Everyday Canvas

"It is not all about you!"

Prompt: When I was a kid, to put me in my place, I was told, “It is not all about you!”
If someone were to tell you “It is not all about you,” what could they mean in general, and to what, do you think, the word “IT” might refer?

I assume these words are uttered to tell a person not to be self-absorbed. The word "IT" may mean the existence of everything else, the entire creation. As a warning, I think "It is not all about you" is a fair admonition, as it means to pay attention to the world and what happens around the person rather than to or inside the person.

When we look around us, instead of always thinking what happened or what can happen to us, we come up with interesting insights; thus, the awe we feel for the creation can be enormous, and it can divert our attention to the world with a feeling of admiration. in other words, these words are meant to induce self-transcendence plus a feeling of connectedness to others. These words also encourage a person to wish for the greater good rather than working toward one's own selfish ends.

When a person is locked inside himself or herself, anxiety and worry can take over. Looking outside of oneself, realizing other things and people exist, can lessen the burden of constant worrying and the weight of unrealistic expectations from oneself. Looking outside of oneself also makes a person more open-minded and, even, more likable.

In some ways, we are all self-absorbed at times, and that could be a healthy thing to think about ourselves, to fix our wrongs, and amend our misdeeds; however, if we get stuck inside ourselves, we lose the world and that sense of awe that the natural world and creation deserve.