Helping self:

Buddha helped Himself, first then others.
Therefore Buddhism is first to help yourself.

Buddha had the right attitude in helping Himself.
Buddhab studied well and studied as much as he could studied from His two teachers and he respected them so much and felt so much gratitude towards them that once he became Enlightened
He thought of paying back his two teachers with His Enlightenment. He looked for them and found out they died already.

Follow Buddha, help yourself but make sure you will study under teachers but still strive hard on your own and go as far as you can go if possible much more beyond your own teachers and when you succeed do not forget to repay your teachers and try find them out like Buddha did and hopefully your teachers will still be living.
Des/boo-ngoh