This is one of my favorite "old" epiphanies. Ironically, shortly after this epiphany I began to have fewer disappointments and more successes in life. I also found more time to help others.

"Always Put Yourself First"

It sounds like a very selfish statement; doesn't it?

It's actually a logical statement regarding nothing more than a common survival technique.

I'd like you to take a look at it from this point of view for a moment:

You need to give 100% of yourself to be successful in your endeavors.

Realistically, do you get 100% of yourself for yourself? Not many of us do.

A Typical Day

You wake up and for a moment, you have exactly that 100% of yourself.

That moment quickly passes and your pet notices you're up. You just lost 10% of yourself to them. You let them out and you make your coffee or move on with whatever your morning routine is. On the way to work a friend calls, they are upset with another friend, family member, or spouse. You just lost 20% of yourself to them. You listen, you offer input, and during the day you think of what you can do to help that friend. Maybe you even skip your lunch time work out to take them a special treat and put a smile on their face.

By the way, work, how much of yourself do you give to your daily job?

If you are like most, you say you give 100% so let's take another 50% of yourself away.

You've only got 20% of yourself left to give. No wonder you are so beat by the end of your day. So, what usually happens when we find ourselves overwhelmed by extended ourselves for others; we sacrifice something we need to keep ourselves at 100%.

If you follow this simple life rule, "always put yourself first" you'll make sure you are able to be there when truly needed. It's a tough concept for most passionate individuals because you have to learn to say no. That's not always an easy thing to do. However, there are times when you know you can't say no and by saying no when it's okay to do so...

You are able to give 100% of yourself when you're really needed.