Expert: Justin Choo - 12/13/2005

Question
hello Justin, it has been a long time since I asked a quesion.  I hope you are well and healthy.  As you remember, I work as a paramedic, helping people all day is what I love to do.  However, there are days when there is so much to do, we are so busy, that I feel overwhelmed and even frustrated at always having to rush out and help someone when my stomach is so hungry, or I really need to go to the bathroom, or I am just too tired to move after a long day.  I keep thinking about the buddhist saying ," always have a concern for other's needs first".  But certainly a balance is needed, I cannot help others if I am tired and hungry and cannot do my job.  Would you agree that there is a need to be selfish sometimes?   Take care my friend I hope you are well.

Answer
Hi Greg,

I am very happy to hear from you again and to know that you are well.  You are always in my mind and I will never forget you.  I am well too.

AS you have very aptly put it in your "subject" heading as "Balance".  Yes, you need to strike a balance in your life.  You know the Chinese Tao symbol of "Ying and Yang"?  It signifies a balance of the opposites;  the harmony of apparent contradictions.  You need to know darkness in order to understand brightness.  You need silence in order to know sound.  There is good and bad in this imperfect world.  In order to survive we have to do a lot of unwholesome things.  It is the survival of the fittest.  So you need to be fit in order to survive, so as to help others in return.  By taking good care of yourself is not being selfish but being realistic. We are all walking a tight rope. We need to adjust the pole to balance ourselves so that we do not fall.  This is called skilful living.  You have lived right.  Please continue helping others.  As I said before, you are a very lucky man; you get paid for helping others and saving lives.

Thank you for coming back.  Smile from justinchoo :-)