What Will Mamma Bears Do For Their Cubs?
If you are a “Mamma Bear”, or know some, you know that there is very little – if anything – that they would not do for their “cubs”!! Am I right? Perhaps you saw that with your own mother.
There is a reason why they say that, ‘if you ever come across a mother bear in the woods, never, ever, EVER get between a mother bear and her cub!’ That is because mother bears will fiercely protect their cubs, at any cost!
I was in a conversation with a friend recently and was reminded of this truth. She was in the midst of protecting (and endeavouring not to over-protect) her “cub”, but was wise enough to check in with other “Mamma Bears” before striking out. Smart woman!
It made me think about how this relates to our own wellness. Whether you have your own “cubs” or not, whether you are a “Mamma Bear” or a “Papa Bear”, or perhaps a “Sister” or “Brother Bear”, etc., chances are there are people for whom you would “go to the mat”. It might even be your employer.
We are often willing to take a stand and stick our necks out for others, and may even sacrifice ourselves to do it. It is an admiral quality…to a point!
But here’s my question, as it relates to wellness:
What would you NOT do for your “cubs” (whoever they may be)?
What I’m seeing with many of my clients – and people in general – is that we are often willing to give 100% and MORE to others, but perhaps are under-investing in ourselves! A long time ago, I heard Oprah say “If Momma doesn’t have $5, she can’t give $5!” It is SO TRUE! If we don’t invest in our own wellness, we can’t in turn give so much to our families, our friends, our work-life, etc.
A lot of the women I encounter feel it is somehow selfish to take time for themselves – whether it be for exercise, connecting with friends, or just having a few moments of quiet! They feel tremendous guilt! However, they have no problem turning their back on their own needs in order to fill the needs of others.
I would suggest that we are hard-wired to be giving and nurturing but that, to do so at the expense of our own personal wellness is not sustainable! It all comes back to a degree of BALANCE – “more or less”, as I tell my clients. It’s fine to “borrow” from one area of our life to serve another (as we did over the recent Holidays, where we borrowed from the Professional area and gave to the Relational piece) but, over time, we need to bring our total wellness back to a state of equilibrium.
If we continue to borrow from our Physical Wellness (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity), Emotional Wellness (managing the stressors that are part of our modern world), and Spiritual Wellness (taking time to engage in things which make our spirits sing!), we will inadvertently sabotage our own “whole-life wellness” and possibly that of those we care so much about!
If you knew that caring more for “Mamma Bear” was, in fact, a direct benefit to your “cubs”, would you do it? Of course you would! And, guess what, it is! By investing in your own self-care you give your “cubs” a more resourced, balanced “Mamma Bear” AND a role-model for how they can, in turn, care for themselves – throughout their lives! That is TRULY a gift worth giving!
So…what will it take for you to make this investment in yourself? Do you need to give yourself “permission”? Do you need to draft a “contract” between yourself and those closest to you – to manage everyone’s expectations? Do you need the support, strategies, and accountability that a Wellness Coach can give you? Whatever you need, make it happen. You’re worth it!! |
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Lighthouse Wellness Strategies
372 Buckingham Drive
http://lighthousewellness.ca
Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia B3Z 1M9
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Wellness Coaching to Beat the “Winter Blahs” and Set You Up for a Fabulous Spring!
Are you suffering from the “Winter Blahs” – the time between all the excitement of the Holidays and the new energy of Spring? It’s the perfect time to focus inwardly – on your own “whole-life” wellness goals! We naturally “cocoon” at this time of year and are just coming off the “high” of our New Year’s Resolutions. Whether you set Resolutions or not, I’m sure you have some goals you’d like to reach in terms of your overall wellness.
Maybe your credit card bills from the Holidays make you dream of greater financial realism. Or you are struggling to find a way to eat better and get enough physical activity to keep up your energy for the demands of your daily life. Whatever your challenge, know that there are resources available to help.
Call for a FREE CONSULTATION to see how Wellness Coaching can help you get your “whole-life wellness” on track, or just “tweak” it to perform even better! We offer individual sessions or, better yet, get a few friends together and we can do small-group coaching: work on common goals while you save money and benefit from the support of the group!
If you’re part of an organization, ask about Workshops and Presentations – it’s a “win-win” for the organization AND the individuals who are part of it!
Contact us for a no-obligation FREE consultation! E-mail info@lighthousewellness.caor phone 471-6729.
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