Fit for Life: Be Selfish

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Matt Espeut, Health and Lifestyle Contributor

 

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As a kid growing up, we were all told by our parents NOT to be selfish. Sharing your toys, snacks, and other things with your friends was a good thing and was always encouraged by the adults in our lives.

Now as we get older it’s time to start being a little selfish.

What, be selfish? What gives coach?

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Well, I’m not talking about being stingy selfish, I’m telling you that some acts of selfishness will not only benefit us, but the people around us too. I’m talking about focusing on your health and fitness and how it helps others when you take care of yourself and act a little selfish in the process.

I’m talking about being selfish with your time and commitment to get better on every level of your life. Being selfish in these areas will allow you to be selfless in other areas of your life by enhancing your ability to give more to others.

Let’s talk about time.

 

Time's Value

Your time and how you spend it is in your control, as long as you set some boundaries, and create habits that can sometimes translate to being selfish.

The best example I can give you is when you block off time to accomplish your daily goals, and tasks. You need to do things that eliminate distractions such as turning off your phone or closing your office door.

What if someone needs to reach you?

Too bad. You will need to call them back when you are finished doing what you need to do, otherwise your tasks won’t get accomplished, and YOUR time becomes someone else’s.

When you answer an unexpected phone call, you are telling yourself that you are at that person’s beck and call, and your time is less important than whatever issue they have on the agenda.

There are obviously situations when you need to be available if someone is in the hospital or there is an emergency but answering every ping or notification will distract you into non productiveness every time.

Scheduling your workouts and ruthlessly protecting that time is essential in order to create consistency and outcome. I tell people to act like they have a doctor’s appointment and treat that timeframe with equal importance.

When someone attempts to extract you from your schedule, you need to be selfish and say no. That’s your time, and what you are doing is essential and extremely beneficial to your well-being.

The point I’m trying to make is that it’s ok to be a little selfish and put yourself first when it is time for self-improvement because it makes you a better person and that translates into you being able to give more of yourself to others.

If you are a parent, do you encourage your kids to be unhealthy, and hope they contract illness and live-in pain?

Hell no!!

So, when you set the example yourself, your kids are likely to notice and emulate the healthy lifestyle.

That’s why it’s ok to put your kids in front of the tv or keep them occupied while you get your 30-minute workout in.

 

Selfish?

You may feel like you are being selfish, however you are doing something positive that is important to you.

Another benefit of you taking care of you is that you will be more energetic, happier, and overall, more pleasant to be around.

When your health and fitness is aligned, you have more self-esteem, self-confidence and ultimately carry yourself in a more positive light.

Your energy is infectious, so when you carry yourself in a confident manor, people notice, and it helps them see the light and want more for themselves. If you are a leader in your workplace, I can guarantee that the folks you are leading will have more respect for someone that takes care of themself and shows discipline than someone that doesn’t.

You can’t help someone or earn their respect unless you set a positive example by doing what’s necessary to help yourself and take care of you first.

In other words, be selfish, take care of you, then you will be more capable of giving your help and energy to someone else.

The big problem today is that many people are selfish in negative ways.

They do things that are careless, and they affect other people.  Texting and driving, not wearing a mask in public places, are things we don’t think much about, but they could have an adverse effect on others.

We need to start looking at how our actions can not only benefit other people, but also the ways we can avoid causing unnecessary harm or adversity to others’ lives.

Be an asset to the world and not a liability.

Be selfish by putting yourself first when it comes to self-improvement, and you will soon realize that your selfishness can create positive impact on someone else’s life.

Committed to your success,

Coach Matt

 

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