I recently heard some really great advice, but it hit my ears differently than it ever had before. I was told "you will never be sorry for investing in yourself."
Obvious on one hand - but hit me deep on the other.
I am guessing it may be the same for you, or it has been at one time. You are giving, giving, giving to others. You are pouring out your heart at work or as a parent or as a human in general. You are balancing all the things, monitoring your to do list and your calendar, plus the calendars of at least a couple of other people. You love doing these things - but the truth is you feel depleted. Sad. Tired. Sluggish. Depressed. A weekend away alone in a big king sized bed where you just sleep sounds like a luxury beyond your imagination at the moment.
And you can't stop! You absolutely can't stop! There is too much to do, too many people depending on you. Without you, this won't get done. Without you, all the things can't take place. And you promise yourself if you can just make it through the holidays! Past Valentines! Dear God, help me just get through the end of the school year. Ugh - no one keeps a regular schedule in the summer - how can I get this all done?
Here's the hard answer. You can't. You will never get it all done. You will never have an empty to do list. You will solve one crisis and it will be followed by another. Because life is constantly evolving, and you. are. a. human.
Stop. Right now. Stop. Take a deep, deep breath. Let your lungs fill up.
YOU are incredibly worthy, your skills are great, and your absence makes for a hole because things aren't the same if you aren't there. And at the same time - you CANNOT do all the things if you don't invest in yourself. You will absolutely 100% bottom out, burn out, get sick. If you do not listen to your body, your body will get louder until you do listen. Hey, even God took time to rest. Why aren't you?
I have been on a personal journey the last few years, but it has greatly intensified over the past 6-9 months. I am not getting it all right. My outsides don't always reflect my insides and vice versa. But the work I am doing is absolutely paying off. I can feel it in my bones. Absolutely I can feel it in my gut, literally - my stomach isn't hurting every single day. I'm healing.
There are things you can point to in my life that have made this easier in this season of life, but honestly, when is going to be the right time if not now? Every one of us will always have excuses, so why not now? What if 2023 is the year you invest in yourself? I wish I had made these decisions 10, 15, 20 years ago. I am not talking about self care - although a bubble bath always sounds good to me. I am talking about literally investing in your life.
Here is your first step. Be intentional and find a coach, an encourager, a mentor, a life guide, a therapist. You don't have to white knuckle this life. You don't have to handle everything all by yourself. You really don't.
Working on your own crap is not anyone else's job. No one will do it for you and no one can even if they really wanted to. You wouldn't hesitate to invest in someone else that you love - try considering that for yourself. In this month of February, when we talk so much about love - ask yourself how you're loving yourself. Every drop of how you invest in yourself directly benefits everyone around you that you love. 100%.
I'm so glad someone shared this intention with me and convinced me it was true. I'm cheering for you too. Because YOU ARE FREAKING WORTH IT. And the sooner you realize it, the better. Not just for you - but for all of us who love you.
I'm here to help. I want to see your life blossom - you deserve it! If investing in yourself sounds great, but you don't know where or how to start, let me know (scroll down to the "contact" block at the bottom of that page to send your message).
