As part of trying to live a compassionate life, one of the things we're often taught is to not be selfish.
But what does that really mean?
In my last post I talked a bit about stress and self-care; it's an important topic, and this time I wanted to add a few words to address those who are critical and call people "selfish" for taking a break.
Truth is, people have many different interpretations of what it means to be ”selfish.” Some take their interpretation to an extreme, and take it to mean that anything at all you do for yourself is basically selfish. In its most extreme form, you might say these people end ”martyring themselves on the altar of selflessness.”
What do I mean by that?
Along the way, I've met a few people who approached "being of service" and living a selfless life in a rather toxic way. Maybe you've met somebody whose entire life seemed to be dedicated to being in service of others, and yet they spent an awful lot of time lamenting how they were always worn out and never had any time for themselves.
One of the important things to remember — and I particularly like to bring this up during the holidays where a lot of people are under various kinds of stress — is that it is not ”selfish” to exercise reasonable self-care!
In fact, when you spend a lot of time being in service to others, it is essential that you also take some time out for yourself — let's call it ”me time” — so you can recharge your batteries.
After all, you're not a lot of good those you are being in service to if you're too tired and worn out to actually be doing what you are intending to do with authentic care!
So this holiday season, whenever you are feeling a little bit worn out, remind yourself that it's OK to take a little me time and not always be taking care of other people’s needs! Nobody will think any less of you for taking care of yourself in a healthy way.
And if they do? You might consider asking yourself why you are working so hard to please those who are not compassionate enough to let you rest.
Thanks for stopping by, and Bright Blessings to all!
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