Check Your Glass
Fill Er’ Up Buttercup
It’s common for us to want to help others. We are (overall) helpful, kind creatures. To be there for a friend when they are going through a breakup, help the older neighbor pull her overpopulating weeds, never saying no to your boss when asked to do something, etc. These are just a few examples that we commonly do for others. What if I told you that in order to do these things you have to ensure that you are taking care of yourself? That doesn’t make sense. Why would I need to make sure I was doing okay if my friend is bawling her eyes out? What I am getting at is that you can’t give from an empty glass or bowl or vase, whatever you want to use as your metaphorical energy source.
Let’s use a glass of water for example. When you have a full glass, you feel content and secure with what you have. You want to give because maybe the person next to you has a drop left and they are struggling to get a waiter to come over to refill their glass. You offer some of yours (yes, in a world not filled with germs this would be less gross to think about) Just go with it. What if that person drinks the water you just filled pretty fast, a little too fast. They couldn’t drink in moderation because they don’t know how… either because they aren’t used to it or they haven’t developed the skills to obtain it themselves. In terms of real life, if you are constantly giving energy in the same situation to someone who is always looking for your opinion and wants you to think for them then they haven’t obtained the skill of independence. It isn’t necessarily wrong to ask your friends for their opinion, but when that is all that you rely on instead of what YOU want to do then that can be harmful to you.
To get back to the water glass, if you are constantly giving your water/energy without refilling your own then in the end there will be two empty glasses. You have to ensure that as you are giving you are receiving more energy from your own source. This can be from various other water glasses or external beneficial sources. This could mean from meditation, exercise, reading, being with friends, petting a dog, getting fresh air, watching your favorite movie, etc.
You can’t pour from an empty glass. An empty glass has no depth or beneficial factors for you or others that you are trying to help. You have to take care of yourself first. You have to take care of yourself first before you continuously give to others. No matter how selfless of a person you are. It could be as simple as reading your favorite book for 10 minutes.
Find Your Yellow Babes <3