SHOWING UP FOR ME
There is something to be said about the phrase, "Showing up for yourself." There is a written definition of what that means. It is most definitely being there for me first. That may sound selfish. It surely is not. There is no way I can be there for others if I have let my cup become empty because I have been too busy filling up everyone else's. Plus it is important to show up for myself in the same way that I would do for others. It is extremely easy to show up for others before taking care of myself. Sort of like a bad habit that is way too simple to get in to. It could be my colleagues, my children, my spouse; whoever I prioritize over my own needs. It means they are only getting bits and pieces of me and so am I. There is so much more of me to give if I do not empty my cup only to fill others. One example is thinking about the directions that the flight attendants give on a jet ready to take off. They show you that if the oxygen masks come down it is important to take care of yourself first, then help those around you if they need assistance. Same principle that I am writing about.
It is a matter of knowing what my purpose is by asking myself what it is that I want. I must be specific. A journal is a great place to write about this and helps me to become more centered so that I can be there for others without emptying my soul only to others without first taking care of me. I want to be able to offer all of my expression to those that I love without depleting myself.
The book by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love is a good example of a place to start for each one of us. Now I don't know about you, but I can't go off on a trip around the world for a year to find my spiritual self. Also, others thought that it was a selfish thing to do. I say that we should not be too quick to judge others. For me, I would not be able to stand being off on my own for a year, traveling around the world without my husband, children and grandchildren, furbabies...it is just not who I am, nor even care to be. So to each their own. Maybe my issues are not as deep as this author's. Perhaps? It all boils down to finding my relationship with myself. I feel that I do not need to go off for a year to accomplish that. I use my journal to write what I feel. It is my own personal quest. Each person must find their own way and it is not being frivolous or irresponsible or selfish. I also use a meditation time to find my own realities that I want to work on.
For many women, it has been brainwashed within their minds that they are not supposed to desire anything beyond home and family. For most of us, that is not enough. And that is perfectly okay. Find what will be your happy place and go there to discover what you need - I use that phrase metaphorically. As my HAPPY PLACE is the beach. Out on a patio, sipping a glass of wine, listening to the waves coming in and feeling the ocean breeze. All I have to do is imagine I am there and I am. That is when I do my best meditating on what it is that I want out of life. This is not like a spa vacation. I know that I deserve to search and figure out who I am and what I want. We all do. It is like a road to our own freedom of inner peace.
It simply is carving out a special time for yourself. Peace of mind does not require peace and quiet. The crashing of the waves is what does it for me. It is different for each person. Up on a mountain top is not going to bring inner peace to me, however, for others it might be just the thing. Examining where my turmoil within my mind is and what I can do about it is the important thing.
First things first. Know where your happy place is and what it is. Then know this:
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