If you’re following this analogy so far, you might think it would be better to be closer to the center of the room.
Isn’t that where most advice ends up anyway?
In the perfectly balanced and safe center?
Often, that’s the case.
But this newsletter is not about stale advice. In fact, it’s not about advice at all.
It’s about helping you discover your own truth–and where you end up in the room is going to depend on your needs at the time.
For me, I’m closer to the “selfish” wall, on the other side of the room.
If being on the other side of the room, firmly against the wall, would be considered totally selfish, I’m a few steps beyond that point.
Doing that allows me to be put my needs first while also leaving enough space behind me for those who are much worse off than I am.
If required, they can gently push me closer to the middle of the room, to a spot of perfect balance between putting my needs first and putting the needs of others before my own.
But, as a whole, I put myself first because I’ve learned about who I am. I’ve put in years of work to figure out what my heart tells me I should do and about where I can have the greatest impact in life.
And that means I have to say no to a lot of requests that don’t align with my values, mission, and needs.
If I were up against the “selfish” wall, then I wouldn’t have a great lay of the land.
But from a couple feet away, I can see the room while also protecting my little area in life.
This approach may not be what you need at the moment, but it’s what has worked best for me.