You need to start putting yourself first.
Your horse would really love to spend an hour or so with you. I know, I know – you’ve got a to-do list a mile long. You have to take the dog to the vet, get another load of laundry done, and you’re in charge of the
church bake sale. (We all remember what happened the year someone else ran it because you were having your gall bladder removed…) So you don’t get to the barn to ride as much as you like, and you can’t remember the last time you took a whole Saturday to hang out with your horse, even though it’s your favorite thing to do. It’s so peaceful, and you love the sounds and smells and feel of your horse… but you really do have a lot to do, and you hate to be selfish or let anyone down…
But here’s the deal. If you don’t start putting yourself somewhere near the top of your list – who will? Yes, the dog loves you no matter what, and the pastor is always grateful to hear that you’ll chair yet another committee; and your trainer is always happy to put in an extra ride on your horse; but have you ever considered that you’re being unfair by running around doing all this nurturing and managing? I’m not talking about being just unfair to you; but unfair to your dog, your pastor, your family, your horse, and even Brenda that ran that disastrous bake sale… The truth is, not taking care of yourself is the ultimate act of selfishness.
Not taking care of yourself is the ultimate act of selfishness.
Follow along with me here. You like to give everyone your absolute best, whether it’s your family, your horse, or your committees. But to give your best, you have to be your best. You have to recharge your battery every once in a while! You can’t get water from a dry well, my friend! And by always being the one to do everything, you’re denying others the chance to feel that sense of fulfillment you get by helping others. Give someone else a chance to enjoy the warm fuzzies of being an incredibly useful person.
I’m not the only one advising you to put yourself first. If you’ve ever flown, you’ve heard the flight attendant remind you that should the oxygen masks drop, you should put on your mask first – yes, you first – before your grandchild, your husband, even your dog.
“But isn’t that being selfish”, you ask? “Not in the least!” I reply. Think of it this way – if you help everyone else and then die because you didn’t bother to take care of yourself, who on earth would plan your funeral? That’s a heck of a lot of work to ask someone to do, and you had always hoped for a horse drawn hearse…
So take a little advice from me, and your horse…. Put yourself first for a change! Your horse will thank you for it.