[PinkSkies]

How do I loose myself? I mean get over myself? I'm crippling my own existence because of my obssession with myself, constantly asking questions like: How will this make me look? What would make me comfortable, how would this help me, what have I to gain? Do they see how good I am at this? I'm frustrated and some part of me doubts if I can be rid of this obsession. My christianity feels so sereal, what's real to me is me and my needs, how can God help me, I have little time to think of others let alone help or sacrifice for the their sake.. Help, I'm desperate?

[dwashbur]

A few suggestions:

- volunteer at a soup kitchen or something similar

-visit someone at a nursing home on a regular basis

-get involved in a project through your church

Basically, get out there and realize there are LOTS of people who are in much worse situations than you are and could use your help, then choose one or two of them and help. I know from experience that it's not easy to start turning your eyes outward when they've been pointing inward for a long time, and there's no simple answer except, just get out there and do it.

[dwashbur]

To sum up, the best way to "get over" yourself is to get involved with someone else who needs what you have to offer. What are you good at, and how can you use it to serve and show compassion to someone else? Ask the Lord to direct you to someone you can serve in His name, then start looking.

[Wondergirl]

God will help you "forget yourself" and "lose yourself" if you allow Him into your life by doing the things that dwashbur suggested, i.e, sign up to be a volunteer. It's fun, you'll meet people, and you'll learn how to do new things. I was in charge of a library volunteer program. My volunteers always had a terrific time searching for books to send out through interlibrary loan, sticking labels onto new DVDs (so you get to see new stuff), and processing new books with plastic covers and various stickers. Or you can work at an animal shelter and brush cats and help shy ones become more friendly, or walk and play with dogs.

Volunteering is very Biblical, as it follows Jesus' Second Greatest Commandment, "Love others." By losing yourself that way, you will find yourself. The Bible promises that.

Btw, "sereal" is spelled surreal.

[Fr_Chuck]

I love to tell stories, I was working a max security prison ward one day, really sad, upset and depressed. An inmate who was doing life with no parole, asked about a up coming storm, he said, he wished a tornado would hit the building, I asked why, he said that was the only way he would ever have a chance to walk outside those fence again.

Another day, I was sitting with a seriously broken leg, I will have a partial disability from it, I was feeling so sorry for myself, till I noticed the man next to me, sitting there without a leg.

But I will agree you start doing things for others, see that life has nothing to do about you, and that often what you where means little. What are you doing to make this world better ?

[HeadStrongBoy]

I remember having posted my opinion on this question. But somehow it seems to have disappeared. Rather odd ! I'll do it again.

The OP's question has two parts. [1] Practical advice on how to deal with being "self obssessed."
[2] Specific reference to Christianity and to God.

If the asker had limited himself (or herself) to part one only, then I'd have no objection to the other opinions posted here. But Christianity, God, and the Bible throw a whole new light on the situation.

Another term for "self obssession" that comes from the Bible is pride. And actually it is the normal spiritual state for all of humanity. Only when God gives the individual a brand new heart (soul, or spirit) does that self obssession begin to fade away. But God must take the very first step. We cannot make ourselves into a new creature. Jeremiah 13:23

[classyT]

Learn about Jesus... read about HIM... meditate on Him! When we focus on HIM, we die to ourselves. He is an awesome savior who came to give us life and life more abduntantly.

[Hope12]

Hi,
Have you ever heard the saying:? "Beauty is only skin deep!" (Proverbs 4:23) 23 More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart, for out of it are the sources of life."

You can think of yourself only, and on your outward appearance you may be appealing to see, but when you speak, do you show inward pride or does your heart speak love for others? Jesus said at Luke 6:45: “A good man brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of his wicked treasure; for out of the heart's abundance his mouth speaks.�

Those who are self-centered are only out to benefit themselves and they do not imatate the love Jesus said his followers would have amongst themselves. (John 13:34-35) 34 I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU, that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.� Without that love we can only become proud and self-centered, caring only about our self. How sad it is to become so full of pride and selfishness that we are always caring about JUST ME, ME, ME. A REAL Christian must have love.

“Let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.�—1 John 3:18. Yes caring for others, will make our beauty and our love shine from the inside to our outside appearance. “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.�—MATTHEW 22:37. If we love God, that love will overflow to al his creatures, we will be so busy helping others, we will not have time for prideful self centered thoughts and deeds. Read Gods word the Bible and find the kind of love Jesus Christ had for others, then you will not think only of what is in it for you. When you find that kind of love, you will no you found it because you will feel a joy that you have never felt before and satisfaction knowing that we have added to the comfort and needs of others. I truly hope find that love and when you do, then and only then can you truly say you love God.

Peace
Hope12