Recent Review

A while back it was suggested to me that I ‘take care of myself’. It was said more in the context of taking care of the small-child-me who grew up motherless and all the crap that brought. While obvious advice, I had to pause and think about it. Sometimes it’s the obvious that needs to be revisited every once in a while. You know, check in, and make sure everything’s ok.

So I thought about it. Have I been taking care of myself? How have I been taking care of myself? On the surface it looks like I have been taking care of myself, going to the spa, getting massages, buying stuff, making time for personal stuff, like knitting and cooking. But when I really thought about it, these were more about treating myself than taking care of myself.

What’s the difference between treating instead of taking care of? Motivation.

The motivation for treating myself is to feel good, which is always going to be short term. The motivation in taking care of oneself is love. This is not to say that getting a massage and making time for oneself is not taking care of oneself. Of course it can be. It all comes down to motivation.

I wasn’t really taking care of myself. I wasn’t exercising, or eating as well as I could, not moisturizing my skin, not taking care of my possessions and not staying on top of my responsibilities. Taking care of oneself, is not always going to be fun. It is love for ourselves that gets us through it.

I have since made some adjustments in my life. Life is constant review, isn’t it?


May 1, 2005	Recent Review A while back it was suggested to me that I ‘take care of myself’. It was said more in the context of taking care of the small-child-me who grew up motherless and all the crap that brought. While obvious advice, I had to pause and think about it. Sometimes it’s the obvious that needs to be revisited every once in a while. You know, check in, and make sure everything’s ok. So I thought about it. Have I been taking care of myself? How have I been taking care of myself? On the surface it looks like I have been taking care of myself, going to the spa, getting massages, buying stuff, making time for personal stuff, like knitting and cooking. But when I really thought about it, these were more about treating myself than taking care of myself. What’s the difference between treating instead of taking care of? Motivation. The motivation for treating myself is to feel good, which is always going to be short term. The motivation in taking care of oneself is love. This is not to say that getting a massage and making time for oneself is not taking care of oneself. Of course it can be. It all comes down to motivation. I wasn’t really taking care of myself. I wasn’t exercising, or eating as well as I could, not moisturizing my skin, not taking care of my possessions and not staying on top of my responsibilities. Taking care of oneself, is not always going to be fun. It is love for ourselves that gets us through it. I have since made some adjustments in my life. Life is constant review, isn’t it?
	© 2005 JoyJoyCafe