Are you the type of person who gives and gives to the point of self-sacrifice?
Are you the first one in and the last one out of the office? Do you work long nights as OTYs? How about weekends and holidays? Do you take off days for family events?
Are you like gold? It’s the most malleable metal, easily shaped and molded. It can even be beaten thin enough to become transparent. Do you almost always say “yes” to everything?
When is it time to say, “Enough is enough!”?
Take care of you
March 2023 welcomed me with knee surgery. During my first physical therapy session after the operation, I realized in between sets and reps that I haven’t been taking care of me. I had been working hard on so many things at the same time… too many to mention. (I won’t bore you with the details.)
What good are all my certifications and credentials if I can’t walk? How can I teach in my face-to-face classes if I can’t even stand for three hours?
We spend so much time working that we forget to take care of ourselves. Maybe on most days, stress consumes us.
Declare it today, right now—Enough is enough. I am taking care of ME from this point forward!
A time for everything
Stop functioning as if you are always running out of time. You might literally run out of time on earth if you keep stressing about running out of time.
There is time to work and a time to relax. When relaxing, avoid thinking or talking about work. It can wait. Enjoy your moment.
There is a time to respond to emails and messages. And there is a time to sit down and savor food on your own or with family and friends. Enjoy your meal.
Enough toxicity
I’m not promoting “cancel culture,” but stop listening to negativity and extract the toxic people from your life. Avoid pessimism. There is a difference between constructive criticism and crab mentality. Negativity can crush our spirits at the most crucial point in our lives.
Instead of trying to identify every toxic person in our lives so we can steer clear of them, let’s focus on the other end of the spectrum. Be aware and appreciate the people who are positive influences in our life. Some use kind words of encouragement. Others listen with undivided attention. Some physically support us or offer their service in support. Appreciate these different types of “love languages.”
The greatest culprit
Ang salarin ay walang iba kundi ikaw! (The culprit is no one else but you!)
Sounds like a dialogue from a teleserye (drama series).
Oftentimes, we fail to realize that the greatest kontrabida (antagonist) in our lives is none other than ourselves. We stand in our own way. We limit ourselves, maybe because of our past or our weaknesses. We become the source of the toxicity that poisons our own minds.
Enough is enough! Think long and hard. Are you the kontrabida in your own life story?
