Creating Problems for Others

How many times have we made choices that influence other people, their lives, their circumstances. Thinking about the choices I have made regarding my kids, girlfriends, friends, wives and ex-wives. We tend to think in a narrow minded fashion about our day and it is said that if we refer to the terms "me", "myself" and "I" on a more frequent basis than the overall society body, in terms of "we", "us", etc, their tends to be a more susceptible risk of heart failure.
A theory or a medical fact ?

I tend to believe that we do not make choices only for us, even the simplest of ones, we always on a subconscious level think of the greater good. A friend gave me a beautiful image the other day ... "Think of yourself as an empty glass in the middle of the table. Now put that glass on a saucer of some kind and the saucer in the middle of the table. Start to pour water from a 'non-empty' source (like a hose or tap extension); As soon as the glass is full, it overflows into the saucer and in turn as the saucer fills up the water overflows onto the table and eventually off the table. If you take care of yourself (the glass), your immediate surroundings, circumstances and individuals  will be affected and that as the standard ripple effect in a pond is explained in so many valuable sources of literature, the water flows onto the table (people you vague associate with) to the people and places you never even heard of (the floor)."

A beautiful image. If that is true though, isn't it a selfish way of thinking ? Now is that choice to fill your glass, above other choices for the greater good? How do you ask a mother of a child to look after herself first then when she is "full" her kids will benefit in such magnificent ways ? Or that dad that gets up at two in the morning and knows he has an eight 'o clock meeting ?

Where is the line we so carefully have to balance on to ensure that our glass is full at all times and the water flow is not inhibited for the neighbor's glass ?

So next time, you plan that spa day, or that big slice of chocolate cake, or that new car, is that choice you are about to make for everyone's benefit ?