This was a creative writing assignment i had to do. But i turned it into something a little bit deeper than something you might turn in in creative writing.. I chose to write about us, as humans and a few of our personality traits. I’ll talk about a few of these traits in particular though. How we have the tendency to be ignorant, and oblivious sometimes to the way others around us might be feeling. Why is this? How can we not notice if someone is having a really bad day? Or how we are able to assume so easily, that if someone is smiling and acting happy that they truly feel that way inside? We make assumptions based off of what we see, and do not bother to pester that person any further to know if they are genuine about what they are telling us.
What if just one phrase could change someone’s
entire life?
Even crazier, what if you were the one to use the simple phrase, and change someone’s entire life? Would you be willing to make such a huge impact on someone’s life? What if just showing you care enough to really want to know how they’re doing, could make a person change their mind on something they had decided to do? I think that I would want to be able to do that for someone…
You never know exactly what is going on in someone’s head. You never know exactly what they’re thinking. It’s simply impossible. You’ll never know if they’re having a really, truly, honestly bad day. And you taking the time to show them you do care about them could turn everything around for them. With just one phrase, one smile, or one wave, you could change their entire attitude for the day.
And more than that, you could change their entire attitude/outlook on life. It doesn’t mean that every single person you don’t know, that you wave at will have a change of heart right there on the spot. But it doesn’t mean it won’t help them.
Back to what I was saying earlier though…
How we don’t know what every single person is thinking around us, or what they’ve made up their mind about that they feel they need to do.
There’s a family in my ward, who their son recently committed suicide. And was successful.
The impact his decision made on so many people’s lives is far greater than he probably would’ve thought possible. How many people’s lives he’s touched because of one simple decision. I only say “simple” not because suicide is an easy thing to contemplate… not at all. I don’t think it is. But the decision to do it, or not to do it is. When you put it in that context, anyways it is.
I think it’s so sad that anyone would ever feel that they needed to do that though. They feel that anything is better than what they’re living through. They just get so sick of life. Of living. Of being alive. For anyone to feel so upset by what’s going on around them that they want to do that, is extremely sad. I can understand completely why one might feel that way, however. That they think they only have one way out. One option.
Even though truly, it’s the worst option possible. After you take your life, you take everything you were feeling with you. Only here’s the thing… it gets multiplied. Times ten. Which equals= not fun. Or good. Or better, in any way, shape or form. So really, it isn’t an escape. Quite the opposite, actually. You become even more chained, and bound to those emotions. I honestly think that if everyone knew and understood this, then they wouldn’t even contemplate the option any more.
Because seriously, does that sound enticing at all to you? Eyeah, didn’t think so. So, you feel awful right? You wish you didn’t even have to breathe anymore, you’re so sick of living. You feel like you don’t have a reason to even get up in the morning anymore. Who in their right mind would want to make all those feelings multiply? Become greater?
Any ways, my point is… always try to pay attention to everyone around you. Even if it seems like the most unimportant person in the world. Everyone is important in god’s eyes. And that counts for something. How awful would it be if you knew someone who went off and made the decision to end their life, and you could’ve done something about it? To know that you could’ve made a difference? But, you didn’t. You didn’t even try. Would you honestly want to live with that guilt? Most likely not… so just open up and say hi to everyone, it isn’t that hard. I promise.
And they won’t be the only one that benefits from it. You will too. You’ll feel better about yourself, too.
