Take Care of Yourself

by Stuart Rosen

We're our own life support system.

From the moment we're born, we're the center of our own universe. The only gift we're given is Life itself. What we do with it after that, is up to us.

REPLENISH

Life costs. It doesn't take long to use up all that food we stuffed down at lunch. A breath is used up the minute we exhale. We're in this constant flux of use and need; so it's really important that we keep the supply coming, and make sure it's good stuff.

REVITALIZE

A lot like replenish, but different in many ways. Revitalize is not just about resting, but in renewing... in creating more passion along with more energy. It's all about making more hope for the future, creating more goals to go after... and making sure we have what it takes to get to them.

REWARD

We sacrifice entirely too much. We give up sleep to work on that report or we run around like crazy trying to get more errands done than are really important. We often don't take the time to really reward ourselves. Oh sure, we think that ice cream is a reward, but then we punish ourselves when we look at the scales, don't we? We need to pick something that would really enrich our lives, and then remind ourselves that we deserve it... and finally, we should relish it with all we've got!

RESPECT

When we neglect ourselves, or others, we show no sign of respect. You know how a rude waiter or cashier can just annoy your whole day? That's disrespect; and it's really annoying when someone else does it... so why do we do it to ourselves?

REVERE

This is beyond respect. This is the recognition of the sanctity of Life; the truly special and magical gift that is within us, and surrounds us. We may think it's just a bunch of chemicals floating around, or we may think it's all some part of a giant master plan; but however we may interpret it, there's no denying it's amazing. Let's never forget that.
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Guru-cize it

Pick a goal, any goal; and then pick out a reward if you achieve that goal. Make it simple and attainable. Then go out and achieve the goal. When you do, make sure you reward yourself as promised. It's a celebration of success after all. Enjoy it!