If you are anything like me, you always do whatever it takes to find even an ounce of good in people, even if they have done the most terrible things to you. You also probably think that this is the worst curse in the world to have and you would give anything to stop being so “naïve” as they call it. Don’t. Never lose that about you, because although it can bring you a lot of pain and heartache, it is also what makes you the best you that you can be. It’s something that this world today desperately needs.
The first time you meet somebody, sure, you don’t sit down and tell them every pretty little secret about you, but that doesn’t mean you are going to give them the cold shoulder, even if they come off in a bad way at first. I’m sure people around you are going to tell you to back away and leave it alone, but that’s not in your nature. You always think someone has a reason for acting a certain way, and you know they have something good to offer. Somewhere. Yes, I will not deny that this can get you hurt, very hurt, trying to find the good in someone who, in all reality, really is just an awful person. However, there is the chance that this person truly is looking for someone to get past their hard exterior as well, and that it why your naivety, though idiotic to someone else, can mean the world to them.
Continuing on, you are most likely the person who is there for someone any time they need you, even after they stole your boyfriend, cheated on you, told lies about you, etc. If they called and said they needed help, I bet you would be there in a heartbeat. Please don’t be ashamed of that. Being able to see the good in everyone you come across is a gift, not a curse. In situations like the ones mentioned, you know at one point, this person made you happy and made you a better person. You learned a lesson from them, whether it be good or bad, to take and run with. And while these people may not teach you a lesson in the best way, I can guarantee it will help you later on in life. And who knows? You may have taught them a lesson, too. Maybe the boy who cheated on his girlfriend with you and got caught is finally turning over a new leaf. Maybe the girl who stabbed you in the back has finally gotten her life back on track thanks to you.
While these people had to hurt you and teach you a lesson at the same time, you are quite possibly the reason that the next person won’t get hurt like you did. The next person won’t be a lesson. Actually, someone who I dealt with in a similar situation talked about lessons with me just the other day, and something they said stuck out to me. “If you teach someone how to swim, they will continue to swim far even after you’re gone. But never push someone into the ocean without a lesson. If you never show them, they will drown in the pain of shock.” To me, this quote from the person who will remain anonymous (with a little ad-lib at the end) works for both sides of the spectrum here. The person teaching you the lesson in a bad way has done some good, and truly do have some good in them. You found it. Even though you have gotten hurt by this person, you did find that bit of good of you were looking for and you learned what not to do next time you go searching in someone.
Today’s world is a realm of cutthroat sink or swim, no pun intended. As easy as it is to close off yourselves and let people fend for themselves out there, never lose the gift you have. Not many people can keep offering their gift. Not many people are strong enough to do so. Being taught lesson after lesson doesn’t show how weak you are. It shows how strong you are. Never lose your naivety. Never lose the way you help absolutely anyone in distress. Never lose the way you always find some sprinkle of good. Those who lose that will sink, but the lessons you learn along your way will allow you to, in the wise words of a fish named Dory, "just keep swimming."
