Is an intense desire for personal growth and development a selfish thing? Some people think it is, but I disagree.

Human beings are social beings. We feel the most lasting satisfaction and meaning from our relationships with other people. We have a strong need to belong, to love and be loved, to feel needed and accepted. But how much love you can give - and accept - depends on how you feel about yourself. 

Long before you can improve your relationships with others, you must first improve your relationship with yourself. If you don't value and care for yourself, you can't value and care for others. 

Also, did you know that having a high sense of self-worth is contagious? You see, when your self-esteem is high, you almost automatically nurture and mentor those around you, as well. 

To sum it up, how you feel about yourself directly affects how you live life and how you relate to others. So, it's far from selfish to want to grow as a person and to feel a healthy sense of high self-esteem. In fact, high self-esteem will make you more generous. We all do unto others as we do unto ourselves. 

And when you live with a storehouse of quiet, deep gladness in your heart, you'll be in a far better position to share, reach out, give and receive from others.