In all honesty, it has taken me a couple decades to figure out the truth behind making my SELF a priority in the equation of things that need to be done and on the list of to-do’s. I have been in quite an interesting season of life for nearly the past year and a half, and the most rewarding have been the past 12 months.

Juggling two kids (5 & almost 2), losing my job & pursuing a dream, my marriage, friendships, and life all have their way of being both unbelievable blessings and in moments, challenges. Something I have unintentionally been good at is putting myself last. Unfortunately that pattern really started to take it’s toll and started to ooze out in resentment, frustration, and sadness. I was taking on the weight of a world that no one asked me to take. I adopted guilt and burdens that were only generated by my lack of communication.

None of these negative things came from my heart. My heart was to love, serve, and give, but because I ended up doing so at the cost of myself and my own restoration, I developed bitterness and caring for others out of obligation and necessity vs. passion, desire, and joy. Through A LOT of work, I have been putting my SELF on the “to do” list.

If you find you yourself are struggling with how to fit your SELF into the equation of needs, here are a few areas I challenged myself with and have ultimately become so much happier & healthier from doing!

  1. Painting my nails.This may seem silly, but painting my nails once a week has become a source of pure joy & self investment! It started because I needed to find something to “disable” me from multitasking and there’s not much you can do with wet nails, right?! What started as a forced way to sit still, has become my moment that my family knows means, “Mom’s out of commission.” I think it’s great to have my children see me serve myself and I am happy for it!
  2. Buying myself flowers. I’m a budget hound so this took many months to work up to, but I found that $5 for a weekly bouquet has rewarded my SELF & my Home immensely! Buying flowers makes me feel like I am loving my home, beautifying it, and making it a place I acknowledge I want to be, a place filled with life! (I actually like buying them for myself instead of my husband. It feels like an intentional decision to self love vs. need from others.)
  3. Asking for time. I got really good at idly sitting by waiting for my husband to ask me to take time away from the house but because I wasn’t asking for it, he had no idea I needed it. Finding my voice enough to say, “I really want to write tonight, can you put the kids to bed?” blessed us both and mostly me. So whether you fill up on alone time or need a night out with your friends, find the confidence to ask!
  4. Pursuing my passions. I love the opportunity to be creative, to read a book, or to write in my journal. Find what you love to do, acknowledge it, and put one thing on your to do list! Recently, my goal has been to take my passion for pinning on Pinterest to the next level and act on the things I pin. It has really inspired me in the kitchen. I went from hating cooking to now having fun with it!

To wrap this lengthy post up, I’ll end with something I’ve already said on my About Me page. Lucille Ball once said, “Love yourself first and everything else will fall into place,” and I absolutely find this to be true. If I feel restored, filled up, and renewed, there is SO much more reward to the love that bounces around in my home and heart!