It's kind of an odd phrase: self-preservation. It's an interesting concept. Preserving the self. What does that even mean?
I like to think of the self as the part of us that is aware. The conciousness of our every-day. Our soul.
So let's rephrase this: soul-preservation. Preserving the soul. But the soul is boundless, limitless, eternal. It doesn't need preservation, right? It should be able to function just fine on its own. But who are we when we lose connection with our deepest, truest selves? When we feel life-less, soul-less, uninspired, and minute, what has caused that? What brings us back into balance - back into life?
The re-alignment with our soul. Our spirit. Our true self.
So the preservation is really the acknowledgement and re-association with our self. It's the reminder that it exists. That if it isn't honored or considered, we become deadened. So how do we become 'whole' again? And why is it important to do so?
Well, I think we've all experienced what it feels like to live out of alignment. And while it may seem like an obvious thing to make adjustments, sometimes we go so long living out of whack, that we start to believe that the pain we're feeling is completely normal. We don't even think we need to be fixed, until it's too late. Once we start making mistakes (and no one area of our life is safe - they're all effected), that's we recognize that something is wrong, and maybe we decide to take action. Or at least we should.
Think about the ways in which you take care of yourself. What does that look like? What does that even mean? When you're unhappy or depressed, what's the one thing you wish you could do? What do you long for? What do you crave?
For me, I crave familiarity. Sometimes I feel out of alignment if I'm trying too many new things. I need to maintain some sort of comfort and reassurance, which are impossible to feel in the areas I'm stretching. I crave going to my favorite places, eating my favorite foods, reading my favorite books, watching my favorite shows, and spending time with my favorite people. All of those things help to recharge my batteries. Especially since my day-to-day can be so unpredictable.
Now, that doesn't mean we can't leave room for a little spontinaety. It's just as critical to explore and discover new things as it is to revisit our familiar things. Our favorite things remind us of who we are, while being open to new experiences can help us to feel youthful again. Don't you always feel charged after experiencing something for the first time? It's like you're a kid again, when everything is new and exciting!
Regardless of what you do for self-preservation, do it. Make sure it's a part of your life. Your every day. Your routine. Make taking care of you is the number one priority in your life. I'm not a parent, and I can imagine how hard it is to think about putting yourself first with your children and spouse's needs un-met, but think about your parents. Wouldn't you rather see them happy and grounded in themselves? Do you think their happiness and groundedness would have helped them be better parents? Something to think about.
Anway, your happiness is up to you. You are the only one who is going to spend as much time as you focusing on that. So get connected with the things that make you come alive. They are going to be unique to you, so stop what you're doing, take a deep breath, and ask yourself these questions:
• If there was anything you could be doing right now, what would it be?
• If you could be anywhere, where would you be?
• If you could eat anything, what would it be?
• If you could spend time with anyone, who would it be?
If you could make the choices about where you are in your life, would you?
• If there was anything you could be doing right now, what would it be?
• If you could be anywhere, where would you be?
• If you could eat anything, what would it be?
• If you could spend time with anyone, who would it be?
If you could make the choices about where you are in your life, would you?
