The Yarchei Kallah opened this morning with a special breakfast for the participants. Rabbi Weiner addressed the crowd, speaking on the topic of Kiddush Hashem. The ultimate question, he said, is "how can we be mikadesh shem shamayim?".
One should not focus on himself, rather on serving Hashem. The way to do that is by serving others - v'halachta b'drachav - by emulating Hashem'smiddos.
Quoting the Nisivos Ohr, the biography of Rav Yisrael Salanter, Rabbi Weiner related a pivotal point in Rav Yisrael's life. R' Yisrael realized that it would be improper to live a lifestyle of perishus, separation from humanity. The reason being that it would cause him to lose out on the opportunity to wage war for Hashem and His Torah, which is accomplished primarily by giving to others. This realization allowed him to eventually accomplish his life's work, the Mussar Movement.
