Because we are not separate from God and others, what we do to ourselves really does affect the whole. When we neglect ourselves, we abandon God and others. When we disrespect ourselves, we disregard the whole. When we focus on the darkness, we don’t allow the God within us to shine.
On the other hand, when we lovingly take care of ourselves, we treat the whole with reverence. When we respect ourselves, we honor all that is. When we focus on the light, we see the world as God does. When we heal ourselves, we heal the world around us. When we cherish ourselves, we are in a better position to love others. When we devote more personal time in our calendars, we feel refreshed and more willing to designate time to others.
I know this is so true from my own personal experience, and one particular example comes to mind. I’ve been doing appointments for readings and healings for many years, and was booked many years in advance. In the earlier years of doing readings, I worked seven days a week with no days off. I was exhausted and had nothing left to give others because my energy was so depleted.
Then somewhere along the line I decided that I wasn’t going to do appointments on the weekends any more. Immediately after I made that decision, I felt as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders and experienced an incredible inner peace. In the past I was hesitant to make this change because I was worried that some clients wouldn’t be able to see me any more. However, after I made this announcement, everyone was more than willing to work around my schedule! And because I then felt refreshed and energized, I was able to give so much more of myself to everyone else. It was a win-win situation for everyone! Yet, in order to make this happen, I had to honor myself so that I could serve others better.
If you’re the type of person who always puts everyone ahead of yourself, realize that when you sacrifice every bit of your time to others, you don’t have quality energy left to offer. So, think about what can you do for yourself that will actually benefit everyone else as well. Then take any action(s) you need to do to make that happen!
Again, you are not separate from others, and what you do to yourself really does affect the whole. In other words, you must love and respect yourself before you can give love to others. It’s also just as important to love yourself simply because you are just as significant as everyone else and because you deserve to feel better!
From We Consciousness: 33 Profound Truths for Inner and Outer Peace