Through personal experiences, I have learned this the hard way. I learned that expectations of unselfishness and consideration from others are a mistake. That not everyone has the same heart as you. That no matter how kind you are, some people will not reciprocate kindness back to you. That even if you try to be a bigger person and forget the negativity not everyone else does the same.

And that sucks.

I did not know it then, but looking back, I grew up living in my own fantasy world. The world where everyone was a genuinely nice person and I had no doubt of that. I expected kindness, and that is what I received. I could invest my time with someone without fear of being let down by their actions. Until one day, someone had the audacity to end my fantasy. The expectations I held lead me to disappointment. Because of this, I was brought into the harsh reality that we all live in.

And that sucks.

The Golden Rule is taught to kids as early as preschool. "Treat others how you want to be treated". Why does this stop? When do people decide to stop treating others decently? Why can preschoolers understand such a simple concept, yet as we get older it seems to be forgotten?

There needs to be a change. I think we all need to learn something from preschoolers and be reminded of the Golden Rule. We all need to reevaluate how we treat others. Let go of anger. Forgive. Be honest. Smile. Help when you see someone struggling. Listen. Be polite (remember those manners your parents taught you when you were younger?). Keep an open-mind. Believe in the good of others. These all sound like such simple tasks because they are. It is not hard to be nice—it actually takes little to no effort at all. Even if you think someone is the worst person in the world, the way they treat you should not determine your behavior. Be a good person just because.

Remember, everyone has bad days. Just because you are having a bad day, don't make everyone else around you miserable too. Who knows, maybe doing a little act of kindness will turn your day around. It is always nice to see someone else's happiness, especially if it is because of something you did.

I am not saying that everyone needs to be an angel sent from above, or that I am even close to perfect. Just respect others. There is no reason one should be left feeling disappointed because someone else treated them poorly. Respect others, be nice and keep the Golden Rule in mind. This way, expectations will be lived up to, there will be no disappointments, and the reality we all live in can brighten up (and not suck).