One morning John goes to the beach to enjoy the sunrise, and he notices a man dancing in the distance. Curious about what is that man doing, he goes closer. The man is not dancing; he is throwing something in the water.
"Hello, may I ask what are you doing?"
"I'm throwing starfish back into the ocean."
"Why?"
"Because the sun is rising and, left on the beach, the starfish will die."
"You do realize that the beach is miles and miles, and you can't possibly help them all. Right? It makes no difference what you are doing."
The man gets down, picks up another starfish and throws it into the water:
"I made a difference to that one, haven't I?"
Whatever you do, it makes a difference in someone else's life. However, sometimes is you the one that feels neglected and forgotten. And because maybe there is no one else to make a difference in your life at that moment check out
7 little reminders for times when you feel left out:
1. You can't satisfy everybody
Stop trying to please everyone because some individuals won't be satisfied no matter what you do.
Remind yourself that not everything that you lose is a loss. Some people that get out of your life are doing you a service because you are better without them.
2. You are the guardian of YOU
Love, attention, respect and appreciation for you start inside you. Offering positive and good things to oneself is not selfish. It is a matter of self-preservation, progress, and self-improvement. You are the guardian of your happiness, wellbeing, and safety.
As long as you are there for yourself, everyone else can come in and get out of your life because you have all it takes to build the life of your dreams.
3. Some people don't deserve your attention and time
Our most precious possessions in life are time, love and energy. Use them wisely and respectful. Don't offer them to people that leave you out just to blackmail you into offering even more.
Surround yourself with people that like you as you are. People that don't ask you to change for their sake, pleasure or benefit.
4. The most influential person in your life is you
No one else can change your life for the better as you can. Is it not?
5. Some people have a limited capacity to understanding others
Communication is a powerful interpersonal skill, but not everyone has it or wants to use even if they do. Therefore, don't expect to be understood by everyone.
Accept when you are not (without casting blame on one side or the other.) It doesn't matter whose fault it is; it matters for you to learn something out of that experience and use those lessons to grow.
6. People need to like themselves
If you are a strong, accomplished and wise person some people might leave you out because they feel too small and insignificant around you.
It is not your fault nor theirs. Every person wants to like and appreciate who they are. Therefore, they seek and want the company of individuals that makes them feel important and intelligent.
Gather around yourself people with a similar level of intelligence, drive, motivation and power. You are feeling good having meaningful and comprehensive conversations, and they feel the same.
7. The future is yours
Stay focused on your goals and dreams and make them happen regardless what happens around you.
At the end of the day, if it happens to you to be left out, pushed aside, forgotten or neglected remind yourself that any relationship is a two-way street. If you are the only one putting effort into it, there is no connection, and it is time for you to move one.
Remind yourself that some people don't deserve your time, energy and love and when they leave out of your life, they are doing a big service to you: you have the chance and the opportunity to build new, long-lasting and meaningful relationships.
When life takes something from you, it's doing it only to make room for something new, something better.
The future is yours. Shape it as you please. Gather around yourself people that can't imagine a happy life without you in it.
You are not a helpless starfish abandoned and forgotten on a deserted beach. You are the kind person throwing them back into the ocean. Are you not?
Strive to make a difference even when the situation seems hopeless because each time you are doing that for someone else, you feel the positive ripple effects in your life as well.