Subversive Health

out in the ocean of San Souci beach

BOY! Do we need to do a REHAB on the word Selfish. Back in the days of the British Empire the Self was torn into two parts: Selfless (worthy) and Selfish (unworthy)

Of course, if you want to build an Empire or an Enterprise then Selfless is what you want to foster.

But Selfless a very bad virtue for Good Health. Carried to extremes — people work themselves to death.

As I see it, Selfish is the thin protective layer that wraps around the Entire Self. Too thick and it destroys the permeability of the Self. But, too thin and we fail to take adequate care of our Bodies and Hearts.

So today I was out swimming in the Pacific — taking care of my body and my heart and my spirit, too. George MacDonald — a Christian writer in the 1880s) observed that “Work is not always required of us. There is such a thing as sacred idleness which is now fearfully neglected.”

What am I recommending? 1) That we see the Self as a complex Whole 2) That we accept our responsibility to care for our Entire Self 3) And realize that to do so we must exercise a judicious degree of Selfishness.