"That's One Small Step..."

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong made this statement after he took his first steps on the moon. Can you imagine how fearful, yet exciting that must have been for him! He was taking small steps literally and totally outside his comfort zone, but figuratively those were HUGE steps for not only himself, but for soooo MANY more! We ourselves as individuals need to view our life through the same approach as Neil Armstrong. We need to face the fear of stepping out into the unknown! Too often, people let fear hold them back from being who they truly are, or hold them back from pursuing what's truly within them. When we take time to pursue interests or avenues that we know feed our soul, then we are not only helping ourselves, but are also helping all of those around us. It is vital that you get SELFISH and start doing and pursuing ventures that are true and authentic for YOU!

Don't let the word "selfish" make you cringe! I believe there are two types of selfishness. We will call it "good" selfishness vs the "bad" kind. The bad kind of selfishness is exposed when people are fearful and scared, and is usually individually driven. This type of selfishness keeps you complacent and doesn't allow you to grow into the best possible version of yourself. This also will impede on all of those you come into contact with, and they too will be stunted in their growth. If you aren't true and authentic to what's inside of you, you will limit yourself, and ultimately you only give others a half ass version of yourself. You will be constantly protecting and keeping inside of you what is true to you, but others will not get to feel, experience, or know it. Sometimes this type of selfishness is used to, "what you think," is to protect others from having to encounter the truth and deal with it head on. Once again though, this keeps people complacent and doesn't allow THEM the opportunity to grow and become the best possible versions of themselves as well. We all know, that people who step outside their comfort zone, Neil Armstrong, have the opportunity to flourish tremendously and impact others' lives in a really rad way.

Now good selfishness can improve your life AND others' for the better! This type of selfishness is when you take the time to do things that are good for your soul. When you invest in this way, then you are going to be a happier, healthier individual. In return you will radiate those good vibes out to anyone you come into contact with. It's a WIN-WIN situation, because EVERYONE benefits! For example, I know in order to be a better mom for my 10 & 7 year old daughters, that it is essential that I burn some energy throughout the day in some form of exercise. Once I am able to burn that energy, then I can go home more relaxed and ready to tackle the duties of being a mom. Plus, BONUS ALERT, it's also good for my health which will allow me to be more actively involved in my daughters' lives as they grow. Even more, it may increase my odds of living longer to stay in their lives longer, and it sends a message to my girls that it's important that we take care of ourselves . So I'm not only benefiting from this type of selfishness, but so is my family. A good selfishness is NOT individually driven, but rather based on the bigger picture of what is good for the overall majority of the people involved.

Many people believe it's selfish to take time for themselves, or make soooo MANY excuses why they can't take time for themselves. I hope in the future you will be more consciously aware of the type of selfishness you possess moving forward in your life. Ask yourself, does this benefit just me because I'm fearful of something, or is this good for all? Be like Neil Armstrong and take some small steps in a direction that you know will be good for you, and before long you will notice that you actually have made HUGE strides. When you do things with the right intentions and that feel true to you, than EVERYONE wins! Don't let fear keep you complacent!