The Trials of Helping Others - Accusations of Self-Promotion.

One of the difficulties in my life is balancing my spiritual aspirations of helping others with the practical aspects of announcing my various projects, both new and existing. To put it bluntly, sometimes people feel offended by my self-promotion.

I received an email recently in response to my explaining some of these projects to my new Zaadz friends. It basically implied that I was using Zaadz only to further my "marketing campaign." Here was my response:

Nahh. I stopped thinking in black and white a long time ago (though I do tend to prefer b/w photos). PART of my Zaadz membership is PART of my marketing (though campaign is too formal a word for it). I truly try to integrate free, positive and useful information with everything I put out there on the Net.

Something I was told by a very capitalistic salesman whom I used to work with, words that struck me as I was contemplating a life of service. He said, "Wayne, if you have something that can make another person's life better, then it is your obligation to tell them about it, because no one else will." Kinda cynical, yes - but it had a powerful effect on showing me just how idealistic I was being by acting the "humble sage".

Yes, sometimes I take it too far, I'm human, I have financial needs, and a desire to share and help (as do you, which is apparent from your blog), but I try not to worry about it too much anymore. Sometimes I come across people who are offended by my technique and, because of their idealism, may indeed refuse to carry the little flash movie on their page that helps find children who are lost and alone and in unthinkably desperate straits. I look at people like that as I look at religious fanatics - people who are so caught up in their idealistic fantasy worlds that they can't see the pain they inflict on others.

I mean no offense by this {name withheld}, we have all suffered from spam which has programmed us to have "gut reactions" to anything that sounds like a sales-pitch, but I do ask you to look past these automatic reactions and search for the Source of the inspiration that manifests as my work.

Peace,

One of the greatest contributions that Ken Wilber has (to date) offered the world was to help raise awareness of just how important an integral approach to life is. We have to get out of black and white (dualistic) thinking if we are going to grow individually - and survive globally.

Zaadz is about changing the world. If you have something that can help people, then damn-it, tell others. It's unconscionable - a SIN even - to keep it to yourself. Now click on one of these children and send the auto-generated email to everyone you know.

Peace,