We live in a time when so much of the world tells us to focus on ourselves. Build your brand. Find your voice. Share your truth. Optimize your life. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, we’re encouraged—sometimes even pressured—to make life about us. And to a degree, that makes sense. You only get one shot at this. You don’t get to live in anyone else’s body, carry their thoughts, or feel their emotions. You experience this world through the lens of your own mind, and your own mind alone.
So yes—this life is about you. But it’s also not. And that’s the paradox we rarely sit with long enough to understand.
Because while your life happens in your mind, the meaning of your life is found in what you give to others. Fulfillment comes not from being the center of attention, but from being in service of something greater than yourself. The best life isn’t lived in a vacuum of self-interest—it’s lived in community, with humility, intention, and responsibility.
We are hardwired for ego. It helped our species survive. But ego alone doesn’t help us thrive. That takes a different instinct—one that’s often quieter, less celebrated, and certainly less visible online. It’s the instinct to belong. To help. To lift others up. To be part of something where your presence contributes to a shared good, not just a personal gain.
And yet, in today’s hyperconnected world, we often mistake visibility for impact. We’ve become fluent in performative empathy. We say the right things, post the right photos, stand with the right causes—not always because we feel them deeply, but because we don’t want to be left behind. We want to be seen on the right side of the issue. The irony is that in trying so hard to appear good, we often forget to do good.
That’s why I have deep respect for those who show up in real life. For those who peacefully protest not for cameras or credit, but because they believe their voice—combined with the voices of others—can bend the arc of history. They aren’t smashing windows or demanding attention through chaos. They are simply standing, walking, holding signs, singing, enduring. They show up in the rain, in the heat, with no assurance of change. And still, they go.
Because they know it’s not about them. It’s about the cause. It’s about the next generation. It’s about principle. That’s what gives their presence power. That’s what gives their action meaning.
This isn’t about protest alone. This is about life. About the posture we take toward the world around us. We can spend our days chasing personal gain—more wealth, more status, more validation—or we can decide that our lives are better spent in contribution. In generosity. In quiet, consistent service.
And here’s the part we don’t hear enough: that’s actually the more fulfilling path. Not just morally—but emotionally. Spiritually. Even biologically. Study after study has shown that people who give, who volunteer, who dedicate time and energy to causes beyond themselves, report higher levels of happiness and lower levels of anxiety and depression. We are built to serve. Built to care. Built to be useful.
It turns out the most selfish thing you can do for your own happiness is to live selflessly.
That doesn’t mean you stop dreaming. Or striving. Or working hard to build a life that’s exciting and personal. But it doesmean keeping one eye fixed on others. It means making space at the table. It means thinking twice before acting in anger. It means helping someone else climb even when your own hands are tired.
When you live this way, your identity becomes bigger than your reflection. Your joy becomes less fragile. Your meaning deepens. Your values hold you in place when the winds of the world try to toss you around.
So yes, this life is about you. You are the only one who can live it. But if that’s where your thinking ends, you’ll miss the very thing that makes life most worth living: being a force for good in other people’s stories.
That’s the paradox. That’s the lesson. That’s the invitation.
It’s not about you. And that’s the point.
If this episode challenged the way you think about service, meaning, or the role you play in the lives of others—share it with someone who inspires you to give more than you take.
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Until next time—be present, be useful, and remember:
You were made to do good.
And the most powerful life is the one that lifts others.
It’s not about you.
And that’s the point.
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