{"id":525,"date":"2014-11-08T18:35:25","date_gmt":"2014-11-09T00:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/?p=525"},"modified":"2019-05-17T13:27:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T18:27:17","slug":"its-not-about-you-or-is-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belovedlove.org\/reflections\/2014\/11\/08\/its-not-about-you-or-is-it\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Not About You, Or Is It?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"its-not-about<\/a>by Lydia Floren<\/p>\n

\u00a0It’s Not About You. \u00a0 Or Is It? \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s not about you.<\/em> \u00a0I have never understood that statement. \u00a0Think about it.\u00a0 You<\/span> are the only one living your life. You<\/span> make your own choices.\u00a0 You<\/span> experience life with your unique thought processes and personality. \u00a0 In reality, your life is–well–yours.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not JUST about you.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So what do people mean when they say \u201cit\u2019s not about you\u201d?\u00a0 I think they really mean that your life is not just<\/span> about you<\/strong>. \u00a0It is about more than you. \u00a0Here’s what I mean: \u00a0You are not the only person in the universe. For example–and this is the most important by far, this universe is inhabited by God, your maker. \u00a0In fact, you–your life– is a creative expression of God. \u00a0You are His masterpiece. \u00a0In addition, there are other people like you inhabiting this world, people with life, wants, and needs just like you. \u00a0 And, for good or ill, your choices impact your connection with your creator, and influence other people in your little corner of the world.<\/p>\n

Here’s the problem: if you have not learned to accept and appreciate yourself, \u00a0YOU are all you can think about. \u00a0You focus on trying to get your needs met. \u00a0Conversely, when you are at peace with yourself, \u00a0you have the capacity to focus outward instead of inward, blessing others instead of expecting from them.<\/p>\n

Everyone is needy–everyone has needs. \u00a0In order to move beyond yourself, you have to<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong>\u00a0 Face your needs<\/strong> and then \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 2.<\/strong>\u00a0 Choose to look first to God\u2014not other people<\/em>\u2014to meet those needs. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our Needs:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We all recognize our needs for food, clothing, and shelter, but we often ignore important needs that go beyond the physical. Only when we acknowledge these needs, and they are truly met, \u00a0can we move past \u00a0ourselves.<\/strong>\u00a0For example, we all need<\/p>\n