My theme in life is "invest in yourself". It's the most important thing I believe you can do, yet so many people choose not to. One reason is because certain people think its selfish to choose to spend time and money on yourself, rather than others. But I think there's a lot more to it. Selfish people focus only on giving to themselves and completely disregard the needs of others and the world around them. That's not at all the case when you invest in yourself. In fact, you're essentially doing the complete opposite. I would argue that by investing time and effort on you and your passions, you will have more to offer to the world around you.
When we choose to not invest in ourselves , that means we might focus more on helping others. Doesn't sound bad right? But when we choose to invest the majority of our time helping others meet their needs and fulfill their goals, our needs don't get met. When this happens, our identity becomes based on being a "nice person" and essentially catering to every need of others. This turns you into a pushover, and when people take advantage of you, or at least don't appreciate what you do enough, it can get real ugly real fast. This concept is explained is much more detail in Robert Glover's book "No More Mr. Nice Guy", but essentially you are indirectly being selfish when you cater to others needs, because you expect to receive love and appreciation in return, which rarely ever happens. This ends up killing your confidence, which in the long run becomes negative for both yourself and the people around you.
Now, let's say you choose instead to dedicate at least 2 hours every day investing in yourself (i.e. Working out, reading, practicing something). Over time, you'll eventually become much more confident in yourself and increase your health, wellness and skill sets. Now, you have much more to give and share with the people around you. While you may be too busy to cater to every persons need, you'll be able to help them significantly more when you are available, AND you'll also still have more time to continue investing in yourself and meeting your own needs.
For example, I'm an accounting major. I've spent almost 4 years studying accounting and investing time in reading textbooks, practicing problems, etc. Since I spend a lot of time investing in my studies, other people who need help with accounting courses or doing their taxes can come to me for advice that most others can't help them with. This is how investing in yourself can make you feel significant, while also helping others in a special way. I've also had unique experiences, and I share my thoughts and ideas on this blog so others can benefit in a special way. Almost any able-bodied person can help me move, drive me to work, or babysit my dogs, but it takes a special person with a specific skill-set to tutor me in school, or help me figure out what's wrong with my car. You want to be the person everyone needs because you're skilled at it, not just because you're always available.
The whole idea is that you shouldn't be 100% selfish or 100% selfless. Both extremes lead to problems, but investing in yourself puts you at the optimal level of both. If you find yourself being too selfish, definitely evaluate yourself, and use your skill set to help others. On the other hand, if you're being too selfless, that's when you need to invest in yourself, so you can be more effective on both ends of the spectrum. I also want to point out the difference between investing and giving. When you're selfish, you give to yourself and only fulfill your present needs. When you invest in yourself, you will sacrifice a lot of pleasure-filled activities now, and therefore be more effective for your future self and for others.
What is something you can start doing each day to invest in yourself?
How can you use the skills and knowledge you've developed to help others?
What is something you can start doing each day to invest in yourself?
How can you use the skills and knowledge you've developed to help others?
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