Poster Child.

I am not the poster child for self care.

I am not the poster child for putting myself first.

I am not the poster child for being my own best friend.

I forget to take care of myself. I put self care at the bottom of my list more often than I’d like to admit. I sometimes self-talk in a way I would never say out loud -not just to my best friend but to any friend (or any other person on the planet).

I’ve been writing this blog – a blog about being your own best friend – taking care of yourself – being the best version of yourself – for over 12 years. 12 years! And yet – I often suck at doing it myself.

I AM the poster child for learning.

I AM the poster child for incremental improvements – two steps forward, one step back.

I AM the poster child for wanting to be my own best friend – for wanting to talk to myself the way I would to my dearest friend.

I make mistakes. Often. It turns out it’s far easier to write about being your own best friend than it is to actually be your own best friend. Yet the writing about it – the reflecting back on the moments where I “goofed” – it all helps. Slowly. Achingly slowly the tide is turning.

After 4,000+ days, while I’m not the poster child of how to be your own best friend, I AM the poster child of learning how to be that person. So, I keep the faith. With every small choice I make, I come closer to providing that care I give so easily to my friends but am so stingy about with myself.

Keep fighting the good fights my friends. It really is worth it. One kind word. One thoughtful action. One gentle thought. We really can value ourselves in the way we value those we care about most. And finding that value in ourselves opens us up to so much more to be able to give and do in this world. Imagine if we all gave ourselves the grace we willingly give others – what wondrous things could we start to do in the world.