Martyrs

Do you agree that relationships can get messy? Do you think that people harbor personal agendas and attempt to mask their true motives? Do you think that people try to promote their private agendas and also try and make themselves sound nobler than they really are? If you have answered yes to these questions then you ARE PART OF THE MAJORITY! Everyone promotes their own self interests—that’s called being human so embrace this trait and learn to harness its power for good and not evil.

When we harness the power of self interest you actually see positive societal effects – the inventor of the Jarvic Heart wanted to ensure that no one had to die from heart failure like his father did because a replacement heart was not available; the Alexander Bell invented the tungsten light when he was witness to an operation that was difficult because it was performed under candlelight. The US government just bailed out Fannie Mae Mortgage Company because the collapse of this lender would further hurt the economy. Self interest is a healthy trait—taken to excesses is not healthy but excess is not healthy in any case.

Martyrs are also people who promote their self interests. Martin Luther King is a martyr whose life’s pursuit was to eliminate racism and the ill effects that are the results of inequality. He was not only promoting his self interest but the interest of the greater good. Mahatma Ghandi is a martyr whose life’s pursuit was the elimination of colonialism and the ill effects that result for inequity and racism. You have self-martyrs in your personal and work life that you interact with. When taken to the extreme these martyrs are those folk that always wear their emotions on their sleeves and spend the majority of the time focused on how life is un-fair to them. They don’t have the time to contribute to the greater good because they are always focused on themselves. You may want to remind such martyrs that all of us are responsible for our actions and also the negative actions that we experience as a result of INACTION! They need to take their BIG PERSON PILL daily and get a healthy does of perspective.

If you embrace your beautiful, productive selves daily, there is little time for self pity and more time for action. Actualize your inner power today and take control of something in your life that is out of control. The journey of 1000 miles starts today with 1 step.