Motherhood is not about self-sacrifice. It’s about making sacrifices to love yourself and those children and people you love and serve. You can eat well, stay fit, feel well, and express yourself with the right mindset and approach to life. The principle of not self sacrificing applies to friendships, marriage, and your work.
I remember when I was too embarrassed to take pictures about 7 years ago. I was guilty of giving all and constantly working from reserve energy. It’s sort of like living from your emergency fund for an extended period.
Something had to change. I had to! 
I spent my years looking after my home, but I forgot to look after myself. Making sacrifices for love’s sake is understandable but self-sacrificing is not necessarily a God thing in this context. People can argue that the highest form of love is to lay down one’s life but they miss the point that it’s the principle of selflessness. Think about it! If we all laid down our lives like literally die in the name of love. How is that beneficial for the ones we love? To what end? Why do we grieve and rather have our loved ones alive for as long as possible? The point is:
Jesus laid down his life for humans so I wouldn’t need to. I needed to stop playing God in the life of everyone connected to me. If I die due to persecution as a Christian, then that’s worth laying down my life. There is no spiritual or heavenly benefit for self-sacrificing and constant burnout. The reward is often illnesses, stress, lack of fulfilment of purpose, resentment, and in some extreme cases sudden death.
The divine order is to live well across your lifespan. What benefit would it be to my children if I neglect wellness in my 20s, 30s and 40s, and as a result I’m too ill or exhausted to enjoy them in my 40s, 50s, 60s, or 70s? What was the point? Motherhood is not about self-sacrifice and giving up your best years.
Truly, no one knows the day or time they’ll die. However, we have the innate ability to be healthy. You may not have total control of sudden death by an accident due to a medical error or a car collision. However, longevity and the quality of our lives are largely as a result of our lifestyle choices.
You cannot delegate Your exercise or physical activity or setting boundaries or mental rest. No one, not your kids, best friends or partner can grow muscle on your behalf.
You cannot delegate eating well or ask someone else to sleep on your behalf.
Looking after yourself and taking your mental wellness seriously is your responsibility. It’s a gift of love to yourself and your loved ones. It is your spiritual reverence to God who gave you the gift of life.
Want to learn how to rest mentally? Start with silence. During a 5 day challenge earlier this year, I facilitated a silence session. CLICK HERE to watch and try it or set an alarm to remind you to watch later.
You can also WATCH Meditation and Mental rest tips for busy Christian Mums and do share with a mother you care about. It’s only a 5 Minute listen time.
PS: The ABCs of Wellness Through Biblical Wisdom Book is still available to PRE-ORDER. Get it today for yourself and someone you love and I will deliver it to them anywhere in the world.
Remember the goal is to make wellness a lifestyle.
Thank you for being here.
With love,
Your Wellness Buddy
Adaeze
