Why not be Selfish?!

At times, it feels as though I'm losing my path—my dedication and commitment to serving others. It's like a game, one where I find myself trying to claim the fruits of my efforts. I notice myself caring more about how I make myself feel, than how I make others feel. In those moments, I sense a disconnection, a departure from my true self. Yet, when I manage to transcend this state, I find a sense of completeness. Once I feel whole I can give unconditionally, because I’m in no need for something or someone else to complete me.

Allow me to share a few insightful paragraphs from 'Light on Yoga' that delve into this topic:

"The Yogi dedicates their fruit either to the Lord or humanity. He believes that it is his privilege to do his duty and that he has no right to the fruits of his actions.
While others are asleep when duty calls and wake up only to claim their rights, the yogi is fully awake to his duty but asleep over his rights."

This passage brings to mind a tweet by Alex Hormozi: “The Queen of England died 5 months ago… She ruled an entire nation and accumulated more wealth than 99.99% of humans… And…yet…you haven’t thought about her except for this tweet. […]” It elucidates the transient nature of our existence. No matter our personal accomplishments, our time is finite.

You might be tempted to argue, "So, why not be selfish?" But it's through selfless service that we often find our truest happiness. While it's crucial to nurture your own well-being, there's an overflowing joy that comes from giving. There's scientific support for this too. In a study involving students, those who engaged in prosocial spending for a stranger in need reported greater momentary happiness compared to those who made personal purchases.

I leave it up to you where you take it from here. Just allow yourself from time to time to ask the question: “Who are you practicing for?”