“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
In a world where so many strive to be rich, powerful, or famous, grounding yourself in integrity, compassion, and grit can be quite the feat. Fame means nothing if people can’t stand being in your presence. Power is a weapon if you’re too insecure to step into it with grace and courage. And money can leave you miserable if, no matter how much you have, it’s never enough for you.
Relationships die or thrive based on how people feel while in them. If you treat strangers on the street better than you treat your “loved ones,” then those loved ones will lose the love over time. They may stay with you for the security, status, or power perks, but the love will—go—away. No one likes to be around people who treat them poorly or as insignificant. If you treat “loved ones” as trivial, stupid, or less than you with the expectation that they will forever love you and be there, you need to know:
They won’t love you forever.
They won’t perpetually take your coldness, dismissiveness, or entitlement.
And they won’t stay forever.
Pay attention to how you treat those closest to you; they should be the ones in your life whom you treat the best, not the worst. If this is not happening, it’s time to re-assess your relationships—and yourself. Don’t ever take someone’s love for granted. Don’t assume that if they accept your moods, anger, or poor treatment, they will take it tomorrow, next week, or next year. Everyone has their breaking point; don’t drive your loved one to theirs.
Challenge: When you love someone, they should feel better in your company, not worse. You should bring your best self to the equation and expect them to do the same. Don’t lower that bar—for you or others.