Oh Look, A Butterfly

To me there is a huge difference between living for myself and looking after myself.
I want to look after myself.  I am fond of saying I am no good to anyone if I do not look after myself.  It is only if I am doing that, that I can help where need be.  The best intentions in the world is powerless if it cannot be enacted.  I see it all the time at the moment. Wanting things to be different or better, but not doing anything to make things better.  Concentrating on myself and living only for myself to the detriment of others.
For me I reckon I can have the best of both worlds. For sure there are times when it would be easier and less effort to say, “blow you Jack” and satisfy myself alone.  Yet to me that has several drawbacks. 
The first one that came to mind is whether I live for myself alone of for myself and others, I face an emotional roller coaster.  Life throws up rough patches whatever way I choose to go. Living for myself alone does not make me immune to trouble.  But when I choose to live for myself alone what I face I often face alone.  I need help and help is available.  Trouble is when I am not looking for it, I tend not to see it.
Another drawback of living for myself alone is I tend to miss the lessons of every experience.  There are times when what I go through can assist another going through a similar experience.  When I live for myself alone, I tend not to share.  A lack of sharing means another misses out.  The thing is the implication of that is not just for one.  Not sharing with the one could mean a multitude miss out because of me.  The one can be an influence of good on a great many. Like my understanding of the butterfly effect.
Actually how I live is like the butterfly effect for good or bad.  My with-holding influences as does my giving.  As in all things, the choice is mine.