Self Care: How is that working for you?

In April 2017 I was fortunate enough to attend a Hay House workshop with Cheryl Richardson on "The Art of Extreme Self Care". (The workshop is based on her book of the same title and it is a wonderful read). I loved what she had to share about her own life of taking care of others before herself. I say loved, because I believe many people in the room that day could identify with her situation; I know that I did. Through many years of doing for others, Cheryl realized that she needed help and engaged the services of a therapist. In one of her first sessions she began to relay a long list of duties that she had to do over the next days and week. After she was finished her therapist thoughtfully looked at her and asked a very simple question. "How long have you been the good girl in your life"?

Those very simple words hold a lot power within them. I can't tell you how many times over that weekend, and even these past several months, that those words keep coming to my mind. Many of us grew up believing that we had to sacrifice our own desires and ourselves to do for others, often times at the detriment of our own physical and mental health. That some how taking time to attend to our own needs, wants and desires is selfish and wrong. When in reality, if we are not taking care of ourselves first, there is very little that we have left to give others.

So, my question to you today is How long have you been the good girl/boy in your life? How long have you been neglecting your own wants, needs, and desires, because you are making others happy at the expense of yourself? As we Life/Relationship Coaches like to say, it may be something to coach around. Let's talk.