If everyone was honest, they would admit that at some point they have felt lonely, particularly when everyone else seemed to be busy and having fun without including them. I’m a little old to say FOMO (which a while ago, it was MOFO, but that meant something quite different…), but I understand the concept. One of the downsides of social media is feeling even lonelier, and at these times, it can be really easy to start to believe that we don’t matter to anyone.
Whatever you do, don’t give in to that thought!!
Here’s why. We have an impact on each other, including people we don’t know. Even if we don’t interact with someone, we can still make a difference in their lives.
Right, you think. Is that even possible?
It is.
We are always watching each other, not necessarily in a dangerous, stalker kind of way, in a human way. Children are definitely watching everyone, and the truth is that action never stops in our lifetimes. This habit can bring out the best in us, the worst in us, and everything in between. It can also make us shift our lives in important ways.
One of the most eye opening ways that we have an impact on each other is when we die. Most people experience their hearts breaking as the results of the death of someone they love. Have you ever noticed other ways that the end of one person’s life alters another’s?
My father’s brother died suddenly from cancer when my father was in his 40s. He told me that his brother’s death made him realize that there were no guarantees in life, and that he better do all he wanted to do. My dad definitely lived by that insight, traveling, learning, loving and giving until he passed away himself.
I dreamed of living in a different geographical area, but it never seemed to work out. When I was 49 years old, one of my dearest friends died, also from cancer and also at 49 years old. Similar to my dad, I accepted that I too don’t have the luxury of time. If I want something to happen in my life, I have to put it into action now, even if it’s terrifying. Things fell into place, and I was able to move with my family. Today I still experience amazement and gratitude that I was able to make that dream come true.
Years ago I learned that people are conduits for knowledge and growth, expressing divine guidance that we need if we look and listen. I have recently had another experience of a person dying close in age to my husband, and again, I stop to think about choices in my life and what I truly want, adjusting my course as a result. I knew this person very superficially, yet he has had a profound impact on my life. I’d like to believe that even though he’s gone, he knows how he affected me and many others.
Never ever believe that you don’t make a difference in this life!
Suze Gadol Anderson, LCSW
Authentic Insights, Inc.
Online counseling by appointment for all of Texas & Oregon
