When you walk in your purpose, you need to be healthy and whole in mind and spirit. You cannot do this if you do not take care of yourself.
As women we tend to put everyone’s needs before our own. This idea is one thing I have never been guilty of, but I have felt the guilt for not doing that. Seeing where others are always putting themselves last, can make you feel shame if that is not the way you do things.
Here we see two sides of something we need to deal with and do away with. First, I want to look at how putting others' health and well being can be detrimental to your own health and wellbeing. If you have flown you have heard the flight attendant tell you in case of emergency when the oxygen masks drop down, you need to put yours on first before helping anyone else, including children. Why is this? Simple, if you lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen, how can you help anyone? You may both perish. Now let’s apply that to our lives. How can we help when we are in desperate need of help ourselves?
When we pour out, we must be full first. Pouring from a half full or worse almost empty cup will not provide refreshment to anyone. This may cause them to be left wanting and thirstier than prior to your pouring.
For me, filling my cup is my morning routine. And I don’t mean routine in the sense that I do it out of obligation or in a robotic manner. I mean in a sense of habit, but that habit has me wanting to dig in every morning and see what the Lord is going to pour into me. Jesus got alone with the Father prior to pouring out on others. Shouldn’t we also?
We should also take time to pour into ourselves from books and training that will feed us from a personal development standpoint. This is something I started about 15 years ago. During this time, I have read countless books, listened to wonderful speakers all of which have poured into me, which allows me in turn to pour back out into you.
At the end of a busy day, we need time to refresh ourselves. Time with your loved ones will be so much better if you are coming away from a time of filling your cup back up after a busy day. Your mind will be clear, your heart open and then you will be able to pour your heart into them.
The other side of this is feeling guilt because you do take care of yourself first. Please let that go. Read all the reasons above again as why that is exactly why you should be doing that. I think it is so unfortunate when we let the way we see others doing things convict us of the way we do things.
You be you. You were uniquely made to walk in your purpose and calling, in your own way. Look to God for guidance. He will use His words and others in your life to guide and confirm.
Pour into yourself first, without guilt or shame, so you will be full and overflowing to pour into those you love and those you serve.
With Purpose,
Cindy
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