Fill Your Own Cup First

This morning, I caught myself offering the kind of heartfelt reminder I so easily give to others: “Don’t forget to take care of yourself.”

It flows effortlessly when I’m comforting someone who is caring for a partner, a parent, or a friend. Yet somehow, when that same wisdom is meant for me, it doesn’t land with the same intended strength.

Then I came across these words:

“And while you are all lovers—seeking to help and uplift those around you—you do so best when your own cup is full, when your own heart is satisfied, when your body is strong, and your mind is at peace.” (Ann Alders)

It felt like a gentle nudge from the Universe saying, “Yes, my love… that includes you.”

So today, I’m allowing this truth to settle deeper into my own heart: caring for others is a beautiful gift, but it is most authentic and sustainable when it emerges from a place of inner nourishment.

Not after everything else is done.

Not when I finally reach exhaustion.

But as a daily act of devotion—for myself, so that I may continue to love with strength, clarity, and genuine presence.

A full cup doesn’t make me selfish ... It makes me more whole, more loving, and more 'me'.