How many roles do you play? Count them some time. You may be surprised. Do you consider yourself a mother or father? A daughter or son? A boss, a teacher, a retired person of leisure? A caretaker? These roles you play do change from day to day and moment by moment. You shift costumes so easily, playing some roles better than others. In fact, award-winning performances do you give in some cases.
The problems begin when you take these roles too seriously and they consume your life. Do you not see that all roles in the drama “Human Being” are temporary? You step on and off the stage, playing each role, but suffer when you begin to think that a particular role is who you really are. Beware. Even those roles in which you help others can cause you suffering if you believe that that particular role is who you really are.
Who are you, really? Take away all of the roles, and there you will find the real you. At any moment you can be the Director. At any moment you can sit in the audience and watch yourself playing your roles. Do not get caught up in any role. None of them is more important than another, save whatever role you are play-acting in this very now-moment. Are you playing it to the best of your ability? Will you win the prize for your expression of loving-kindness? As the Director of this focus of your eternal existence, that is what matters most.