Why Intentional Self-Care Matters
and how to claim it for yourself
An unexamined life is not worth living. - Socrates
Before we begin in earnest, we need to begin correctly — by beginning intentionally.
First, because using shared meanings is essential in communicating clearly, let’s make sure we are using the word intention in the same way. The word intention, as I am using it here, is defined in the following ways:
It is easy to let life happen to us, living as if we have no agency at all over our own lives at all — getting caught up in our endless To-Do lists, our work and home obligations, and all of the other multitudes of requests for our time that others bring to us. But we need to remember that, ultimately, we are the authors of our stories. We may not get to write our stories exactly as we wish but, most of the time, we have far more power over how our lives are going than we are willing to consciously admit to ourselves.
To set this right, you must begin by intentionally seeing clearly where you are rockin’ your self-care, as well as where you’re completely letting yourself down — and to seeing BOTH without judgement. Recognize that you are worthy of greater self-care, acknowledge how profoundly you long for it, and consciously make the decision to no longer put yourself at the bottom of your To-Do list.
