What’s one lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
“Happiness is an inside job. Don’t assign anyone else that much power over your life.”
-Mandy Hale
Life as it is, often unpredictable, and always the best teacher, makes you stand on a road where you can easily lose all signs of directions. Just when you’re about to give up, you realize life’s another lesson. After all, life is nothing but a never-ending learning experience, thrown at you at every step of the way. Some lessons are simple, some are difficult.
Every experience, every moment of life is capable of teaching something precious. It might be difficult to pay attention to these teachings, especially when you are going through a rough patch. However, it can be reassuring to think that there is a lesson somewhere in there, either through your experience or through observation.
If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is that you are the source of your own happiness. You can’t make people happy, and it’s not their responsibility to make you happy.
What’s the point of living if you aren’t happy? It’s a choice that you get to make for yourself every day. Don’t be dependent on others to allow sunshine in your life. Emotional dependence is a burden that slows down personal growth. Living your life solely to please others or to match what they expect of you can be destructive to your mental well-being. It will lower your self-esteem and may lead to resentment.
Emotional support vs Emotional dependence
It is normal to feel needy at times when things aren’t smooth. However, there is a big difference between asking for emotional support and depending on others. Depending on others implies that you are giving the key to your happiness in others’ hands. When you start expecting them to make you happy, it is bound to turn into disappointment when they can’t fulfil your unrealistic assumptions.
You can count on your loved ones to provide a shoulder when needed but don’t expect them to repeatedly lift your spirits. Instead, when you’re feeling down, analyze and explore your emotions as only you can genuinely understand what you’re experiencing, why you’re feeling it, and what you can do to control it.
Lastly, don’t be scared to spend time alone. This can be challenging if you’re used to constantly being around others, but it’s crucial to learn how to be content in your own company. This doesn’t mean that you should be alone all the time, but you should be able to be comfortable when you are alone.
About the Author:
With a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology and a master’s degree in human resource management together with more than 5 years of experience, Hema has a lot of experience in research and problem-solving. She is a millennial mother of two children with expertise in parenting, career guidance, relationships, raising two children, and working from home.
She is skilled at thoroughly researching any topic requested, and She strives to write original but engaging language for her clients.
Her primary writing focus is on articles, blogs, and site content, but she is always open to other areas of writing.