Hello. Today I would like to think about self-sacrifice.
As I often do, I tend to think, “ As long as I’m patient, things will go well here.” It’s true that things are going well here, but if I continue to do things like this, I start to feel dissatisfied with myself.
At first glance, self-sacrifice may seem like an expression of compassion for others, but in the long run, it can be detrimental to your physical and mental health.
I’ve written many times before that you should value yourself, but self-sacrifice is not valuing yourself. Since it has the word “sacrifice” attached to it, this is far from an act of treasuring.
Taking care of yourself means recognizing your own worth and prioritizing your own well-being.
Taking care of yourself is sometimes confused with selfishness, but this is a misconception.
Selfishness often refers to self-centered behavior, whereas self-care refers to respecting one’s own needs and emotions in a healthy way. When I wrote “healthy,” I used it in the sense that it is different from “selfish.”
By not sacrificing ourselves, we can build healthier relationships and treat others with the same compassion.
When we master the art of taking great care of ourselves, we naturally begin to take great care of others.
Self-sacrifice may be necessary at times, but when it becomes routine, it threatens our own well-being. By taking care of ourselves, we can have a positive impact not only on ourselves but also on those around us. When you are happy, that happiness is transmitted to others and helps you build positive relationships.
Therefore, giving up the self-sacrificing lifestyle that God is most saddened by and valuing both ourselves and others will lead to healthy relationships and spiritual satisfaction.
