Image by elycefeliz via Flickr
Going back to basics is one of the best tours of life. It is exactly how to supercharge our life purpose.
Truth is, we’ve been in this polite exchange between serving others and serving ourselves for the past year. It’s been nice but we are smarter now.
We all agree that “living to serve Me” sounds like a two year-old. We all agree that “living to serve others” sounds like pleasuring a martyr’s stake. Perhaps, as wise Solomon said, there is a time for everything, but most of our time is best spent where we will get our highest yield. I think of that place like a sphere, whose constitution are our basics.
Our basics are all about the wonderland of our biopsychosocial selves and including temperament.
Just as with “all” extremes, the truth is a bit of both. None of us can abandon our need (Me) to self-serve. None of us can abandon our need (Me) to serve others. The commonality in both is Me. Everything starts and ends with Me and that is our sphere’s constitution.
To review some of this, I jotted down:
health
medical illnesses including brain
hungry
tired
things we are doing to ourselves
sleep hygiene
addictive and decadently enticing exercise
food journaling
daily weigh-in’s
victim role
accountability to Me, and including Higher Power
starting over, and over, and over
community
things being done to you
natural disasters
assault/abuse
stigma
environmental milieu
the biopsychosocial condition of those we choose to be connected with
Don’t let this get past basic. If the list bugs you, throw it out. If it’s too long, shorten it.
Self-Care Tip – Supercharge your life purpose by getting at your basic needs
Questions: What constitutes your sphere of “best self?” How did you come to that? How would you describe it to someone who doesn’t understand? Please tell us your story.
I do think this is true, although I have learned the hard way in my own life, if I am in the middle of a pity party, it really is time to go and serve someone else. It really is true that paying attention to my own blessings instead of my own pain brings me to the realization that things are not quite as bad as I might believe. It might be a little “Pollyanna” ish, but it works for me. However, I also know that sometimes you really do need help and sometimes things really are that bad. In which case, it helps me to realize it so that I get the help I need. I have been there. I have been abused, lonely, unloved, and totally overwhelmed, but I have also been exactly the opposite. I think that healthy is actually when you know your own limitations and needs. Only then can I take care of myself.
pattyanne, how’s the party progressed?
u gave an answer to a very interesting question – “what is healthy?” hm. i like tumbling w that one. u r telling us is think that your answer is 1) insight, 2) chosen perceptions, 3) asking, 4) taking, 5) accountability to Me… wow. go pattyann.
“The truth is a bit of both.” But the ones stuck in the extreme only…well to put it in a non academic characterization: sure don’t make good neighbors.
i’d laugh, but am afraid a past current or future neighbor will think i’m laughing at them! (they’ll never know 😉 ).
My sphere looks more like a dropped hard-boiled egg recently – out of shape and pretty much covered with cracks. Nowhere to go with that right now.
still, tastes good. same egg. hugs
Huh?
oh kaily. i’m bailing on this one 🙂
enticing exercise?! Now there’s an oxymoron if ever I saw one! ;-D
totally! has it every hooked u in? how?
My sphere is more like a deflated basketball; the shape is there, but you can see the dips around it and it feels heavy. I haven’t been able to serve others in a long time. I am so worry about surviving myself, that I am left without any energies to give to others.
P.S. I am having problems for the last week with WordPress in that I haven’t been getting notifications of new post to people I am subscribed to. I won’t know when you daughter publishes her next post unless I check it myself. Could you please send me her address again. Thanks, Marie.
if you’re worried Marie, than get bank by all means before trying credit. i wonder if those of us who ask for credit really want what we are asking for. u r worth everything it takes to increase your friendship w yourself. i celebrate your hard work, your socially incorrect efforts, your days/nights/in-between-moments thrashing for what those around you don’t celebrate. u r a courageous woman. keep on.