As much as you love other people, you must also fiercely love yourself. Compassion can be very soft but it can also roar like a lion. There’s a wonderful balance between the two.
I’ve always thought of self-love and self-care through the eyes of a big redwood tree. What happens if you stop watering the tree completely? The tree starts to suffer. Not only does the tree fail to thrive, but the entire ecosystem that the tree supports also doesn’t get to benefit as well.
Is the tree selfish for bringing water up through its roots and nourishing the rest of itself? No. It’s just doing what it has to naturally to continue to thrive and support everything that depends on it. It’s simply in its nature to do what its intended to do.
And similarly, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish whatsoever. As much as you go out into the world and offer your love, care, compassion and support to others, you also have to make sure you are looking after yourself. Of course other people will be able to offer you the same things you offer them, but that doesn’t negate the need for you to do the work that only you can do.
“What can I do today that would really nourish me?” That’s the question I want you to ask yourself. Sit there, quietly, and listen. Listen to what your wisdom says. Beyond all of the noise of the mind, it’s going to tell you directly – hey here’s what you’ve been neglecting or really need right now.
And then, go do it. It’s not just enough to hear the wisdom. You have to act on it. Go offer yourself that nourishment and care. Pull water and nutrients back into your roots. Sometimes we don’t feel like ourselves not because the outside world is getting to us but because we aren’t playing an active role in making sure our internal world is well taken care of.
You are, and always will be, a beautiful work in progress. As the layers unfold, nurture them. Move past the critic and take extraordinary care of yourself. This is how you begin to really thrive.
You, and everyone else you love, will benefit.
Evan Sanders
Great example!