Take Care of Yourself First
“You cannot pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”
— Unknown Author
Do you put others before yourself on a regular basis? Do you pride yourself on being unselfish?
For those of us who believe in the power of kindness and helping others, it is sometimes difficult to see when we are leaving ourselves behind. Many of us have been taught not to be selfish or greedy. Although these values are infinitely important, it is equally important to remember that taking care of ourselves has to come first. We cannot help anyone in a deep and meaningful way if we ourselves are not okay.
We confuse self-care with selfishness, and because we want to be kind, we often leave ourselves behind. In our efforts to help others, we can actually do them a great disservice in many ways, two of which are rampant in today’s world.
First, when we put ourselves last in order to help others, we are teaching them to do the same. Ultimately, we want those we love to take care of themselves. We help them because they are important to us, but it is endlessly more valuable for those we love to concede to their innermost selves that they are important. No matter how important they are to us, our love cannot save them. We could help our loved ones a thousand times over, but if they do not know how to help themselves…
