Let’s talk about self-pity.

I’ve been a little obsessed with Mother Teresa recently. 
I find her incredibly inspirational, and whenever I need some encouragement, her words lift me up without fail.

I guess I’ve been obsessed with her because lately I’ve needed more encouragement than usual. What strikes me most about her words is the feeling I am left with – the feeling that I am seriously selfish and ungrateful for indulging myself in self-pity. I think a little is okay every once in a while… I’m talking about 2-5 minutes max. Because beyond that, self-pity is non-productive and doesn’t fix your problems. Neither does running away for that matter, which I have been reminding myself when I catch myself daydreaming about going back to London.

When I read about how Mother Teresa saw life, I realize that my problems are so insignificant in comparison with the pain and the loneliness experienced by so many people all over the world. There are people out there who have never experienced even the tiniest bit of love – not a kind word, not a helping hand. I end up thinking: at least I know what love is… at least I have been so blessed by God to have experienced so much love in my life.

When I allow myself to feel lonely or ill-used, I kind of want to kick myself for being so self-centered. I have so much love to give, and instead of drowning in silly sorrows, I need to be out there making other people happy. Just like smiles are contagious, so is happiness and so is love.

I never actually made formal New Year’s resolutions this year, but I don’t think it’s too late for me to start.

This is what I want this year:

1. I want to be more forgiving. I have the tendency to be hard on myself, and consequently, hard on other people. I want to be more forgiving of shortcomings in myself and the people around me.

3. I want to notice how beautiful the people and the places I experience every day are. Sometimes all you need to do to find happiness is to see beauty in other people or in nature. I was at a small concert the other night, and there was a girl there dancing her heart out all by herself. She made my night.

4. I want to forget about the future. I want to live just one day at a time.

5. I want to read and learn and give and dance and play and laugh so much more. I want to indulge in being young and free, and I want to share my happiness with other people.

I just think it’s so important to keep everything in our lives in perspective; it’s good to remind ourselves every once in a while about how blessed we really are. Doing this helps me realize that there are so many people out there that could use my help, if only I would take the time to spread some joy to others.