Dallas Willard

People view death to self as if it means getting rid of yourself. This is not at all what it involves. You are not put here on Earth to get rid of yourself. You were put here to be a self, and to live fullly as a self. The worth of your self – your self- is inestimable, and God’s intent for you is that you become a fully-realized self as you make the grace-fueled movement from the old self to the new.