FD#4

Natalie Weber

English 200 FD#4

1316 Words

2 May 2019

Selflessness

It is easy to get caught up in the fast paced, modern world we live in today.  Our environment encourages selfishness as every individual in society focuses on being successful in order to survive and succeed. Although it’s important to overcome one’s own struggles and focus on personal growth, this creates an overall population of individuals who are solely concerned about themselves.  As a result, there is a great lack of concern for one’s community. Many are so worried about their own well being that the well being of their surroundings and others goes unnoticed.  The opposite of this is to be selfless. Selflessness is defined as the concern more with the needs and wishes of others than with one’s own. To be truly selfless is a rare and admirable quality, especially in the modern world. Many things can be learned from those who have dedicated their lives to others. Through selfless actions they have not only improved the meaning of their own lives, but also the lives of many others. The world greatly benefits from the impact of selfless individuals and it is in our best interest to practice this endearing trait. [THESIS] Selflessness is one of the most important human qualities and is a vital attribute to the improvement of society. [THESIS]

One such selfless individual is Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, popularly known as Mother Teresa. Regarded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest humanitarians, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the sick and poor. She began her journey as a teacher in India, where she says she experienced her first calling. In 1946 her order opened a hospice, established centers for the disabled, and founded a leper colony. This inspired her to complete various levels of medical training in order to travel outside of her convent to aid the less fortunate.  She began an open-air school and established a home for the dying. In October 1950, she gained canonical recognition for a new congregation, the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded in order to aid her charitable cause. As the ranks of her congregation swelled and her influence spread across the globe, the scope of Mother Teresa’s charitable activities expanded exponentially. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing home, a family clinic and a string of mobile health clinics.

In 1971, Mother Teresa traveled to New York City to open her first American-based house of charity. In 1979 she was recognized by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in honor of her charitable efforts. She continued these practices into her final years, travelling to Lebanon in the summer of 1982 where she crossed between Christian East Beirut and Muslim West Beirut to aid children of both faiths. In 1985, Mother Teresa returned to New York and spoke at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly. While there, she also opened Gift of Love, a home to care for those infected with HIV/AIDS.

Since her death, Mother Teresa has remained in the public spotlight as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. She combined profound empathy and a fervent commitment to her cause with incredible organizational skills. This allowed her to develop a highly effective and successful international organization of missionaries. Through her leadership and selflessness, she was able to aid thousands of impoverished citizens all across the globe.

On September 4th, 2016 Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic church.  On the nineteenth anniversary of her passing, the Vatican honored her decades of humanitarian and charity work as tens of thousands of Catholics and pilgrims celebrated her hard work and dedication.  Mother Teresa was the true definition of selflessness in all aspects of her life, making herself available for everyone through her defense of human life. Mother Teresa said, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

Mother Theresa

Another example of selflessness is a mother’s love. My mother is an individual who I greatly admire for her embodiment of selflessness. I wish that at a young age I would have been able to grasp how much she sacrificed for me. Although she continued to work and go to graduate school, she put off multiple opportunities and career advancements in order to ensure that she could spend quality time with me throughout early childhood. She sacrificed many day-to-day luxuries such as sleep, free time, and self rewarding decisions to ensure that we would have a close relationship and a rewarding adolescent experience. Although I am now adult, she constantly makes sure I am benefiting from my life decisions and is continuously concerned with my well being.

I believe she went above and beyond to ensure that I would have a beneficial childhood. To this day, she continues to embody selflessness. She continues do the same every day for my younger siblings. Her demonstration of continued selflessness is best exemplified by her relationship with my youngest brother. He has struggled with many behavioral issues and mental illnesses throughout his young life. My brother has been diagnosed with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (O.C.D.), attention-deficit disorder (A.D.D.) and shows signs of autism. He has faced many challenges throughout his elementary schooling period and will continue to face obstacles as he develops. These are not illnesses that can easily be cured by medicines. Many of the medical treatments that are provided alter other aspects of an individual’s behavior, such as energy level and emotional health.

Despite these obstacles, my mother has not given up. A physician herself, she has a great understanding of the medical world and has dedicated countless hours to studying and expanding her resources regarding his medical conditions. She continues to seek new ways to improve his conditions without harming other aspects of his life. It would be easy for a parent to simply give their child what is popularly subscribed, but this may not improve a child’s conditions in the long run. My mother understands this. She tirelessly works full time, takes care of her other three other kids, and continuously makes sure that my youngest brother is thriving in his environment. She does not do this out of self interest, but out of love for her children.

My Mother

My mother has taught me everything I know, including love, kindness, faith in humanity, and selflessness. I try to practice these characteristics everyday, the most important of which I consider to be selflessness. I believe incorporating small selfless actions into a daily routine can greatly benefit a person’s quality of life and the lives of others. Some selfless acts I enjoy putting in to practice include picking up trash, holding the door open for someone, donating to charities, and helping others in whatever feasible ways that I can.

I believe if everyone made an effort to be a little selfless and practice selfless acts, the world would be a significantly better place. I hope we can all be inspired by individuals who embody selflessness and use them as an example to put this admirable trait into practice.