Over my life I have struggled with my personal view off and on for many years, especially going into junior high and high school. As time went on and I got older, I began to lose more and more people in my life, family members, friends, and others I held very close. These losses began a spiral of emotional distress, until one day I got asked the question, “Who is truly permanent in your life.” Of course my immediate response was family, those who have always been there for me. But those who have been there won’t ALWAYS be here. Eventually health takes its toll on people and they are lost, or you may lose them along the way for other reasons. But that question made me realize that I am the only person permanent in my life. I had spent so many hours of my time trying to create a figure who fit into the society around me, trying to make those peers I shared a class with happier and feel purpose within themselves. So much of my time was consumed into this idea of making others feel better when I began to feel worse. Realizing that I was the only person guaranteed to be with forever shifted how I treated myself drastically. I questioned why I made such an effort to make others happy when I wasn’t. How does their happiness affect me anyways? I began to prioritize myself and see the value in everything around me instead of being so sucked into this world of wallow and pity for the people. I became happier, more optimistic, just on the simple realization that I am the only person who I have to forever deal with. Of course that fact was established at birth, you are born as one soul in one body, yet many have such a hard time realizing that it’s okay to be your own priority, that it's okay to be selfish and think about yourself first. Your health, peace and happiness is your own to manage, not anybody else's, no one is responsible for more than themselves. (Word count 352)
Hi Morgan
ReplyDeleteI love your advice and your post. It feels like I’m reading a self help book or listening to a ted talk because honestly your advice is very relatable and wise. Thank you for getting personal because this is an intriguing piece. And I love your ending when you said “Your health, peace and happiness is your own to manage, not anybody else's, no one is responsible for more than themselves”. I really think this quote especially applies to teenagers, maybe other age groups could differ like parents and little kids, but at our age we are trying to become more independent and we just need to be responsible for ourselves and make us a priority. Kindness and not being too selfish is always something we need to do but changing who we are for others or worrying about them always doesn’t need to be our priority like you said. Great work!
Morgan, I really love this blog, as it really spoke to me on an emotional level. This has been something that has been on my mind for a while and I’m glad that I’m not alone. I liked how you said, “ I became happier, more optimistic, just on the simple realization that I am the only person who I have to forever deal with”. That line really resonated with me as I experienced the same effects. Thank you for allowing yourself to be open in your blogs and not being afraid of letting them become personal. I’m very glad you came to this realization and are doing so much better now. Overall, amazing job! :)
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