Print this page
Sunday, 06 August 2017 05:45

The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life. Featured

Written by
Rate this item
(1 Vote)

To be full and complete, life must include concerns for oneself, humanity, and the spiritual. This was from a speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at New Covenant Baptists Church, Chicago, Illinois on April 9, 1967. King preached about “the three dimensions of a complete life.”  He referred to these dimensions as the Length, Breadth, and Height of a Life. They represented an inward concern for one’s own personal welfare, ends and ambitions, an outward concern for others, and an upward reach toward God.

King’s framework for the three dimensions of a complete life is like the framework for a triple bottom line business, with Length, Breadth, and Height replaced by Profit, People, and Planet.

The Concerns for Oneself
When travelling with a plane, before the plan takes off there is a safety demonstration and part of it reads:


Oxygen and the air pressure are always being monitored. In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will automatically appear in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth, secure the elastic band behind your head, and breathe normally. Although the bag does not inflate, oxygen is flowing to the mask. If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on first, and then assist the other person. Keep your mask on until a uniformed crew member advises you to remove it.

You need to be secured first before you can assist those that needs assistance. When you give without replenishing yourself, at a point you will become resentful towards the people you give because with time you will begin to feel they are taking you for granted. The problem is not with them, but you. You should have your mask on before you assist. If you are not able to assist, you let them know. Stop being nice to your own detriment.

You need to invest and develop yourself first. Personal development is a lifelong process. It is a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals to realise and maximise their potential. Personal development begins with self-awareness. You get to know who you really are; your values, beliefs and the purpose you wish to pursue. True fulfilment can never come from chasing other people’s dreams. If you want to achieve lasting happiness, you need to design your life based on who you are. Then you can chase your own goals and objectives.

When you give enough to yourself, you have enough to share with others. Self-Development or personal development is the result of taking steps to improve yourself. There is no single area of focus. In fact, the process of personal self-development is very personal. You must evaluate yourself, either with or without the help of a professional, and then use that evaluation to decide where you need to make improvements.
Whatever job you are doing, do it with love. Give it your very best. Be optimistic and positive. Create a perception that enables you to see things in a positive way. Don’t limit yourself for any reason. Live your life with fun and pleasure. Your life will be more fun to you and others if you try to worry less, listen more, and pause and repeat what the person speaking with you has just said. Don’t be a boring companion. Stop being in charge all the time. Learn to be humble. Be attractive and attract good things. Create a lovely, aromatic environment. Make it easy for others wanting to be in your presence. Refuse to give up no matter the circumstances.

Always set aside time to improve yourself first, then it will be easier to help anyone that needs assistance from you.
What is valued by self is extended to demonstrate a relationship with and necessity for, value and meaning in community, and humanity. This is the length. You need to accept yourself, develop yourself because you are a tool. Once you can achieve this, you need to know what you have been called to do.



The Concerns for Humanity
The breadth is the outward concern for the welfare of others. Most often to assist others, you must put yourself at risk.
The destiny of the nations that are the War Powers is tied up with the destiny of certain countries in the world. So long as these special countries are insecure, America and the United Kingdom can never be totally secure. Therefore, they get involved in their foreign policy to fight wars and assist troubling nations sometimes in ways we think they shouldn’t get involved. All life is interrelated. So, no nation or individual is independent. We are interdependent. We are involved in a single process. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.

People who care for others’ well-being through acts of altruism, volunteering, or formation of communal relationships seem to be happier and less depressed. This seems to be especially true in older individuals. Most people who care for others in a selfless manner do so because of a genuine desire to help and improve the world around them. Nonetheless, modern psychological research has shown that caring has benefits for all involved; people who volunteer or care for others on a consistent basis tend to have better psychological well-being, including fewer depressive symptoms and higher life-satisfaction. The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.

Whatever you do, you need to consider others. Life is not just about you. If you are alone in the world, it will be lonely and there will be no reason why you want to remain. Life is beautiful because of everything and everyone. The people you meet makes life beautiful. You need to have compassion to assist and help people. Compassion is also a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible and necessary to help alleviate the suffering of others.



The Concerns for the Spiritual
The third dimension is the height. Now if life is to be complete, you must move beyond yourself interest. You must move beyond humanity and reach up, way up for the God of the universe, whose purpose does not change. You know, a lot of people master the length of life, and they master the breadth of life, but they stop right there. You can never see the mind of the architect who drew the blueprint. You can never see the love and the faith and the hope of the individuals who made it so. Engaging the height of life requires leaning forward into the heart of uncertainties regarding the existence of God.

