Day 6: Connect with You.

Yesterday we explored different ways to Connect with Heaven. Today we'll discuss how to connect with ourselves, and tomorrow, how to connect with our family.

I chose to write about heaven first because that is our essential lifeline.

Today I wish to address the topic of connecting with and caring for ourselves. If we wish to connect with our families, serve those around us, make a unique contribution to the world, and experience inner peace, we must first connect with ourselves. The old saying, "you can't draw water from an empty well," is true. Spending time getting to know ourselves and taking care of ourselves is essential to serving. As we love ourselves, love will naturally flow to those around us. It's a natural by-product.

I went through a period of time in my life when I felt like my season of mothering required sacrificing and only sacrificing for my children. I thought I had to lay aside "me" for the benefit of my children--all my talents, hobbies, health needs, interests, desires, everything. Even though I knew my children would someday grow up and I could start to take care of myself again, I soon began noticing the negative impact this had on my physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual wellbeing. I wasn't happy and I certainly wasn't "the mother of my dreams."

It wasn't until I learned how to properly take care of myself that I really started to thrive--both as a person and as a mother. I guess it had never occurred to me that I could take care of me and my children simultaneously. But it is possible. I am living proof.

So how do we go about caring for ourselves adequately?

My dad often counseled missionaries to implement "The Forgotten 5." These 5 principles supply the perfect foundation for evaluating our self-care:

1. Eat right.
2. Drink right.
3. Get sufficient rest.
4. Get sufficient exercise.
5. Do something for yourself.

They are simple and straightforward, but often forgotten. When our lives get ultra stressful and we start to feel a lack of inner peace, these five things are usually the first to go (along with heaven connections and consistently turning inward through meditation and pondering). Yet what we don't realize is that by dropping them, we are letting go of the very things that will sustain us, replenish our reserves, release stress, and create overall health and wellbeing.

So take a few minutes to evaluate yourself. Are you weak in any of these areas? Maybe all of them?

As you assess your habits, there are two crucial things to keep in mind. First, remember to enjoy the activities you do to care for yourself. If you only eat healthy or perform a rigid exercise regime because you have to, you will not be motivated to stick with it long-term. Make small changes that while comfortable, also stretch you, and just improve a little at a time. Small efforts of consistency are far more beneficial than large overhauls that fizzle.

Second, remember that caring for your health (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) is not selfish. It is necessary and good. There is definitely a balance to strike as you decide how much time to devote to self-care and how much time to give to your family, work, responsibilities, and service. But as you connect to heaven, you will be led to know how to prioritize effectively. There are hours enough in the day for all of the things that truly matter.

I can promise you that if you properly take care of yourself, the rest of your life will flourish and peace will swell.

31 Days to Peace Index