Be Selfish

Waking up this morning was much like any other day. I made a coffee, turned on the dissatisfying news, looked over my to-do list, and checked my email. My inordinate to-do list controls my every move. It consists of research papers to be written, dinner plans, chore lists, grocery lists, gift checklists, and all things superficial. Absolutely nothing on my list requires me to obtain personal growth, inner peace, spirituality, or intentionality. There has been a multitude of things that have left a perpetual "bad taste" in my mouth as of late and I am left wondering why ridding myself of negativity hasn't shown itself on my grand list. Instead, we put our most important needs on the bottom of that sheet of paper. We don't create time to deal with ourselves and our emotional health. I have continued to be guilty of making excessive efforts to harness relationships that don't fulfill me. We are "friending" people on social media platforms that otherwise would not be a part of our lives. Why are we able to care so much about our outward appearances on media sites yet we aren't taxed with how we personally perceive ourselves? We are incessantly preoccupied with the comments of others. We are getting upset because an individual doesn't view us as the person we think we truly are and in that condition, we fail to be happy. We have allowed modernity to establish a new set of values. We have to drive the best cars, have the biggest houses, the best clothes, and the newest technology. Does a content person dwell underneath of the materialistic? Rarely. Our to-do lists are a distraction. They have little to do with living. We need to restructure our priorities and include daily introspection so as not to rely on other people or possessions in determining what and who we are. If you are allowing your mood to be changed by someone's posts on social media, then unfollow that person. If someone outside of media is causing you to doubt yourself, then there is nothing objectionable about creating distance. There is nothing distasteful about generating a peaceful environment for yourself whether that be in the workplace, the classroom, the internet, or your home. Be careful of those you assign power to because it's ever so difficult to reobtain. Create a new list where the first agenda listed is you. Let's all normalize this act of selfishness.