My life is busy.  Like ALWAYS busy.  I think it’s another one of those, that’s how I’m wired things.  The “to do” list this week.  Work — manage an ongoing project that’s very time sensitive, very scattered and very little room for error.  Check.  Continuing preparations for The Prom Dress Project, we’ve added a second date.  Check.  Help my husband with some mother in law type issues.  Check. Wait another to do… Go to the cleaners to see if dresses will clean.  Mentoring activities… Check. Physical… Check. Adoption appointment…Check.  Self care matters…. and mine went to the bottom of the list. Oh I forgot to mention my alumni activity efforts…?

Let’s go back to that physical.  So I would not have even considered doing that, if not for a requirement by my health insurance provider.  I would have seriously replaced that activity with something else.  Right?  I don’t think I am the only one suffering the condition better known as self care neglect. Oh yeah, the physical.  So my amazing doctor and truly, she is amazing, mentioned that I’m not in the great shape  I was two years ago when she last saw me.  And she’s right.  I had really championed getting back in shape and did a fantastic job of it.  Then… about March two years ago I suffered a running injury, and because I couldn’t do the one thing I wanted to do most, it seems that all of my self care went right out the window.  Seriously, I tossed the bath water, the toys, and the baby.  Just. Like. That.  So after some tears…and a small dose of pity, we talked about how the human body practices self care, even when we don’t.  Did you know, for example, the human heart pumps blood back to itself before any other part of the body?  Well, it does.

So the heart analogy becomes very relevant.  I am not pumping life back to me first.  That’s pretty dumb.  I have so many things I want to be a part of, lead, participate in and witness and the truth is, I could probably continue to do so for a good long bit.

Until.

My lack of self care will negatively impact me to the point of no longer being able to be a part of all of the above referenced things.  This probably won’t happen today, tomorrow, or even next week, but the truth is, it will happen.

So.

I’ve started practicing better self care.  Now granted, I am only in like say…day two of the process.  But I am aware and that’s the starting point.  I’d like to encourage all of my other self care neglecting cohorts to stop right now and consider what it looks like if you can’t do all of the things your heart longs for because you didn’t care enough about the one person who makes a difference in all of them.  You.

*Photo credit disciplemakingdisciples.com