A reminder to be happy and let others be
Ana X. Mtnz Lima (She/Her) // Contributor
Yohannah Loker (she/her) // Illustrator
Where do you invest your energy? In yourself or in others?
With the rise of social media, the erroneous perceptions that people have has increased drastically. Putting aside everything that comes with constantly comparing ourselves to what we see on social media (such as how we want to look, what kind of life we want to have, what car we want to drive). As a society, we have reached a point where we criticize the lives and actions of others based on something small that we see.
The problem begins when we start getting involved and talking about other people’s lives; things that do not affect us and should not matter to us. It is very easy for us to give our opinions, criticize, say what is right and what is wrong, and worst of all, insult. No one likes it when people are meddling in their lives, talking about them, criticizing them, and telling them how to behave. But why, despite hating it, do we do it to other people?
I believe that many times we do not realize the damage that we can cause to people until it happens to us. Hopefully, after some self-reflection, we could see people with empathetic eyes and not eyes that criticize what they see.Everyone has their own battles, struggles, and wounds. Inside each head there is a universe, and no matter how much we try, we cannot think the same way as everyone.
Apply it to yourself. Have you ever received a hurtful comment? Have people talked about your body in a way that made you sad or offended? Have you been criticized for your way of being or thinking? Have you been belittled for your beliefs or preferences?
People and society have enough problems already, but still, there we are, adding more salt to the wound. We do not know the context in which other people have grown up, if they have been violated, humiliated, if they have lost a family member or pet. You never know if they have insecurities or any physical or mental illness. It is better to avoid giving your opinion when it is not requested.
We don’t know what each person is going through, so it’s better to refrain from giving unsolicited opinions. You and I know what it feels like to be criticized and talked about behind our backs. We know what it’s like to feel inferior, to feel like people are looking down on us. We know what it’s like to have lies spread about us, and have rumors circulating. I know you’ve been through something similar, even if it was a small thing. We’re all human, we have feelings, and it’s not fair to make others feel bad.
Stop spending your energy on things that aren’t worth it (such as meddling in other people’s lives). You have no idea how emotionally exhausting it is to be more focused on others than on yourself. It’s tiring, draining and it wears you down. When we focus on ourselves, we stop comparing ourselves to others and we start to grow. Our mood improves, we worry less and we have more peace around us.
Let’s start by respecting, loving and not commenting on other people’s lives.