Whose side are you on?

With every act of self-care your authentic self gets stronger and the critical, fearful mind gets weaker. Every act of self-care is a powerful declaration: I am on my side, I am on my side, each day I am more and more on my side.

-Susan Weiss Berry

Whose side are you on?

All too often we put the needs of others above our own. We give to ourselves only if there is enough time at the end of the day, and even then we feel guilty. And at times, we are so disconnected from ourselves that we don’t even know what self-care looks like.

I think a good place to start is to ask yourself: “Whose side are you on?” It might take a while to accept that you actually are on your side. Once you do, you can begin to explore what that looks like. What does it look like to love yourself, believe in yourself, nurture yourself with enough sleep and good food and healthy relationships? What does it look like to pursue your passions and take rests when you need them? What does it look like to pause and put your hand on your belly and ask your inner being—what do you need right now?

Give yourself permission to be on your side. And then, with all the love and care you have given yourself, you can give love and care to others.