Which Comes First, You or Your Car?

For the past eight years, I have been privileged to travel and share with many hundreds of people around health and wellness topics. As my exposure to others increased, I began to realize that most of my audience placed very little emphasis upon self-care. I began to formulate the idea that we really do pay more attention to the needs of our cars than to our own.

When asked if they would put duct tape over a red warning light on their dashboard and hope it goes away, everyone agreed that this would be a ridiculous thing to do. After all, ignoring the signal could mean major mechanical problems or, even worse, a serious accident. It just makes no sense to anyone to pretend and hope that the problem will go away. So why, then, do we duct tape our body's symptoms and hope they, too, will just disappear if we ignore them?

In today's crazy world of multi-everything, taking care of ourselves lies at the bottom of the to do list. This is especially true of women. We have been taught to place the needs of everyone else before our own. When asked if they would give up the quiet bath at the end of a hectic day if someone they cared about needed them, nearly every hand goes up in the room. What about the old caution to put your oxygen mask on first if the plane is going down?

Many of us are like the old Energizer Bunny. We just keep going, no matter what. It is only when symptoms we keep ignoring begin to affect our every day life that we are forced to reflect upon what these headaches, chronic pains, sleeplessness, weight gain, indigestion, and so many other signals might be telling us. Our bodies are actually designed to support us through one hundred and twenty wonderful years. Most gasp at the mere thought of enduring life on this planet for that long. But, given proper physical, spiritual, and emotional support, these beautiful vessels can sail us through years of joy and growth. After all, there are indigenous people all over the world who live even longer and still have smiles on their faces. Why not us?

I think it is the perfect time to begin to look at self-care as a necessity and not a luxury. Let's begin to explore this whole concept together!

Terry Quigley, M.S., is a former classroom teacher who has created her own unique wellness business. Using the tools of Brain Gym, therapeutic essential oils and holistic nutrition, she works with children and adults to educate them around natural and non-toxic ways to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Please contact her at areallygreatchoice.com to learn more and to take advantage of her free offer. Providing quality counselling articles, hynotherapy writings and other mind help resources online, counselling hypnotherapist and life coach in London.