Understand Others Also: Finding Happiness Series
To live a happy life you have to be in harmony with those around you, be in harmony with nature around you. As much as you are going to learn to love and understand yourself you need to do the same to your surroundings.
People, whether we like them or not are part of the environment we live in, they somehow determine how we feel, remember I said somehow and determine, like I always say, people to not define us, but some times we just end up disturbed because of other people’s behaviors, if you are able to let go of these people, like I said here then let go. It will not help your happiness to keep people who contribute negatively to your happiness. However, as much as life gives us choices, sometimes we just have non. You have to start understanding those people that will always be in your life.
“When you say “I” and “my” too much, you lose the capacity to understand the “we” and “our”.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
As for me, if we meet physically, it is always my number one rule, to understand you before you do me. Why? Because I know if someone understands me before I get them, they will always have an advantage over me, they know what button to press to make me react! A person who knows you well may have a remote control over your life. However, if I understand you first its not because I want to remote control you, its because I want to protect myself if ever you try that. I have to learn what kind of a person are you and how possibly can you hurt me.
Understanding people will help you not because you want to impress anyone, but because you want to be safe. Don’t live in fear of being hurt every time, because such is life, but always giving people a chance to hurt you, that you should not accept. Understand people so that you become who you need to be around them. You are going to be strong if you live with abusive people around you, you are going to learn to be silent if you live with people who love arguing. To never allow other people to walk over you takes learning a few things about them. To be the bigger person you have to know how high can the other person go.
Learn other people, not only for yourself, but for them too. I know I would love to surround myself with people that understand me better, not only so they can be at the defensive with me but to have a better relationship. Understand them to know how to relate to them, the same way you want them to know what food you like, the same way they would too. The more you start learning about long term happiness the more you understand, happiness is not about being all selfish. Happiness can be felt in the air we breath, other people’s happiness can also be yours.
Start impacting your environment with love, understand you surrounding, take time not to learn yourself only, but to learn others also. You will realize the better you interact with other people the better you will stay. When you live in harmony with people around your soul is freed, you will find peace and soon they will reciprocate. If you decide to be happy without caring for others, because our lives are not islands separate from every one, your happiness is short lived the moment you interact with beings. When you are a happy person, you happiness should impact your surroundings it should transform you to live positively and as others interact with you they should feel the positive aura.
Take time to understand your dog, understand your car, understand your friends, your family members, your spouse. When you understand them, create a better relationship that serve your and their happiness, remember I told you there is a good selfish, when people start taking you for granted you need to move on. Don’t be the person people need to move away from to be happy.
Happiness starts when you love and understand yourself, but it does not end there. Today start taking time to understand and listen to other people’s needs and learn their behavior to create a better relationship and also to safeguard your happiness.
Understand Others and Live Happy :-)
Photo: BryantMcgill.com
