I recently came across a quote by Anne Lamott which had to be shared with the many light workers I know.
Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save, they just stand there shining.
Such sage advice in just eighteen words!
It hints at beliefs that you many hold – a belief that bringing light and love to the world requires an around the clock commitment.
Some might suggest that underlying these beliefs are unmet needs projected on the needing to be saved. Even when this might be a contributing factor, there is something more important to consider.
Is prioritizing the needs and care of others preempting your self-care?
In my book Awakened Soul: Discoveries of Healing, Self-love and Spiritual Growth, I spotlight Carla, a client whose story highlights what happens when self-care is neither a priority nor a consideration. Carla so excelled at meeting the needs of her husband, two parents and her sick dog that her fuel tank neared empty. The depletion was so intense and long lasting that her spirit guide warned that she faced the ultimate sacrifice – her life.
If you consider this circumstance irrelevant given its singular focus on her own family, then perhaps you are someone who widely spreads your light and love. Regardless of who or what cumulatively causes the shortchanging of self-care, the results are the same –lifeforce and energy are being drained.
I could go on with examples and analogies of how a supply of energy can only be shared with a limited number of other people and things before it’s depleted, but I trust you get the point.
Not prioritizing self-care is both risky and ineffective in the long run. Not only does one jeopardize one’s own wellbeing, but one does not let those they are rescuing assume responsibility for themselves. This stunts their growth and limits their accomplishing their soul’s plan for this lifetime.
As we grow emotionally and spiritually, we must learn to balance our compassion for others with our compassion for ourselves. Self-care is an essential, yet too often overlooked component. For too long, martyrs were upheld for adoration. And while the actions of the selfless may be laudable, they may well signal a tendency as Anne Lamott so succinctly chides of a lighthouse running all over an island looking for boats to save!
