“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” ~ Mandy Hale
“When you say ‘yes’ to others make sure you are not saying ‘no’ to yourself.” ~ Paulo Coelho
In a world where technology, media and busyness with distractions has taken over and become routine – we often forget we’re human beings. We breathe, we feel, we have emotions – we are NOT Robots.
I had an epiphany, I never really belonged to myself, I was trapped and lost from who Tracy was and was called to be. The eldest of my siblings and cousins, I belonged to my family, I belonged to society, I belonged to my spouse and I belonged to my children. There was a time that I didn’t have or realize that I had a choice to be what I wanted to be for me.
Society and my environment packaged me into this beautiful woman and called me “A Jack of All Trades” being everything to everyone. An amazing wife & mother and still ROCK IT as a professional – they call it – HAVING IT ALL! I wake in the morning, prepare breakfast, fix plates, iron clothes, shower, get the young people out the door to school, head to work, get home, clean, do laundry, cook dinner while assisting with homework, serve dinner, exhausted at the end of the day, then about to go to sleep, then husband goes, TAP TAP on the shoulder. The cycle continued. I needed to be ME, not just somebody’s wife, mother, and employee. I’m sure many can relate.
Take Action To ‘Address’ Your Own Experience – “Address” Being the Key!
A lot of women today are dying because of stress related diseases, because of pressure, because of all sorts of things that we carry. And in order for us to be effective, in society, for our loved ones, our careers or whatever, we have to put ourselves FIRST. Many of us may have grown up around strong female role models and the same strengths that we saw as admirable were also a burden, a survival mechanism that often meant their own needs came last. Health problems often took their lives prematurely or compromised their quality of life; I witnessed this with my own loved ones. Is your career, home, kids, family, spouse, others, etc., being prioritized over your self-care, your needs, and the messages your body is sending you?
Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” The reason Audre Lorde said that self-care was a form of warfare is because if you’re in a marginalized body that is meant to be last (women) and put everyone first – the minute you put yourself first you are messing up how society expect you to FLOW! It is TIME that we as women become what we want to be. You are no less important, make yourself a priority.
Self-care is any practice to help you manage your stress and promote your well-being. It’s a daily practice and should reflect your interest, needs, and preferences. And it should have room to evolve with you over time.
Questions to Ponder:
How can you show you and your body more LOVE today?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your level of self-care?
Best Wishes,
Tracy Diamond
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