BEING SELFISH IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY…

Today, I want to talk to you about why it is so important to prioritise yourself sometimes and why being selfish is sometimes necessary.

The word "selfish" is a bit of a dirty word, isn't it? We all know how it sounds. It's considered quite a negative trait to have. But please hear me out today, because there are times when you’ve actually deliberately got to seem selfish and put yourself first.

For example, when you’re not well, you need to properly rest and recover your strength to get better. That’s not negotiable, is it? It may look selfish to some people if you do this, as they may think you’re only considering yourself. But you know what? Although they may be correct, that’s precisely what you need to do. You're just playing the long game.

Focusing on yourself may feel a bit wrong in the short term but, especially in situations like this, it's only when you’ve recovered, that you are able to then help look after others properly. You can't help anyone if you're running on empty.

Here are some other examples:

- You feel exhausted, but you don’t want to let down a friend you said you would meet, so you cancel. Of course, they’re disappointed, maybe even hurt. But you realise that if you drag yourself out to meet them, you'd be useless company anyway and it would be better to see them when you can actually be present and good company.

- Your family expects you for a regular lunch or dinner, but you desperately need quiet time alone that day, so you don’t go. Yes, they'll talk about you not being there and your lack of effort, but it's so important that you do not go, because you’ll then be a better parent, partner, or child the next time, as you will then have recharged today.

- You take a proper lunch break, instead of eating lunch at your desk so as to do something to help a colleague. That may seem quite selfish in the moment, but by doing this, you'll work much better all afternoon, without resenting them.

Of course, some people take this idea too far though, don’t they? They always seem to be putting themselves first and never thinking about others. But that’s not what I’m talking about here, as there’s a real difference between necessary self-preservation and just being self-centred.

So, today, try to recognise when putting yourself first isn’t selfish and is actively sensible. Sometimes, you just have to exclude others to recover, recharge, or rebuild. It can be uncomfortable I know, but being selfish is sometimes necessary!