Are you being as kind to yourself as you are other people? Sometimes we are much harder on ourselves than we are on those around us. There is nothing wrong with trying to be better and a kinder person, but often we do not add ourselves to the list. When we aren’t kind with ourselves, it reflects in our life. We tend to have less patience with others and we also attract that type of energy back to ourselves. I believe our greatest gifts to others is how we treat ourselves.
It is not a selfish thing to be good to ourselves. As a wonderful friend and mentor of mine Jeff Brunson often says, “Taking time for yourself is a selfless act. You taking the time to make yourself better is making you better for those you serve.” That has always resonated with me because often we are taught the opposite. Though the years of working with clients, I have often heard people say they feel too guilty to take time for themselves or simply being good to themselves. Feeling guilty for being kind and taking time for yourself truly doesn’t serve us well.
When we deplete ourselves whether it be emotionally or physically, we cannot be very good to those around us. As the old saying goes, you cannot serve from an empty vessel. Not only is it a good investment to take time for yourself, it is equally valuable to be kind to yourself. The deposits you make into yourself are establishing what you give to others.
Think of yourself like a bank. Before you can withdraw funds, you have to deposit money. The same goes for ourselves. We can only pull out and give to others the time, energy, and feelings we have given ourselves. It’s learning the importance of not leaving ourselves off the lists. The more you invest in yourself and apply kindnesses yourself, you invoke a more positive experience for yourself and increase that energy around you and with others.
Leave the guilt behind and make sure you are on your to do list. And be as gentle and kind with yourself as you like to be to others. The more kind you are to yourself, the more kind you can be to those around you. To give good energy to our friends, family, and loved ones, we must deposit that energy into ourselves. Fill your bank with deposits of joy from the inside to experience joy in more areas of your life.