People have different views on what self-care means.
For some it means the annual holiday away and that's when entitlement creeps in.
For others it means time to yourself; a leisurely bath, quiet meditation, an engrossing book or even a solitary walk.
Then there is the opposite side of the coin, having time to connect with others ...
Having just experienced a few days away with pals in the beautiful Perthshire countryside, I was struck by all of the above ways to invest in the application of self-care... and when I say invest, I don't mean spending money, I mean spending time. A much more important commodity!
We had such a lovely time with our friends that there is no photograhpic evidence, so no selfies! as we were enjoying ourselves so much that we never even thought to photograph ourselves or load a memory on facebook or instagram. We were just grateful for the opportunity to spend time in like-minded, convivial company.
Well I was, I can't speak for Andy, Billy and Catherine! although believe me I do try...
So back to self-care and entitlement. It is a paradoxical subject. If caring for self, means harming, annoying or costing others their happiness, it has a tendency to rebound.
Removing entitlement from our requirements immediately takes us down the road to experiencing happiness. It's one of those fabulous conundrums, helping others is the ultimate in self-help (self-care).
The ultimate in self-care - invest in real friendship. That Charlie Brown and Snoopy knew a thing or two!
