#3 Cat Tail: Take Care of Yourself 1st

Number three in the continuation of 10 things your cat can teach you about business, is about taking care of yourself first. 

The cat logic behind this tip can be observed from your cat who is very intentional about getting taken care of when they decide they need something.  Here is a 8 – 12 pound animal, without the ability to speak the human language, yet fully adept at getting their needs taken care of first! 

If you have every tried to ignore a hungry cat, you will understand that no cat goes unfed, when they are ready to eat….and neither should you.

Taking care of yourself is the same as what you will hear on every airline flight before taking off; just before take off, the airline hostess reviews how to use the oxygen mask in the case of an emergency.  Notice that the instructions tell you to place the mask over YOUR face first, even if you are flying with a child — this is a good example of learning to take care of yourself first! The object of this safe flight instruction, is to make sure you are breathing before attempting to rescue your child or flying companion.  They are making a point to tell you one of life’s instructions, that without you, others that are depending on you won’t make it.

Apply this same principle to your business where you are serving a multitude of customers, as well as, look at all of the spokes on your wheel that revolve around you.  Your hub includes: your children, family, romantic relationship, friendships, business coach and/or consultant, and all of the projects that are connected to your life.  There are the organizations you belong to, your place of worship, your community, your schools, and the list goes on and on.

Perhaps you have lost sight of where you start and they begin — if you resonate with this statement, then this post is especially for you.

Many people sign up for business programs to learn a new skill, such as how to increase sales or market more effectively or how to brand your products.  At first the answer to your question seems to lie in getting more traffic to your website and/or BLOG, more people to visit your store, or more participants to sign up for your programs.  However, once you start addressing your challenge of wanting more sales or anything in your business, you will eventually discover that what you needed most of all is to find out what your core purpose is or said another way, what makes you tick.

Your business revolves around you and your energy is the center of all that you attract.  If you are attracting less than perfect outcomes, it is time to focus on the inner part of you to be in balance with your outer endeavors.

As odd as that may sound at first, if you have been expending a great deal of energy to build your outer world, such as, your business, sales, promotion, and product delivery, you might have forgotten, or dropped out the most important part.  The essential part of your success is YOU.

Here are some of the obvious signals to pay attention to, that are telling you it is time to take care of #1 …..

1.  Fatigue — do you wake up tired?  How often?  Do you wake up tired everyday? Fatigue should be obvious that the physical body needs something to replenish itself.  Sometimes resting over night is not enough.  Did you know that when you are connected to your energetic life force, you will wake up energized?  Some people think that they should still be tired when they wake up and never stop to look at why they can’t wake up!

2.  Running on empty –  when was the last time you took a day to rest?  Businesses will run for a while on your adrenaline, however, after a period of time there will be adrenal failure.  Your body will attempt to get your attention through physical ailments that are a warning that your system is breaking down.  There will by others signs too, all in an attempt to get your attention.  The bottom line message is to put an equal amount of fuel into your tank as you are expending.

3.  Obstacles appear larger than they really are……do you fear that you can’t get beyond a road bump?  Once you have depleted your energy reserves, your life force starts to dim.  You will be putting forth the same effort and getting less in return.  The energetic life force that you exude when you are fully charged and connected to your source is able to conquer the roadblocks that pop up along the way.  Additionally, when you are operating from a place of maximum energy it is just more fun.  On the other hand, when you are depleted or running on fumes, obstacles start to look like mountains.

4.  Depression — do you feel hopeless or unworthy?  There are a multitude of reasons for depression and it is part of your journey to discover what is causing you to feel this way.  For example, many women can become depressed because of hormonal changes and not even realize that their depression is related to hormonal imbalance.  Many people and resources are available to you, so reach out and be a demand to feel good inside.   Part of reaching out to others about your depression is what will lead you to emotional health.

5.  Lack of passion for your work — do you hate to go to work everyday?  You have a multitude of skills and talents that just waiting for you to use.  It is possible to use your skills in work that is fulfilling to your heart and soul.  Take a risk and go for having passion in your work and everything that you do. Discover what makes you tick and apply it in everything that you are involved in at work and at home.  Learn to say no to anything that doesn’t light you up inside and turn your excitement factor on.

4.  Eliminate toxic environments — would you live in a garbage dump?  Of course you wouldn’t!  Yet, are you putting up with an environment of negative influences?  Take an inventory of your environment and see where you need to clean up your act.  Your environment includes:  your living environment (home, office, car), your physical body (what are you eating that doesn’t enliven you?), your relationships (who is poisoning your mind or influencing you in negative ways?)…….in other words, pay attention to what is causing your toxicity!  The city or town you live in might also be detremental to your health — a persons surroundings are vital.

When you are taking care of yourself first, others around you get served.  Sacrifice and suffering don’t give the people around you access to their life force either.  So give it up and make your life about caring for those you love by taking care to love yourself.