An Intersection of Wills

  Hi there!  I was thinking a lot today about selfishness, but maybe not in the way that you would think.  I know there are a lot of philosophies out there on selfishness today.  One author tells you not to be selfish and to put others first.  Another expert tells you that you must put yourself first so that you can then care for others, and in a way, both these ideas are true.  However, I was thinking today not so much about whether or not to be selfish, but about what happens when two selfish people intersect.  And to be fair, I think we all are selfish people from time to time.  It's easy to get into a mindset of feeling like we are always in need, and when we do that we always begin to look at others with the mentality of what they can do for us or what we need from them.  And it's not that it's bad to need others to do things for you.  For example, in my work setting, I need my employees to perform their jobs, and I want them to do it as efficiently as possible.  As a mother, I need my child to follow my instructions, and I want him to do it with a good attitude.  Much of what we do in life is based on our thought process of what we need others to do in order for our day to run smoothly.  The problem is that everyone else is also thinking about what they need others to do for their day to run smoothly, and this is where the intersection happens.
  I may be thinking that I need to get somewhere quickly, and so I get angry when the person in front of me at the store takes too long at the cash register, while the person at the register may be thinking that they need to feed their family, but they have a limited amount of funds and getting that coupon put in right or making sure that their total does not exceed a certain amount is extremely important.  Each of us is thinking about what we need, and getting frustrated that things are not going our way.  The cashier may be thinking that she needs to get to her lunch break so she can go to a doctor's appointment she scheduled.  Consequently she is frustrated by having to wait for her manager to come make the correction to the purchase.   We each have a need, and in our selfishness we forget that the people around us also have needs.  What happens when selfish people intersect is a traffic jam of wills, and the result is injury, insult, and division.
  How often have you grumbled and complained because someone expected you to do something for them that you did not have the time or the desire to do?  That person may not have even realized they inconvenienced you because they were only thinking about their needs.  Likewise, you may have inadvertently done the same thing someone else.  It's so important that we wake up and start looking beyond ourselves.  If we truly want to love others and build lasting relationships and change the climate of our culture, then we must begin to think about others.  We must choose to be understanding rather than upset, conscientious of others instead of confrontational with others, and we must begin to view each intersection of wills as an opportunity to meet the needs of others.   As you start a new week tomorrow, keep in mind the needs of others around you, and try to see things from their perspectives.  You will find yourself offended less often when you know that people are not deliberately trying to anger you, they are simply trying to meet their needs the same way as you are trying to meet yours.  Give a little grace today, and it will go a long way towards making your day more peaceful and joyful.  Make it a great week!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.