Imagine for a moment you are a child alone in a room filled with strangers. What would be your first thought? You may be apprehensive, worried about what others may think about you. Another child approaches and says to you, ‘won’t you come and play with me?’ You have been introduced to the world of selflessness.
Selflessness: an impossible dream
This example act of the child approaching the other and asking them to play is used here to serve as a reminder. Do something absolutely shocking for someone this week just because you want to help them out. I think we could start an epidemic of massive proportions if we dedicated one act of selflessness to someone this week. The self, or who we are, can at times become more real to us than the needs of others. We live with ourselves, so how can you escape you and who you are? You can’t. It’s like being locked in a room full of mirrors.
Moving beyond yourself
The self is an illusion. We have personalities, traits, likes, dislikes and genes but the image we build of ourselves is largely a sleight of hand trick that is bred into us at some point. When you look into a mirror what is it you see? Your face staring back at you? Or your reflection? It’s an image. Most of the time who you think you are is an image of what you think you should be. Who you are is simple. You are you. You have gifts, talents, creative abilities. You can put those things to use to help others. When you begin to do this, even in the smallest way (without becoming a total sellout fanboy), you open up a new realm of life that’s infinitely more pleasurable.
The child who asked to come and play is you and me. Why don’t you spend some time this week doing one thing for someone where you lose just a bit of your self. See how it feels to do something for another person. How many times have you thought of doing something for someone only to excuse yourself through pointless reasoning. Listen to your heart. Do it today. Don’t wait. Life is over before the wind changes anyway so just go for it.
This is part of an on-going conversation I am having about the heart.
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