To live selflessly seems like one of the most courageous and freeing decisions a person can make. A theme of selfishness and selflessness kept making its way to me, so I’m bringing the theme to this episode! Neil and I talk about the theme of selfishness or the “What’s in it for me?” mentality and people embracing the opposite by being selfless. We discuss what it takes to change from one side to the other, selfishness to selflessness. Now, we’re all human, and thinking about ‘self’ is natural. For our talk, “selfish” isn’t referring to the self-care version of “putting yourself first.” Selfishness in this episode is the kind of “selfish” that puts ‘self’ at the expense of others. During the episode, I read quotes from Neal A. Maxwell and James E. Faust to help identify what it means to embody “selfishness.” They inspired me to consider the way people interact with each other and show up, myself included. Neil and I exchange examples of selflessness and deeply inspiring stories of sacrifice that I’m almost certain will leave you wanting to be selfless. Hear our childhood memories, heroic stories we know of, and awe-inspiring moments of selfless behavior. Going from story to story we dispel myths about the perception of success, competition, and worldly possession. Our perception of these ideas, usually influenced by society, impacts the way we interact with each other more than we think. We’re taking time to deconstruct selfishness and build selflessness. Selfishness has layers: the deeds we do, what we wish for others, and more. Each layer is suffocating. More selflessness can be a freeing experience. While Neil and I talk, we find that sacrifice and personal growth are pathways to selflessness. The only thing left for us to do is make an effort to live selflessly like the stories in this episode.   Time Stamps: [00:38] - The first spark of inspiration for our talk today is from a Neal A. Maxwell quote that made us understand selfishness differently. [02:51] - Following the first spark, another spark of inspiration came that reminds me of the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. [04:33] - We should all strive to be genuinely happy for others. [06:26] - Neil expresses how cheering for others is so counterintuitive to the myth of success society sells. [08:25] - Worldly possessions are simply objects; our view about the objects is what gives us peace or makes us feel miserable. [10:15] - I share a personal story about my childhood, a grand piano, and the selflessness of my parents. [13:12] - By choosing to be more selfless, we’re setting ourselves up to be more free. [15:35] - Neil gives credit to his admirable father who worked on personal growth over the years then reminisces about childhood. [17:28] - Neil tells the story of trying to hide a motorcycle ticket from his father. Was he able to keep the secret? [19:09] - I have such a strong memory of my grandpa’s transition into a new life that positively impacted my life when I was younger. [21:36] - We take a lesson of selflessness from history in a story of the pioneers who travelled to the West during the 1800s. [24:30] - Being selfless is a heroic act. [27:29] - In tough and uncomfortable moments, we have an opportunity to show up selflessly. [29:47] - Are we willing to move closer toward a more selfless life?   Supporting Resources: “Repent of [Our] Selfishness” Talk by Neal A. Maxwell https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/repent-of-our-selfishness-d-c-56-8?lang=eng  Miss Nigeria’s Reaction to Miss Jamaica Winning Miss World Pageant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlDjqF8YYLQ “What’s in it for Me?” Talk by James E. Faust https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/10/whats-in-it-for-me?lang=eng  “Four B’s for Boys” Talk by Gordon B. Hinckley https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1981/10/four-bs-for-boys?lang=eng