Make Yourself Feel Good, by Encouraging Others

Would you like to know how to make yourself feel good? Of course you would, we all do 😀

It’s likely you already do something to make yourself feel a bit better, that’s not so good for someone else. And you probably don’t realize that you’re even doing it.

It’s something we do, usually without realizing it, just to prove to ourselves that we’re worthy. Something to show ourselves that we’re important too.

We do it when our self-esteem is a bit low. And we do it, even though we don’t mean any malice.

So what is it?

 

We put other people down

We sometimes put other people down, so it makes us feel ‘better than‘, or at least equal to the other person.

Now, I’m not saying we mean to be nasty, but it happens anyway.

Here’s some examples. How many have you found yourself doing?

1. Negative Comments:
   • Making sarcastic, or derogatory remarks about someone’s appearance or abilities.
   • Criticizing someone’s achievements, to diminish that achievement’s value.
2. Comparison:
   • Comparing them in a negative light, often highlighting their perceived flaws.
   • Saying things like, “At least I’m better than them at…”
3. Gossiping:
   • Spreading rumors, or talking negatively about someone behind their back.
   • Sharing embarrassing stories about others, to elevate your own status.
4. Exclusion:
   • Deliberately excluding someone from activities so you don’t feel pressure to be better than them.
   • Acting unkindly towards someone to make you feel more included, or accepted.
5. Mockery:
   • Making fun of their interests, or hobbies to other people, so you appear more sophisticated, or superior.
   • Using humor at the expense of someone else to gain laughs and social approval.
6. Diminishing Accomplishments:
   • Downplaying someone’s success by suggesting it was due to luck, or external factors.
   • Saying things like, “Anyone could have done that.”
7. Overemphasizing Faults:
   • Focusing on and exaggerating someone’s mistakes while ignoring their strengths.
   • Suggesting that someone is incompetent without acknowledging their skills.

Now, before I get emails saying that no ‘normal’ person would act like this,  I realize these examples are quite blatant and in most cases, we tend to be much more subtle… but we still do it!

The problem is, it only makes us feel good for a second, then our nature takes over and we feel bad.

I have a quote for you from Michael P Watson, that reminds us to think about others.

“Strong people don’t put others down. They lift them up!”

 

How to make yourself feel good, long term

And that single quote tells us that there is another way.

A way that keeps us true to our integrity.

A way that creates a win-win for both parties and gives us long term results.

If you want to make yourself feel good, encourage other people.

You’ll get a great sense of satisfaction and confidence from making someone else happy. And it’ll far out way any short term satisfaction, you might have got from your old ways.

By lifting that person up. By complementing them on their work, or achievements. It not only gives them a boost, but it’s a great way to help us think better of ourselves too 🙂

The greatest happiness comes from making others happy.

Go on, try it. You’ll be surprised how good you feel afterwards.