Selfish or Self Care

I'm a wife and I'm a mom, I'm a sister, aunt and daughter. All of these rolls in my life take time, energy, and sacrifice. I've worked hard over the years making sure that the people that I love the most get the best of me...they get the best of me, because I work to be the best me.

I'm convinced that taking care of myself is the very best thing I can do for all of my loved ones. My husband has a wife that feels confident and beautiful. My son has a mom that he looks up to and respects. My sisters and brothers look to me as an inspiration and my nieces and nephews see me as a role model. My Mom just loves me.

I meet with women every day who do a lot of sacrificing, but they do it to their detriment.They give out all they've got without taking care of themselves first. They love, they serve, they give, all while they aren't in touch with their very best self!

I once heard a great analogy for this issue. When you go on an airplane and the flight attendant is explaining the oxygen mask that will fall down in an emergency...she says, "If you're with a child, remember to put your mask on first, and then help the child." That's the way we should see it every day. We need to be taking care of ourselves first so that we might be able to help and love those around us.

I've always felt like I owed it to my husband and to my son to be the very best, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I think it would be selfish of me to do any different. I think that women have that thinking backwards...they think if they take care of themselves first, that somehow, that is selfish.

Selfish to me is being unhappy, dissatisfied, and angry with my self. Selfish to me is spending time worrying about how I haven't taken care of my self, how bad I look and how frustrated I am with my self!

Self care is truly the selfless thing to do. When we are at our best, we are able to pour out, love on, and be free around the very most important people in our lives.

I hope you will reflect on your self care this weekend and know that the greatest thing you can do for those people in your life, is become the very best you!

Always encouraging you.
Letha