Every Friday, I like to post new Affirmations.
I love the idea of looking back on the past week, and looking ahead to the coming week, and setting my intentions accordingly.
This week, I’m dealing with various health-related issues. Nothing too serious. I don’t get sick often. I’m fortunate to have benefitted from some pretty good genetics. We come from hardy stock, some would say. At any rate, it takes a lot for me to take a sick day. Some of my current issues are just the routine variety, like annual check-ups and minor treatments. Others are age-related annoyances that I’m not anxious to deal with, but since they’re here, I guess there’s no other option. Well, the other option is to ignore them, but that’s not really my style. You know, genetics and all.
Getting older is a privilege, denied to many, as they say. But we earn it by taking good care of ourselves. My dad, when anyone asks how his day is going, famously and consistently replies, “So far, so good. I woke up on the right side of the grass.”
As a kid, I thought this was something funny. As an adult, I realize it’s more of a mental high-five we give ourselves.
Since I moved last summer, I let a lot of things go so I could focus on getting my kids, and myself, settled. My diet got lax because I wasn’t the one cooking every meal. I started walking the dogs twice a day, but it’s not really cardio. (Although something is better than nothing.) And I don’t have access to weights or other equipment that I might’ve busted out while watching TV. I’ve worked on improving my sleep and my stress levels. Big shocker – they seem to go hand in hand. And then the long mental journey of getting to a point where I felt like I could take a breath.
So, to keep myself from waking up on the wrong side of the grass before my time comes, I’m trying to make my health a higher priority. I’ve taken care of everyone else up until now. It’s time to take care of myself.
This week’s affirmation is: I will make myself a priority. I am my longest commitment. I deserve to be loved and cared for as much as everyone else.
It’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche because it’s so often the way we operate: Everyone else gets the attention but ourselves. As parents, as self-employed workers, as caregivers, we take on everyone else’s burdens because we’re afraid no one else will. And then we feel guilty for doing something indulgent.
But here’s the thing: I don’t need daily bubble baths or champagne toasts or mani-pedis. I mean, that stuff’s nice, but it’s not my style. What I do need is a better connection to my health and well-being. Sometimes that means going to bed at 8:30. Sometimes that means saying no to a client who I know is going to run me ragged. Sometimes that means shutting the door and letting everyone else figure things out for themselves. My friend, Carla, is pretty good at this. I strive to be more like Carla.
As I’ve mentioned before, to help myself sleep better, I’m replacing my negative, stressful, awake-in-the-middle-of-the-night thoughts with affirmations. The irony of this particular affirmation is not lost on me, I assure you.
Here’s to another day of waking up on the right side of the grass.