Allowing Yourself To Be Selfish

Sometimes, you have to allow yourself to be selfish.

Yes, I know how bad that sounds. All our lives we're told it's 'Bad' with a capital 'B' to be selfish. And it can be. But you want to know what I've found out recently? There's different types of selfish.

See, there's such a thing as 'Healthy Selfishness' - that means that you can do things like, allow yourself a piece of chocolate or to buy a magazine as a treat, you can take a nice long shower or bath with all the pampering lotions and potions, and you don't have to feel guilty about it.

That doesn't mean it's ok to take advantage of people, to disregard others' feelings, or to be cruel. No, it just means you're allowed to put yourself first sometimes.

If you don't take care of you, then you can't take care of anyone else. You can't slay the dragon if your sword arm's broken, and you can't save the world on an empty tank. Take care of yourself, and the rest will follow (and I mean both physically and mentally.)

As someone who's been a carer, and as someone who has been through the mill and back again with depression, I can tell you that there is no shame in being vulnerable, or hurt, or ill, and there is no shame in putting yourself first.


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