It's easy to get caught up with feeling like you have to have other people's approval and support in order to be happy. On top of that, a lot of us try so hard in order to make other people happy. This is all great, but at the end of the day, one person's happiness should come before anyone else's: your own. Before you go and think about how selfish that sounds, because I know it does, listen to what I'm about to say. You should be the most important person in your life. You should be your number one priority. You are the only person that you are with from the second you are put on this Earth until the second you leave it, and everything in between. Your own happiness and mental health should focused on first before you go and start giving your all into other people. Again, I know this all sounds extremely selfish. However, I think in some circumstances it is OK put yourself first.
Giving everything you have into making sure others are happy can be extremely draining. You can give and give and give, and unfortunately, some people will still not be satisfied. Nothing you can do will leave them content. So not only are you giving all of your resources to someone who isn't appreciative, but you're left with nothing for yourself. They can drain you dry. I know, because I have experienced this several times in different circumstances, and I'm sure you have too at least once or twice. It's a very discouraging feeling. You feel like you're not good enough, when in reality it has nothing to do with you at all.
Some people are very hard to please, and for some people it's even impossible. It's hard to see this and accept this though, especially when you're in a state when all you feel is failure and disappointment. So instead of focusing so much on other people, why don't you focus on yourself? Stop giving and giving to other, and instead, give to yourself. Work towards what makes YOU happy. Accomplish something YOU genuinely want to achieve, and something you would be proud of. Work on your own strength and mental health. Build, grow, and achieve internal happiness. Be happy with who you are, your decisions, and your place in life. Only then can you truly make a different on someone else.
Remember that sometimes it is perfectly OK to be selfish. It is OK to work on yourself before you worry about what others think. If you've ever been on an airplane, I'm sure you've heard all of the safety tips and what to do in case something unexpected happens. The flight attendants will tell you that in case there's a situation that causes the air bags and masks above to drop down, you need to put yours on first before you help others. This is because you need to be able to breathe before you can go and properly assist someone else. Just like in that scenario, you also need to make sure you're OK before you focus on others, in any aspect of life. The stronger you are, the more you have to offer and the better you can help someone else. Give to yourself first. After that, the rest will fall into place.
