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Life Lessons

When People Don’t Appreciate You

There’s a saying that no good deed goes unpunished.

You do your best, and there’s always someone there with criticism, second-guessing or blame.

What do you do, especially since William James, the father of American psychology, says the deepest human need is to be appreciated?

You can take some advice from Mother Teresa. Wait a second, you say. What do I have to do with Mother Teresa? She spent her life in ghettos, working with the poor. I’m just trying to make a living.

Turns out there’s more in common than you think. There are days when frustration takes over, robbing you of your energy. You feel overwhelmed, inadequate, powerless. Sometimes, people seem to be actively working against you.

It happens in your life, right? Do you really think it never happened to Mother Teresa. There’s something you have in common.

You also have the solution in common. The solution is a vision, a strong core belief in where you are heading and how to get there. For Mother Teresa, the vision was religious. For you it can be the ability to provide for a family, use your gifts to the fullest, live a significant life.

Here is Mother Teresa’s blueprint:

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.

“If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
succeed anyway.

“If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

“What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

“If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.”

No matter what field you’re in, you can look at Mother Teresa’s words and see something that applies to you.

Sometimes it’s not easy to persevere. Persevere anyway.

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