Hey! So Glad You're Here.

"Wise Selfish" do you understand the two words right away, or you are wondering, like I did? When I came across them for the very first time, I was confounded with the idea of two very different words coming together. How could these two simple words have such a colossal impact on others? It took me some time; reading and conversations to wrap my head around the actual meaning of ‘Wise selfish’. Because of this, I wanted to dedicate this section to these two meaningful words. Written separately, the meaning completely different, but when brought together, the true beauty of this concept is uncovered. When deciding on name for this blog, our mother suggested calling it “Wise selfish” and we agreed but took time to truly understand its meaning.  The way in which the name came about is a story worth telling. "The Book of Joy" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams encapsulates a week long conversation between the two Noble Peace Prize Laureates. And so, this book is where it all began.

 

My brother and I had not read the book, but my mom did, and she was constantly sharing excerpts from the book with us. Like every kid, we didn't pay much attention to it, until the time came to start the blog and the name search started. And mom knew exactly what it should be called and the many reasons for it. So, I read sections of it where Dalai Lama, beautifully explains how helping someone is a very selfish act, because we do it for pleasing ourselves, for feeling "the joy". This act in return helps, supports the person in ways we cannot imagine. Self centered decisions to satisfy ourselves, to feel happiness he calls as foolish selfishness. So, when we can feel elevated joy in helping someone, then why not make the "wise" choice instead, and be selfish all day, every day. The book also describes science backing this thought process. It goes far beyond into the depths of compassion and actions that could bring lasting joy and happiness to us all. Definitely, feels like a must read, and in time I will.

 

Since we were just 7 and 4 we were introduced to small acts of kindness and it was made clear that no opportunity to give back should be turned away. Every school fundraiser received some donation from our family, every opportunity to donate a toy, a holiday gift, food, a cheer, run for a cause, you name it, mom did it and we were part of it. Around this time our Annual Thanksgiving Cookie bake for the shelter also started and we learned to take initiative. Looking back, though seemingly not enough, we have been making these everyday wise selfish choices, and we will continue into the foreseeable future. I hope this blog inspires you to start or continue making wise selfish choices for yourselves!