Hello Rose Bud's!
For so long the idea of self care has been put off because often times people saw their own self worth reflected by what they were able to give to others. A lot of us have sought respect by our ability to put others and their needs before our own. We live in a world with the old adage that self care is selfish and that to put yourself before others is negligent, egotistical and self-centered. Lately we are discovering that not only is self care NOT selfish, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL.
I am learning just how important self care is to my physical, mental and emotional health! Giving myself the PERMISSION to be the best version of myself not only makes me healthier and happier, but it does the same for the people fortunate enough to be around me :).
There is one saying that is simple but so very true: You cannot pour from an empty glass. I have been running on fumes for years now. I thought sacrificing my wants and needs for my family would give me enough satisfaction to sustain me even though I was unhappy. I felt selfish just to THINK about doing something out of my norm for myself. Deciding to make myself a priority was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
One of the first things I did on my journey to self care was unplug. I deleted every social platform except for Instagram and snapchat (which I very seldom use). Social media has become as much apart of our everyday lives as breathing air. I was checking my phone every ten minutes out of habit, only to find the same post over and over again. Nothing was feeding my spirit, in fact most things I came across depleted me and interfered with my relationships. I go out now and observe how many people that are sitting together at a table and everyone is on their phone instead of engaging with one another. I learned that it was ok to disconnect, not answer messages and not feel bad about my decision to do so!
I have found that one of the BEST ways to rest and relax is through meditation! YouTube is a great source for beginning meditation, there are plenty of videos to help you with guided meditation. Those deep breaths I learned to take were like love notes to my body and mind. Practicing mindfulness has helped me sleep and kept me from wanting to take Xanax lol! Well, I don't know that I would fully be opposed to it... (Just kidding, maybe not:) The practice of breathing and staying in the moment has and is helping me to stop obsessing about EVERYTHING under the sun, moon and stars! I am teaching myself to just stay here in the moment. Nothing else matters right now but this moment! I will deal with tomorrow when it gets here.
Lastly, I have learned that I love taking care of my body, IT IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU HAVE TO LIVE!! I do need to do better with diet and exercise and that will come. The idea that I will be back on the dating scene should motivate me to do better than I am but right now that's my last priority. I live to set an example of self care for my children and grandchildren. I look at my life now as my legacy and I want it to be great. Greatness all starts with me, it starts with YOU. Do you have a self care regimen that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you!!!
LASTLY, lastly...
I think we should all be like Roses.
Roses are very adaptable and can be grown in almost any soil: Adapt to your surroundings but don't forget you can grow no matter what soil you have been given
Rose come in all shapes in sizes: Love yourself no matter what shape, size or age! If there is something that you don't like, change it. If you can't change it, it was meant to be apart of YOU
Roses are versatile and budget friendly: This may be true but always remember YOUR WORTH! I will make anything from Forever 21 to Balenciaga look good!! I am versatile enough to rock both (even though I don't own balenciaga, I do except gifts:) Again KNOW YOUR WORTH.
Until Next Time Rose Bud's! Stay Sweet...