Self-care is the only thing over which you have control Your health, wellness, and wellbeing belong to nobody but you. Ergo, you’re the only one who can care for them. The who, what, where, how, and why of you is directly tied to your health, wellness, and wellbeing. Any imbalance in your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health will challenge you. When you don’t take care of yourself – who can and will? Self-care puts gas in the tank You can’t get anywhere in your car when it has no fuel. This is true of you, too. Nobody has infinite energy. Human beings all need to rest, recharge, and do things for their health to find, keep, and maintain it. You are the only one who can fuel your mind, body, and spirit. You must take action to perform self-care. Taking care of yourself does not come at the expense of others. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are among the most infinite elements of the Universe. They’re never lacking, never scarce, always abundant. But to access them you must take action in one form or another. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are unselfish. And that’s why taking care of yourself and practicing self-care first isn’t selfish at all. Taking care of yourself is kindness, compassion, and empathy I have never met anyone who didn’t desire to be treated with kindness, compassion, and empathy. Every single person I’ve encountered in my life meets those criteria. To get kindness, compassion, and empathy you must give them. And the first place to do that is by taking care of yourself. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are among the most infinite elements of the Universe. They’re never lacking, never scarce, always abundant. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are unselfish. And that’s why taking care of yourself and practicing self-care first isn’t selfish at all. Put your own oxygen mask on first Taking care of yourself is the same as putting on your oxygen mask first. It’s not selfish – it’s necessary to maximize what you can give. And when you practice self-care, you open yourself to being more kind, compassionate, and empathetic. Get annual physicals, visit the dentist and eye doctor, keep up your necessary prescriptions - and don’t forget to take your meds. Read, laugh, play, meditate, breathe deeply, and perform regular acts of self-care to give yourself all the fuel you need. Because from there, you have more to give to others, and thus practice random acts of kindness, compassion, and empathy. This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool: Do at least one self-care act today. It can be big - like getting a massage, visiting a doctor, taking a trip, or so forth. Or it can be small – like reading a book, meditating for 20 minutes, going for a walk, and the like. Give yourself as much time and space as you need to do this one thing – for your self-care. Write it down and how it made you feel. Write down these questions and answers. · Did my act of self-care make me feel kinder toward myself? How can I pass that on to others? · Did my act of self-care make me feel more compassionate toward myself? How can I pass that on to others? · Did my act of self-care make me feel more empathetic toward myself? How can I pass that on to others? When you give yourself sufficient fuel you have more than enough to share it with others. And you can see for yourself how kindness, compassion, and empathy begin with self-care. Author Website Email Instagram Facebook LinkedIn TikTok Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com Cover artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices