Carpe Mentality: 12 Days to Seizing Your Best Life in Christනියැදිය

Selflessness: Putting Others Before Yourself

This life is not about us. This life is about others. Think about anything that you could possibly achieve in this world. Typically, we associate possessions with success—fancy cars, beautiful homes, nice clothes. You know that list goes on and on. Well, let us flash forward to the end of your life. It’s your death day. You are reflecting on the life you’ve lived. Reflecting on all you possess. You realize, in that moment, you are bringing nothing with you: no fancy cars, beautiful homes, nice clothes. None of that are you bringing on your journey. You realize you are all alone.

But you are leaving behind a legacy. When you think about it, that legacy is not in physical possessions. It is all about people. People make the world go round. Extract all the people from Planet Earth and how great the loss would be! What is the point of that planet? Think of all the meaning we add.

You might be asking yourself, where do I even begin? First and foremost, start with your community. And then beyond, expand to other communities. Being selfless is a huge step in building your legacy. Through selflessness you will discover yourself at a new depth. Isn't that crazy? You will discover yourself through serving someone else. You will learn more about yourself from others than you will from yourself.

Cultivating selflessness is a daily choice to wake up and put others first. Now, this does not mean you get walked all over. This does not mean that you do not get your way sometimes. There are times when you will be the number-one priority but not nearly as often as we make it out to be. Most people are 99.9 percent all about themselves and 0.01 percent about others. You need to focus on yourself so that you can be your best version for other people, but we also need to put our focus on other people, as they are dependent on our help.

There are multiple ways to go about helping people. “How?” you ask. My philosophy on how we can help people is in three different areas: financially, emotionally and intellectually, and physically. Now, we all have different strengths and are in different seasons of our lives. Some of these ways to help people might feel uncomfortable or not be within your means. I challenge you to find what is best for you in your life right now. Before assisting anyone financially, make sure your finances are in order. Some people have money to help other people financially. That is the obvious way that most people ask for help. It is worth mentioning that this is not the only way to help people.

Another way to help people is emotionally and intellectually. Some people just need someone to talk to them. It does not always have to involve words. People just need an ear sometimes. If you see someone having a rough day, be a friend and lend an ear. Most people having a difficult time just need a sounding board, someone who cares enough to simply listen. It helps most people process an issue when they can hear it vocalized out loud to another person. On the side, you can always get intellectual and offer advice. Use your technical skills to provide knowledge to assist those who want to learn. This can be in a one-on-one mentoring scenario or involve a large group. It will look different for each person. But pour your knowledge into people. You possess knowledge that could dramatically impact someone's life.

I saved the best for last (I also do that when I eat). I personally love to get physical when serving. I love putting my body in motion and working hard. I am a physical kind of guy. I love to serve with my hands and feet. I love the other ways to serve too, but I especially love building things, cleaning things—you name it. If it involves my body getting into motion, I love doing it.

Just remember that all around the world, in every part of the globe, there are people in need. These people will not get the desperate help they need unless we show up to serve. By serving, you will leave a legacy that will impact generations to come. You will send a ripple effect through the ages that will not be forgotten: not by God or by the people you impact. Lead with love and serve with a purpose, for this is a part of your calling to be your authentic self.