| A selfish idea? YOU come first? Hardly. The | | | | expect the amount to shrink. What can we do if |
| literature of all faiths urges believers to care for | | | | the account is emptied? Then there is nothing left |
| themselves. For instance, the cliché "Love | | | | for all those people who need that piece of us. |
| thy neighbor as thyself" assumes that you first | | | | Only one person can make deposits in that |
| are able to "love" yourself. Perhaps "love" is the | | | | emotional energy bank. You! That is why YOU |
| wrong word these days. The concept, however, | | | | come first. You are responsible for keeping that |
| is still valid. You can only care for others as well | | | | emotional bank full. Only you. |
| as you know how to care for yourself. | | | | "YOU COME FIRST" urges a new concept: mental |
| Think for one moment. How many people rely on | | | | wellness. Most people think of psychiatry as an |
| you? How many people are affected by how you | | | | experience to be had after a crisis. That's wrong. |
| feel every day? Spouse, children, in-laws, | | | | These days we eat healthy and exercise to avoid |
| employees, co-workers? Even the check-out | | | | a heart attack. We lose weight and stop smoking |
| worker at the grocery is influenced by how you | | | | to prevent the stroke. We should also exercise |
| feel as you pass through his or her life. If you | | | | our emotions to determine how we can be as |
| have not taken care of you, then all these | | | | emotionally healthy as possible. If we truly |
| interactions can be negative or even hurtful. | | | | recognize how important we are in our families |
| Somehow we have in our society come to | | | | and our communities, then we will take the steps |
| believe that to be a good person, we must give, | | | | to examine the emotional side of our lives. |
| give, give. Time, energy, affection, money. It's all | | | | Counseling, massage, relaxation therapy, sleep |
| expected to flow out from us to others. | | | | assistance and other tools are all a part of helping |
| Endlessly. The more we do, the more we give, | | | | you understand that you come first. This is not |
| the better person we are. Or so we've been | | | | selfish a thought. It is, in fact, the way you can |
| trained to believe. | | | | guarantee that you will always be there to give to |
| But emotional energy is like a bank account. One | | | | those who need you. |
| cannot continue to make withdrawals and not | | | | |