TittoBooks

THE PEOPLE THAT REFUSE TO SEE

Are these human beings?
Sometimes you wonder.
Their first offense is that they never seem to see what you do for them. The sacrifices, the support, the kindness, the opportunities, the countless little things that make their lives easier somehow escape their notice.

And when they do notice, they receive it with an ugly sense of entitlement. Not appreciation. Not gratitude. Entitlement.
As though you owed them.
As though your effort was their right.
As though your kindness was merely you doing your duty.
Gratitude and entitlement cannot live in the same house. The moment entitlement enters through the front door, gratitude quietly leaves through the back.

But the third offense may be the worst.
You would think they are blind. Yet they are not.
They are only blind to what you do for them.
Curiously, their eyesight becomes perfect when it comes to your mistakes.
They miss your hundred acts of kindness but spot the one thing you forgot.
They overlook years of support but remember one occasion when you couldn't help.

They are awake to errors, oversights, imperfections, and shortcomings.
How can the same person who refuses to acknowledge your good deeds suddenly become an expert auditor of your faults?
What a combination.
What a trio.

I once heard of a man who sponsored his younger relative through school. He paid fees, bought books, provided accommodation, and even helped him secure his first job. Years later, the young man became successful. During a family gathering, someone asked him about those who had helped him along the way. He mentioned friends, colleagues, and even distant acquaintances, but never the man who had carried him through his most difficult years.

Yet when the older man was unable to assist him financially on one occasion, that was the story he told everywhere.
He forgot years of generosity but remembered one refusal.
Sadly, that story is not uncommon.

It happens in families.
A parent sacrifices for decades, but one unmet expectation becomes the child's focus.
It happens among friends.
A friend stands by you through difficult seasons, but one mistake suddenly erases years of loyalty.
It happens at work.
An employer overlooks shortcomings, pays salaries, creates opportunities, but a delayed promotion becomes the only thing remembered.
It happens in marriages.
One spouse spends years loving, supporting, and providing, while the other becomes consumed by a few imperfections.

May you never become the person described above.
May you be free enough to see the good that others do for you.
May you acknowledge it openly and gratefully.
May you celebrate people while they are alive to hear your appreciation.
May you get rid of every form of entitlement.
And may you learn to play down the faults of others while magnifying their kindness.

For people blossom where they are appreciated, and relationships thrive where gratitude lives.

THIS IS LIFE, BRACE UP

I noticed a trend.

Many people seem to think life is on its way. How do I know? Because I have been there too. I assumed life was somewhere ahead of me and would eventually arrive.

I thought life would begin when I got the right job, earned more money, moved into a better house, got married, became successful, or finally had everything figured out.

Then it dawned on me: life was already happening while I was waiting for life to begin.
Life is different for different folks.
Life has unique paths for each of us. It comes customized. You cannot copy another person's experience and expect the same outcome. Our realities may be similar, but they are often very different.

The young widow struggling to raise her children after losing her husband is living life.
The young entrepreneur battling daily to keep a business afloat is living life.
The student who is uncertain about the future but keeps attending classes is living life.
The public servant trying to balance responsibilities at work and at home is living life.
The retiree learning how to adjust to a quieter season is living life.
Different realities. Different burdens. Different journeys.
Yet life is happening to all of them.

I remember a young man who spent years waiting for the "perfect moment" to pursue his dreams. He believed that one day, all the obstacles would disappear. The financial challenges would be gone. The fear would vanish. The uncertainties would clear up.
He waited.
And waited.
Then one day he realized that the people making progress around him were not necessarily those with easier lives. They were simply people who had decided to move forward despite their challenges. They were not waiting for life to become perfect. They were embracing life as it was.
That realization changed him.

Life has no rehearsals. It unfolds as it goes. There is no practice round. No trial version.
Yet many people spend their days evading life instead of embracing it. They wish for fewer challenges, fewer responsibilities, fewer uncertainties.
But life comes with ups and downs. There are mountains and valleys. There are storms and sunshine. There are victories and disappointments. There are also long stretches of ordinary days that seem uneventful but are every bit as important.

Life is not on its way.
Neither is it trapped in the past.
Life is now.
So today, I make certain resolutions:
I will embrace life with all that comes with it.
No evasions.
I will face life as it comes.
I will brace up.
No cowering.
No dilly-dallying.
I may have to shed some tears.
I may have to fight some battles alone.
I may have to make difficult decisions.
I may have to walk through seasons I never wished for.
But I am unlearning the assumption that life gets easier on its own.
The moral is simple:
Boldly face what you are faced with.
Do not run.
Do not hide.
Do not spend your days waiting for a future version of life to arrive.
Face today's reality with courage.
Embrace your journey.
Confront your challenges.
Carry your responsibilities.
Life is already happening.
Life is on.
Brace up.