Talking about feeling included, recently I had an experience that made me think of inclusion. Something happened to me, which showed how the people around me care for me and perceive me. The first words they focus on are "don't think about it, if something is meant for us it will definitely come back to us". I can see how much they care about me. It also made me feel like I found a lot of homes.
One of them is a home where the door is open for me, but there is a dark empty room that I am always afraid of. I think a lot of people can understand this. In our 20s, we are busy looking for people who can keep us safe and who we can count on. But most people will focus more on that dark empty space and end up labeling people as good or bad. Actually, everyone has the potential to do bad things. The people closest to us can also hurt us. Essentially, everyone has their own sense of urgency; everyone has their own sense of right and wrong. It may be difficult to understand and sometimes results in people assuming bad things. We just need to be aware that each person has their perceptions.
On the other hand, being vulnerable in front of them and being included by them, taught me that "It’s okay to not be okay."
There will be many back-and-forth phases during that growth. I don't think there is a certain level that determines whether someone is mentally strong, because there can be a time when they face a setback. Actually, what we need to do is find a way out. Some people who might be in this position may relate to the Aristotelian quote, "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." And yeah, it turns out that there is a lot to learn to achieve peace and comfort in life. But, being in your early twenties is still a young age to understand many aspects of life. We are also still too young to always look perfect. So, it's okay if we make a mistake, It’s okay to not be okay.
When we understand that "It’s okay to not be okay," we can include other people who are not okay. Regardless of whether something is visible physically or not, it always begins with listening to your heart. Isn't everyone born with the same heart that hurts when something bad happens and rejoices when something good happens? I think a lot of people understand how painful it is when something bad happens. However, it is possible that there are also many people out there who lack empathy. Returning to ourselves, we have the right to choose and the ability to be a better version of ourselves. We also have the option of helping or not helping others. When we don't do bad things to others, at least we don't put ourselves at the same level as those who do bad things to us, we can even be higher.
#IFeltIncluded #WorldChildrensDay
Yanma, 23, Indonesia
