Being as Good to Yourself as You Are to Others

In the Intuitive Development class that I teach, I often ask people to close their eyes and listen to their hearts instead of listening to their thoughts. So often we get wrapped up in all of our responsibilities and worries that we don’t even know what our own needs are. We know what our responsibilities are to other people, to creditors, bosses, friends, children, spouses, etc, but we don’t always remember where we fit into the picture.

So I ask people to close their eyes and listen to their bodies. Tune out the world and just empty their minds so they can listen to their bodies and hearts. I then suggest they ask themselves what their needs are, if they did not have any responsibilities to other people or obligations. “What is it that YOU want?”

It’s a very simple question, but often meets with a lot of resistance. Many people are so used to disconnecting themselves from their bodies, that they don’t know what their heart it telling them. Even more often, people who are parents feel extremely uncomfortable asking this question. They find it impossible to believe that asking themselves what their needs are, without taking into account their responsibilities to others, will bring beneficial results.

I can understand the dilemma and the fear that this might lead to selfishness and neglecting their children! Not so however. Your heart is connected to all that is good for you and everyone else. It is also in the center of your chakra system, connecting you to heaven and earth. Tuning out outside distractions is imperative to listening to your heart and your intuition. Listening to your intuition is imperative to being a good parent!

We all want what’s best for our children and loved ones. However, in order to be our absolute best for others, we need to take care of ourselves. We want to be strong, grounded, well nourished, rested and happy. Not only is that best for us, it is best for our children. It helps them feel strong and protected. When we are not paying attention to our needs “for the good of others”, we lose our power, strength, and energy. In the long run, nobody is helped by that dynamic.

When we listen to the wisdom of our hearts, we can trust that what is good for us is best for all. Only through nurturing our needs and our spirits can we be the best we can be. And that is the greatest gift you can offer others.