MMP Episode 46  Self-Care; 9 Great Reasons It Helps You Boost Your Manifesting Skills

You undoubtedly hear a lot about self-care these days. It's for a good reason, of course. Our lives give us many excuses to be stressed out, tired out, and timed out. This year of 2020 is no exception, but this topic is for every day, not just right now. We, humans, like to accomplish so much, but more often than not, it seems like the few spare moments or the little energy we might have to concentrate on ourselves couldn't possibly fill the huge need we have to take proper care of our persons. It's so easy to let things we don't consider to be of the utmost importance slide. However, we also realize that something's gotta give at some point. If we aren't listening to the signals our bodies give us when we need to; we'll often find ourselves in a position where it's necessary to do just that. When we're lined up with stressful situations and circumstances, it puts a lot of pressure on our bodies, which can lead to a whole host of illnesses. These ailments can take the form of mental or physical disturbances and any other type of sickness you could think of. 

An Example In The Making

My sweet, wonderful, adorable mother is an example of the making of this. She wouldn't know how to relax if Jesus himself showed up in her living room, telling her to take a break. She's one of those people who always has to be "doing something." And she feels guilty, even if she just sits down for a few minutes. It can be dizzying to watch her move from one thing to the next. My mom doesn't get the value of taking care of herself, even though my entire, huge family continually asks her to. As long as I can remember, I've heard her say things like this, especially when she's talking on the phone; first, when someone asks her what's new with her, she'll list ten things she's done before noon. Then she concludes by saying, "I'd better get moving; I haven't gotten a thing done today yet!" It always leaves my siblings and me shaking our heads. And as she's getting older, she's finding herself having to slow down, which drives her crazy, as you might imagine. And recently, it resulted in a back injury. It wasn't the first time it's happened either. She's been in a lot of pain, and she still hasn't learned her lesson. My sister, who's with Mom a lot, is texting me all the time, going bonkers because our sassy little mother won't change her behavior. My sister lives in a constant state of fear about this. She's worried (as we all are) about Mom ending up in the hospital again, but with worse pain and injury because she does things her doctors have told her not to do. My mom is like this because she ties her value to working and doing things for other people. 

It makes me so sad to say that because she's such a wonderful human being, and there's so much more to love about her than just what she can do and do for you. But we know we can't change her beliefs about herself. It's up to her, and whatever we've all said, it hasn't worked yet. Those beliefs that are felt so deeply in her heart have been ingrained in her subconscious mind for decades because of how she's experienced life.

This is exactly why I want you to know your worth. It's important to me, and when I say that, please know that this is the truth. I believe to the core of my being that we are all on this planet for a purpose. Ultimately, in some way, everyone's purpose is about serving others. However, the way people do that can vary vastly from one person to the next. One important thing we do have in common, though, is the physical bodies we've been given charge of. They need a lot of things to be maintained in a way that will have you contributing your best to the world as much as possible. If you're not taking care of yourself well, then you won't make as much impact as you could or maybe want to. That's why caring for yourself first is so important.

The 9 Great Reasons

Yes, this is where the subject of self-care comes in. But the reason you want to take care of yourself is not that you're here to serve others. It's simply because you're here. You are worth the time and effort to make time for yourself on every level that humans experience in life. You are worth being loved and cared for by others and certainly by yourself. The obvious benefits of doing so are desirable, indeed. So let’s go through a few of them right now.

• It promotes better physical health all around, including strengthening your immune system. Who doesn't want to feel good in their bodies?
• When you're well-rested and your mental faculties are working in tandem, you're more efficient and get more things done.
• You'll learn more about yourself. Giving in to the impulse to do something fun or learn something new can open up many possibilities to discover things about yourself that you didn't know before. 
• It provides nourishment for your soul. Taking a break to breathe, listen to the silence, or do something you love can feed parts of you that you may not think about. You'll feel more connected to life in ways that go well beyond the physical.
• Mental rest will help your mind to find and focus on better solutions.
• It can help you develop more emotional balance and endurance too. 
• You'll be more in tune with helping others and will have more to give them. Think about how great that would be for your family and your work life. 
• It shows people how to treat you. If you're not taking care of yourself, then it sends a subtle signal to others that you don't think you're worth it. In response, some other people may not understand your full value either. It could lead to lots of disappointing outcomes. On the other hand, if you show yourself and the world your true value, you'll get results you'll like a lot more.
• Because taking care of yourself shows the universe that you're ready and willing to co-create. If you're overwhelmed by life and stress and are not sure how you're going to get through the day, you know you'll be attracting more of that kind of energy.

