Are YOU Investing in Yourself?

Written by Kelly Epperson

W e attended our mastermind meeting in Asheville, NC with a wonderful group of creative entrepreneurs. Good people doing good things in the world. It's very uplifting to be around folks from all over the country with different kinds of businesses (yoga therapists, interior designers, orthodontists, artists, JOY spreaders!) who all want personal growth and spiritual growth as well as business growth. 

I've learned that investing in myself with a great coach helps me on all levels. The time, energy, and money that I spend returns benefits a hundredfold. And then some. It also equips me to better serve my wonderful women in my programs.

Recently in January, I was invited to be the happiness speaker at an event hosted by WIPFLI, (the financial planning agency), and the event was called Invest in Yourself. Ah, serendipity.

Women tend to put themselves on the back burner. Learning to invest in ourselves is the best return on investment (ROI) that we will ever see. 

There are many ways to invest in yourself. The best place to start is your time. Do you allow any time in your day just for you? Do you take time to read a favorite book? Do you take a walk? Do you eat lunch and actually savor your food or do you eat at your desk or skip lunch altogether?

 

Do you get a pedicure or a massage? Do you go to a hair salon that you love? Do you have jammies that you love? Do you have a place in your home that is your sacred space?

As we barrel into 2012, take time to think about what you do for you. Do you take time out for activities that you enjoy? Do you have a date with a friend or your partner where you just talk and laugh and relax? 

Do you have shampoo that you love or do you buy the cheapest stuff you find? Are you not worth the extra five bucks a bottle to feel good every single time you wash your hair?

Investing in yourself is indeed all the small stuff. It does not have to be a vacation that you look forward to all year (that is groovy too). It's the daily details of life. 

Are you honoring yourself as a person worthy of your time and attention?

Of course you love your family and friends and colleagues, and you love taking care of them. You are not diminishing any of that by taking care of yourself too. The best thing you can do for those you love is taking care of you, investing in yourself. 

Pay attention as you proceed into this new year. Where do you neglect your own needs? Where do you ignore your own wants? Why are you putting your happiness aside?

The best thing you can do for the people that matter to you is to model to them that you matter to you. 

Does that make any sense to you?  

Imagine a young person from another planet is learning about humans by watching you. Would this alien think that humans are compassionate to others? To themselves? Would they be surprised to see how humans treat themselves? Would they think it odd that people are not kind to themselves? Would they find it odd that you always put yourself last?

I think that alien would report back to their planet that humans have forgotten that investing energy in themselves is how to recharge and how to have energy for all the other stuff going on in life.

Do you recharge? Do you deplete your reserves and think that is normal? Let's create a new normal. 

Don't let 2012 get away from you. Make this be the year you make time for you. Invest in yourself. The returns are immeasurable. 

 

Words to Ponder: 

Every man is the painter and the sculptor of his own life.

– St. John Chrysostom

 

JOY ASSIGNMENT:

Are you sculpting your own life?

Take time this week and do one thing that makes your soul sing, one thing that makes you feel alive.