Gifts For My Furture Self

People who identify as "a nice person" (that's probably most people) often go out of their way to help others. From the time you're a tiny tot, it's ingrained in you to be helpful, to not hurt others' feelings, to share toys, and to generally be healthy and safe whenever possible.

It's not a bad thing at all usually, but we are conditioned to think of others first. To value others more. To give rather than receive. My top Love Language is Acts of Service, so I enjoy finding ways to make other people's lives a little easier. Letting someone switch lanes in traffic. Making copies for my coworker. Cleaning up the classroom a little extra so that the janitor can do a little less.

But I'm learning that really just as important as those people, is myself. It's just as important for me to do favors for my future self. Just this week I tried out a few "gifts" for myself and I was so appreciative of my past self, I might start doing them regularly.

• Monday I checked all my Sunday School teachers' availability even though I wasn't done with their lesson plans yet. That gave me an extra day to find substitutes!
• I actually bought something at the grocery store with the intention of eating it for lunch, instead of my usual fallback on leftovers. 
• I stayed late at work yesterday so that I can leave early today. 
• I got some dried eucalyptus to try to cover up the weird carpet smell in our apartment.

Here are more ideas I'm hoping I can start implementing and stop being a dummy:

• Stop eating candy at work, and just enjoy one dessert a day.
• Write blog posts ahead of time to give myself a "day off."
• Set aside time to red, write, pray, breathe, clear my head. 

So I'm not totally there yet, giving myself all the gifts I deserve, but I'm learning. I'm a little closer to not being a dummy.