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Have you ever felt guilty whenever you thought of your well-being or put your needs above others?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the burden of being there for others every single time they call?
I guess it’s time for you to steady the ship, or else you might sink. It’s time for you to be “selfish.” And before you grumble, complain, and start thinking I’m a bad person, just hear me out.
Scott Adams, the author of the book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, states that when it comes to the topic of generosity, there are three kinds of people in the world.
- Selfish
- Stupid
- Burden on others
Your best bet is to be selfish. Being stupid or a burden on others won’t help you or society, and I guess you already know that.
But what do I mean by selfish, anyway?
When I say "selfish," I mean spending time on your career, your well-being, and your interests while making time for your loved ones and family. The bottom line is that you take care of yourself first.
If you neglect your health and your career, you slip into the second category—stupid—which is a short slide to becoming a burden on society.
Note that in the context of our discussion, when I use the phrase “being selfish,” I don’t mean neglecting an elderly woman trying to cross the road to the other side just because you’re 6 minutes late for work.
I trust you to make the right decisions when you see them. But you’ve got to understand that prioritizing your well-being is going to be beneficial to the world around you.
You don’t have to feel guilty for putting yourself first. For you to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself.
If you must love your neighbor, you must first love yourself. The world needs you at your best.