A Few Precious Minutes

"You cannot control other people's emotions, 

but you can control your own.  If you sense

yourself responding to their negativity, try 

not to let yourself.  Keep your heart open to

them, and they may let go of their defensiveness

and yield to your compassion and openness.

Madisyn Taylor

DAILY OM

Uncontrollable urges to accommodate others are much more pronounced than a response to our personal call for help.  In our culture, self-help is mistakenly equalled to being selfish.  Our drive to be accepted is lengthier than the time required to determine, evaluate, and meet our  personal need.  It is when we first sustain ourselves, we find we are much better equipped to help another.  

In childhood, we may have experienced our needs as never being  met.  In the process of development, we may have learned to disregard our personal desires, using our energy to make others happy.   We gave less thought to ourselves creating a disconnect with our core.

Other than basic needs such as shelter and food, can we even identify a personal need?  There wouldn't be any hesitancy if we had been asked for our family's needs, yet, we struggle to clarify our own.  Even when tangible items are disregarded, do we know our basic needs?

The senses of feeling, touching, hearing, smelling, tasting are all vital ingredients to saturate our beings to thrive.  In what ways to do we address these simple pleasures, no matter how chaotic our lives might be?  If we find ourselves over extended, then look at our planners and discover a space between meetings or prematurely early or loitering afterwards.  If we are truly important to our lovely selves, then we will determine a personal space in time.

Buy some flowers at the store, and take time when choosing.  Purchase a decadent chocolate bar and allow the self to feel indulgent.  Can a bedtime be moved up to allow the house to be shut down early, creating a brief space of silence just to breathe alone?  How about massaging hands or feet prior to bed?  What about getting up fifteen minutes earlier than normal?  These few precious minutes may do our selves wonder!  Splurge ... schedule a massage, wander in the library, or meet with a supportive friend.  Come on, get creative!