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Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.

Zero Dean

Author | Photographer | CG Artist | Filmmaker

Feeling like no one truly gets or understands you

 

If others in your life seem to have an easier time making friends or connecting with people — despite your interest in doing so — it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Or if you sometimes feel like no one truly understands or gets you, you’re not alone. Often, this means that “your people” — people like you — are less common (or at least less common where you are) or less likely to indiscriminately reveal their true self to others.

And as much as you may, at times, appreciate your solitude (or not), this lack of connection can sometimes lead to feelings of loneliness or sadness. At times like this, it’s important to appreciate yourself for who you are and to recognize your value as one of your people. Because someone else is out there — who may occasionally feel the same way — and they’re looking to connect with someone just like you.

Be there for them so they do.

Dear Self, I am working on being a better person

Dear Self,

I am working on being a better person.

Please let me be the type of person who I would respect & admire if I saw them in action. Let me greet each new day as another opportunity to get things right. Let me be open to thinking about things in ways I haven’t thought about them before. Let me find ways to make a positive difference in the world, no matter how small, and act upon them when I am able.

Let me be open to the challenge of change. Let me not shy away from things just because they are difficult. Let me face my fears and do things I would like to do even when they make me nervous. Let me be generous with what I have to give away. Let me remember to be grateful for every second that I get to make choices in my life and act upon them.

Let me make at least one person’s day brighter by having been a part of it. Let me accept my mistakes as learning experiences. Let me learn to love myself, flaws and all. Let me not care so much what others think. And let me be confident in my ability to succeed.

Thank you. — Me

Originally Published on: Jan 27, 2012

Related:

Where’s your respect?

One of the most significant aspects of living a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life comes down to respect.

Respect for yourself, your body, and your goals. Respect for other people, their property, and their beliefs. Respect for your time and other people’s time. Respect for your relationships, your community, and your environment. And countless other things.

Nearly every important aspect of life deteriorates without respect.

Where is your respect (or lack thereof) reflected in your life?

People who are really good at hurting people

People who are really good at hurting people have often been hurt by people who are really good at hurting people. And sometimes these people use their negative experiences to excuse themselves for behaving badly.

Break the chain. Refuse to let your pain drive you hurt people.

Convert your hurt into compassion for yourself and others. Be the kind of person you wish was there for you when you needed it.

Related:

Being genuinely friendly

Being genuinely friendly to others is the best way to encourage others to be friendly — being unfriendly to those who don’t reciprocate your friendliness isn’t. You show people what you want to see more of by how you act.

If you want more kindness in the world, put some there.

You’re not here to live someone else’s life

For what it’s worth, when you go about your day without comparing your life to how other people are living theirs, there’s a good chance that you’ll be happier for it.

Be kind & do what you feel is right, but also be mindful of the fact that you’re not here to live someone else’s life, you’re here to live your own.

And, most certainly, don’t let how other people are living their lives dictate how you feel about your own.

Define the problem

People have a nasty tendency to live with problems that they don’t take the time to define. It’s almost as if by refusing to acknowledge the source of a problem, they believe they can get away with not doing anything about it. And that’s how small issues often become big problems.

If you’re unhappy, unhealthy, unfulfilled, or unsatisfied — and it isn’t clear why — stop avoiding the problem by refusing to define it.