Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion. – Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina

Women. By nature, we’re caretakers. Of children, friends, parents, siblings, neighbors. Of anyone in need, really. We care for those who are part of our circle. And sometimes, we even look outside of our circle, to help others in need.

And this is a beautiful trait. A necessary one.

But not always a balanced one.

There is a risk and a cost to consistently sidelining your own personal needs and dreams for the sake of others. Giving everything away leaves you, at some point, with nothing left to give.

And that doesn’t serve anyone well.

When is the last time you spent concentrated time on your own personal goals and aspirations, whatever they may be?

If doing so were to give you hope, energy, a little joi de vive – don’t you think that would be time well spent? Isn’t it possible this would bring light into not only your life, but into the lives of those who love you?

Remember, those you care for want to see you happy, too. Just as you love to see their dreams unfold before them, they hold the same desire for you. And consider this: Your actions may be a greater source of inspiration to them than your words.

So be a caretaker of yourself, for the good of everyone. Set aside some time (even just an hour or two) to pursue what you want to be or do, where you want to go from here.

fwm contributor, Laura Lopez, writes an inspiring account of how and why to do so, titled “Committing to Growth and Change”. It’s well worth the read.

As she puts it, “ironically, we can only be of real service to others when we first invest in ourselves.”

Agree or disagree? As always, we’d love to hear things from your point of view…