Taking care of you!

"Love yourself so that you may love others. Nurture yourself, so that you may nurture others." - Harry Shade

One of the things I find to be utterly important, especially for those in what I call the helping fields, but anyone in general, is that we take time for ourselves. We need to care for ourselves to be able to care for others.

We are usually doing things for others and so we do not take time to ensure we are well. But if we are not in top form, how do we expect to give our best to others? If we are not our best we cannot possibly give our best to others.

I know what you may be thinking. "I feel guilty when I do things for myself." I cannot take time for me, when I have all these responsibilities." "I feel like if I am not taking care of my family, then no one will."

Well, first of all guilt in all shapes and forms must be removed from our lives for it really serves no purpose other than to stress us out. Secondly, we do not need martyrs. What is needed are people who can care for others because they have cared for themselves.

We cannot be any good for others if:

We are sick!

We are tired!

We are stressed!

We are depressed!

We are depleted!

We are not our best!

So, we must take the time to ensure we are healthy and well. That way we can be at our best and give our best to the world around us.

We must then:

Eat healthy.

Get regular physical checkups.

Exercise our mind and body.

Feed our soul.

Listen to our bodies.

Get plenty of sleep.

Nurture ourselves.

Learn and experience new things.

Hydrate our bodies.

Make time to get away.

Declutter and destress.

In this way, we will be at our best and so will be able to give our best. Once again, this is not a selfish but rather a selfless act.

What are you doing everyday to nurture YOU?

"If I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." - Micky Mantle

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I am honored that you would do so. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments on this subject.

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry
Author - Rare Sense, One day It Will Be Common
harry@raresenseunlimited.com
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/

Instructions for Life by the Dalai Laama

This list purported to be from the Dalai Lama, has been around for awhile and yet I was compelled to share it once again. I believe it is because we can never be reminded enough that the simplest things in life are often the most profound.

Instructions for Life . . . by the Dalai Lama

- Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

- When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

- Follow the three r's. Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all your actions.

- Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

- Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

- When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

- Spend some time alone every day.

- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

- Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

- A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

- In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

- Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

- Be gentle with the earth.

- Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

- Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

- Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

- Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

I hope you enjoyed this list and will use it's powerful lessons to improve your life and the lives of those you touch.

Thank you for taking the time to read and share my blog. I really appreciate your comments and suggestions.

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry
Author - Rare Sense, One Day It Will Be Common
harry@raresenseunlimited.com
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/

Are you doing things out of guilt & obligation?

As much as I like to write original things for you all, there are times when I come across things from others that is definitely worth sharing with you. There are many, many, many, wonderful people out there doing their very best to help spread a positive message and provide superb guidance.

It just so happens that this time, it comes from one of my friends, Pamela Gregory. Pamela has been a guest twice on my Blog talk Radio show. She is a beautiful soul and has blessed many people with her talks about forgiveness and the power it has to change lives. I suggest you learn more about Pamela by going to her web site, http://pamelagregory.com/.

If you would like to listen to the recording of our shows together, here are the links:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/HarryShade/2009/06/18/Talking-Forgiveness-with-Pamela-Gregory

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/HarryShade/2009/06/25/Permission-to-Honor-Yourself-with-Pamela-Gregory

Without further delay, here is a note I received from Pamela as part of her Facebook group, Forgiveness Healing.

Doing the Right Thing vs. Guilt and Obligation by Pamela Gregory

Have you ever noticed that when you've done something for someone because you felt guilted into it, whether by yourself or them, that it didn't benefit either of you in the end? Think back and notice times in your life when you made a decision to do something because you “had” to, and not because you felt it was the right thing to do or had the guidance to do. Guilt and obligation are both negative energies, so the only outcome that could result is a negative one.

Even when you have the INTENTION to want to help, but you do so because you will feel guilty if you don't, it will end up being a lose/lose for both of you.The contrasting affect is, when we do something because we know it is the right thing to do, it benefits BOTH sides. Doing what we know in our heart is right ALWAYS results in a double blessing. Doing the right thing may not be fun, convenient, or something we would choose to do if a certain need didn't exist, but when you look back after the fact, you feel good inside...which is healthy for you, and those you've helped feel the love and care shown by your efforts, which obviously is healthy for them.

This reminds me of a lecture given by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He spoke of a study that showed a rather dramatic boost in the immune system in individuals who were the receivers of an act of kindness. In addition, they discovered the one who performed the act of kindness also had a boost in their immune system...and even an observer of this kind act showed a strengthening in their immune system. This proves, as if we needed proof, that by doing the right thing really does make a difference, in more ways than we ever knew.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't tie in forgiveness here. When you forgive others, it most definitely is “doing the right thing” as the benefits to you are tremendous. When you harbor anger and are unforgiving of ourselves or another, it leads to an acid environment in our body. Acid thoughts create acid in the body. Cancer can only survive in an acid environment. Anger releases high voltage toxic chemicals inside your body, contributing to heart disease. It also pulls calcium from your bones and joints, resulting in arthritis and osteoporosis... the brain shuts down making it impossible to think clearly. Do you see all the dis-ease that is caused by these toxic thoughts? Do you see the damage you are doing to yourself when holding on to the pain and anger from the past?

This is why, FORGIVENESS (letting go of anger) is so HEALING...and is most definitely “doing the right thing” for everyone involved. :)

Share LOVE All Ways ~ Pamela

NOTE: To read this message in other languages, please go to the Articles tab on my website http://pamelagregory, scroll to the bottom to the translator, and pick your desired language...

PS. If you haven't already done so, please consider signing the online petition to create an Int'l Forgiveness Day!!http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/International-Forgiveness-Day/

"Guilt upon the conscience, like rust upon iron, both defiles and consumes it, gnawing and creeping into it, as that does which at last eats out the very heart and substance of the metal." - South

"Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but that mark of a fake messiah." -
Richard Bach

So, are you doing things our of obligation and/or guilt?

Or are you coming from a place of love, joy and positive energy?

Anytime that we do anything with love as the foundation, it benefits everyone involved. So, let's throw out guilt and obligation and replace it with love, love, love. And while we are at it, let's toss in some forgiveness, (which is just another aspect of love), for good measure.

Once again, you bless me every time you read my blog. Please share your thoughts and comments and if you feel it worthy, share my blog with everyone you know!

May you be blessed always and in all ways!

Harry

Author - Rare Sense, One Day It Will Be Common

harry@raresenseunlimited.com

http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/