“Think Globally, Act Locally”: Maintaining The Balance of Self With Community

Last updated on: February 28, 2018 at 5:59 pm by River Enodian

“Think Globally, Act Locally”: Maintaining The Balance of Self With Community 2018-02-28T17:59:22+00:00 River Enodian

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A lot of people are of the belief (rightly so) that to change the world, first you must change yourself.

While this is true, at what point is your self-introspection and evolution so self-absorbed to the point where you are no longer helping to change the world? At what point do you think people use the excuse of “I’m not perfect enough” to not help out others?

Some additional thoughts: I have wondered from time to time how often my quest to perfect and transform myself has made me oblivious to the needs and feelings of friends and family. I sometimes wonder whether or not I spend too much time navel-gazing and not enough time being of service in my community, or taking the time just to call my parents and say hello.

At what point do you need to sequester yourself, and when does one realize that it’s time to come out and be in the world?

And better yet, how do you know when you’ve overscheduled, overcommitted, and have stretched yourself too thin trying to be helpful and present for those around you: your spiritual community, covens, and spiritual and/or esoteric organizations? At one point do you find that balance between time spent for yourself vs your duty and responsibilities to your community?

I’ve always been a fan of putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others out with theirs. At the same time, part of contributing to your community is living by example. If you can’t balance self care with your personal responsibilities, how can you expect anyone else to learn how to do the same? It’s good to be an example of someone who can balance time for themselves, their family, and their community while still maintaining your responsibilities.

When you’re in a position of service, it’s important to take the time to do the necessary work within your community. But it’s also good to recognize that even as a witch, magician, or priest/ess, you are still human. Maintaining healthy boundaries while still managing your commitments is essential to both the Craft and the Great Work.

I’ve found that the answer lies in constant balance, self checks, and having people around you who are care enough to let you know when you’ve gone too much in one direction vs another. But if you are currently in a community which is advocating for foregoing self care at the expense of the Work or the Craft, you may be best finding a better community.

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