Why It's Important To Treat Yourself

How many times do you find yourself rushing around to be present at every friends’ birthday dinner? How often do you suggest taking a friend out on the town because he/she just got a new job, promotion, or new house? Or maybe you’re a momma who wants to make sure that their child has the very best birthday—with all the balloons, presents, surprises and much, much more. Maybe you’re married and you want to show your husband, with acts of service, by cooking breakfast for him or helping with a project he’s passionate about? Ultimately, I guarantee that YOU do for others, a lot.

YOLO. I’m not even ashamed that I use that phrase at least once a day. It has been my personal mantra for a couple of years now. YOLO means: You Only Live Once. You get one life. That’s it. You can call it corny, but it’s true. As I get older, I think back to elementary school and how each year felt seven years long. My sweet, Indiana summers lasted until the corn felt twice my height. Now, adulthood is flashing quickly before my eyes and each day feels like a whirlwind; and before I know it, days turn to months and May is almost here. We do an incredible job of appreciating others and neglecting ourselves, and one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in this life is that we are more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and that, my friends, deserves some recognition.

We all deserve to be celebrated and we shouldn’t feel bad about it. It’s incredibly important to treat yourself because you’ll feel refreshed. You’ll feel like you took a small break for you and it will be easier to get back to the hum drum crazy of everyday life. Treating yourself will also help you boost others. Taking care of yourself will help you fill cups of others. It will give you the capacity to love and pour into others, more than you already do. Lastly, you’ll do things with more of a servant’s heart that won’t leave you feeling resentful. So, I’m here to say, if it’s a manicure you really want, do it. If you really want those shoes you’ve been eyeing for months, buy them. If you’re on a weight loss kick and have lost a few pounds, treat yourself to a new dress. If you’ve eaten clean for an entire week or two and are really craving pizza, have a slice or two. Whatever your guilt free ‘treat’ is, remember that “YOLO”, you only have this life and YOU deserve to be rewarded for your accomplishments, too.