I was asked to write about this topic … and I think I need to make it very simple.
Self-care: honoring what “I” need physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually — nourishing my body, allowing my emotions to be and flow, healing and expressing my spirit, speaking my thoughts without apology.
Look around you. Who do you know who practices awesome self-care? If you are fortunate enough to know even one such person or, better yet, to BE that person, what is their impact on those around them? My guess is that they are generous, kind, loving, authentic, real and that the gift they give themselves daily can’t help but spill over into honoring everyone and everything around them.
If the impact of deep and powerful self-care is feeling great and being an amazing person to be around:
Why do so few people practice awesome self-care?
Just maybe some of this is true:
- they live in the excuses of “no time for that” or “that is selfish”
- they are unable to say no to others; they have poor or non-existent boundaries
- they don’t love themselves enough
There is one more, rarely spoken of reason:
It can be very lonely.
Think about it. How many people do you know who practice awesome self-care regularly, who are truly devoted to their personal wellbeing and who say no to you when your request interferes with it? Not many! In our society and many others in today’s world, amazing self-care is the road less traveled. You won’t readily find a 12-step group called Amazing Self-Care Anonymous (though you could start one!) or an organization whose core values include each employee practices amazing self-care first. All too often, those closest to us, family and friends, are anything but encouraging when we put ourselves first.
So this practice of amazing self-care can be VERY lonely.
Yet, here is my truth, having been growing my personal practice steadily over the past 10-15 years:
- The more I take care of me, the more I’m accused of being generous!
- The more I take care of me, the more I have within me to give and the more I want to give it.
With respect to awesome self-care, I choose to be in this world, but not of it. I can’t imagine any other way to be anymore.
Please, don’t take my word for its value, but do give amazing self-care a try. Please? If you can’t do it for yourself, consider doing it for those you love. Consider modeling extreme awesome self-care for your children, your friends and for those you work with who aren’t aware that it is a choice and perhaps don’t know how to do it.
How will your amazing self-care impact our world?
What loneliness are you willing to experience …
for the greater good?
Thank you.