I can’t be everything for everyone.
I want to be. I’m desperate to fulfill the needs of those who love and depend on me.
I want to be the person that does it all. The one who can juggle anything life throws her way.
The one who can hold everyone else like some super woman with special powers.
But I can’t.
Sometimes I need to be held.
Sometimes I need to be helped.
Sometimes I just need someone to tell me everything is going to be okay.
Sometimes I need time to regroup and recharge so that I can keep myself going.
It doesn’t make me weak.
It doesn’t mean I’m not built for greatness.
It means I’m human.
Sometimes, we try so hard to hold everything together.
We try to hide our own pain, our own struggles, our own suffering.
Are you guilty of this too? If so, stop.
Four Norths in the South
Stop carrying everyone’s mental load. Yours is heavy enough. You don’t need that elephant on your back.
Stop trying so hard to do it all. You don’t have to. No one expects you to, so don’t put that pressure on yourself.
Are you practicing self-care? Because you should be. There’s a reason they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others. If you can’t breathe, what use are you to anyone else?
Take the time for yourself. Ask for help when you need it. Talk to someone when you feel overwhelmed…your spouse, your friends, a therapist. Take a couple of days away from your responsibilities to relax your mind and soul.
Whatever it takes, do it. And don’t you dare feel guilty for it.
This story originally appeared on Four Norths in the South
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