Taking Care of Yourself - June 24, 2015

Lesson of the Day

I used to think that taking time for myself was selfish and wrong. I was so wrapped up in taking care of everyone else, that I wasn't taking the actions and time I needed to care for myself. I would expend all of this time and energy helping others, sometimes going days without sleep, and then have nothing left for myself. But that kind of a life isn't healthy. It makes you feel exhausted, frustrated, and ultimately worthless, because the average person will never give you as much as you are giving them. I'm not knocking the average person at all, rather I am showcasing how they are giving to others in healthy amounts versus how people, like I used to be, give to others very unhealthily. A great example is money. Say you have five hundred dollars, and your essential bills are five hundred, such as water, just enough food, rent, etc. You wouldn't make yourself homeless to help another, or starve and be unable to work. You would give what you have left over. It's great to help others, but not to spread yourself so thin that you can't take care of yourself. The key here is balance in your life. Give to others, but not so much that your life becomes chaotic and barren. Keep your garden healthy and growing, and help others gardens when you have excess. Be kind to others, love and care for them. But also be kind to yourself, love and care for yourself.

Question of the Day

How often do you take time, whether it's ten minutes or an hour, just for yourself? Just to unwind and treat yourself. How often do you show yourself the same love you would treat a loved one with?

Gratitude

I'm thankful for my mother teaching me to be kind to others for instilling in me the seeds that became who I am. I'm thankful for every person who has shaped me over the years and who will shape me into the man I'm to become. I'm thankful that I finally learned to take time to care for myself, and I've never felt better.