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thinking of yourself

Today, as you read this article, I’d like to ask you where in your life you can be more committed. Most of you will likely think of a relationship that needs work, a child who wants to do another sport or piano lessons, or a good cause you could volunteer for. But that isn’t what I’m talking about today. I would like you to look at where you can be more committed to your self. How can you take better care of yourself? Most people ignore their own health and wellness to take care of others. Sound familiar to any of you moms out there? Somehow, taking care of ourselves has gotten a bad rap and often makes us feel guilty.

Let me shift perspective for a moment. Imagine if you were experiencing a vast flooding in your city and your neighborhood were affected and you all had water in your basements. Would you ignore the water, soaked furniture and carpet, and wet walls in your own home so you could go help a neighbor clean out their basement? No. You would start taking things out of your basement that were wet, start pumping water out of your basement and cleaning up the mess in your house first. Once you got your home in order you would then go support the neighbors. Doing this would not make you selfish. It would show that you are taking responsibility for yourself and your home. You would probably also not feel guilty for taking care of your home first.

Can you see the correlation? We are more willing to take care of our material goods in life than we are to take good care of the life we’ve been given. The body and mind you have now are the only ones you get this go around. They are God’s gift to you.

I ask again, what can you do to take better care of yourself? How can you commit to you?

Let’s start off with why. Why would you want to commit to yourself? What would be different in your life if you felt more calm and at peace every day? Why do you hold so much stress and worry, and how can you start to shed it? Are you carrying extra weight? Would improving your diet make you feel any different? Are you making time to exercise daily? What would change if you did?

How would your life be different if you made a commitment to improving your overall health and wellness?

You are the only one who can answer these questions for you. Likely you would have more energy to share with all those people you love to help. You would be able to handle the stresses of life with greater ease because you would have an outlet to release the stress that doesn’t serve you. Making a commitment to yourself will help you feel more connected to who you are and the reason you live the life you live.

Seeing you making a commitment to yourself will also inspire those around you to do the same. Your children will see the difference and see you as an example to follow. Your friends will wonder what you are doing and want some of that.

Commitment to self requires some effort and work. It won’t happen automatically. You will need to make time for yourself every day. Perhaps you can commit to taking a yoga class every day this month. Or do a cleanse to improve your digestive health. Go for a run, take a hike, or get on your bike. There are so many wonderful activities that will improve your overall physical and mental health.

You are worth it. You are not selfish for taking time for yourself. And if guilt surfaces, smile at it and call it a liar. It’s time to make a commitment to you. Now is the time. Today is the day.

Let me know how you do this for yourself by sharing a comment below.