Bringing It All Together:
Love yourself: Length of Life.
Love your neighbour as you love yourself: Breadth of Life
Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength: Height of Life.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. Wisdom, Compassion, and Courage are the three Universally recognised moral qualities. Compassion is the ability to see.

34823 comments

  • Comment Link curry 6 shoes Tuesday, 14 June 2022 11:26 posted by curry 6 shoes

    Thanks for each of your work on this web page. Ellie really likes working on internet research and it is easy to understand why. My spouse and i hear all about the dynamic mode you make valuable secrets through this blog and as well increase response from the others on that area then our favorite girl has been learning a lot of things. Have fun with the rest of the year. Your doing a pretty cool job.

  • Comment Link ptfjfsol Tuesday, 14 June 2022 09:53 posted by ptfjfsol

    what is hydroxychloroquine plaquenil 200mg buy plaquenil for sale kiteboarding

  • Comment Link air jordan 1 Tuesday, 14 June 2022 09:12 posted by air jordan 1

    I wanted to compose a simple word so as to say thanks to you for all of the amazing facts you are giving at this website. My prolonged internet search has now been rewarded with good strategies to talk about with my great friends. I would assume that many of us readers are rather blessed to exist in a useful community with so many perfect individuals with beneficial secrets. I feel truly lucky to have come across your weblog and look forward to plenty of more fabulous minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once again for everything.

  • Comment Link nlhdauzn Tuesday, 14 June 2022 01:26 posted by nlhdauzn

    hydroxychloroquine 200mg for arthritis

  • Comment Link nike sb Tuesday, 14 June 2022 00:54 posted by nike sb

    I would like to get across my respect for your generosity giving support to folks that should have guidance on this one field. Your special dedication to passing the message throughout ended up being especially valuable and has truly enabled people like me to attain their desired goals. Your new helpful report entails so much a person like me and even further to my colleagues. Warm regards; from everyone of us.

  • Comment Link yeezy Tuesday, 14 June 2022 00:25 posted by yeezy

    My husband and i got now joyous Edward could finish up his homework from your precious recommendations he made out of your web site. It is now and again perplexing to just possibly be freely giving guidelines which often some others may have been selling. And we also do understand we have the writer to appreciate because of that. The entire illustrations you made, the easy site menu, the relationships you will assist to engender - it's got everything incredible, and it is helping our son and the family reason why that article is excellent, and that is seriously indispensable. Thank you for everything!

  • Comment Link jordans shoes Monday, 13 June 2022 20:40 posted by jordans shoes

    I must show my respect for your kindness giving support to all those that have the need for help with this particular concern. Your real dedication to getting the solution across became unbelievably significant and have in most cases enabled professionals much like me to realize their desired goals. Your own valuable tips and hints means a whole lot a person like me and much more to my fellow workers. Many thanks; from each one of us.

  • Comment Link golden goose sneakers Monday, 13 June 2022 19:36 posted by golden goose sneakers

    I'm just commenting to make you understand what a great experience our daughter found checking your webblog. She realized such a lot of issues, with the inclusion of how it is like to have an incredible teaching mood to get most people with ease learn certain multifaceted subject areas. You truly did more than people's desires. Many thanks for providing these helpful, safe, educational and easy tips about the topic to Evelyn.

  • Comment Link off white shoes Monday, 13 June 2022 19:34 posted by off white shoes

    Thank you so much for giving everyone an extraordinarily marvellous possiblity to read critical reviews from here. It's usually so sweet plus stuffed with a good time for me personally and my office mates to visit your blog more than three times per week to see the newest things you will have. Of course, I'm also at all times fascinated for the great suggestions you serve. Certain 1 points in this posting are truly the best I've had.

  • Comment Link yeezy 700 Monday, 13 June 2022 19:21 posted by yeezy 700

    My husband and i felt glad Louis managed to carry out his homework by way of the precious recommendations he obtained out of the site. It's not at all simplistic to just choose to be giving out solutions which usually other people might have been selling. And now we recognize we need the blog owner to thank because of that. The entire illustrations you have made, the straightforward web site navigation, the friendships your site give support to create - it is most wonderful, and it's assisting our son in addition to our family recognize that that issue is awesome, and that's extraordinarily serious. Thanks for everything!