This week’s blog posting is so very very true! The analogy that I have recently learned is that in life there are two cookie jars, one for ourselves and the other for others. Too often, and especially as women, we are taught to make sure to keep the cookie jar for others abundantly filled, while our own may be empty for long periods as we serve others before ourselves. This is a recipe for disaster and exhaustion as the “other” cookie jar never flows over to nourish our own jar - it is always being quickly depleted by others who are eager to take.

It is up to us as the bakers to first and foremost make sure that our own cookie jar is filled to abundance before we ever bake cookies for the other jar. Unless we are emotionally healthy and taking care first of ourselves, we can never truly adequately give (without becoming remorseful at the lack of reciprocation) to others. It is a tough and slow lesson to learn because I was taught and the principal was perpetuated by my always taking ex-husband (which is why he is now an EX!) - that the other cookie jar has first priority (at the same time speaking out of the other side of his mouth he’d say - but remember to take care of yourself too! LOL)

Practicing filling one’s own cookie jar takes diligence, concentration, and hard lonely work, but I believe that the journey will be worth it and the habit of self-sacrifice is worth breaking.

Thanks for your blog and your insights.

Regards,
Carol