Get Over Yourself
"I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands;you need to be able to throw something back." Maya Angelou
Most mornings I roll out of bed and into a chair where I spend 20 minutes writing. I unload a bunch of drivel that's backed up in my head overnight in "morning pages" and most of the time I outline the "to do" list that's crowding my brain.
My natural drift is towards what I have to accomplish to make my day go well.
The pattern always starts with me.
My thoughts.My worries.My plans.My hopes.My opinions.My sorrows.My aches and pains.My anticipation. My expectations. My dreams.
Me, me, me.
Sure, I'm most familiar with me, so why wouldn't what I know best leak out onto my pages? I suppose that's natural, but it's also not the way I want to live my life.
I'm not a great center of the universe.
In these moments I often recall Maya Angelou's famous quote from above. I image how ridiculous it is to focus on seeing how much I can get in life when the real joy is in giving.
My very best days are when I get over myself and think about others.
When I notice another person's need. When I wonder how I can help and THEN do something. When I put others before me.When "I love" shifts from being an emotion to a verb.
Today is an opportunity to make a difference.
Don't miss it.