My mum said to me once “that’s great you’re doing all this personal development work, but when do you stop looking within and start noticing how what you do affects and hurts other people? When do you start looking outside yourself?”

I couldn’t respond to this back then, but if she ever said that again, is this the right response?

“I will never stop looking within because that is where all my answers are. Other people’s feelings are not my responsibility. They are caused by their thoughts. My responsibility is to coach myself and work with my thoughts and feelings.”

I could see her saying:

“Yes but that makes you selfish, only thinking about yourself. When do you start helping and being considerate of others?”

I would now say:

“I do not have to spend my days analyzing and worrying about how other’s are feeling and whether I am hurting them. It’s up to other people to communicate how they feel so we can have a discussion. My job is my own thoughts and feelings. And when I’m feeling happiness, peace and joy and I’m thinking positive thoughts, I’m able to take action which benefits the world and myself. I do not have to suffer to make other’s happy. My job is only to handle my own happiness and then as a result, my actions will benefit the world.”

Is this the right thinking?