People around me have told me time and again that I need to take care of myself.  You see, I thought I was.  I go to work everyday to earn a wage that pays for the necessities in life.  I make my food, wash my clothes and body, get a sufficient amount of rest (most of the time).  What more could I do?  But, Inevitably I’d find myself in another situation where someone else’s needs or expectations of me trumped what I needed or expected.  And the comments from my circle of supporters would be the same, “You need to take care of you.”

Eventually, the tide began to shift.  A light went on that shifted my focus to what I wanted to achieve rather than the opinions of fickle friends or indecisive mates (for example).  It was then that the encouragement of those around me to take better care of myself began to make sense. While the other activities I mentioned matter, they pale in comparison to what I was missing.  To truly take care of oneself means to invest in your own personal growth and exploration.  It means to take the time to do exactly what you want without giving a thought to what other people might think.  It means to begin to live for you.

In the past I worried about appearing (or being accused of being) selfish.  Believe me, I’ve heard it plenty of times before. Whenever I expressed an opinion or a desire to do something for myself, someone would ask where they fit in the picture.  I understand that friends and significant others want to feel like they fit in your life.  I would feel the same way.  But, I’ve come to believe that no one should prevent you from expanding beyond your borders.  How can I be good for anyone else if I don’t take the time to be good to and for myself?

A light went on for me recently.  I found myself in a habitual holding pattern.  It was as if I was an airplane circling an airport waiting for the okay to land.  Landing, for me, meant finally getting the guy or the job, or some other coveted outcome.  I’m happy to report that I have finally grown tired of waiting for others to decide my fate.  I’m choosing, instead, to decide for myself.  And, I find myself in awe at what has transpired since my shift in perspective!

I honestly feel like the universe or Spirit (or however you choose to identify that something or someone greater than us all) is patting me on my back and opening up doors to opportunities all around me.  Once I identified what it is that feeds me, brings me joy, and I began to put effort and energy into it, life began to unfold.  It has unfolded to the point where my path is brighter and there’s no possible way I can turn back now.  I see opportunities that I never considered before appearing before me and waving me toward them with such enthusiasm.  I see that I am opening myself up to the point where I actually treated myself to a movie and dinner – alone.  Guess what!  I was fine!  I actually enjoyed myself.  Being in my own company is a wonderful thing!

For those of you who haven’t begun to take care of yourself, I encourage you to begin immediately.  You can start by putting more focus on your passion.  Then you can graduate to doing something nice for yourself (whatever will make you smile and feel good about you).  Many have said it before me, and I didn’t know it to be true until I put into practice myself.  Once you make this shift, you will see your life come alive.  You will see your love for yourself blossom.  You will wonder who you are and where you’ve been all your life.  Taking care of myself has become one of the keys to my own transformation.  And, I’m sure you will find the same.

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Soul Therapy

How do you take of yourself?  What have you done to honor your dreams and passions?  How did your life change when you decided to focus on you?

(Disclaimer: The responses are the posters’ own experience and/or opinion.  Their views are not that of Musings From The Soul or K. Butterfly.  Only words of encouragement will be allowed on the site. Negative comments will be deleted and the poster will be blocked.)