04/10/2026
My first memory of being called selfish, I was around four or five. One of my godparents had given me a bag of sweets as a treat - if youâre my age, youâll remember; that small paper bag, a 10p mix-up, the occasional treat every kid looked forward to.
One of my older sisters asked for some. I was the youngest of five, and it was a rarity at best that I had anything that was just mine. I knew that if I shared with one, Iâd have to share with all of them, and there wouldnât be any left for me. So I said no. Theyâre mine.
The way my mother berated me for not sharing cemented something. The sting of that shame wove itself in.
As I got older, the word followed me. âDesreen is the selfish one,â sheâd say - not caring whether I could hear. Some of my siblings would too, hearing it applied to me was normal and being young too they didnât realise the impact it was having. Even then, little as I was, Iâd think: am I selfish for wanting just something just for myself?
The more I heard it, the stronger the yes response to that question became: itâs selfish to have, want, or keep anything just for you. You must share everything - your time, your money, your things, even yourself. Give it all, or youâre not a good person.
And Desreen the people-pleaser was born.
Selfish is almost always used as an insult. Nobody wants to be called it - it hurts, especially when you know, underneath it all, that youâre a good, kind, generous person. So we do whatever it takes to never hear it again. Even if that means ending up depleted, diminished, with nothing left for ourselves.
For me, that started young. For you, it might look the same, or completely different. Either way - in my new class Self-ish on 21st October, weâre going to unpack it, reframe it, reclaim it, and make the choice to put ourselves back on our own list of priorities, with tools and a real understanding of why that matters.
Iâm Desreen, The Personal Mastery Alchemist. I help high-functioning people to stop simply managing their life and start actually leading it, starting with the one thing they always leave off the list: themselves.
Comment SELFISH for the sign-up link! đ