Why Is It Necessary To Serve Ourselves Before Serving Others?

    On a recent journey to the canyon, which always offers me new inner insights, I received the message that I may want to consider putting service to others in each relationship of my current life first. Furthermore, the internal question arose for me that if I did that how would the relationship be different, how would the other person benefit, and how would I be different in each relationship. Reflecting on this idea, I made a decision to change how I present myself in all relationships…to actually put the other person’s needs first. 

As I began putting others first and thinking about how to do this, someone whose ideas I value suggested that I look at how I serve myself. I began thinking about this concept. At first I questioned the validity of serving myself before serving others and what first entered my thoughts was how on all flights we are told in case of a emergency when oxygen masks fall down we are to put our own oxygen on before attempting to give another person their mask. Where did the idea of serving others first go? It was then that an inner light shone brightly upon my consciousness! 

It is crucial to take time for myself to recharge my batteries, to reflect on my intentions, and to check in to inventory my current State of Affairs. Self nurturing  and acts of self love may seem selfish acts …but I have come to believe these acts help me to prepare myself more fully to serve and help others!

I need ever so often to check in with myself to see if the people, situations, attitudes, and beliefs that are present in my world need to be revamped, eliminated, or partially be reassessed and tweaked. Un-cluttering my life of people, things, and situations that no longer serve my Highest Good is an invaluable tool for my emotional, mental, and spiritual well being! When I re-assess I often see where boundaries  need to be set and enforced, where new time constraint management needs to be put into place, and checking in with priorities determine if my alignments might be out of balance.

Checking in further with how I am serving myself I get to see if I am drinking enough water daily, feeding my body nutritionally sound foods, getting adequate sleep and rest, taking the time to experience nature, reading uplifting literature , exercising my body, doing memory enhancing and mentally stimulating activities, and pursuing fun and my  passions .  All these things feed me.  Choosing to being a role model to those I choose to serve and help is so important for we truly teach people how to treat us! Clearly we are living in a time when being kinder to all our brothers and sisters is important, and being kinder to ourselves is imperative . I do not have to tell people what or why I am doing acts to serve myself…I simply need to be an active participant in my well being!

By serving myself in self loving and self nurturing ways first, the best Me I can Be will then be present to be of service in each and every relationship I have!