How often do you wake up saying something similar to this to yourself:
"Thank you, God (Creator, Spirit, Universe, Source) for bringing another possibility filled day! Oh, and what are the five best ways I will take care of myself today?"
My estimation is that one out of ten people reading these words awaken thinking along those lines. And that is because a lot of the people attracted to this article will be folks on their own journey to wholeness, so it's a natural.
What is a more likely scenario?
Let's paint a picture for a moment. The alarm goes off and you hit snooze a couple times. Each time you hit snooze, you are eating away time at your morning routine. Bed just FEELS so good though, much better than schlepping yourself (and whomever else you are responsible for) off to face the day at work or school or whatever it is that awaits you.
Getting into the shower later than you had hoped, you quickly shampoo and clean yourself, jumping out and calling down the hallway to the significant people in your life to get a move on, the household is up and out in a half an hour!
You may choke down a quick something to eat as you grab your to do list filled with stuff to fulfill others needs or wants. You struggle to find matching socks or hose without runs. If you are lucky, you will have time to actually sneak in a moment to be sure you like what you see when you look into the mirror that day.
Somewhat familiar scenario?
So it goes with the other nine out of ten people reading this article. Sure, there are variations. The theme, however, remains the same.
Our lives are a completely empty pitcher and we are still expected to fill to overflowing the cups of all the people in our lives whether it be bosses or lovers or children or in laws or neighbors. The irony is that the way to fill the pitcher to overflowing so you are able to effortlessly fill others cups with cool sweet nourishment is through taking care of YOU first. Without coming from a healthy space of self care, nothing else will work. Nothing.
Think of it this way:
You are called to take your Self and elevating it to the level of a Connected Friend. Consciously and Authentically, you Rise beyond your wildest Expectations.
Who would not want that?
For those nine of you who fit the second scenario, take a moment to think about how you can get to the place where you can actively shift into Self Elevation.
For the person who is already caring excellently for yourself, think of what ways you can raise the bar to elevate yourself even higher. Imagine for a moment that Your Pitcher is exponentially larger.
One way to quickly move towards a higher level of self care is to be aware of what naturally nurtures you. After all, self care is about your SELF. Sure, your best friend might really enjoy a massage and facial to relax. That is an excellent way for her to care for herself. For you, however, you might rather spend the time poking around an antique mall or having tea with a couple close friends or reading a book on the bestsellers list.
Without editing or eliminating any possibilities, make a list of ten things you would do to show yourself love if you had a spare hour or two. Remember, you are elevating yourself to a level of soul connected friendship. How do you show your closest friends how much you love them?
Start there with your list. See how creative you can get.
The next step? Take one of the items on your list and commit to doing it this week.
Next week, take another idea and implement it.
Continue to make Self Care a daily practice.
Watch how easily and simply your Pitcher fills to overflowing. Watch also the remarkable effect it has upon those you love.
Oprah Winfrey said, "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
What better way to celebrate than to show yourself a steady routine of self care?
Love yourself enough to fill your pitcher to overflowing each and every day. The world will be a better place for it. Life will naturally have more to celebrate.