by Richard A. Rowell, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff
Individuality is the most important thing in leading the good life. The greatest step is finding people that accept you for what you are and can live with both the good and the bad things about you. The opinion of others should not matter all that much.
While it is wonderful for many people to have a good opinion of you, it is important that others not be the most important factor in living your life. Who should be most important are your friends and family. It is imperative to have good friends, true friends. It is in choosing your friends carefully where you will find the most happiness.
Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations wrote, “I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.”
Aurelius made an excellent observation. American society, in particular, is quite concerned with how you look to others, and very little emphasis is put on understanding your individuality. When someone breaks the norms, many people seem to think that person is being anti-social and rebellious.
However, society should not be what tells you who you are. It is with friends that you really learn who you are. They are who you have the best memories with, but also the worst, as well. True friendships are those that can survive the worst times and flourish in spite of them. The world is full of adversity and it is impossible to live an absolutely “good” life. The closest you can ever get is living it with a few best friends who understand you and appreciate you who for you are and are not worried about what you’re not. The opinions of your friends, as well as your own of yourself, are the only ones you should really heed.
Above all, the only way to live your life is to be as positive as possible about everything you encounter. Life is not long enough to remain negative for too long. Living the good life is in finding what you like to do most and trying to make a living out of it. This is America, the land of opportunity. There are so many ways to be successful. You just have to be creative, and work really hard at it. A good life is worth the hard work, and as long as you have true friends, you will always pull through.
While it is wonderful for many people to have a good opinion of you, it is important that others not be the most important factor in living your life. Who should be most important are your friends and family. It is imperative to have good friends, true friends. It is in choosing your friends carefully where you will find the most happiness.
Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations wrote, “I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.”
Aurelius made an excellent observation. American society, in particular, is quite concerned with how you look to others, and very little emphasis is put on understanding your individuality. When someone breaks the norms, many people seem to think that person is being anti-social and rebellious.
However, society should not be what tells you who you are. It is with friends that you really learn who you are. They are who you have the best memories with, but also the worst, as well. True friendships are those that can survive the worst times and flourish in spite of them. The world is full of adversity and it is impossible to live an absolutely “good” life. The closest you can ever get is living it with a few best friends who understand you and appreciate you who for you are and are not worried about what you’re not. The opinions of your friends, as well as your own of yourself, are the only ones you should really heed.
Above all, the only way to live your life is to be as positive as possible about everything you encounter. Life is not long enough to remain negative for too long. Living the good life is in finding what you like to do most and trying to make a living out of it. This is America, the land of opportunity. There are so many ways to be successful. You just have to be creative, and work really hard at it. A good life is worth the hard work, and as long as you have true friends, you will always pull through.
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