Well I wanted to really dive into it and see where I stood on the issue. Turns out that I was just as confused as you. My initial response was to live for others. If you live for others, you always gain joy in other's happiness, but while that may seem well and all, it would mean nothing if your not happy with yourself first. If you are not satisfied with yourself, then how can you be satisfy others? It's a very simple theory but one that is often overlooked. If your needs are not met, then how can you meet other's needs? Now, while reading this, it may seem as a selfish thought and in a sense it is. But it is my belief that there is nothing wrong with selfishness in moderation.
To be able to satisfy yourself first, and become completely content with the person that you are should be what we should all strive for, and then when we feel as if we've established ourselves, whatever is left, we can give to others. No patient wants to receive blood from a sick donor, so why should you live for others when your unable to live for yourself first?
That's just the conclusion I arrived with, but I'm sure it varies for others.
I see at least someone is keeping up with their blogs and you never disappoint my friend. I wholeheartedly agree with you about doing for yourself before you can do for others. Going about it the other way around could pose infinite problems for you along the lines of sadness, helplessness, even jealousy at the lives of those you help. Living your life to suit yourself is the first step in becoming a stable and dependable person and I do not see how that could be selfish at all.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, when you get around to doing for others you have to know when to draw the line of offering your help. In my recent blog I went on a rant about the receivers of this benevolence you speak of and I feel like those who would rather eat you alive for all the good you do them than return the favor should be cut off. They are a drain on everything and it hardly makes sense why some people take it upon themselves to care for these types of people until it literally kills them. It is absolutely unthinkable to me and I personally would not stand for it.