"Everyone is selfish to a certain extent. While normal levels of self-love, self-value and self-confidence are important for people to function well." There are many kinds of people in the world, some of them fulfill our lives with love and satisfaction, but also there are others that seem to exist only to use us and abuse us. If you are surrounded by selfish people, it can be difficult to deal with them. And that can reduce our confidence and increase our level of stress.
Selfishness is defined by characteristics such as: caring exclusively for oneself, not taking into account the needs or feelings of others, disregarding their own interests, disregarding almost completely of others.
Selfish people treat others badly, don’t have any real friends, and are incapable of love. Right?
Wrong.
We’ve been programmed to feel like putting our own needs first is reprehensible, shameful, wicked. As a result, we often default to putting the wants and needs of others before our own, to the detriment of our well-being. In the long run, prioritizing self-care is necessary in order to pursue our purpose and be generous to others.
Here are six things to remember next time you find yourself feeling guilty about doing what YOU need to do.
1. It improves your most important relationship.
Being selfish is about connecting with, pleasing, entertaining, and loving yourself. When you do this, you prove to yourself that you deserve to be treated well. You wouldn’t put up with ill-treatment from someone else. Reinforce that standard by being kind to yourself.
2. It creates an expectation of happiness.
Trying to please others is a recipe for frustration, stress, and disappointment. Everyone has different opinions about what you should do or how you should behave, so it’s fundamentally impossible to make everyone happy. On top of that, constantly putting others before yourself keeps you from living the life you desire.
3. It puts you in the habit of listening to your inner voice.
When you only have one person to please, decision-making becomes infinitely easier. That doesn’t mean you will always automatically know what you want. But, when you practice making choices based on your desires, you become much more in tune with your internal compass. It’s a self-sustaining cycle.
4. It frees your loved ones to care for themselves, rather than you.
Taking responsibility for your own wellbeing takes a weight off the shoulders of those who love you. You're demonstrating that others don’t need to burden themselves with your feelings because you are self-sufficient. You’re breaking the cycle of co-dependence.
5. It better equips you to be of service.
We can’t give what we don’t have. How can we help anyone else find peace of mind if we don’t have it? When we prioritize our own growth and abundance, we give from the most sincere, powerful place possible.
6. It allows you to stop blaming others for your unhappiness.
When your primary goal is to please others (whose true needs and desires you can never actually know), you give them power over your feelings. This in turn means you hold them responsible for your unhappiness, even if you don't realize it. Not allowing other people to be stakeholders in our happiness frees you from resentment. This inevitably fosters better, healthier relationships.
Selfishness as described here is about taking care of yourself and making your own happiness a priority. It’s the foundation for a fulfilling life. If you ever find yourself feeling guilty about prioritizing you, remind yourself that your own health and happiness are necessary for you to help others.
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