Judith is
the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors
spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from
relationship to romance.
Unconditional support has
been the topic this month. It isn’t always easy to take care of yourself and
there are times when you may decide on a short term basis (as in a few hours or
maybe a day or two) to put the other person’s needs ahead of your own. But the bottom
line remains: taking care of ourselves is primary if we truly want to be at our
best in supporting the people we care about.
This month I’ve faced that
test several times and, to be honest, have not always practiced what I “preach”.
However within 24 – 36 hours I’ve reminded myself of the truth of what I teach.
When I don’t take care of
myself, I really am not at my best and therefore I truly am not able to support
my friend(s) in the way I most want to.
Without sleep, my energy is
low and my mental acuity isn’t at its sharpest.
Without eating properly, my
energy is low and my brain functioning suffers as do my reflexes.
Combine the two and my mood
suffers. My ability to “go with the flow” and interject the appropriate
response to difficult behavior is disruptive. At its worst I become part of the
problem instead of part of the solution.
Upon reflection I can see I'm my own best advertisement for following my advice to Take Care Of Yourself First!
Next month I’ll be sharing
ideas on creating a life with Unconditional Love flowing through it. In the
meantime, consider as we head in to the holiday season that is usually fraught
with peril (I love that phrase), what your plan is to take care of yourself.
As always please share!
2 comments:
Great advice, Judith. It is a dilemma isn't it? I know I am someone who justifies not taking care of myself "temporarily" because I believe the person I am caring for, or organization I am with is in more need than I am. I believe that I can "take it" because I'm stronger.
Of course, this leads down a road that is not pretty--especially when the caring continues beyond any timeframe I had in mind. It is never easy to practice what we preach. It is a battle I fight every year--living my values of caring for others while at the same time making sure I am getting refreshed and renewed as well.
Whenever I go too far, I always remind myself of the airline instruction: "Put on your own mask first before assisting others." Why do they say that? Because breathing is REALLY important. :) And if we stop breathing we will be no good to help anyone else. I've learned that, for me, finding balance where my needs are being met (not only physical but emotional ones) too is really important.
Thanks for sharing this wisdom, Judith.
And for me part of the challenge is when I think I've finished my "job" and can now get back to "me" only to find a loose end flapping in the breeze or in some cases, wind. A minor piece I can postpone for a few days or even weeks but some times it is a major "end" or there is an external time frame over which I have little to no control. When these events happen, if I've still some balance in my life I can chant "This Too Shall Pass" and move forward.
My number one daily priority is to create balance in my life. How I wish I could report I'm always successful. That I cannot do but I can honestly say I'm far more likely to than a couple of years ago. Reminding myself of the Progress I'm making helps me stay the course. Hmm, can I find a few more cliches?
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