We need each other!!

“We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.” – Maya Angelou

Ever recalled or re-read a piece of advice you gave to someone in times past only to stand amazed by the kind of wisdom you spewed? Perfect diction, perfect analogies, perfect flow of thought, perfect sense! Ironically, when a similar circumstance rocks your life, that same counsel sounds unpalatable and untenable?

Why could it be that we are sometimes more pragmatic and open-minded when called upon to solve other’s problems, but not our own? Why are we prone to exhibit tonnes of empathy and due care for others but are tough on ourselves, an attitude devoid of ‘self-love’?

Well, here’s my theory: Setbacks in their varied forms impair proper decision-making by heightening our insecurities, darkening our prospects, constraining our perspectives, dampening our hopes, crushing our spirits, sapping off our energies, and raising intolerance & impatience. At such a moment, our minds are mostly concerned about survival which means rationality is kept at bay. To say the least, any form of loss is unsettling, disrupting, and unexciting.

For instance, a sudden and unexpected job loss means that one’s family and dependants are at risk of experiencing a significant change in living standards. Hence, such a person is highly susceptible to accepting shady business offers or falling for diverse get-rich-quick allures. One who has experienced a terrible break-up is emotionally unbalanced and hence might easily resort to rebounds or other pain-numbing but regrettable activities.

No wonder we need multiple perspectives from different people, especially before making grand, momentous, and life-changing decisions or when experiencing certain quandaries. Seeking the opinions of others means that they are able to view your situation from a vantage point. With minds unsaturated by misleading emotions coupled up with their learnings from previous experiences, you get a cocktail of independent opinions. But there’s a caveat: This is only possible if those you confide in a real friends and trusted buddies, those who truly care about your welfare. Ultimately though, the final decision rests with you. As the saying goes, people can only advise but don’t let them choose for you.

The bottom line today and beyond is to always keep in mind that we need each other and that the quality of our lives would be greatly enhanced if we all leveraged on each other’s offerings. The misuse of the concept of individualism is probably one of society’s greatest undoing but there’s still time to make amends. As Ellen White put it, “We are all woven together in the great web of humanity, and whatever we can do to benefit and uplift others will reflect in blessing upon ourselves. The law of mutual dependence runs through all classes of society.”

Cheers, good people!!