Every now and then, we presume to be far more than we actually are. The title of this post, for instance, flies in the face of the fact that you may well read something more impactful than what follows here. It may not actually be the most important thing you read today, in spite of its bold assertion.
How often do we do the same? How often do we go about as if everything that happens is somehow engineered for our personal benefit or misery? Granted, there are many things that happen that have an impact upon our wellbeing, whether as a benefit or as a detriment, but why should anyone presume that the universe hates them just because something happened that disadvantaged them?
Why is the universe unfair if someone else was lucky enough to get the last container of your favorite ice cream at the store? A good thing happened for that other person, after all. Why should it be such a tragedy that it didn’t happen to you instead of them? If it had, then they’d be the one with the tragedy, and the sum total of good in the universe would remain the same.
Why is it unfair if people detest you, even though you act despicably yourself? If something bad happens as a result of your treatment of others, you’re not the victim. It’s simply a natural result of how your own actions interact with the needs of others. It doesn’t even have to be anything bad; you can do plenty of things that you feel are good, but that make others uncomfortable. If they reject you, it’s because they need to find company more fitting to them.
No one is the center of the universe. You’re not the star of this story. If something happens to you, the grand drama of life as it now exists will continue on unperturbed (minus a few little pains and inconveniences here and there).
So the next time something bad happens to you, don’t ask “Why me?” because the answer is “Why not you?” Why should it be someone else instead?
Likewise, when something good happens to you, be grateful for it. It didn’t have to happen to you, but it did, and that’s worth a smile.
So, was this the most important thing you read today? Or do you think I should get off my pedestal and stop making myself out to be all that and a bag of chips? Let me know in the comments! Also, you should know that you can find additional content on Patreon. All proceeds go toward shooting stars out of the sky with containers of your favorite ice cream. Really.