Take Care of Yourself

One of the most important things I've learned this year is to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!

At the end of last year, a really good friend recommended a daily devotional book to me. I shopped for it at B & N and fumbled upon the orginal book it was based upon, Codependent No More. I bought it and read it and one of the major things I took away from it was that you have to take care of yourself.

Taking care of myself is something that I at the time didn't do a very good job at. I must admit I don't do a great job at it now, but I'm a whole lot better than I was before. I learned from this book, that I wasn't taking care of myself and I was taking care of a whole lotta' other people. (Huh? What is she talking about?) Yes, I was showering and dressing myself, eating, and all of that jazz, but actually taking care of myself, NO! I learned that no one was more important than myself. (Not don't get me wrong, I love my child, but you've got to put on the oxygen mask, before trying to save someone else!) I realized that I was shortchanging myself and running myself ragged. I wasn't focusing on me, just everyone else. So, I stepped back and looked at some areas in which I needed to take care of myself and began there. I must admit I have back slid a few times along the way, but I am striving for PROGRESS not PERFECTION!

Along this journey, I have been very misunderstood. People don't understand why I withdrew myself from relationships, why I put distance between me and certain people/situations, why I made some of the choices and decisions that I did. Well, it was all apart of taking care of myself. I had to do it for myself. I had to take a long look in the mirror at myself. I had to analyze and disect relationships and situations. I had to question myself, my motives, and my intentions. I didn't then or don't feel now that I need to justify making changes and improvements in my life. I feel that it was a necessary process that God lead me through and is still guiding me through.

I must say I'm doing better at taking care of myself. I know I need to step it up even more and take back so much of what I have let go. But I'm on my way. Progress not perfection!

Here we go . . .

So, a few weeks ago I decided I would begin writing about what I have learned this year. I posted in hopes to get back into writing more often. Well, once again I fell off the horse before I got on to good. I realized that posting from my iPad was more difficult than I first thought and that I would have to bring my school laptop home daily in order to keep up. That along with keeping up with household duties and responsibilities, just didn't allow much time for me to sit down and do one of the things I love to do most, write.

Yes, I know it sounds sad . . . A woman doesn't have time to do the things she loves most??? Most women know the feeling and can empathize. Before you go on a tyrant, yes, I know you have to make time and you have to make it a priority, but it doesn't always seem to work that way. Nevertheless, I'm here to make a few entries tonight, since I can't sleep and I have a lot on my mind.

Before you begin reading, go back and read the first entry.
M