There is a person that is always with the reader: yourself. But sometimes we just forget this indisputable truth. I think the reader would agree if I say that we should treat well people around us. But many times we forget to treat well one key person: ourselves. Some people even defend there is life after death: reincarnation and that sort of stuff. Personally, I wish that would be true. Why not? The universe we know is already so fantastic. Or, like Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: “There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy”. Perhaps there is life after death.
I don’t know the reader and I only can guess what is in your mind. However, I bet there were times when you treated yourself in an unnecessary harsh way. A possible example is if you do a mistake, which will lead you to criticize yourself “forever”. Unfortunately, I am not the exception. 🙁
We should make an effort to treat ourselves well. Other people in our life come and go. Some we like and other we dislike – many have little importance for us. But they have one thing in common: sooner or later they will leave. Sometimes because they want and other times because they must (one possible reason is their death).
Sooner or later everyone leaves – life is a passage. Nothing wrong with being sad for a while – only for a while. Anyway, we should be happy that we have met them and had time to know them a little – at least, the ones we like.
Let’s go back to the subject of this article: we got ourselves for life. It is fundamental that we treat ourselves well particularly if we did very questionable stuff. I hope it isn’t the case of the reader. However, if it is I am not suggesting that you simply forget it. A good start is to recognize what you did and not to repeat it. One reason we should treat ourselves well is that by doing so, we will begin doing the same with everyone else. When we travel by plane, we hear the air host’s safety recommendations. One of the recommendations is that the passengers should take care of themselves in the case of an accident. Only after that they should help other passengers.
The reason is very practical. For example, parents to put oxygen masks in the children first. But the time they lost doing that can be critical. After a while without the mask, the parents loose the capacity to help themselves and their kids. How should we treat ourselves? It is difficult to suggest something that is good for everyone. However, I will make an attempt.Dear reader, consider how you treat your best friend. I don’t know how you treat your best friend. Think a few seconds about how you treat him. Don’t worry about me. I have all the time in the world. 🙂 I will wait.
Ok, the reader already thought about the way you treat your best friend. My guess is that way is very similar to the way you would like to treat yourself. Is it? If the answer is yes I have a suggestion. Simply observe the way you treat yourself. When the way is very different with the one you treat your best friend, adjust it. Try to do with you what you would do with your best friend.
Remember, you got yourself, at least, for this life. 🙂
Enjoy your Saturday
Ivo Dias de Sousa is a Portuguese writer born in Mozambique. Ivo is also a Professor at Universidade Aberta, Portugal, giving courses on information management. Currently, Ivo is interested in using his experience on information management to construct applications (see http://windit-app.com/ ) for smartphones, in collaboration with others. Ivo holds a Master in Statistics and Information Management (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) and a Ph.D. in Information Management (Universidade Aberta). Amongst his main interests are information management, psychology of luck and literature.
