Include Yourself
Often times we do not actively listen to our true friends, relatives or our bodies when they say hey you need to take a break, call me if you need me, or hey get more active so you can live a little longer. We are to busy and engaged in other matters to adhere to those reminders. Let's reflect for a second. During the day we read tons of emails, Facebook statuses, stream videos, podcast, work on a business plan, finding a way to quit the job we do not like, participating in community service, finding some good food to eat or just hanging with friends. While we engage in all these behaviors during a day, at what point do we fully engage ourselves? Do we even include ourselves when we plan our day? Oh No watch this, did you even plan your day? Be honest, you did not but that is ok.
With everything that is going on in society today, plenty of us are experiencing a lot of stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, over exposure to foolishness, fatigue and downright burnout. There is a great need and desire for self and selfcare. Back in the day, our ancestors dedicated a number of years in preparation to participate in life and they allotted a significant amount of time to continually invest in their own development. They used reflective practice back then and they understood that investing in yourself was vital in being ready to tackle the difficulties of life as well as those opportunities for growth, development and change that would surely come.
Today we are still going through life challenges and there is still a need to invest in ourselves. Our work is never complete. Achieving degrees and promotional opportunities are great, but it does not mean the work is complete. We still have this challenge and work task of Knowing thyself and continuing to develop thyself. Life is constantly happening around us and we will never be exempt from challenges, difficulties, trials and adversity. However, we can prepare for that rainy day and adjust our attitudes when necessary.
Back in high school my band director use to say when he was a child in school they always told them they would have to compete with the kids across the tracks. It did not matter what they did not have. What mattered most was the preparation and the ability to compete. You can not go into battle and not be prepared. Now let me put that in better context for you. You can not tackle life and become successful if you are not prepared.
Here is the truth. I said all that to say this, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Create a daily system for yourself. INCLUDE YOURSELF DAILY!!!!. Step away from the stressors of life, release the emotional baggage, disconnected from the negative energy. Create and provide a safe space and place for positivity and selfcare. It is in this space you can truly reflect, recharge and prepare for what is coming next. #Do Better
Shanita it most certainly is. How can we neglect the person who we are with most? We have to take time out to preserve, uplift, empower, educate ourselves and at the same time relax. Thank you for your comment.
Message!
I have learned that self care is TOP PRIORITY!!!
Oliver you are absolutely correct. Just because we have an opening does not mean we need to automatically fill it with something, let alone something for someone else. Also, you were not in a bad place you were in an uncomfortable place that you did not develop a plan to get out of yet. When you developed a plan and executed you got out of that uncomfortable place and found another uncomfortable problem to solve. Always ensure you are ok, good, excellent, in great spirits whatever. Include yourself in everything you do. Ask yours, Is Oliver ok with this or is he excluded this time?
So this has been my plight since the middle of October when I found myself in a Bad Place in several areas of my life and guess what, I just made do, added something else to the place when an opening presented itself but in the process forgetting ME, yupper, that’s right, the driver of the van, captain of the ship, the leader, yeah that’s me but what happens is the more you too load to be “more productive” the more you get socked into the rat race of fulfilling the needs of others but not giving 10% to what we need.