WOW Word-Of-the-Week #318: Self Centered
August 31, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #318: Self Centered
Self Centered – believing that the chief motives of human action are derived from love of self.
Do you believe that it’s important to love yourself? Have you taken the time to find out what you want out of your life and your relationships? Have you found that you have more energy to help others when you have taken time for yourself? The following story is another excerpt from Chapter One of my book, “Nice Girls Do… Things Like That.”
No Same Day Service
Several years ago, my husband at the time, and I were planning a weekend trip to a beach house in Rosarito, Mexico. I had made a list that consisted of 42,000 things to do before this well-deserved vacation. I knew quite well that I would never have enough time to finish everything. But gosh, I am a positive thinker and I knew that I could at least try. At 7:30 a.m., while I was cooking breakfast and packing the food we were taking with us, my husband asked casually, Hey honey, do you think you could change the oil in the truck before we go?’
Yikes! My entire day was planned the night before and he was asking me now? Why couldn’t HE do it? I didn’t have time to change the oil! He had to be kidding. Didn’t he realize that I was already max’d out? How many times has something like this happened to you? How many times has someone asked you to do something at the last minute and it totally throws off your day? How many times has someone’s lack of planning created a crisis that necessitated you dropping everything to accommodate them?
Self Centered
Unfortunately, it happens all too often. For whatever reason, I decided that I wasn’t going to do that anymore. I don’t know where they came from, but these fantastic words popped out of my mouth, “No same day service.” I decided that if anyone, my husband included, wanted me to do anything for them that they would have to ask prior to the day they wanted it done. You can imagine my husband’s response! He had trained me to drop everything for him and now I was trying to change that. It was time to be retrained!
So the next time a co-worker asks yet again, “Will you cover for me while I take a long lunch?” Or your husband asks, “Honey, will you iron my shirt?” as you are walking out the door to go to work. Or your child asks you five minutes before they have to catch the bus for school, “Mom, I need a sack lunch for the field trip today.” will you say, “No Same Day Service.” Or here’s another idea, announce this to your family, friends, and co-workers before you are faced with yet again another last minute crisis!
This week I want you to focus on being self-centered. Can you see how adopting “No Same Day Service” will reduce your level of stress and unhappiness as well? How would it feel to have that weight lifted? Are you willing to create a sense of balance by taking one step back and taking care of your “self?”
Readers Responses
“You’re writing to me lately!” – Sandra