I am now entering my third month of employment here at FCC and couldn’t be happier. There is so much more to learn but I am excited for the journey. I am surrounded by incredible people and have a brilliant team. One of my highlights each week are our weekly team meetings. While the main focus is on work at FCC, we try to have some fun as well. Every week looks different as each team member takes a turn at running the meeting. We always try to incorporate a mission moment, an opportunity to learn more about one another, spend time with an inspirational message and focus on our work.
I would like to share with you one particularly impactful meeting that Sue Paulson was in charge of leading. For prep prior to the meeting she asked us to write down ten things that we love. We went around the circle each one of us sharing our list. When it came time for the inspirational message here is what she said:
If I asked you to name ALL of the things that you love, how long would it take you to name yourself? Loving yourself is not a selfish thing, it’s a necessity. If you love yourself, put your needs first, nurture your mind, body and soul – everything else will fall into place. We cannot expect others to love and respect us if we don’t love and respect ourselves. If we love and respect ourselves we won’t allow others to shape the decisions we make in life. We will stand up for ourselves and do the things we love. If I could go back and give one piece of advice to my 20 year old self, it would be learn to love yourself. What a waste of time I have spent being self critical. Do something today that your future self will thank you for!
This is a nice reminder of how important self care is for us here at FCC. It’s easy to forget about yourself when your life’s work is caring for others. It’s important to remember before we can take on the emotional burdens of others you need to care for yourself first.
So in the words of Sue Paulson, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for!”