Be Your Own Champion

I don’t know exactly when it happened, but at some point, there was a shift in my thinking, a realization that life and all its “stuff” is relentless. Every day, something needs doing, fixing, managing, surviving. And that constant grind? It can wear you down. No wonder so many people walk around carrying this invisible weight of overwhelm.

Just the other day, I had one of those days. I was trying to push through a list of things I needed to get done. Focused. Determined. But by the end of the day, outside influences came crashing in, completely derailing my plans and disturbing my peace. Not gently, either. It hit hard. I tried to breathe through it, stay cool, not let it shake me. But honestly? I felt it all. A flood of frustration, agitation, and then the realization that I hadn’t even eaten lunch or dinner.

And this is where the word selfish flips meaning for me. Because sometimes, the most necessary and honest thing you can do is put yourself first. Not out of ego, but out of survival. Out of respect for your own boundaries and well-being.

Take care of yourself on purpose, so that when life does what life does, you have the strength and clarity to meet it with grace. Life is the blessing, but it’s also messy, chaotic, and at times, painful. As DMX once said, “To live is to suffer. To survive, well, that’s to find meaning in the suffer.”

So protect your peace. That might mean stepping away. Saying no. Prioritizing a meal, a nap, a moment of silence. That’s not selfish, it’s sacred. The world will keep spinning. Your to-do list will still be there. But none of it matters if you’re running on empty.

Protect yourself. Protect your peace. That’s how you show up stronger, for yourself and for others.

Photo Credit: Darryl Evans of Pure Enchantment Photography