You really need to take care of yourself because you won't be good for anyone else unless you take care of yourself.
-- Harry Bartholomew
Do we merely assume we are taking good care of ourselves? It's perhaps a good idea to list all the ways we think this is true. Do we get enough exercise? What is enough, anyway? Are we eating the right foods and enough of them? How about rest? Do we take naps when needed, as well as get a good night's sleep? What about laughter? Some would say there's no better elixir than a good laugh. Of course, we have to be willing to laugh at ourselves, on occasion, to make the most of it.
Taking good care of ourselves is much more in our control than we might have imagined. While it's true that some of us need a devoted caregiver because of our infirmities, we are able to laugh at will and to eat what's good for us. We are also very much in control of how we feel about the circumstances of our lives. Whether we think we have it good or bad has a great deal to do with the details of each day.
We're not much fun to be around if all we do is moan and whine. Neither response ever takes good care of us. And both of them hinder the day's experiences for our companions, too.
The best thing I can do for me today is smile at my life, my friends, my remaining dreams. I can show I care.
