By Nanice Ellis
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
For many of us, being called “selfish” is worse than any four letter word that you can imagine. In fact, the fear of being labeled “selfish” often causes us to ignore our own important needs and deepest desires. When our entire lives are shaped around the foreboding dread of appearing selfish, not only do we suppress expression, we also disregard what would bring us the most joy in life. We might even stay trapped in jobs and long term relationships well past their expiration date, simply because we are afraid that our choices might be deemed self-serving to others.
On the spiritual path, or even the path of being a “good person,” we are often told to think of others before ourselves. Maybe as children, we were taught that it is bad to be selfish or we were even punished for thinking of ourselves first. In theory, it might sound nice to put others’ needs before our own, but when we constantly put ourselves last without question, we stay asleep and disempowered.
