This last month, I have had the opportunity to give some time and support to my sister and her family. I am busy every day, and feel the love and appreciation that makes every minute a blessing. I have found, however, one challenge -- a  challenge that I suspect many of us face when the opportunity to care for others is our priority. I will admit, my attention to my own self-care has not been a priority.  

Although I am active and getting my exercise, I acknowledge that this is really not self-care.

If I, or any of us, is to be there and be our best for the ones we love, we must find a way to sustain our own health and wellness. How do we make and keep this kind of commitment? 

I have had this thought for a while, and now seemed the perfect time to Play with an idea.

In business, "sustainability" refers to the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit. The triple bottom line is the measure and report on the results/impact of the organization's social, ecological and financial performance.  A study conducted by A.T. Kearney (www.atkearney.com) found that companies committed to corporate sustainability practices are achieving above average performance during the current financial slowdown.

How does this relate to self-care?

We intuitively know the benefits of having close relationships, and playful, creative endeavors that relax and feed our soul, and of a spirituality that connects us all through a higher power. Let's use this knowledge,along with the idea of the triple bottom line, to our advantage.

How may we look at the individual equivalent of People, Plant and Profit?  What would be our personal Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) for our self-care success?

Playing with this idea; I shift my focus from business measures to personal measures, offering this triple bottom line.

People = our desires and strategies for our Relationships and Social Connections.

Planet =our physical and emotional care, Health & Wellness strategies.

Profit = Spiritual; how we live a joyful life of purpose, abundance and shared reward.   

This spring and summer I am going to explore this idea a bit further. I  will pose some questions, look for some answers,and  give myself the space to define my indicators that will strengthen and sustain my commitment to take care of me, as well as others.  How about you?

Are you ready to acknowledge your current satisfaction level in your triple bottom line for self-care?

Are you ready to define personal goals and desires in each of these areas?

What will be the process to implement and achieve your success? 

In past newsletters/ posts I have shared an approach to life's journey that supports building a future with a positive attitude and the energy to explore all that is possible; I call this approach Playful Engagement™ (click here to read more). With the power of Play, I look to bring courageous, creative, carefree and caring energy to this opportunity for growth.

I hope you follow along on my "Ride the Glide" blog and take your own journey toward finding sustainable and authentic self-care.

Let's connect for Joyful Living through Playful Engagement™ and find our most authentic healthy self.

"Like an ability or muscle your inner wisdom is strengthened by doing it"

Robbie Gass - The Artist Way