I’ve done it. I’ve found the solution to all the world’s problems.

It was hidden in the lyrics of an old Glen Campbell song:

Let me be a little kinder, let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me, let me praise a little more
Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others and a little less of me

Let me be a little braver, when temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder to be all that I should be
Let me be a little meeker with a brother who is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor and a little less of me

Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better, those that I am strivin’ for
Let me be a little meeker with a brother who is weaker
Think a little more of others and a little less of me

Money is not the root of all evil, selfishness is. When we put our own needs in front of those of our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues, we all lose. We see this concept manifesting itself every single day in our schools, jobs, communities, and families. It starts from a very young age. We don’t need to be taught to be selfish. (Just ask any parent of a toddler.) But we do have to be taught to be selfless.

The problem? It’s *much* easier said than done… (hence the double-bolding of the word “much” — I’d triple or quadruple bold it if I could) I mean, who really wants to get out of the way and let others step ahead? Who ever wants to yield and say, “No, you go ahead. Please.” Most of the time, if we say something like that, it is only followed by a mumbled comment or bitter thought about how that other person must think they are better than us, or more deserving than us, or more valuable than us.

We often fall into the trap of believing that we must step on other people in order to go up the ladder of success. But career coaches like John Maxwell and Bud Bilanich go around the world teaching concepts straight out of the lyrics above. These career coaches tell their clients, “Successful people practice unselfish thinking.”

But wait — doesn’t this go against everything we’re told about making wise choices to achieve the American dream? Shouldn’t we only invest (our time or money or whatever) when there’s a high projected return on our investment?

Not according to our Creator…

Thankfully there are people out there who actually put this stuff into practice, to perhaps give the rest of us scoundrels some hope that we can do it too.

Violet and Allen Large won $11.3 million in the lottery a few years back and gave pretty much all of it away to their local fire department, churches, hospitals, and other needy organizations, saying, “What you’ve never had, you never miss… It made us feel good, and there’s so much good being done with that money.”

That’s great, the me-me-me inside cries, but can’t I have a nice car, the latest MacBook (and could you throw in a few new iPhones too?) and a big house with that money too?

I once read the true story of a college student named Katie who gave up her very cushy life in the US to go to Africa, where she ended up adopting a whole soccer team worth of kids, most of whom she isn’t even old enough to have actually birthed.

I don’t know about you, but caring for 14 of somebody else’s kids, without running water or pretty much any other modern convenience, certainly wasn’t high on my to-do list as a 19- or 20-year-old…

And then there is the story Joseph (of the “technicolor dream coat” fame). Here’s a guy who was utterly abused by his brothers. (Check out Genesis 37 if you want a reminder of how Joseph’s brothers stripped him, threw him into a pit, and then pulled him back out only to sell him into slavery, making their father think he was eaten by animals.) Years later, when he meets his brothers again, he not only forgives them, but gives them pretty much everything he has (which is a lot, considering he has become a ruler in Egypt).

Yeah, but… they left him for dead!

Those are just a few examples that exemplify the concept but still seem unattainable. These people made huge sacrifices for others. What about those of us who live seemingly *normal* lives away from boat-loads of money, buckets of orphans, and supposed friends or family members who are out to kill us? (Then again… maybe a few of those things are actually part of some of our lives?!)

There are glimpses of selflessness all around if we stop to look for it.

It’s in the tired mom who trudges up the stairs with her fourth load of laundry for the day before collapsing into bed long past the rest of her family.

It’s in the woman who no longer works for the school system, but still returns to the school each morning to walk laps with a severely overweight student 12-year-old, all the while quizzing her on homework to help improve both her physical and mental health.

It’s in the busy man giving rides to his immigrant neighbor (who doesn’t have a car or speak much English), each day driving several miles out of his way before his workday even begins.

Each of these is definitely easier said than done… but well worth the rewards.

What does it look like in your life?

Father, Let me be a little kinder, let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me, let me praise a little more
Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others and a little less of me. Amen.

 

[Portions of this were originally posted on my personal blog in November of 2010.]