love freely, give wisely.
perhaps that it has taken me two weeks to write the post in my head perfectly illustrates one of the sentiments i mean to convey here: if any time is the time to put on your oxygen mask first, it is now.
i am now realizing that i used the ‘oxygen mask’ phrase in my post from exactly a month ago. overlapping concepts between then and now, infinite vantage points. i don’t think it’s a mistake that we return to such spaces.
you are not less for being unable and/or unwilling to give right now. you are managing a lot— yes, you. don’t compare. personal challenges are relative to each individual. remember that giving includes giving to yourself. a healthy you is an even more meaningful service to society right now.
while caring for others during crisis can sometimes require personal sacrifice in some way, be mindful of your healthy boundaries when making this calculus. individual capacity, how we give, when we give, if we give— is entirely different for everyone for countless reasons and that’s okay. you don’t owe anyone your reasons, by the way.
giving until or while you are totally spent is not love. giving when you’re out of alignment is not love. giving indiscriminately is not love. giving out of guilt or obligation is not love. giving because you want to be “good” is not love. giving because you think you’re the only one who can save the day is not love. giving with the intention to “fix” somebody is not love. giving to others because you don’t know how to give to yourself is not love.
your love for all beings can be abundant, infinite even, while simultaneously disciplined in its active expression. you feel me?
please, let’s give up our conditioning of piling expectations onto ourselves and others. our ability to love is endless when we have healthy boundaries. practicing discernment in giving is not selfish— it is a wise, boundaried practice. you deserve your own energy. you can genuinely *be* in love with all of creation at all times without always needing to expend.
fill your cup. that, too, is a gift. <3