Remember: everybody wants the same thing

The same things are intrinsically important to all of us. We all want to be loved, belong, be happy, have freedom and choice, and contribute to others. Our problem is we forget this. We get confused and think other people care about the way we look, how much money we have, how much we accomplish, or whether we act in a way that fits into their plans and ideas for us. The confusion comes from forgetting that what makes us feel loved, happy, free, and helpful is not how people perceive us but how we experience ourselves.

Since it is important to you to feel love, focus on being loving with yourself and others. Since it is important to you to be as happy as you can be, focus on doing the things that bring you joy and make you feel fulfilled. Since it is important to you to be of service, seek ways to help people you know and those you don’t yet know. Focus on what is important to you, not what we confuse ourselves into thinking is important to others.