Emotional selfishness

Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Sarah. Sarah had always been a bit selfish when it came to her emotions. She had a tendency to put her own feelings first, often disregarding the feelings of those around her. She thought that as long as she was happy, everything else would fall into place.

Sarah had a group of friends who loved her dearly, but they often found themselves walking on eggshells around her. They never knew when Sarah would become upset or offended over something small and insignificant. Her emotional selfishness had caused rifts in their friendships before, but they always managed to patch things up.

One day, Sarah met a man named Tom. Tom was kind, caring, and always put others before himself. Sarah was drawn to him, but she couldn’t help feeling that he was a bit too selfless. She thought that maybe he needed someone like her to balance him out, to teach him to put his own needs first.

As their relationship progressed, Sarah began to notice that Tom always went out of his way to make her happy. He would surprise her with her favorite foods, take her on spontaneous trips, and always listen when she needed to vent. But Sarah never reciprocated. She would often cancel plans with him last minute, or brush off his concerns when he tried to talk to her about something bothering him.

Tom never complained, but Sarah could see the hurt in his eyes. She knew that she was being emotionally selfish, but she couldn’t help herself. She thought that as long as she was happy, everything was fine.

But everything wasn’t fine. Sarah’s emotional selfishness began to take a toll on Tom. He started to feel unappreciated and undervalued. He began to withdraw, spending more time on his own and less time with Sarah. Sarah noticed the change in him, but she didn’t think it was her fault. She thought that Tom was just going through a phase, and that he would come back to her soon enough.

But Tom didn’t come back. One day, he sat Sarah down and told her that he couldn’t be with her anymore. He said that he loved her, but he couldn’t continue to put his own needs aside for someone who didn’t do the same for him. Sarah was devastated. She had lost the one person who had always been there for her, and it was all because of her emotional selfishness.

Sarah learned a hard lesson that day. She realized that emotional selfishness came with a price, and that price was the loss of those she loved. She knew that she needed to change, to start putting the needs and feelings of others before her own.

It wasn’t easy, but Sarah began to work on herself. She started to listen more, to be more considerate of others’ feelings, and to make an effort to show her appreciation. She reached out to Tom, hoping that he would give her another chance, but he had moved on. Sarah was heartbroken, but she knew that she had brought it on herself.

Over time, Sarah’s emotional selfishness began to fade. She found that when she put others first, she felt happier and more fulfilled than when she only focused on herself. She made new friends, repaired old relationships, and even found love again.

Sarah never forgot the lesson she had learned about the price of emotional selfishness. She knew that it was a constant battle, but one that was worth fighting. She had learned that true happiness came not from putting her own feelings first, but from making others happy and feeling the love and appreciation in return.