It isnt all about me

It isnt all about me Twice yesterday, I was caught in a moment that forced me out of my self centered world Once when I was emailing a friend and complaining about all the things that have to get done between now and Christmas. I was so wrapped up in all the details of what I had to do that I forgot, she had the identical situation. Thank you, Sally, for pulling me out of my self-obsession. Really, what I should do is check in with Sally around Halloween so I can learn how she is preparing for Christmas. Sally is super-organized, a wonderful planner and a one of the most generous people I know. Oops, no, no, what I really should do is talk to Sally and see what she might need help with, thats better!!! The other instance, in which,I was again complaining, hmmm, notice a patternI was focused on my dislikes and not the dislikes of the friend I was talking to. It makes such a difference. I couldnt see his problem, I wasnt looking or even attempting to understand. Once I figured this out, stopped looking at it from my lens, it became perfectly clear. We live in a world of Twittering, Facebook, LinkedIn, Personal Branding, and self promotion. These ego-centric activities have their time and placeif we fail to walk a mile in someone elses moccasins or try to look at life through their eyes, I think weve missed the boat. I was reading an article last night that spoke about the endorphins released in the brains of those who were donating money and volunteering. The body wants us to do altruistic deeds. The payback is, it makes us feel good. As 2009 too quickly approaches, I am considering my New Years resolution. It has to be the year of View the Lives of Others First or Focus on Your Friends and Family or Give.