Investing in What Matters Most, Myself!

Megan Tull, a contributor with Huffingpost.com, states that: “Investing in yourself, sends a powerful message to yourself and the world. The message is: The value and potential that I possess, is important enough to me that I’m going to give it the energy, space and time to grow and create results.” (Tull, 2017) Beyond what Mrs. Tull has to say on the subject, I believe that investing in myself builds not only my future but my present. Every day I choose myself give myself the recognition, education, and self-love that I require to make myself happy, confident, and prosperous.  As the future flows hastily into the past, it is very easy to get caught up in the daily activities of life and forget to give ourselves credit, love, and a time. To me, investing in myself includes building my knowledge base within a career field I am passionate about, taking care of myself so I can give more to others, engaging my brain and body in challenging activities, and allowing myself time to recuperate.

The first thing most people think about when it comes to “investing in themselves” is probably education, that certainly is what it means to me. Being 35 years old, I questioned myself heavily about returning to school. I had a fully time job as a general managers that more than paid the bills, covered my health care needs, and I was able to make my own schedule and I hated every second of it! While I did value my position and love the company I worked for, I knew in my heart I needed to do something I found interesting, something that would bring me joy and something that would enrich the lives of others. I chose a school that would allow me to continue my current life's objectives (work, home, hobbies, etc.) while building a foundation to grow into my dream job. (Penn Foster College is an online school that works on my schedule, when I can study I do. If Im too busy that day, I can have a day off from school work!) While going to school ‘at my age’ and with my life responsibilities isn’t by any means easy but I love it. Every time I open my textbooks or ace an exam, I know it is only a matter of time until I can walk into the office of my dreams job.  

Beyond schooling I find engaging my brain (and body) a vital part of making myself happy. When I first started school, I would get done with my coursework and flip on the tv or computer and binge the night away. This only added to my depression. My brain craved to be engaged in other theory’s. Every night at 9:00pm I put on my PJ’s and climb into bed, with my latest library find. Reading expands our worlds in a way that no television program or movie ever could. Reading allows us to create our own views of someone else fantasy world. Each chapter I read, I invest in my creative side, allowing my imagination to sweep me away to far away lands with enormous castles while I engage with otherworldly creatures.  The child in me jumps for joy every time I chose a new book, a new adventure, to explore. While I should to more physical activity, I find that twenty minutes of yoga before these dictated fictional experiences helps my body to release the day and open me to the world of wonder that awaits.

 The last part of my self-investment that I find necessary for my own metal stability is to take care of myself. While I certainly wish I could afford lavish trips to the spa, that is not in the cards (or the budget) for me. But I do try to do a face mask, hair mask and my nails at least every other week. There is something about looking down and seeing my toe nails painted that brings a little bit of joy to my life. I do not wear open shoes, due to my job and personal preferences; because of that my toe nail polish is my little secret. Something strictly for me. I look down and gaze upon purple sparkles, or bright red (or any combination I’ve come up with that week) and I know that I took ten minutes of my time to do something that brings only me joy. It’s a gift I give myself that no one gets to know about (well until you read this!) and it is meant for only me. To me, that is truly what "investing in yourself" is all about.

Investing in yourself can and does mean so many things to each individual. While the definition and execution may be different, I find that these little things we give for ourselves make it so we can give so much more back to the world and our loved ones. Growing your knowledge in a field you love not only sets up the pathway to a career that you will enjoy, it opens your free time up. Think of it this way: if you come home from a job you hate, what is the first thing you do? You (if you're anything like me) complain to your friends and family about your day. If you come home from a career you love, you get to share your happiness. You set the tone for your day outside of you job by the way you think and talk about your job outside of work! Negativity breeds negativity, positivity breeds positivity. Giving yourself time to enjoy your favorite activates, whether that’s reading like me or I don’t know, sky diving, you give yourself a reward for all the amazing things you have accomplished in your life and all the amazing things WILL accomplish in your life. Taking a break from life and engaging in self-care (be it a twenty-minute bath, shiny toe nails, or any number of self-grooming non-essential tasks) you ensure that you can give yourself to all that life needs from you. Above all, investing in yourself, no matter how you define it, means that you are aware that YOU matter, and YOU want to give the best of yourself to others by giving yourself your own needs and desires.

References

Tull, M. (2017, December 06). Top 10 Ways to Invest in Youreself and Why It's So Powerful. Retrieved from HuffPost: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-tull/top-10-ways-to-invest-in-_b_8406130.html