Reflections: Chapter 01 of A Purpose Driven Life (Book)

Reading a Book: A Purpose Driven Life 
Chapter 01 

It's rare for me to voluntarily read and or want to read on my own; Especially if it wasn't forced upon me by the obligations of life.

The author wants his readers to interact with his book for 40 days, as an experience and journey. 
A reflection of marinated thought, daily, per chapter. 



     As I read the first chapter, again, (since I never got too far the first time years ago) I had many instant disagreeing feelings to what I read. 

The message I reacted to was how a life that's self serving and self centered is wrong; especially when the author is addressing to me, his reader, about "My" - Life. 

Parents raise children to believe that being selfish is bad. And therefore: Wrong! 
But they never told me that being selfless can be harmful and painful to me and my well being. 
So of course when I felt that my self preservation instincts are being preyed upon by what I read, I strongly disagreed. (as a first response) 

As a child to their parental relationships, many of us try to escape the life of having our parental figures live their lives vicariously through us (some more forcefully than others, about how and who we should be, and therefore what to do, to become their dreams and failed aspirations). 

My life is mine. My time is mine. My direction to strive my life towards is also mine. 
I will not make someone else the star and backseat driver of "My"-Life. 
There's no investment like self investment.
It has never wasted my time nor attachments towards self improvement. 

But living selflessly, self-sacrificingly, have scorned me to crisps and burned my well being to the ground (in more ways than one). 

I'm not Gandhi.
I'm not Mother Teresa.
And nor will I ever aspire to be; For what I seek is simple and plain. 
I have no dreams about being an icon, or a looking point to inspire others. 

All I have ever wanted, was to live a peaceful life with a family of my own, as a whole. 
I have no grandiose dreams of being rich, famous, or influential. 
I actually don't want to be bothered by people.

It's peaceful.