50 Why is it so hard to 'take care of yourself'?

"Try to take care of yourself."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"It's okay to be kinder to yourself."

Even when you're told that,
don't you have days where your heart just can't keep up, even if you understand it in your head?

In fact,
for some reason, the very act of "taking care of yourself" feels difficult.

There are so many people who feel that way.

■ Not being able to take care of yourself is not a personality flaw
People who cannot take care of themselves
are by no means lacking in self-esteem or weak.

On the contrary,
they are people who have lived for others all along.

・For the sake of family
・For the sake of the workplace
・For the sake of children
・For the sake of a partner

When prioritizing others becomes the norm,
the act of "taking care of yourself" starts to feel like being "selfish."

But that is
a feeling that arises precisely because you are kind.

■ The "habit of putting yourself last" is the result of years of kindness
Many people who cannot take care of themselves
harbor these thoughts deep in their hearts.

"I can deal with myself later."
"If I just endure it, everything will work out."
"The other person's feelings are more important than my own."

This is not a "flaw,"
but the accumulation of years of kindness.

However, that kindness sometimes quietly wears you down.

■ Who is suffering the most when you blame yourself?
The more people cannot take care of themselves,
the more they have a habit of blaming themselves.

"I should have been able to try harder."
"I'm no good like this."
"It's pathetic to complain."

But you know,

You might tend to think that you are the one suffering the most by blaming yourself—
but...

Actually,
there are cases where the people watching from the sidelines are suffering even more.

There may be people who feel pain in their hearts
every time they see your smile disappear
and see your dejected face.

When you think about it that way,
your heart becoming lighter and your smiles increasing
will also lighten the hearts of the people around you.

When you smile, there are people who are saved.

■ People who live 'for others' are the most likely to feel empty
Living your life with a beautiful heart that is always 'for others' is
truly wonderful.

But I have seen many people who,
before they knew it, became 'empty inside' and had their hearts crushed.

The deeper a person's kindness,
the more they tend to put themselves last.

That is precisely why,
in order to keep living 'for others,' it is necessary to cherish your own heart.

And here, I want to tell you this.

Those who can cherish themselves are the ones who can cherish others.

This is the truth.
When your own heart is full, you naturally become kind.
Kindness shown while pushing yourself too hard does not last long.

■ We tend to judge our hearts by 'good and evil'
People who cannot cherish themselves
also tend to be harsh toward their own emotions.

'It's not okay to be tired over something like this'
'I have to be stronger'
'It's pathetic to complain'

But in reality,
there is no good or evil in emotions.

What is important is
'to acknowledge your current emotions just as they are.'

Those emotions are neither good nor evil.
They are simply 'things that are there.'

Once you can acknowledge that fact,
your heart will suddenly feel lighter.

■ The first step toward cherishing yourself
You don't have to start prioritizing yourself immediately.

First,
'notice your own feelings.'

・I'm tired
・I'm pushing myself too hard
・I actually didn't want to do that
・I actually wanted to do this

This 'awareness' is
the first step to protecting your heart.

■ A 30-second 'self-acknowledgment' you can do today
On days when you can't cherish yourself,
please whisper this for just 30 seconds.

'You did your best again today'
'The reason you put yourself last is because you have kindness'
'It's okay to start cherishing yourself, little by little'

This one phrase will
bring "space" back to your heart.

■ Finally
You, who cannot cherish yourself,
are not weak.

On the contrary,
you are a deeply kind person who can cherish others.

That is precisely why
I want you to direct that kindness toward yourself as well.

When you cherish yourself,
your life will begin to change quietly and surely.

Next time, I will talk about "'I have to do things right' hurts the family. Ease and safety are the true power of love."
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