Being Selfish For A Living

by Robin Wheeler

We are taught that being selfish is wrong when quite the opposite is true. Being selfish is essential for a healthy life and a thriving business.

We are taught that prioritising ourselves is socially unacceptable, so we keep trying to be altruistic, but we do not do it from sincerity. We do it to be appropriate, which is a losing battle.

First we need something to give. Most of us go around trying to help with our helplessness, to love others without loving ourselves. This leaves us depleted and resentful.

First we need to love ourselves. By doing so, we become resourceful, and from there we automatically become generous. Filled with life, we now have so much to share! Being selfish is the place to start.

Think of nature, it is selfish. Each plant finds water, soaks up sunlight and breathes the air for its own good, for its life, not for anything else. In so doing, though, it is part of the whole.

If a plant kept trying to give to the outside without taking care of itself, it would feel like the living dead, like a lot of people a lot of the time! Each plant gives, but it does so by being itself, not by being socially appropriate.

Like the rest of nature, draw what you need from the world. Don’t deny or condemn yourself, you are meant to be here. Take care of your needs and you will begin to give effortlessly, from abundance, for the joy of it.

Real selfishness is not inconsiderate or egotistical. It is connection with the whole, a balance between receiving and giving. And so, once you discover it, being selfish becomes the source of great generosity, and central to being yourself for a living.