There are people in this world that look at each and every person and see nothing but pure, raw potential. These people encourage others to be exactly who they want, and hopefully, it’s someone they never thought they could be. But with this passion for human beings comes pain from those who shatter our whimsical ideal of living life that we have.

I grew up in a household that has always fostered self-appreciation, happiness and imagination. “You are a girl with great possibilities,” was something my mama made sure I knew. I remember sitting across from her one day, tears streaming down my face and sincerity in her eyes as she told me, “Bethie, you only see the best in people, and sometimes, that’s why you get hurt.”

At the time I had no idea whether that was a good or bad thing. To be so emotionally invested in another person to push them to strive for greatness was what I was used to. Getting hurt by people who fell back into their reputations of being depressed, cheaters, bulliers, self-harmers after I had poured my heart into being their number one motivator was something that I struggled with often. For weeks I tried to only worry about myself, to see everyone for what they did, but I fell back into my old ways. I struggled with feeling so negative about so many people and feeling like I couldn’t help them.

One afternoon I came home from school and set my bag down only to become completely unhinged under the weight of another disappointment. Why do I do this to myself? Sitting down at the kitchen table with my face in my hands, I had a revelation:

People like me don’t do this to ourselves because we are ignorant to people's ways. We choose to see the best in people and to nourish that side of them even though, 80 percent of the time, we get hurt.

Why? Because sometimes it works.

Sometimes we assist the timid, the diffident and the wrong-doers to a place of inner peace, to a place where they become self-confident and feel complete satisfaction with their prosperity.

We witness their unabridged self realizations accompanied by tears of sorrow and revelation. We see those brilliant smiles that were once too shameful for the world to see. We receive those groundbreaking hugs, and we obtain the products that these people create with their newfound self-confidence. We become their person. We see all humans as uniquely beautiful creatures who all have potential to fuel the world to greatness.

So maybe we are masochists, but we would rather see the world in a positive perspective so that our hearts are always full. We are few and far between, and our numbers are depleting. To those of you who only see the best in people: Stay strong, forgiving and impetuous.