Since I was a teenager, I’ve always made time for what is now known as “self care”. Whether it was reading a good book, writing poetry, practicing piano or just taking an extra moment to enjoy a sunset, I always found time to do something peaceful and satisfying.
Fast forward to today. The idea of self care is, on some level, the subject of every post, podcast, webinar, meme, talk show, reality show, and more. It has become absolutely detrimental, that in all you are doing, make sure you do for you.
I think it’s safe to say that the practice of self care has a mega positive connotation. But let’s not confuse this self care with acts of selfishness or isolation. I recently saw a social media post that read “Forget them. Take care of you.” While I do feel that in some instances, it is very necessary to cut back on certain influences in order to get the refresh that you need, this mindset of foregoing everyone and everything else is not a true act of self care.
The very essence of self care is actually inclusive. Hardly anyone lives in a bubble. We each have a network of family, friends, colleagues, business partners or co workers that we interact with. We have circles of people that we are close to and who mean a lot to us.
The act of taking care of yourself, should never equate to neglecting or being unresponsive to your circle.
In fact, self care is also for the benefit of others. When you take care of yourself, you feel better, you think clearer, you’re more focused and that creates a greater appreciation for those around you. It’s not an “either/or” situation where either you take care of you, OR you take care of everyone else. You can be attentive and engaged with others, just include yourself in that equation. It’s a win for you, and a win for everyone else you encounter.
So stock up on those self care practices with the mindset that it is a necessary benefit for everyone. You’ll thank yourself later!
Tangier's Place 
Nicely done. You could think of it like one of the cells in your body. If the cell’s internal machinery doesn’t work, it can’t do for itself or fulfill its function in the body. Only if it’s healthy can it help the body as a whole.
But if the cell *only* takes everything it can for itself and forgets its connection to the body, it becomes cancer. Cancer only lives for itself. Either something destroys the cancer (radiation, the body’s immune system, surgery, etc.) or the cancer destroys the body — and then, of course, it dies anyway. Cancer is stupid.
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