I love living by this idea as much as possible! It’s not a call to be selfish, so much as it is to see it from the perspective that if one tends to their own wellbeing – spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally – then they are in a position to be present for others. And the gift of showing up as the best version of yourself is AWESOME!
I’m not suggesting that we all need to hurry up and be perfect. How can we be anything other than what we already naturally are? 🙂 What I am suggesting is that the next time you’re about to head in to a conversation on the telephone with someone and you’ve just read a nasty email that put you in a bad mood, or you’re over-tired because you were up all night with a sick child, or you are sad thinking about a friend in a rough situation that you feel helpless to shine the light on it for her, TEND TO YOUR OWN VITAL HEART by acknowledging where you’re at and perhaps even rescheduling a time to continue the conversation later, because right now what you really need is space to clear and be complete with this upset you’re experiencing. Now is not the time for a stiff upper lip. Now is not the time to pretend that your upset won’t affect how you’re going to handle the phone call you’re about to take. Now is not the time stuff those feelings down. Now is the time to pull out your toolbox and choose your ‘personal energy management’ system of proven techniques that help you move through things.
What toolbox?! That’s the one you have been adding to for years and years now! Maybe it’s putting on the headphones and heading to a quiet room and dancing to “Happy” or “Gangnam Style” or whatever gets your hips shaking and your arms flailing! Maybe it’s looking at your homescreen wallpaper on any electronic device of an island oasis, or your children, or your spouse, or your pets – whatever puts you in the memory of your love and peace and joy and freedom of BEing there. Maybe you grab a pen and paper and a favourite tea and time yourself – write out all the things that you love about life for 7 minutes straight. Or think about a person in your life that you are particularly grateful for in this moment – alive or dead – think about who they were as a person to you and how they handled situations and what you most admire about them. Maybe for you it’s putting a paint brush onto a blank canvas, or tickling the ivories and composing a new piece, or getting your hands dirty in a pot of soil. It doesn’t matter what it is – what matters is that you know what shifts you, and if you truly feel you don’t know, then go play around and try all sorts of things until you do know that you know, beyond a doubt! I believe we all know, and any excuse to say we don’t really know, is just that voice inside our head talking that wants to keep us safe and comfy cozy where we are. Eckart Tolle talks about that voice as the pain body. Ever heard the saying “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t”? Same voice. The voice of fear. False Evidence Appearing Real.
The more you tend to your own heart, the more you can show up in the world as your best self, for you, for others, for joy, for love, for peace, for harmony – for whatever it is you intend to create!
Happy tending!
Pamela
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