Inspiration

2 Ways to Live

The reality of the world and how it affects us

Have you noticed how self-centered life is in today’s world? Much of what we read and view on social media and the internet points to us becoming better, fitter, wealthier, smarter, stronger, etc. Even many religions get in on the act, pointing us back to ourselves with messages of prosperity, health, and more.

Let’s look at the folly of this egocentric world and a better way to live.

Two ways to live in the world

While the world tries to turn us into consumers of selfishness, let’s look at the two ways we can live and the benefits they bring.

First is a life of getting and taking. This world is all about us, mostly at the exclusion of others. It has become the norm in many first-world countries, perpetuated by consumerism and social media.

The second way of living is doing and giving. This world is about others, mostly at the exclusion of ourselves. Being selfless has significantly diminished in many first-world countries, yet it produces many benefits for society and individuals.

The short-term satisfaction of getting and taking

In our self-centered world, getting and taking has become the norm, usually tied to short-term satisfaction. Much of life seems to be conspiring to point everything back to us and what we possess. What can you call it other than selfishness? Is that really what life is about, or is there more?

When we spend our lives getting more, it provides temporary satisfaction, like a drug fix. When the satisfaction wanes, it makes you seek the next fix, eventually leading to a full-blown addiction.

Addiction is the not-so-funny part of all of this consumption and materialism — the more you get, the more you want, and the more you want, the more it consumes your life.

Modern life is designed to make us want more, more, more! Most of us know the problems with addictions — they suck you into an ever-increasing downward spiral, which consumes your life, and then you die.

But wait, there’s more!

All this wanting in the world can lead us to a life with little true satisfaction, providing temporary happiness. It can make us into selfish beings filled with lust and desires. It points us to the worst in ourselves, causing us to achieve far less of our potential.

Can any good come of such a world? That answer is up to you to decide. Ultimately, it is your choice as to how you live in the world.

Surely, there must be a way out of all of this selfishness and addiction. Yes, there is, and it is so simple that few notice it. The cure is in turning away from selfishness and turning to selflessness. Turning away from a world that is all about you and discovering a world about others.

“We hear a constant clamor for rights, rights, always rights, but so very little about responsibility. And we have forgotten God.

The need now is for selflessness, for a spirit of sacrifice, for a willingness to put aside personal gains for the salvation of the whole Western world.” Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008)

The long-term satisfaction of doing and giving

Inherently, most of us know there is more to life than getting and taking with its temporary pleasures. The great Scottish writer and philosopher Carlyle had something profound to say about all of this getting:

“Everywhere in life, the true question is not what we gain, but what we do.” Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)

Few statements contain more truth than that, and he wrote it nearly two hundred years ago!

A big part of the problem with getting and taking is it is inward-focused. An inward focus is about you and is usually motivated by selfishness and greed.

Many of you who follow my writing know I often equate life with relationships. In fact, life ceases to exist without them. What kind of relationships do you build when you constantly want to get or take more things?

We all go through a period where we desire more and gather more. More followers, more likes, and more comments on social media. More clothes, shoes, gadgets, and other such things. However, as we age, we learn all those things make for a shallow existence.

When we discover the real joy of living, we change our tune. As Carlyle says, the true question of life is not in what we gain but in what we do. What we do is, in essence, what we give.

I love to recall the words of a wise British statesman:

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

Could anything be truer? When we turn away from the world’s selfishness, away from an inward focus, we can begin to live a selfless, outward-focused life.

Consider how small your world is when you only focus inward and how expansive it is when you focus outward.

You become mature and responsible when you live for others instead of yourself. Living this way gives you wisdom and insight into truth while contributing to the world and accumulating lasting joy.

What more could we desire than to impact the world, live in true joy, and leave it better than when we came into it? I would love to read your thoughts on this subject in the comment section below.

“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment.” Tony Robbins (1960-present)

Final thoughts

Imagine a world turned more outward than inward. Can you envision the changes that would result? It would be vastly different from the world we live in today.

Ultimately, most of us want to live a good life and positively impact the world. You will find this is especially true when you face the fact that the end, death, will come one day, however distant it may be.

Where are you living your life now? In getting or giving? Where do you want to live? You alone can make that choice.

As a final thought about selflessness, why not look at and study the most selfless person to have ever lived, Jesus Christ? There is no better example of doing and giving, and there is much to learn from His life.

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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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