Maybe We Are Just Becoming Selfish
If we take some time to look back at how our grandparents lived, we can say they were truly happy and contented with what they already had.
They focused less on themselves than we do now. They weren’t into material things, didn’t prioritize always presenting a nice image to others on social media, and didn’t maintain an online persona just to be known for being kind.
They devoted their time and energy to providing for their families and prioritized their family’s needs over their own, even though they also deserved it. As much as possible, they kept things simple and didn’t feel the need to impress anyone. They formed genuine connections with people in person, even without daily communication.
In this generation, social media has become part of our lives.
As we focus too much on social media posts about giving ourselves self-love, we are starting to become increasingly self-centered individuals. We like to focus more on our careers and making more money because we feel pressured by how others are portraying their best lives.
We don’t have many meaningful connections with others because we tend to prioritize showing them that we can be better than them based on our job titles and income, rather than valuing authentic relationships with them.
I understand how important these reminders are for self-love, but sometimes too much can be detrimental and misleading.
- Cutting people out of our life
- The idea of “We don’t owe anyone anything”
- Stopping setting ourselves on fire to keep someone else warm
Cutting People Out of Our Life
We don’t necessarily have to cut people out of our lives just because they exhibit toxic behavior or anything that is not beneficial for us.
By cutting them off, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to understand their perspectives and grow. We also isolate ourselves from building relationships with them.
Our natural inclination is to seek comfort in the familiar. However, when we consider the broader perspective, we may realize that we, too, can exhibit toxic behavior. Despite that, people around us still choose to stay.
“We Don’t Owe Anyone Anything”
I understand how it feels to have a certain thought process. I also don’t owe anyone anything and can do as I please.
However, as I grew, I began to question whether this mindset is still being considerate. Do I still hold certain moral obligations?
Should I reject someone simply because they don’t share the same mindset as me? This kind of mentality is pure garbage and just an excuse to be inconsiderate and insensitive.
We must make a conscious effort to fulfill our moral obligations and show genuine kindness daily, even without expecting anything in return.
We have all experienced moments of helplessness, so if we can prevent others from experiencing the same, why not?
Let’s not resort to toxic excuses to justify our reasons for not helping people.
Stopping Setting Ourselves on Fire to Keep Someone Else Warm
I read some posts on social media before saying that we are the writer of our story. But do we know that WE ARE NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER here?
We are not on Earth to be known but to know God through our love. What did He do to show us His love?
The Bible contains verses (John 3:16 and Romans 5:08) that illustrate how undeserving we are, yet God still loves and accepts us.
He sacrificed Himself for us even though we hadn’t done anything in return, and He still grants us the freedom to choose our path.
Who are we to say we should cease sacrificing for others? Life isn’t solely about us, despite many writings suggesting that we are the authors of our own stories; in reality, we don’t truly own our lives.
We must acknowledge that we are all equal, neither superior nor inferior to others. It’s time to cease viewing ourselves as individuals whom others should admire, and instead, we should treat each other with complete respect, kindness, and love.
