upside down

I want to change my challenge for this month to better align with my goal.  While I had intially committed to speaking affirmations about myself, I quickly realized that this just didn't quite fit with the root of my need to develop the healthy habit of valuing my body.

You know how you can tell when you are growing because there is tension and pressure and even pain?  It can be likened to lifting weights at the gym- if I am not lifting the right amount of weight it could be really easy and would, quite frankly, be a waste of time.  I felt this way about my habit of speaking positively.  It is a good habit to create, but not a major challenge for me personally.  There was no tension.  I have come to crave the tension and even strain of learning something new. 

My issue is not that I do not like my body nor value it theoretically anymore; I had lived that way for years and worked through that issue.  Lately my biggest struggle in health is the practical application of spending money and TIME.  I have already addressed the financial issue and given myself permission to spend money on my health, and most recently in my latest post discussed my desire to also give myself permission to spend time, and I have been thinking about that all week long and have more to add. 

I have been living under this false illusion that taking time for me is selfish.  However, the more I learn, the more I realize that it is not selfish to take time for my health.  If I want fruit, I have to commit to the process of caring for myself.  To not make self-care a priority would be as silly as wanting to have a garden and then never taking time to plant, water, or weed.

I am not the only one who benefits from my health.  The healthier I am, the kinder I am.  The more productive I am.  The more pleasant I am to be around.  The more energy I have.  Ultimately, the healthier I am the more I can give.  When I take time for myself I am a better mom teacher and wife.  It seems upside down, but it also makes perfect sense.

So I made a list of a few ways I can care for myself:

Massage
Chiropractor 

Bubble bath

10 minutes silence

10 minutes worship

Pedicure

Facial

Coffee shop time 

Nap

Date night

Exercise

Blog
Read
Pray

Isaiah 43:4 says, "Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you."  I discipline myself to the obedient call to care for this precious body that my Heavenly Father created in His image and values infinitely.  My NEW goal is to treat myself to one indulgence each day for the rest of this month as a means of practicing the habit of taking time and money to value my precious body, knowing this discipline will produce incredible fruit.