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Giving to yourself

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Broken record

photo via inc.com
photo via inc.com

Forgive me if I sound a little bit like a broken record these past few weeks but when signs continue to re-occur, I feel compelled to address them. Each week I write about giving…giving of time, talent or treasure, as they say….but over and over I keep hearing that many of us are empty….and like the giving tree there is simply nothing left to give.

You are not alone. This past fall I had some health issues….the final diagnosis was stress, overload, exhaustion. I had given beyond what I had to give…to my job, the many causes I support, board commitments, Charity Matters and of course our daily commitments to family, friends and the list goes on….mine, I’m sure, is no different from yours.

Did this trigger a radical shift? Sadly, no…radical isn’t in my DNA, but it did cause a slow transition. Have I slowed down? Not really, but what I am doing is recognizing the danger signs and giving myself permission to take a day off, permission to do things that make me happy, fill me with joy and fill my soul.

Of course I want to do it all, give to all , I have to give to myself, in order to give to all of those I so deeply want to help. Tomorrow, I will practice my husbands favorite slogan, “Charity starts at home.”

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

 

Giving….. to yourself

fall-inspiration-5As Halloween passes and the holidays approach many of us begin to feel overwhelmed this time of year. We have obligations to our families, careers, friends and causes but at the end of the day we only have so much to give. Somedays it feels like no mater how much we give, it’s simply never enough.

Yet, it is enough. We have to start with giving to ourselves before we can give to another. A simple moment of quiet, a run or walk, a call with a dear friend, a sunset or whatever it is that refuels you. As some of you know, one of my guilty pleasures is reading my horoscope., When I saw this it spoke to me and the message is for all of us.

“Saying no to some of our responsibilities and yes to ourselves helps us infuse our lives with a spirit of well-being. Our tendency to take on too much is often a sign that we are ignoring the needs of our bodies, minds, and spirits. When we do this, we begin to feel weighed down by things that are external to us. Taking care of ourselves, however, means that we pay attention to what all elements of our being really need, which frees us up to explore more meaningful ways to live. By putting yourself first today, you will have more energy and desire to get your tasks done.” Daily OM

Put yourself first and know that whatever you give….. is always more than enough.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2013 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.