4 Benefits Practice Thinking Without Self-Interest
So far in this book, we’ve examined a variety of different ways of thinking that may assist you in achieving your goals. It is possible that each one of them will contribute to your achievement. Now I’d like to introduce you to a style of thinking that has the ability to alter the course of your life in a positive manner. It may even alter your perception of what constitutes success.
In many cases, unselfish thinking may provide a bigger return than any other kind of thinking can produce. Listed below are some advantages of using it.
1. Unselfish thinking leads to personal fulfillment and happiness.
Few activities in life provide greater personal satisfaction than the act of assisting others. According to Charles H. Burr, “Getters typically don’t receive pleasure; givers generally get it.” Helping others provides a tremendous deal of happiness.
When you spend your day giving of yourself to others, you may put your head down at night without any regrets and sleep comfortably because you have done the right thing. Alan Loy McGinnis said in his book Bringing Out the Best in People that “there is no more noble vocation in the world than to assist another human being—to assist someone thrive.”
4 benefits Practice Thinking Without Self-Interest
Even if you’ve spent the most of your life chasing selfish ambitions, it’s never too late to have a change of heart about your priorities.
Even the most wretched individual, such as Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, has the ability to change his or her life and make a difference in the lives of others. And that’s exactly what Alfred Nobel accomplished. Following his own death and the discovery that the newspaper’s editor had published the false Nobel’s obituary, claiming that the explosives his business made had killed many people, Nobel pledged to promote peace and recognize the accomplishments of others. It was via this process that the Nobel Prizes were established.
2. Selfless thinking adds value to the lives of others.
The following is a definition of success from Bessie Anderson Stanley, published in Brown Book magazine in 1904: “He who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men, and the love of little children, who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world a better place than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation”
When you go outside of yourself and make a positive contribution to the lives of others, you are really living.
3. Unselfish thinking encourages the development of other virtues.
When you see a four-year-old, you expect to see him or her being self-absorbed. However, when you see it on a forty-year-old, it isn’t that appealing, is it?
When it comes to growing other virtues, it seems that selfless thinking makes the most impact out of all the traits a person may cultivate. I believe this is due to the fact that the capacity to offer unselfishly is really tough.
It is against to the fiber of human nature to do so. However, if you can learn to think unselfishly and to be a giver, it becomes much simpler to cultivate a variety of other qualities, such as gratitude, love, respect, patience, discipline, and so on.
4. Unselfish thinking improves the overall quality of one’s life.
People have a greater respect for life and a better comprehension of its higher values as a result of the attitude of generosity engendered by selfless thinking. Seeing individuals in need and making a contribution to satisfy their needs helps to put things into perspective.
It has a positive impact on both the provider and the receiver’s quality of life. That is why I feel that there is no life that is as empty as a life that is oriented on oneself.
There is no life that is as focused as the life of the self-empty.
If you want to make the world a better place, devote your time and energy to assisting others.
4 benefits Practice Thinking Without Self-Interest
Merck & Company, a multinational pharmaceutical firm, has always considered itself to be involved in more than merely the production of goods and the generation of profits. It aspires to be of service to mankind. This pharmaceutical business pioneered the development of a medicine to treat river blindness, a condition that affects millions of people, mostly those from poorer parts of the world, and causes them to lose their sight.
Despite the fact that it was an excellent product, prospective buyers could not afford to purchase it. So, what did Merck do in response? But the company went on and produced the drug, later announcing in 1987 that it would provide the medication for free to anybody who needed it. At the time of its founding in 1998, the firm had distributed more than 250 million tablets.
“We strive never to lose sight of the fact that medicine is for the people,” says George W. Merck. It is not done for financial gain. Profits follow, and if we keep this in mind, profits have never failed to materialize.” What is the lesson to be taken away from this?
Simple. Instead than striving to be the best version of yourself, consider being a part of something bigger than yourself.
6. Unselfish thinking leaves a lasting impression
Jack Balousek, president and chief operating officer of True North Communications, explains that “learning, earning, and giving back” are the three stages of life that must be accomplished. After schooling, the second third should be committed to creating a job and earning a livelihood, and finally the last third should be devoted to giving back to others—returning something as a token of appreciation for what they have received. In a way, each condition seems to serve as a preparation for the next.”
You may be able to leave an inheritance to loved ones if you are successful in business. In order to accomplish more and leave a lasting legacy, though, you must first instill that drive in others. When you think about others before yourself and invest in them, you have the chance to leave a lasting legacy that will outlast yourself.
SATISFACTION FROM UNSELFISH THINKING AND HOW TO EXPERIENCE IT
I believe that the majority of people realize the importance of selfless thinking, and that the majority would even agree that it is a skill that they would want to improve. Many individuals, on the other hand, are at a loss as to how to alter their thought patterns. I urge that you undertake the following to begin growing the capacity to think without regard for one’s own interests:
1. Put the needs of others first.
Realizing that nothing is about you is the first step in the process. That requires humility as well as a change of perspective.
When Ken Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale stated in The Power of Ethical Management that “people with humility don’t think less of themselves; they simply think less of themselves,” they were referring to the fact that “those with humility think less of themselves.”
If you want to become less selfish in your thinking, you must stop thinking about your own desires and start thinking about the needs of others. “Do nothing out of selfish desire or foolish conceit, but in humility regard others to be greater than yourself,” Paul the Apostle said. “Each of you should consider not just your own interests, but also the interests of others,” says the professor.
20 Commit yourself, both mentally and emotionally, to looking out for the interests of others.
2. Put yourself in situations where people are in need of your assistance.
It is one thing to think that you are ready to give of yourself without expecting anything in return. It’s one thing to say it, but quite another to really execute it. To make the change, you must place yourself in a position where you can recognize the needs of others and take action to meet those need.