Almost Painless Ways To Work Self-Care Into Your Life

So what are some simple ways to practice self-care that you can work into your life? Surprisingly, it doesn't have to be that hard. Here are a few things that most people find contribute to their overall well-being.

• Keep your spaces clean and get rid of clutter. Having too much stuff is something most of us are guilty of. It's so easy to put things away thinking you'll need them, and you never use them. Remember that everything is energy. When you have so much stuff around you, especially dull, dead energy from things that don’t get used, it can create a sense of being closed in. It can mean that your mind feels cluttered, and it's hard to focus on important things. That can slow down all kinds of human processes. I can't work well if I have too much sitting around me. And it doesn't mean just my workspace either. It extends to my entire home. I make it a point to be as clean, organized, and clutter-free as possible. No, my home isn't perfect, and my kids don't always do their chores willingly, but I try. It's good to create space for what you want for manifesting purposes because the universe doesn't like a void. It will fill it for you when it sees one, and you know exactly what I mean. How many times have you cleaned your closet and found yourself putting new clothes onto the empty hangers a short time later? It happens. The difference it can make for you to remove things you don’t use is that when you have space available, there are all sorts of possibilities to fill the space with new and better energy.

• Set boundaries, so you have a balance of work time and personal time, and then stick to it. You might be surprised at how long a workday can be, even when you work for yourself. I've had some very long days working from my home, and I've had to start implementing some policies and sticking to them. Just like working for somebody else, it can be very draining to be so involved with your job that you don't take time to eat well, get some exercise or have time with your family that doesn't involve feeding, doing laundry, helping with homework or all the things parents do daily. If you don't have a family, it's even easier to put more time into your work, so make sure you can have time for both work and life. Make a few minutes every day to enjoy things like reading a book or chatting with a friend. It will do ya good.

• Of course, you must pay attention to what you're body is trying to say to you. If you have constant pain, don't put it off; see the doctor even if you're scared. And if you feel well most of the time, great! But make sure you get your check-ups on time too. Our bodies are our temples. When we don't function properly somehow, it can be scary, and life can become much more difficult. Please do yourself and those who love you a favor and focus on doing healthy things for your body every day. Others value you; please make sure you value yourself too.

• Financial well-being can contribute a lot to your overall happiness. It doesn't matter how much you have or don't have. Money is such a huge stress for people. Try making it as stress-free as possible so your brain gets a break from it. Get advice if you need it, even if you only find a good book on this subject and follow it. There are some good ones out there; just make sure you're picking up one from an actual expert on finances. Or find some way that you can afford right now to get the help you need. Straightening out your money situation carries no shame in it, and it can free so much of your headspace! Take some time to set up a plan to pay off any debts, to budget, to pay your bills. Once that's up and working for you, leave it alone. Let it work for you so you can work on a dream goal for your finances. I'll be letting you know more about attracting money with the help of universal forces soon.

That's it for today. Next week, we'll be continuing the subject of self-care. 

I do want to remind you as well that I've got some very special Facebook lives coming up, but you've gotta be there to catch them! They'll be recorded, but they won't be there for long. And you'll want to catch the next IGTV installment on my Instagram about creating your personalized manifesting routine. That's coming this week as well. You'll find the links for those in the notes.

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Now don't forget to do something nice for yourself today to Get Your Shine ON. As always, the world is gonna be a better place when you do! Until next time, take care, and I'll be thinking about you. 

Thanks to Kevin MacLeod and incompetech.com for the use of the music "On My Way" in our podcast episodes. You can find more musical selections at www.incompetech.com.

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