Don’t Be An Asshole

Life has a way of conjuring up the perfect storms and throwing you right in the center of them. These storms serve as tests, and if you’re lucky, you will pass and gain the gift of empathy. Everyone copes differently. You need to understand that others aren’t necessarily going to navigate their way out of the storm or deal with these situations in the same ways as you did. While you taught yourself to dance in the rain, others may become paralyzed with grief over the absence of the sun. While you learned to jump over puddles, others may drown in them. This doesn’t make them weak. However, if you choose to pass judgment on these people rather than attempting to help them, it does make you weak, because unlike them, you know better.

Successfully finding your way out of these storms, alive and in one piece, with your head on straight doesn’t make you special. However, helping others who are going through similar situations keep their head on straight does. Terrible things happen, but it is up to us to create something beautiful from the wreckage. Help others in situations where nobody helped you. Be the umbrella you wish you’d had. Shelter someone else from these storms. That is the whole point.

Lessons learned that aren’t applied and paid forward are wasted on self-absorbed, victim-minded people. Experience is meant to be shared, not held on to as validation of our own victim complexes. Help others, and in turn, help yourself. The only way to keep anything is by giving it away.

The storms are supposed to help things grow, not wash away all hope for the situation. Sometimes, we need to help each other find the sun again. Encourage others to keep looking up, because you know first hand that this too, shall pass.

Don’t be an asshole.