A friend told me once about an aboriginal saying that when a person is born they ask themselves how can I be of service of others and the environment. Another saying states that when a person makes a long lasting decision they should bring into account how will this decision affect the next seven generations.
It is such a good reminder for me to re-direct my attentions and worries from my self-centeredness to my surrounding.
Keeping people and the environment around me in mind doesn’t mean that I should not take care of myself. It’s funny how my brain operates in Either/Or scenarios. Why not both? Think about the long term impact on my environment AND my wellbeing and pleasure.
I will never forget the day that I bought my first and only Rolex watch. I spent years walking by the watch store in Yorkdale Mall in Toronto eyeing this particular watch. I think that the store employees had to have a person on call duty to mop up my drool after I stood by the window daydreaming of how the watch will look on my wrist.
At a certain point I decided that I am going to buy that watch. BUT I still felt guilty about getting it. So I decided to balance things out. I will make a donation of an equivalent amount to Sick Kids Hospital.
I made the donation and a couple weeks later I mustered up my energy to go the Rolex store. As I entered the store I felt both excitement and that I didn’t belong. That feeling dissipated as the attentive sales person helped me place the watch on my wrist. It looked so good! I was equally happy with the Rolex umbrella that came with it.
I guess life is a never ending balancing act of taking care of self and accounting for the vulnerable and environment around us. All we need to do it to train our brains to be on the Both mode.
Much Love!
Alon
