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Everyone loves attention. Am I right? We covet it. Women and men alike all over the world have come to crave the satisfaction of feeding a need deep within to be noticed. In today’s world, this is such an easy beast to feed.

We create picture perfect photo opportunities all the time these days, so that we can post them for all the world to see. And just like Pavlov’s dog, we salivate every time we get attention for those pouty lips or that perfect shot of the sunset. Somehow we have deemed an endless amount of likes on social media platforms as a form of self-preservation. How did it get this way? One day you just look up and realize that your happiness has become dependent on what the outside world thinks.This perspective is so incorrect and so terrible for our well-being. Why do we do it to ourselves?

What’s worse? It begins to spill over into our everyday lives as well.

The conundrum keeps going as we start to wonder and genuinely care about what everyone else thinks. All of which seems so counterintuitive to the way most of us have been raised — to the way we ourselves want to raise our own children. Our parents tried so hard to instill in us that beauty is within and that the mark of a good human is dependent upon good deeds rather than appearances. However, I’m fairly certain we have all slid down this slippery slope at least once. It’s very easy to do.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to meet your ego. This small, unassuming little word can have such an impact on how we live our lives. It truly can be the biggest frenemy you ever encounter. While we should all have deeply seated desires to change the world and make it a better place, you also need to remember that you are likely not an anomaly. There are plenty of people out there with similar talents and capabilities as yours. That’s not meant to be discouraging whatsoever, but more like a reality check.

What separates you from the rest is not your cutest duck lips on Instagram. The difference is in your ability to take action. Move. Do something with your God given gifts. Much of the world will remain caught up in getting 456 likes and retweets. You, my friend, need to remember that there is so much more to living than this. That’s why you are reading this. This is no accident. This is fate.

When we conform to the self-serving ways of the world, we handicap our abilities to use our gifts, and that is a tragedy. Falling victim to these narcissistic tendencies means we get stuck in a vacuum. Our time and resources are precious commodities that are all too often wasted.

You want a life well-lived? Get over yourself. Give yourself some grace as well. Forgiveness is super important if you want to move forward and start thinking beyond the parameters of you.

The world needs you. The world needs all of us at our very best. And while we cannot wave a magic wand and convert the masses, we do hold the power of one: one life and one opportunity. What are you going to do with it?

Rafiq

Writing since November 2019 · 1 story contributed