"To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."
~Mother Teresa

Like they say on an airplane, “If there is a change in cabin pressure, put your own mask on before helping others with theirs.” We get the idea … “Take care of yourself first, so you can THEN better help others” … but are you doing it? For some reason women are especially guilty of putting themselves last. Not out of martyrdom or laziness; it is just the way we are built. We women somehow believe that we must care for everyone BEFORE we care for ourselves. However, when we choose to take care of ourselves properly, we realize how much more smoothly everything runs. When we eat right, get enough sleep, take time to play, and invest in supportive relationships, we have more energy and feel better overall! Now, realistically we cannot always take care of every aspect of ourselves. At times the stress is too much and we need to prioritize. But we must remember that if we do not take some time to fill our OWN lamps … we WILL burn out (and then be good to no one).