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Hey guys! It's been a while since I've posted, and I'm so excited to get back into it! Let's talk about self-care...
I think that self-care is a timely topic because of all the crazy stuff going on in the media right now. There are a lot of people who don't understand how they can help their communities or the world—and that's okay! Sometimes the best thing you can do for your community is take care of yourself.
With everything going on in the world, we're constantly being told to give and give and give—and it truly is important that we keep our hearts open to others, that we reach out to people struggling with mental health issues, and that we stay informed about the world around us. We do need to take care of others, but we also need to take care of ourselves.
Self-care is one of those things that I struggled with for a long time. I had a really hard time putting myself first, and even harder time learning how to say no and setting necessary boundaries. And honestly, for a long time, I didn't focus on self-care because I didn't think I needed it or think it was important.
It wasn't until some pretty big life changes forced me to re-evaluate what was important to me and what my priorities were that I realized how much my lack of self-care had impacted my overall health and well-being.
I've heard people say, "You can't pour from an empty cup," and it seemed like such a cliche at the time, but now that I've spent some time focusing on this aspect of my life, I'm starting to see some big changes.
So, what does self-care look like? Well, that depends on who you are! It might mean finding something that brings you peace—a hobby, an activity, a passion—that centers you and gives your life purpose and meaning (and maybe even joy!). Maybe it's learning to say "no"—or more importantly, learning how to say "no" in love: how to set boundaries without making other people feel rejected or like they don't matter. Maybe it's taking care of your body or eating better or making time for prayer and personal bible study, or just meditating and having "quiet time."
And remember this isn't just about pampering! Self-care is about checking in with yourself and learning or understanding how you're feeling. It's checking in with yourself to ensure that your mind is healthy and asking the questions, how am I feeling or how am I doing because you really want to know and really taking a step back to listen for the answers. These check-ins should be performed regularly so that we're thriving through life instead of just surviving from day to day. You also shouldn't feel guilty for any of this. You NEED it!
Master and embrace the art of doing nothing. Especially in today's world, where we're inundated with news and images and opinions. Where the media is telling us we have to be #onALLthetime because if you aren't constantly posting selfies and pictures of your food, products and witty thoughts, no one will know you exist. And if you're not out there making yourself known to potential employers or influencers or whatever, you might as well just give up now. It's all a little overwhelming, isn't it? We need rest and resets. None of what you do is going to matter if you're burnt out. Take the time to center your life around what matters most and watch how much happier you become.
P.S. There’s an amazing Gratitude blog that’s full of information and encouragement for emotional well-being by an amazing writer named, Aarushi. To further support you in your self care journey, here’s a link to the blog post, 100 Self-Care Quotes to Give Yourself the Care You Deserve.
Talk soon,
Have you ever felt compelled to do something but didn’t know what to do or where to start? That was me in 2016. I felt an overwhelming desire to start a business, something I knew God had called me to do but I didn’t know how to do it. I saw everything in my mind so clearly and in my naive way of thinking I absolutely thought that, “if I built it, they would come.”
I researched a few things and did everything I thought I was supposed to do, including emptying my savings 😬. I was excited! Long story short, it bombed. I counted it at the time as a complete and utter failure. “I’m done with this!” is what I would rehearse to myself but that nagging feeling and vision of a thriving business wouldn’t go away. It frustrated me. How dare God put this on my heart and show me this but not let it work? Silly, right? I know.
In my mind I was a failure. I had failed. Not the business, but me. Why was I willing to be so hard on myself with something that was beyond my control? That question opened my eyes to the years of personal abuse I attached to myself when anything in my life didn’t go right or as planned. It also opened doors to events in my life I had buried. I realized that I was about to journey into everything in my life I wanted to forget. The past two years of my life were hard. I had to face things I didn’t want to face but how could I be used without first being broken? I needed to understand why I was the way I was or why I acted the way I acted and as eye opening as it was it was also devastating for me mentally and emotionally. That decline affected me spiritually. Giving up seemed like the only pathway to peace but I knew I couldn’t. “Keep going...even if you have to crawl,” is what I’d tell myself. The path to get here was paved with a lot of tears, a little prayer and clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety pills.
Understand this, failing in any area can actually be the drive you need for a complete life or mindset makeover but only if you don’t give up. Wait awhile and when the opportunity again presents itself fight fear with faith and try again. 💋
None of us are immune from witnessing change in our own lives or in the lives of others. Change is constant and inevitable. Who wants to remain stagnant anyway? We make it easy on ourselves by accepting that fact. Our ability to let go of the need to control, giving up the insistence that things have to be a certain way is a courageous gift of freedom
It's also the perfect atmosphere for God to move freely in your life. Letting go frees you up to see life for what it really is, a journey. You learn to appreciate the moment or moments for what they are.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 says, 'So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God." Our lives on this earth are short. Don't waste time focusing on things you can't change. Let go, pray and flow with the One who holds it all.
