“You can’t give what you don’t have” ~ Says Oprah

A friend of mine recently asked me to give a 20-minute talk for a self-care event held for the Omaha collegiate chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s Finer Womanhood week. What I enjoyed the most while preparing for the talk was the realization that I already had plenty of ideas and the creativity just flowed. That’s a good sign that I’m heading in the right direction. I am always the one bugging my friends about taking care of themselves first and the rest of the world second. I think I get it from my granny ‘cause every time I walked out the front door she would remind me to take care of myself. I took that to heart knowing that she was restricted towards the end of her life due to disabilities and health issues.

Growing into my adulthood, I realize that self-care is the only thing that keeps me sane. And believe me, you don’t want to see what I look like un-kept. I look a mess and I act a mess. Now that I have certain tools, I want to take some time on a bi-weekly basis to share what worked for me and the advice I’ve learned. If you made it to this post and realize that you already have your life together, congratulations, you’re perfect and you might not be human anymore. If you just want to learn about better ways to heal and grow, this might be the recharge you need. If this is your first time hearing about what self-care is all about, get ready to be challenged, because after all, this is about YOU and therefore, you are responsible for your own sanity from this day forward.

For the next few months, I’ll send you tips, habits to adopt, stories to share and try to encourage you to dig deeper. The goal is to walk away from these letters and feel empowered to give your self-care a bigger space in your life and commit to overall feeling, looking and living happier. Click here to join the newsletter.

Looking Forward, JoAnna LeFlore