Holly & Heather’s Helpful Hint: You Can’t Please Everyone

Did you ever have a day where you felt like you were working so hard to do the right thing? You were conscientious at work, caring at home and tried to be kind and thoughtful of others on your daily travels, but at the end of the day, something just didn’t sit well with you.  That’s happened to many of us; the feeling that despite our best efforts, someone who crossed our path that day was displeased with us or placed more demands on us without even a thank you for our previous efforts.

When you’re feeling underappreciated or like maybe you’re trying so hard to please others and haven’t received any acknowledgement, it can really leave you feeling like, “Why bother?” But here’s the secret: Do good works without the thought of being appreciated or acknowledged or even thanked for them. We’re not talking about being a doormat throughout the day just to be a martyr. We’re talking about the spirit in which you live your life. Having an attitude of giving and selflessness.

It’s a mind-set.  We tell our kids, “When you do something nice, do it without expecting anything in return.”  By adopting that way of thinking and truly believing in the spirit of it, the giving of yourself, your time, your efforts, will feel free, not frustrated or resentful.  We all long for peace and happiness…it’s very hard to please everyone we encounter in life.  Hopefully this can be a little start towards a new way of thinking about your good efforts and conscientiousness!