Episode 7: Self Care
You live in a neighbourhood where everyone, including you, have your own personal gardens...
You live in a neighbourhood where everyone, including you, have your own personal gardens. And you have a limited amount of water to water plants. You could either choose to water your own garden, or you could choose to water your neighbour’s garden. How would you choose how you allocate your water?
A World Reopening
With all of us slowly completing our COVID vaccination cycles and with restrictions easing up slowly, I’ve definitely felt this huge push to get out and show up, whether that be for parties, dinners, or plans as simple as movie nights. I also feel like I’m not alone in feeling like this past year and a half has fully had me cocoon up into my introverted self, more than ever before, and while I am happy to have things go back to normal, there is that part of me that misses the quiet time or down time that I had more of during the lockdown.
A Thriving Garden
I didn’t mean for the beginning of this newsletter to sound like the beginning of a word problem 😂 In an ideal world, you would want to have enough water for your garden, and then some leftover in case a neighbour is in need of it. What wouldn’t be ideal, is if you let your neighbour use the water you have to fully water their garden, thinking you’ll water yours with whatever is left once they’re finished. In a similar vein, I see self care as just that — fully caring for our needs and prioritizing them, before offering to care for the needs of others. At times, this could be perceived as selfish, and perhaps, a bit naïve. Not everyone has the privilege of caring for themselves, and I completely acknowledge this. However, for those that do have the option, I don’t see it as a selfish choice. If I have a thriving garden because I’m on a kick-ass watering schedule for my garden, I’m at liberty to be more generous with my water to neighbours that are in need. However, if my garden is suffering, I’ll need to be more conservative with whom I share my water, and be less likely to give it others, even those in dire need. I might even be demanding of others’ water, even if they don’t have enough water for their own gardens!
So?
I’m wrapping up this episode of Bala Blabs, a shorter one than the ones before, and of course one that is missing the GIFs that all of you have enjoyed so far. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks just giving myself the downtime I need, and trying not to make my downtime productive. As society goes back to normal, I think we’re all experiencing a lot of change, which can at times, be difficult or stressful. I personally have written a short episode today, because my garden feels a little under-watered, and I wanted to give myself the space to enjoy non - productive downtime. I’ll be back next week with lots of gifs, insights, and bad jokes.
It’s your turn! Let me know how this re-opening has been for you so far, and what metaphor you would use to describe the role self care plays in your life.
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OK fine, here’s one GIF.
About Bala Blabs
Bala Blabs is how I stay accountable to writing regularly. Writing is something I have loved doing since a very young age. One of the first things I got praised for was a horror poem that I modelled after Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' at the age of 7.
I've been on the journey of creating a more fulfilling life for myself. And that includes creating, and a part of creating is writing and being able to express my ideas and thought.
I'd like to write and share ideas with you on everything I find interesting in topics like personal growth, art, hobbies, and much more. And I hope that as a subscriber, you'll benefit a little bit from reading my content. At the very least, you're supporting one person on their mission to realize their true vision for their life.