At initially, it doesn’t matter what sort of charitable contributions you make. You may volunteer at your church, make gifts to a food bank, provide professional skills to a nonprofit group, or make a monetary donation to a charitable organization. Learning how to give and cultivating the habit of thinking like a giver are the main goals of this course.
3. Make your donation in private or anonymously.
The next stage after learning to give from your own resources is to learn to give when you are not in the position to get anything in return. It is nearly always simpler to donate when you know that you will be recognized for your efforts than it is when no one is likely to be aware of your efforts.
People who donate in order to be feted, on the other hand, have already got whatever benefit that they will get in the future for their generosity. It is only those who donate anonymously who get the spiritual, mental, and emotional advantages that are available to them. If you’ve never tried it before, give it a go.
4. Make a conscious decision to invest in people.
When you give of yourself to another person for the benefit of that person’s personal growth or well-being, you have reached the pinnacle of selfless thinking. If you’re married or a parent, you’ve probably had firsthand experience with this.
What do you think your spouse values the most: money in the bank or your time freely given to others? What do you think tiny children would like more from you: a toy or your full attention right now? The individuals who care about you would prefer to have you rather than what you can provide for them.
If you want to be the kind of person that invests in others, you must first consider others and their path in order to participate with them on that trip. Each connection is similar to a partnership established for the mutual benefit of both parties. Thinking on how you can invest in the other person before entering any relationship can help you create a scenario where both parties benefit.
The following is the most common scenario in which relationships play out:
I win, you lose—and I only win once in a while.
You win, and I lose—but you only win once.
We both win—and we both win repeatedly.
We both lose—the it’s end of the relationship!
The most successful partnerships are win-win situations. Why aren’t more individuals entering into partnerships with this mentality in mind? I’ll tell you why: most individuals want to make certain that they are the ones who win first and foremost. When entering into a relationship, unselfish thinkers ensure that the other person comes out on top first and then themselves. There is a world of difference between the two situations.
5. Keep an eye on your motivations at all times.
In the words of French philosopher François de la Rochefoucauld, “What seems to be charity is often nothing more than veiled ambition, which ignores a minor interest in order to obtain a major one.” The most difficult thing for most individuals is combating their natural propensity to put oneself first in whatever they do. That is why it is critical to constantly check your motivations to ensure that you are not slipping back into selfishness.
Do you wish to double-check your intentions? Then, following Benjamin Franklin’s lead, do the same. He asked himself two questions every day, and he answered them. When he woke up in the morning, he would think to himself, “What am I going to do today?” In the evenings, he would reflect on his day and ask himself, “What good have I done today?” Maintaining your focus is possible if you can answer those questions with selflessness and honesty.
GIVE WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THE ABILITY
In the autumn of 2001, we were all witnesses to a show of altruistic thinking that was unlike anything we had seen in the United States for many years prior to that. After the events of September 11, 2001, who can forget them?
I’d just completed delivering a leadership course when my assistant, Linda Eggers, walked into my studio and broke the devastating news. Like the majority of Americans, I stayed glued to the news throughout the day, listening to the accounts of the firemen and police officers who ran into the World Trade Center buildings to save others, without once thinking about their own safety in the process.
In the days after the tragedy, millions of people around the country voiced a strong desire to do something to alleviate the crisis. I had the same aspiration. My employer was supposed to conduct a training session via simulcast on September 15, the following Saturday after the tragedy occurred.
4 benefits Practice Thinking Without Self-Interest
A one-and-a-half-hour program titled “America Prays” will be added at the conclusion of the simulcast at the recommendation of our leadership team. My buddy Max Lucado composed and recited a prayer in it, which expressed the cries of millions of people throughout the world. Evangelist Franklin Graham offered prayers for our national leaders. In their advise to parents on how to assist their children cope with the incident, Jim and Shirley Dobson shared their own experiences. In addition, Bruce Wilkinson and I invited the viewers of the simulcast to make a cash contribution to the victims of the September 11 attacks.
It is incredible that they were able to raise $5.9 million, which World Vision gladly agreed to give to individuals in need. Unselfish thoughts and deeds transformed a very dark hour into one of brightness and hope for everybody involved.
I was fortunate enough to be able to fly to Ground Zero in New York City less than two weeks after the disaster. I went to see the scene of the devastation, to express gratitude to the men and women who were cleaning away the debris, and to pray for them. I’m not sure I can do justice to what I saw. I’ve been to New York a countless number of times.
It is one of my favorite spots on the face of the planet. My wife and I had been up in the towers with our children several times previously, and we had many fond memories of that part of the city. Looking at the site where the buildings once stood and seeing nothing but debris, dust, and twisted metal is an experience that can’t be described in any other way.
What many Americans were unaware of was that workers had been working tirelessly to clean up the site for many months.
Many of them were firemen and other municipal employees from New York City. Others volunteered their time. They worked seven days a week, twenty-four hours every day. And when they came across the remains of someone in the rubble, they observed a moment of silence before carrying them out with reverence and respect.
Because I am a priest, I was requested to put on a clerical collar as I entered the restricted area. As I strolled about, numerous employees saw the collar and approached me to beg me to pray for them. It was a profound honor to be invited.
“Be embarrassed to die until you have achieved some kind of triumph for humanity,” stated American educator Horace Mann in a famous quote.
According to this measure, the firemen of New York City are unquestionably prepared to die on the job. The service they provide is often nothing short of heroic. It is possible that you and I will never be called upon to give our lives in the same way that they did.
However, we may offer to others in a variety of ways. Putting people first and adding value to their life is something we can strive towards as selfless thinkers. We can collaborate with them to help them achieve greater heights than they previously imagined.
