It pains me to see people who neglect to make self-care a top priority! The cost seems glaringly obvious to me because I have lived at both ends of the spectrum. At one point, I was Addicted to Busy and letting personal matters slide big time. My life structure was haphazardous, based on some misguided religious logic about serving others and living sacrificially. The end result was that my health fell apart.

On bed rest, I finally had all the time in the world to reflect. My life, especially as a woman of faith, is meant to exude joy, peace so thick I can rest in it, and the energy of love. The reality at that point was the opposite. I hated that habitual self-neglect made me a cranky bystander in my own life. My precious family was on the back burner. It seemed like I never had time to slow down and enjoy the world around me. Unfortunately, I believe this is an all too common scenario… people swamped by commitments, jumping from one activity to the next, never really living, and often unsatisfied with the outcome.

As my body healed, I fell in love with this new vitality and peace! I decided this is the direction I wanted to maintain, toward joy and longevity. I left behind a doctrine of viewing neglect as holiness, unapologetically! Turns out, the power to care for me (and my family) cannot be outsourced to a pastor or any other person. So, I implemented new boundaries that prioritized my personal well-being above all else. Then I thought, “what daily steps do I need to take for this to actually stick?” I made one list and then another, but homeschool nerd mom that I am, I finally arranged it into an acronym, BLESSED.