You’re at Your Best When You’re Looking Out for the Interests of Others

There was once a man who made sure that in whatever he did, he benefited. This was his primary focus. He believed that the more he invested in himself, the greater he would become. So for about a year, before taking any action, he would ask himself, “What am I going to get out of this?”

Maybe this sounds reasonable. Maybe it doesn’t. Whatever the case, the man had an epiphany about his philosophy on life.  He took a moment one day to look around him and consider his position.

He lived a reasonably good life. He was well taken care of and had no lack of interesting and variable things to do. He was blessed beyond most of the world, and regarding his wants, there was nothing to complain about. But, being familiar with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he knew that there was more he could attain. There was something missing. Something out there without which he would never become great. And he would never be fulfilled.

After some intense introspective study, the man found out what was wrong. There was something he had not been considering. And it was other people.

Of course, what did other people have to do with him? Other than tools he would have to use to take care of his own interests? But that was the fallacy.

I realized the moment I had started making my life about myself was the moment I limited my whole existence.

To achieve greatness you must become outwardly focused, and manage your actions while looking out for the interests of others. By developing something other than yourself, you are giving to something greater than yourself. And by pouring into other people, you are spreading your impact.

Then comes the good part. You become better, more fulfilled, and increase in wisdom.

When you try to make the world revolve around yourself, you are not at your best. You may be doing it better than you’ve done anything else before in your life, but it is not something to be proud of. True ascendency only occurs when you heed the interests of others and they reciprocate. And the reason why is because if you’re constantly sucking things in, eventually people begin to hold back from you. However, the more freely you give out, the more freely they give back.

It takes the help of other people to bring you to your best.

You cannot become better without additions to who you already are.

Those additions are the result of other people caring about your interests and giving of themselves to you. But it starts with you doing it for them. You should want others to grow, for then you will grow yourself.

The moment you forget about your own interests in consideration of another is the moment you open the door to endless possibilities arriving from without. Otherwise, you will be forced into a circular motion of grab and take, hold and break. This will be the nature of everything you acquire.

Everyone knows it. Everyone sees it. But few live it.

You are at your best when you are giving of yourself.

Originally published on http://andwethink.wordpress.com