If you saw someone in desperate need of help, would you offer your assistance? Imagine that person was slowly killing themselves or ruining their life in such a drastic way that they may as well be dead. Someone who is becoming a criminal. Someone who can’t get off the drink or drugs. Or maybe someone on the streets. If you could help these people turn their lives around, would you do it?
I know I wouldn’t.
That’s a difficult thing to admit, but I can’t really deny it. As much as I would like to think I would change someone’s life, the evidence is that I just ignore these people. This has been bothering me for some time. It has been nagging at the back of my mind, that I would like to do more and give more, but I don’t. I definitely have strong plans to do so in the future, but it has bothered me that I can’t do anything now.
It is in fact true that I can’t do anything on this scale now. I’m still trying to establish my own independence, and if I tried to pull someone out of the gutter now, I’d probably get dragged towards there myself. When trying to be selfless, it’s important to remember to be selfish as well. The more we look after number one, the more power we develop to help others.
But if I’m really being honest with myself, my current situation isn’t really holding me back. There’s nothing really stopping me from doing a lot more than I do right now.
Nothing except me.
But rather than beat myself up about the fact that my personality is far from perfect, I can use that realisation to start making changes.
I’ll begin small, and build.
