Yesterday, on my Facebook page, I posted a quote by Marcel Proust: "let us be grateful to people who make us happy ... they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom". Since making that post, I have thought about myself and my role in the happiness of other people. Sometimes, I think that my role in life has been to make other people happy. Sometimes, I think that I've always done things to help or to please other people. Just for a word of approval. Of course, I failed at that, just as I've failed at so many other things to do with intimate relationships, because I didn't understand that each of us is responsible for our own happiness.
That's not to say that we should not try to help others be happy. We should. If there's something we can do to make life more pleasant, happier, safer, or easier for someone else, and it's within our power to do it, we should do it. Even if we don't get a word of thanks or a smile, we should try to help those we love or care about. But we must remember: we are each responsible for our own happiness.
We have to realize, too, that, sometimes, it's best, for ourselves and for others, that we stand aside and let the other person learn to find their happiness by themselves, just as we must learn to find our own happiness by ourselves. Sometimes, it's only by our first letting go that we can later come together and share our happiness.
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