It's Thursday, and I have tomorrow off from work. This is a good thing -- an extra weekend day, a chance to sleep in, get some extra rest, and do what needs to be done. It's been a rough day or so, and I'm just not feeling like my normal, happy self. I need this extra day.
I'm struggling with how to go on living my life, and keep myself happy along with everyone else. I mean, I know I shouldn't worry about everyone else . . . people have told me that . . . but I find I'm not happy if people around me aren't happy. I also want to be an example to people -- I want to live in such a way that leaves a subtle mark on the world. In a way that when I die, people will remember me as someone that made a difference, however small, and it makes them smile. I don't feel it has to be anything big and splashy whatsoever, just significant.
This morning I was visibly upset and my teenage son recognized that I needed an extra hug before leaving for work. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes again, thinking that his dad and I have most definitely put the best of us in him . . . the skill to recognize someone is in need, and the caring, thoughtful ability to show it. This is what half my life has been about so far -- raising my kids to be the best they can in any situation. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, since I've witnessed both he and my daughter doing things that my husband or I do, and admired how they've tailored it to their own lives. By no means are they perfect, but who is? I have to remind myself sometimes -- you can strive for something that is ideal, but at the same time you have to ensure you're being realistic.
Which brings me to this: I cannot possibly please everyone. All I can do is be me, and if someone doesn't like it, that is simply their opinion, and they have a right to it just as much as I have a right to mine. I can't fault others for their reactions, their assumptions, their perceptions, or their outlook on life. They got to where they are in life by all those reactions, assumptions, and perceptions -- right or wrong. And even "right" and "wrong" is just an opinion. What's important is that you live your life in a way that suits you and those that are significant in your life. In the end, if the good outweighs the bad, a person should be happy. And if you're happy, then I'm happy! It's the best I can do.
I'm struggling with how to go on living my life, and keep myself happy along with everyone else. I mean, I know I shouldn't worry about everyone else . . . people have told me that . . . but I find I'm not happy if people around me aren't happy. I also want to be an example to people -- I want to live in such a way that leaves a subtle mark on the world. In a way that when I die, people will remember me as someone that made a difference, however small, and it makes them smile. I don't feel it has to be anything big and splashy whatsoever, just significant.
This morning I was visibly upset and my teenage son recognized that I needed an extra hug before leaving for work. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes again, thinking that his dad and I have most definitely put the best of us in him . . . the skill to recognize someone is in need, and the caring, thoughtful ability to show it. This is what half my life has been about so far -- raising my kids to be the best they can in any situation. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, since I've witnessed both he and my daughter doing things that my husband or I do, and admired how they've tailored it to their own lives. By no means are they perfect, but who is? I have to remind myself sometimes -- you can strive for something that is ideal, but at the same time you have to ensure you're being realistic.
Which brings me to this: I cannot possibly please everyone. All I can do is be me, and if someone doesn't like it, that is simply their opinion, and they have a right to it just as much as I have a right to mine. I can't fault others for their reactions, their assumptions, their perceptions, or their outlook on life. They got to where they are in life by all those reactions, assumptions, and perceptions -- right or wrong. And even "right" and "wrong" is just an opinion. What's important is that you live your life in a way that suits you and those that are significant in your life. In the end, if the good outweighs the bad, a person should be happy. And if you're happy, then I'm happy! It's the best I can do.
No comments:
Post a Comment