I'm Guilty.
Guilty of ordering the cheapest thing on the menu.
In fact, in the past, I've chosen to pass on what I really wanted because of the price. I'm talking about a five dollar difference.
Will that $5 make or break me?
Nope, and yet, I still found myself ordering the cheapest or cheaper item on the menu.
It rarely mattered whether I was paying, or whether someone else was paying. This money based way of looking at the menu had become a habit. And it was a habit of being cheap with myself that had started to spill over into other areas of my life as well.
Now, this isn't the same situation as scoring a fabulous deal on something I love. Because no matter how much money I have in my bank account, I will always love the feeling of getting exactly what I want for a great price.
But this 'ordering cheap' habit is a sign of something else, something deeper, something about what I thought I was worth.
I know I'm not alone here. As women, we have a hard time doing nice things for ourselves on a regular basis. I'll bet you ten bucks that you would spend money right now on a gift for your bestie, your kiddo or your honey without even blinking. But when it comes to spending that extra bit on YOU, you're waiting for some external permission or special occasion to splurge.
Before you begin to roll out all of the excuses, I invite you to take a deep breath. Come on, join me ... take a deep breath right now and really feel into that exact moment of deciding whether or not to buy that slightly nicer item for yourself, buying that more expensive thing on the menu that you really want, or investing in yourself or your business because it's the next step for you.
Did you hesitate? Ask yourself why that is?
Here's what I know to be true for me. The women that I have been blessed to work with and to know in my lifetime are the most generous, beautiful souls that I am honored to walk with on this beautiful life path. And they all have something in common, they do for others first. Yes, this is a generous and giving quality.
But when that same sense of giving is not also flowing to yourself, there is a level of sacrifice of self that begins to eat away at your spirit.
I know that somewhere deep inside of you, you're feeling the stirring of the importance of giving yourself the time, the space and the gifts that you so freely give to others. For so many of us, we look at taking time for ourselves as something that we'll do later when we have extra time in the day. And so we continue to put ourselves off for yet another day.
What does this have to do with ordering the cheapest thing on the menu?
When you truly deeply and unwaveringly feel the power of self-worth and self-love flowing towards yourself, you won't have that internal negotiation about ordering what you really want. You won't put yourself last on the list.
When you know your own beautiful self-worth, you will ask for what you want and what you need. You'll say yes when you want to. And you'll say no when you mean it. You'll do it with kindness and integrity because that's how you roll. But you'll say what needs to be said. That's the power of knowing you're worth it.
When you treat yourself as well as you do your bestie, you will glow with the radiance of self-love and knowing that the time you give to yourself to re-charge and re-fill will be a gift to everyone around you.
Why self-care? Here are some of the words my clients use after implementing self-care strategies:
I have more energy
I feel rejuvenated
I'm inspired
I'm actually more patient with my kids and spouse
I love my time alone, it totally inspires new ideas in my business
I am painting again!
My sex-life is better ... I didn't expect that!
I KNOW I'm worth it ... and am investing in ME and my business. And it feels JUICY!
I know I can enjoy daily luxuries because I'm WORTH it.
My days feel effortless.
Yup, these are the side-effects of Divine Self-Care and self-worth.
So the next time you're ordering from the menu or looking at your weekly calendar - I challenge you to get what you REALLY want, and to make an appointment with YOU to do nothing or exactly what you've been wanting to do, not a smaller version of it. In your heart simply say, "Because I'm worth it" as an answer to that voice of doubt.
Because I know that you are here for a reason. There is something that you were born with, a gift, a treasure that you alone possess. It's the gift that the your tribe is waiting for. And you can't fully share your treasure unless you find the space to nurture yourself.
Now I'd love to hear from you.
How can you commit to taking Divine Care of YOU today?
Have you found yourself saying NO to yourself and instead ordering the cheaper item?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.