Personal Growth is a Gift to the World!

If I take some time, just for myself, to work on becoming a better me, is that selfish?

I used to think so, and I used to make myself feel guilty about taking time or spending money for anything that was “just for me.” That is, until I discover that there is no such thing as “just for me!”

In fact, the way I was living my life, by trying to please everyone else as my highest priority, thinking that was a gift to them, was actually no gift at all. I was giving everyone what I thought they wanted from me. I was not giving them the real me, or the best me.

I often thought thoughts like these:

• Self-care is selfish
• I must give and give and give, because that’s what love looks like
• I can be happy by making everyone around me happy
• I must be a giver so people don’t perceive me as selfish
• I cannot want to be, or work to become wealthy because there are poor people in the world or that is not the social status I was raised in.

I spent most of my adult life without a self-identity or a self-worth. I had placed all of my identity into the roles I played and my worth was based on how well others thought I played those roles.

I thought I needed to be the best husband, the best dad, the best employee, the best employer, the best neighbor or friend. The problem is that “best” was based on other people’s opinion. When there were problems in any of those areas of my life, I experienced an identity crisis and tried harder to make those people happy. When there were problems in all of those areas, there was no “Bruce” left.

When I finally took time and spent energy to develop into the best “Bruce” I could possibly be, it felt uncomfortable. It felt selfish. In fact, some other people thought it was selfish, too!

Nevertheless, I set out on a quest to find out what fills my soul, what makes me happy, what helps me become the fullest expression of who I was created to be.

I worked on my thought-life and I worked on my physical and mental health. I came to the realization that I cannot make anyone happy and no one can make me happy. Happiness is a decision based on thoughts I am thinking in the moment. I decided to think thoughts and do things that made me feel good about me.

I discovered that, by becoming the best Bruce I can possibly be, I can play the roles I was really created to play. I discovered that what the world needs is for me to be the best ME I can possibly be. It’s so important to take a step back sometimes and consider whether or not what you’re doing is making you happy. If it’s not, then it’s important to start making vital changes to increase happiness. If we’re not happy, we might be putting unnecessary stress and anxiety on ourselves. That can really impact our mental health and that is not good. To deal with heightened stress and anxiety, it might be worth visiting this recreational cannabis dispensary redmond, for example. They could provide some cannabis that could help people with self-care and relaxation.

I discovered that self-care is not selfish. I discovered that my own personal growth is a form of generosity and is what my family, friends, and the world needs the most from me.