Remember, You Belong To Yourself First

Before you give yourself to the world, remember to connect to your truest home within yourself. Before you open your blinds and let the world in, remember to choose to let the best of you out.

Before you give yourself to your work, remind yourself that there was a “you” before there was a “you” who did anything at all, a “you” who was not defined by productivity. Before you let ambition consume you, remember that what you do has no bearing on who you truly are. The laws of the workforce do not necessarily comply with the laws of nature, and it was not into some prestigious workforce that you were born.

Before you give yourself to your partner, remember that you owe yourself a wellspring of love and compassion first. The love you have for them, and the love they have for you, is but a mirror of the love you are able to keep in your own hearts. Remember to replenish your reserve of love for yourself first before you pour yourself into anyone else. Love is an infinite resource; before you feel that you will lose it by giving it to yourself, remember that love is like a muscle that grows stronger with each use.

Before you give yourself to your children, remember that they depend on a parent who was just like them years before. Remember that you parent yourself before you parent anyone else, and the needs of the most vulnerable parts of you are still deserving of your care and attention, no matter who else depends on you.

Before you give yourself away to a person or place or purpose, remember that your allegiance lies first with yourself; showing anything less than total loyalty to yourself is to betray yourself, and that is the ultimate crime.

Before you give yourself away, remember with whom it is that you will always stay.