* How To Become Your Own Worst Enemy

By Keith A. Shaw, President, Mind Body Spirit Central.com and SelfGrowth.com Motivation Expert

See all Articles by Keith ShawSee Keith Shaw's Expert PageGet Updates on MotivationGet Updates on Keith Shaw

They are around you every day – at work, in the newspapers, everywhere.

For example, you may have recently observed someone at the office complaining to everyone within earshot about how “someone did them wrong…again.”

Or maybe you saw on the evening news during the holidays, people in a fist fight over the last sale item at the local department store.

Or perhaps you read in the newspaper, about the woman who became angry when she was asked to move her illegally-parked car in front of a nightclub. She then ran over people standing in line as she tried to crash her car through the front door.

The people in these examples are governed by the “self”.

When you are governed by the self, any time that your selfish comforts are threatened, chances are you will quickly show your irrational, emotional side. Because you are so deeply intent upon defending and guarding your own selfish interests, you believe that you are justified in doing anything to protect them, no matter how dramatic your actions.

The self-centered people in these three examples do not understand that they are their own worst enemy. They continually scheme as to how they may protect themselves against their perceived enemies and use up their precious power. People who are wrapped up in self regard the loss of not only minor things, like in the examples, but also wealth, comforts or material possessions as the greatest calamities that could occur to them.

It is a human condition, and easy for people, when all is going well and they have the enjoyment of all their possessions, to persuade themselves to believe in and adhere to the principles of peace, brotherhood, and universal love. However when their enjoyments are threatened, or they imagine they are threatened, they show a belief in, not peace, brotherhood, and love, but selfishness, prejudice and hatred.

It is the toughest, most challenging times of crisis that decide who the people of self are and those of true power. The threat of disaster, ruin, and discrimination are some of the challenges in life that truly identify those with self control from those who are self centered and weak.

When you have developed your power, you will look upon incidents in your life as comparatively insignificant. In comparison, the loss of your character is the only happening which can really be called a calamity. When you have the power of your principles you are a calm, determined, in-control person under all circumstances — even when threatened with the loss of every possession, even to the loss of your reputation.

There is no way to build your power except by inward reflection and enlightenment. It is by constant practicing and application of your principles that you continue to learn and grow.

Copyright 2007 by Keith A. Shaw and Mind Body Spirit Central.com. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, audio or video recording or otherwise – without the written permission of the author and publisher.