“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” (Eleanor Brown)
It’s easy to get caught up in the notion that there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done. Trust me, I’ve lived that pattern, cramming so many things into my schedule that by the time my head hit the pillow, I was completely overwhelmed and feeling run down, only to repeat the process all over again immediately the very next day. And it seemed like every time I did this for an extended period, I constantly succumbed to a cold, a virus, or sickness of some sort that forced me to stay home, rest, and take care of myself. Soon I began to realize this wasn’t a good way to exist. That’s why I started regularly taking time to rest and do various amounts of self-care, including things such as watching my favorite television programs, doing some writing, meditating, reading a novel, working on a puzzle, sitting on the rocks down by the lake, or just lying on my couch with my cat purring on my chest. Each of them appear to rejuvenate my spirit just enough to help me be of much greater capacity to serve others. Take last week for example. I opted to remain home one Tuesday evening while my partner went off to one of our standing social engagements because I honestly felt really tired. While my ego wanted me to still go, my spirit kept nudging me to take care of myself and that I did. So instead, I meditated for forty-five minutes, ate some healthy leftovers, and then watched two uplifting television programs on my couch with my cat curled up on me. And by the time my partner arrived home later that night, I felt a lot better and was far more present with him then how I would have been if I had gone out with him. I’m so thankful to God I see the importance of taking those daily moments to rest and do a little self-care nowadays, because the alternative, getting sick and being forced to do it anyway, is a lot less enticing, now isn’t it?
I pray I listen to those gentle nudges that often come from within, which remind me to take care of myself, to rest, and replenish my spirit on a daily basis. As I know in doing so, it will allow me to serve others in a far greater capacity, then if I don’t.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
