In the last week, I have learned something about life. I learned that life has no model that it follows for when bad things happen to us or the people around us. When it seems like everything around us is going wrong, life will not hesitate to throw something else our way. In the midst of a crazy week, I found myself trying to take care of everyone around me, and I let myself fall by the wayside. In forgetting to take care of my self I lost my sanity for a good three hours and just couldn’t function. So now, I have a challenge for you: be selfish with yourself.
This may seem wrong, but hear me out. You want to do as much as you possibly can for everyone, you want to be able to be there for friends, family, signifcant others or even total strangers if they need you. Well, if you’re running around taking care of everyone, and giving all of yourself to anyone who asks for it, you will fall apart. There is something to be said for a person who makes themself a priority, and the most selfless people I know take time to take care of themselves.
There is a story about a town with a baker, and it teaches the importance of taking care of yourself.
Once there was a town with a new bakery, and the goods in the bakery were the best in the area. Everyday people would flood the bakery asking for bread, cakes, cookies, etc. And everyday the baker would bake, serve and take care of the towns people. The baker would do everything because he ran the bakery alone. He would open, cook the food, clean the kitchen, serve the customers and close the shop. He did this everyday, and everyday you could see the baker getting thinner and thinner. One day the towns people flocked in front of the bakery, but it wasn’t open. They thought it was closed. The next day, the towns people flooded the bakery, but it was still closed. After a week, the sheirff decided to check on the baker. At the baker’s house he found him sick and ill, unable to cook food and care for the bakery, because he hadn’t been eating. The baker had to close the bakery for good, and recover from his weeks of not eating. The town lost a bakery and the baker almost lost his life.
This story of the starving baker is a perfect example of what happens when we don’t take time to stop and spend energy on ourselves. I challenge you to take at least an hour a day, and do something selfish. Spend time on yourself, and do what you want to do. Turn the world off, and take time for yourself. Read a book, take a bath, watch some tv, take a nap and just relax.
I dare you this next week to focus on yourself a little bit. Do the small things that make you happy, and see what happens. You’ll sleep better, you’ll breathe easier and you’ll be healthier. It isn’t selfish to take care of yourself. It isn’t selfish to do what you need to do, and if that means telling someone to wait, then do it. Don’t be afraid to be a little self focused. You aren’t able to take care of other people, unless you take care of yourself too. You, your body and your mind are all a priorty. And it’s okay to make yourself a priority.
Don’t loose yourself for fear of being selfish with your time if you need to take some for yourself. Think of it like this: In order to be selfless, you have to a little selfish, otherwise there will be none of yourself to give.