It’s not selfish to want something for yourself. Selfishness is more about taking and not considering the people around you.
Sometimes you read little gems in fanfiction of all places – that’s one paraphrased from a Miraculous Ladybug story I read this afternoon. I had never quite heard this thought put it in those terms before. We have to drill into our heads that self-care is not selfish (etc), but maybe we need that qualifier because we don’t understand the meaning of the word.
Selfishness feels like malintent. Asking for what you need, wanting things, having ambition . . . those things aren’t inherently bad. And we can want and take things for ourselves even if it isn’t what other people want, but we can do it with awareness of our actions and empathy for the world around us. Setting boundaries. Keeping our commitments to ourselves as much as we keep our commitments to other people.
Once again, Miraculous Ladybug comes in for a win.
With Love,
Natalie