Increase Your Capacity

I’m sure you are familiar with the statement love your neighbor as yourself. I have pondered this statement for years. People seem to love themselves quite well, yet the love of neighbors (others) is not that apparent. As I have pondered this over the years, I have actually reached a hypothesis. Could it be that people really do love others as they love themselves which just so happens to be, not that much!? From coaching for many years, I have discovered that when it comes down to it, people are the hardest on, critical and condemning of themselves. Low self-esteem and self-worth is so extremely common. People really do not have much self-love. I have heard it said, you cannot give what you do not have. When you are emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained, despite your best efforts, your capacity to nurture and support others is greatly diminished. A person can only care for these aspects of personal wellness when they take the time. The lack of self-love and self-care, stems from several things. However, in large part, I believe it is because our society seems to have a misconception that if you stop to rest your body or make a healthy change or put your own energy into your betterment, somehow you are selfish. We are expected to give and be patient and give unconditional love to everyone around us, yet we are not allowed to really take the time to do that for ourselves. I am here to tell you that, when it comes to doing something for yourself, if you have the word “selfish” come to mind, you are truly anything but selfish. Our world is getting harder and harder to live in every day.  I have found myself wondering what can be done, what can I do, what can anyone do. The answer to that question is to start with, YOU! If you are not caring for your most basic needs, emotionally, physically, spiritually/relationally to bring out your best you, you are robbing the world, aka your family, co-workers, friends, etc. of all the awesomeness you have. As you look around and see all this unpleasant stuff happening and wonder, “What can I do?”, I challenge you to take a moment and look at the ways in which you know YOU have room to grow. Start taking some time each day or each week for your own personal improvement, personal growth, and care for you, whatever that may look like. When an individual feels fulfilled by balancing the responsibilities of life with taking time to rest, to learn, and care for self, self-love will grow along with the capacity to nurture, encourage, motivate, and provide for others. When that self-love grows it has nowhere else to go but outward. Then you make an even greater positive impact on the ones around you. They then get more of what they need to increase their capacity to make a greater positive impact on the ones around them. If everyone could increased their desire and capacity to give more, love more, support more I believe our communities would be a better place. It all starts with YOU!