7 Strategies I'm Using To Become Less Selfish & More Selfless

Real talk: I’ve always considered myself to be a fairly selfish person. I know I'm not alone: In a society that puts so much emphasis on success and personal achievement, placing your needs above those of others feels necessary sometimes. But I do want to change. Here are a few strategies that I've found helpful in my quest to become less selfish and more selfless:

To be a good listener, I've learned that you have to let go of your own beliefs—even for just a moment in time. When someone else is talking, you can’t be planning your next move or thinking about how your own perspective is "better" or more worthwhile. Really listening to the people around us promotes closer, less selfish relationships.

I've found that sometimes, doing what another person needs rather than what you want ultimately keeps your needs met, too. Do you really care what you eat for dinner? Does the laundry actually have to be done now when a good game is on? Too often we waste our energy on making a point to just be “right;” when the thing is, there is usually more than one “right” route anyway.

Over the weekend, my exhausted husband got up with our two-year-old daughter when she woke at 3 a.m. He did everything he could think of to try to get her back to sleep: When a bath and her favorite toys didn't work, he took her on a drive. Our little girl fell asleep with her dad driving slightly below the speed limit on a country road at dawn... then a truck held down his horn behind him. If the other driver had seen our sleeping lady in the backseat, maybe they would have acted differently.

Any time I'm tempted to judge someone or act unkindly, I remember that life exists outside that check-out line or highway—and give them the benefit of the doubt.

It always bears repeating: Nobody in this world is more important than anybody else. Everyone is talented, passionate, and kind in their own way.

I've found that selfishness is like any other bad habit—it can be hard to quit! I'm trying to consistently check in with myself and reflect on how my attitude has been lately so I can adjust where needed.

If you have acted selfishly in the past, know that it doesn't make you a bad person. People can change, and you can too. In order to start moving forward in a more positive direction, you have to leave your past in your path.

“If you think only of yourself, if you forget the rights and well-being of others, or, worse still, if you exploit others, ultimately you will lose. You will have no friends who will show concern for your well-being. Moreover, if a tragedy befalls you, instead of feeling concerned, others might even secretly rejoice. By contrast, if an individual is compassionate and altruistic, and has the interests of others in mind, then irrespective of whether that person knows a lot of people, wherever that person moves, he or she will immediately make friends. And when that person faces a tragedy, there will be plenty of people who will come to help.” –Dalai Lama