As the eldest child, I always behaved like a responsible child. Even when my siblings fought, my parents told me that I was the elder and the “good” child, so I shouldn’t fight with them — even if they started the fight. Whatever mistakes they made, I had to take the blame because I was the elder, and I had to teach them. This mentality made me behave more maturely than my age. But as I grew up, I realized that I am not responsible for others’ behaviour, and no one can force you to behave the way they want. You are responsible for your own mistakes, not for everything. And as an elder, you don’t always have to compromise on the things you want.
Taking care of others, helping, and respecting everyone are good things. These are basic manners everyone should have. But it doesn’t mean that because of your soft nature and kindness, you should let others control you. Set your boundaries — only then can you build a life of your choice. Follow your heart. It is said that God lives inside us and always guides us. So your heart is what truly makes you happy. First, make your own heart happy; then the people around you will also feel happy.
The truth is, even if everyone around you is happy, you may still feel unhappy inside. That happens because you are not feeling happiness within yourself. So self-love is an important part of a beautiful life.
