Chapter 1. [ Being a Good Person Hurts ]
I was always there for everyone.
Whenever someone needed help, I showed up. Whenever someone needed someone to listen, I stayed. I gave my time, my energy, my attention… without thinking twice. I believed that being a good person meant being available, being kind, and always putting others first.
At first, it felt right. It felt like I was doing something meaningful. I thought I was spreading love.
But slowly, something started changing.
I began to feel tired. Not physically, but emotionally. I was giving so much, but I wasn’t receiving the same in return. People came to me when they needed something, but when I needed someone, there was no one.
I ignored it in the beginning. I told myself, “It’s okay, this is what being good means.”
But deep inside, it started hurting.
In school, I tried to be the nice person. In college, I tried to be the understanding one. In my family, I tried to be the responsible one. With friends, I tried to be the caring one.
Everywhere, I tried to be good.
But somehow, I became the least valued person in every place.
I was easy to reach… and maybe that’s why I became easy to ignore.
That realization hurt more than anything else.
It made me question everything. Was I wrong for being good? Or was I just giving my kindness to the wrong people?
One thing became clear — no one was going to come and save me.
No one was going to suddenly understand my pain and fix everything.
And maybe… that was my wake-up call.
I realized something important — being kind is not wrong. But losing yourself in the process is.
I don’t have to wait until it’s too late to change.
I don’t have to sacrifice myself just to prove that I’m a good person.
Because at the end of the day, I can change one life for sure… and that life is mine.
So now, I’m choosing differently.
I will still be kind. I will still help people. That is who I am.
But I won’t be available for everyone all the time.
I won’t ignore my own needs just to make others comfortable.
I won’t stay where I’m not valued.
Because being a good person shouldn’t mean being a forgotten one.
This time, I choose myself.
I’m still kind… just not blind anymore.
