Disclaimer: For the anecdotes included in the following writing, I use first person for sake of a smoother pronoun agreement; however, I am just as guilty of some of these and just witnessed the others. I would like to direct the following words toward myself more if not as much as toward the general population.
I walk up to customer service and say, “I need to leave something here and pick it up later because it won’t fit in my car” rather than “Would it be possible for me to leave this here to pick up later? I can’t fit it in my car.”
or
My significant other breaks up with me, several months or several years ago, and I only call particular friends to unload all of my heartache and never ask how s/he is doing, even after months have passed since I’ve asked.
or
I sit in my classes and do nothing but creep on Facebook or tweet on Twitter, and I am shocked that I got a zero percent for the marking period. “I should get something just for showing up!”
or
I make plans with someone, but then I back out because something better comes along or because I just don’t feel like it. The next time I want to go out, I am annoyed that my friend won’t go.
What is wrong with us? How is it that we have morphed into a group of people who feel they are entitled to special treatment, special rules or exemption from the rules that apply to everyone else? How have we become a group of people who think of themselves first and everyone and everything else as secondary?
Please understand, I know there are times when we do need to come first because if we don’t, we wouldn’t have enough to keep on living. But think about it: what is so bad that I cannot ask someone how they are (and mean it)? You can count on one of your hands events or situations that qualify. What makes me so much better than someone else that I get to do whatever I want? Answer: nothing.
Maybe, just maybe, if I stop focusing on my pain and start focusing on how I could help someone else, my pain would somehow abate. Maybe, just maybe, if I stop focusing on my frustration and start focusing on what I can do to make things run more smoothly for someone else, my patience would grow. Maybe, just maybe, if I stop focusing on my disappointment and start focusing on being a blessing for someone else, maybe I will be able to see all the blessings I’ve been given.
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
~ 1 Peter 3:8
I don't think we can truly make another happy until we're happy with ourselves. That's just one girl's opinion. On that note, some people do just suck and want the world and everyone/thing in it to revolve around them. I thought that kind of self-centeredness would fade away when we matured and became "adults," only to find it can get worse in those who do NOT mature. Lucky for you, I think 90% of those people are in my family and/or neighborhood, so you should be safe ;-)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! My biggest issue is when someone consistently and regularly puts their own happiness above others and in that process, brings pain - you know what I mean? I cannot grasp how people either fail to consider how their actions impact others or simply don't care how they impact others. We are not the center of the universe.
DeleteAnd that's me on my soapbox at 8:00 in the morning; here's hoping that doesn't set the tone for my day :)
Thanks for sharing!