This morning, I was thinking about the story of Narcissus who caught sight of his reflection on the surface of the sea and was so infatuated that he slowly fell in and drowned while chasing the “beauty” of himself. I realize sometimes how deep and insatiable the abyss inside of us can be. We feed ourselves through self-congratulation and pride, but as much as we feed the monster, it is never satisfied.

 

With predictability, I can say every time I turn around to give myself a little pat on the back, wham, the world around me reminds me all too quickly that I’m just a tiny speck flying around a tiny rock in the great expanse of the universe.

To battle pride, some people can engage in somber humility. I just don’t have that discipline, but I can laugh at myself, regularly. Imagine Narcissus throwing a rock in the pool of water. Suddenly, his likeness isn’t so beautiful as it becomes distorted and disproportionate–it becomes hilarious. I have to be reminded to mix up the image of myself lest I fall into the abyss of self worship.

I leave you with this one thought: If you want to matter in the world, believe the world around you makes no difference. If you want to make a difference in the world, believe you don’t matter.

Image used via creative commons license via Peggy Reimchen.