Friday, September 19, 2008

Self Respect

Above all I yearn to respect myself. So...I made a list of the characteristics I respect in others (in no particular order).

1. Ability to say "No" with grace.
2. Organized. They can find their birth certificates and the dog's vaccination records at a moments notice.
3. Do not watch t.v..
4. Get massages, pedis, manis, waxings, hair cuts, facials, etc. on a routine basis.
5. Dress with understated well tailored style.
6. Get rid of stuff they are not using.
7. Do yoga and walk.
8. Eat non processed foods.
9. Cars are clean and in good repair.
10. Not self conscious.
11. Do not tailor their personality to suit the situation.
12. Friendly.
13. Deep spiritual life.
14. Ability to keep their own counsel.
15. On time.
16. Non-procrastinators, and can plan ahead.
17. Take tea breaks.
18. Good at the housewifely arts, canning, sewing, baking, etc.
20. Can clean toilets without griping.
21. Work at jobs they love.

As a woman who just bought a reed diffuser she didn't really want and then agreed to co-host a "Home and Garden Party," I am working on number one.

Take care. Love Bea.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please explain #14 more

Bea said...

Dear Anon, "To keep your own counsel" is to know when to keep your mouth shut and when to speak up. This is a biggy for me. Bea.

Cindy said...

I love this list. I want to save it and look at it from time to time and see if I have progressed and celebrate any progress!!! As for the book and eating thing I am doing - It is Crack the Fat Loss Code. I had never heard of it, and then Laura started it, and has been doing great. It cuts carbs and then "cycles" them. I am still reading it but started the plan. I have been "stuck" for while and needed to take some sort of plunge. It is not unhealthy and uses food I would normally eat, and it also educates me on how my body works. Loved this Post!!

Lori G. said...

What a great list.

I should follow many of these myself. But I guess we are works in progress.

I can do #20 easily. But I want money for it. :-)

Vickie said...

What on earth is a REED DIFFUSER - anyone???

I did #3 for a year - and for that year - it really helped to have NO TV. This year watching TV seems to help. But I have a DVR so I watch NO commercials and do not watch shows when they are ON - I watch on my own time. This totally eliminates channel surfing - as I click on the list of recorded shows and pick from that. If it is a repeat - I delete and do not watch. If I didn't have the DVR - I would not be watching TV.

I loved this posting! If I had written this myself - 4 years ago - these are all the things that I would have needed to list/work on - but I don't think I would have had the insight THEN to know it.

The ones that I feel I have learned in the past couple years are 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17,

The ones that I am getting better at in the last couple years (but still need a LOT of practice) are
10, 11 ( I think that you should add the word grace to #11) and 14, 18

And you didn't say anything at all about sleep and taking care of medical needs - ???

Anonymous said...

This is a great list, Bea. Coming up with this is a great help in understanding yourself and your values, honoring those things you are already going and seeing others that you think need more attention. Well done.

Unknown said...

Just start living as if you already are all those things -- and I bet you will be.

Bea said...

A reed diffuser is a bunch of reeds you stick in a bottle filled with perfumy stuff. The perfume travels up the reed and out into the air. This idiotic air freshener cost me $33.65. (sigh)

Cindy said...

I want to go to Yellowstone!! And, I get to have oatmeal next week!! Kay's diet is great. And, what is a reed diffuser???

Nory Roth said...

Love this list! I also loved your response on Frances's blog about prioritizing and self care. As a mother, this is always so hard to do. Self care almost always becomes last care. How to shift this way of thinking? That is my major malfunction!