Why You Always Come Firstfeatured

I have learned that there is more to life than what is currently occupying my mind. There are issues I can’t even see and there are people that affect my life that I will never meet.

I know what it’s like to put others first. It is rewarding, it provides purpose, and it forever fulfills your heart.

I love being selfless, I love giving my all to others, but I also love being my all for others. There comes a point in time where you can get so lost in others that you can lose sight of yourself completely.

This has happened to me in the past. In the most unhealthy of ways, I have lost sight of myself. So much so that I looked in the mirror only to find a shell of what I once was.

I read a quote yesterday that said, “Don’t give your partner what’s left over after you give the best of yourself to others.” All of a sudden I realized, in order to be selfless, you must be selfish first.

I often read about how you can’t give away what you don’t have to begin with. And it’s true. In order to love others, you must take time to love yourself. It’s easier said than done.

There are moments in life where you must recharge, where you must take a few steps back to move forward by taking time for you and only you.

Whether you’re a daughter, wife, mother, aunt, sister, cousin, or friend, you mustn’t ever forget to spend time with you and only you. Because if at the end of the day you are no longer recognizable, you might grow to resent others without ever realizing you are even doing so.

I treasure time for me and make sure to make it a priority as often as possible. This isn’t always true, but I try my best to be as consistent as possible. If my mood is off, it’s often because I have forgotten to recharge by taking time for myself.

Time alone doesn’t have to be a whole day. It can be as simple as going to the market alone or treating yourself to a massage or walk on the beach.

Some people invite these moments more than others but I have found that you must learn to put yourself first before learning to put others first in the most positive of ways.

It’s okay to be selfish. It’s okay to take time off from routine. It’s okay to watch a movie or go to dinner alone. Those moments are the ones that will make you the best version of yourself. And when you’re the best version of yourself possible, I promise you will have more to give to those that matter most.

So go ahead and put yourself first sometimes. Those that love you will always thank you for it.

Love Deeply and Forever,

Karen