Earlier this year, Selena Gomez revealed that her recent break from the entertainment industry was due to being diagnosed with lupus. Gomez had undergone a series of chemotherapy treatments to calm down her aggressive type of the disease, which can take many forms. There were rumors that she had checked herself into rehab to treat addiction issues and had even been treated for depression and a mental break following her split from Justin Bieber. Obviously this misunderstanding and negative depiction in the public eye had some emotional effects on Gomez.
She explained, “I’m so f*cking nice to everybody and everyone is so vile to me. I’ve been working since I was seven. I’ve been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It’s so disappointing that I’ve become a tabloid story.”
After reading Gomez’s story, it made me realize that this is not something only celebrities endure. Nearly everyone is judged for what they do when no one else even knows or cares to ask what is going on in their lives. People are quick to ridicule others, whether it be for their appearance, daily mood changes, the activities they do and do not want to take part in, and so much more. Most of the times others cannot even be put at fault for how they misunderstand situations. If we are struggling, feel hurt, or are just having a rough time in general, how often do we actually let the people in our lives become aware of this?
Everyone, and I mean everyone, has some sort of stressor in their lives. Whether it be their health, a relationship, financial issues, or work-related, we all have something going on in our lives that no one else may be aware of. I think of the people who hide how much internal pain they are suffering with until it is unbearable and they take their own lives. I think of the people who spend night after night crying themselves to sleep and then wake up to face the world with a big, brave smile. I think of the people who are deemed rude because they cannot find it in themselves to smile back at someone because of the pain that they are enduring internally.
I try my hardest to practice compassion and gratitude in my daily life. By no means am I a perfect example of kindness but I do try my hardest to find empathy for others. Before I judge someone, I catch myself and try to remember that every person has a struggle I know nothing about. Instead of being critical or mean and making a decision up in my mind that this person is rude or unfriendly, I find it in myself to smile or send a few kind words their way.
We must also not forget to be compassionate with ourselves. Self-care and being honest within is of utmost importance. If we are feeling down, it is okay to stay home and rest instead of going out with friends and being untrue to ourselves. We learn how to love for other people by loving ourselves first.
Learn to put yourself in other’s shoes before judging them on any aspect of their lives. Compassion and empathy for the people around us can go a long way. It will never hurt to let a person know how special they are to you or how much they mean to this world.
