“He who pursues fame at the risk of losing his self is not a scholar.” — Zhang Zhou

Fame, like money, is a multiplier. It brings out whatever is beneath all the outside layers of someone. If they’re truly greedy and self centered, it will shine through after fame or money.

Because of this, it’s important to remember to look after ourselves when we’re achieving our goals. Zhou uses the example of fame, but in truth it applies to any goal you’re pursuing. You can’t lose yourself in your goal, otherwise it doesn’t even matter whether or not you achieve it.

In order to stop ourselves from being lost in our goals, we have to set aside time to touch bases with ourselves and our friends and family. After all, we don’t want to lose them on top of it. In order to do this, I recommend one of two solutions. The first is to set aside one day of the week where you absolutely refuse to let yourself work, and instead only pay attention with friends and family. The other is to set aside time at the end of every day (I recommend during mealtimes) to bond with others. It depends on how your schedule works, but if you start your day early in the morning, I recommend setting aside time at the end of your day. 

Once we carve out time for others, we realize our own lives start to improve. Why? Because time with others is an investment that benefits ourselves as well as others. Contributing to others’ lives helps them when they’re at their low points. They remember the times you spend together, and it can even help pull them out of whatever low point they’re at. The best part is — you don’t even realize when this happens. It’s a funny thought actually, you could be at home laughing at some video you’re watching while they’re at their house pulling themselves out of their low point. Chances are, they’ll never tell you about it either, they’ll just pay it back without you ever knowing.

This time you set aside could be used for more than spending time with others too. Of course, you should always do that a little bit for the reasons named above. That being said, you can also use that time to rest and recover yourself. This is equally as important as helping others.

What do you think? What do you do to keep yourself from falling under your passions? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. Also, feel free to like, follow, and share this post on social media — it helps me grow our community. Other than that, stay tuned for future blog posts every Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and try to be the reason someone smiles today 🙂