Helping Others, Helping yourself

I was recently introduced to the book Big Panda, Tiny Dragon by James Norbury. The summary, as described by Amazon, is "Big Panda and Tiny Dragon embark on a journey through the seasons of the year together. They get lost, as many of us do. But while lost, they discover many beautiful sights they'd never have found had they gone the right way. Told through a series of beautiful drawings and quiet, sometimes silly, conversations, the panda and the dragon explore the thoughts and emotions, hardships and happiness that connect us all."

In some ways this book feels similar to the wisdom we gain from Winnie-the-Pooh. The drawings have a sketch quality that reminds me of the original Pooh drawings (not the Disney version) and there's short sayings that seem simple, but are so rich and complex. The first wisdom shared with me from Big Panda, Tiny Dragon was the thought "When you light a lantern for someone else, you cannot help but light up your own path." Coupled with the beautiful illustration, this thought just felt like a "zap" of insight.

Sometimes we think of helping others as a zero sum game. If I help them, I am concentrating on their needs, not my own. But it doesn't have to be that way. Doing good for others can do good for yourself too. Even things that may not seem that way on the surface, if you dig deeper may fit this idea. For example, it might initially seem selfish to do self-care, but if you're not at your best, you can't be as good for others. On the opposite side, if you spend all day running around doing things for others, it might feel like "how is this helping me?!," but perhaps it's helping you grow or learn or build a relationship.

Let's all be the Tiny Dragon in this picture. Or is it the Panda who's helping more? Hard to tell, huh? And maybe that's the point.