Self-care, self-love key elements towards personal growth

Dentists demand that we use at least two minutes to brush our teeth. Do we follow that?  It’s a no for most people. Failure to take care of our teeth or to adhere to disease prevention becomes a costly affair in future. For lack of caring for teeth in our prime, some get old without a tooth. They decay and fall.

It is simple logic. We fail to do simple things, and at the end of the day, the cost of our failures becomes colossal.

We know we should eat a balanced diet and maintain recommended weight. Do we do that? We sometimes over-eat junk food and fail to exercise. Too many people suffer from lifestyle diseases.

If only people were more serious about preventive care from a very young age, we would have fewer sick members of society as age takes its toll.

As a teacher, I have often advised young people what to do to pass their exams, including being diligent and hardworking. But often, many students want to pass their exams, but without putting in the necessary effort of having an active and effective reading.

Sometimes laziness causes a student to be discontinued in university. Years later, the students who failed out of laziness will be cursing their wrong decisions. In the political arena, the fact remains that we have good and bad people competing at the time for elected office. This is not about party loyalty but character.

In Kenya, it’s time for the general election. People with serious court cases are allowed to compete for political seats. Some will win. How do we choose our leaders in an elective position across Africa, where we lament that development is wanting? Just imagine what if someone comes out seeking power and has children he has rejected in the family, can he be a good leader?

For instance, a man has just made a woman pregnant and runs away from parental responsibility. Then years later, he seeks to become a counselor, MP, or president. Such a person who so easily neglected their children cannot care for others genuinely.

The world is brutal. The principles of life are cruel and rugged. You cannot plant maize and harvest beans. You will never harvest mangoes from an avocado tree. Our actions, character, and way of doing things in a big way also determine the outcome.

Yes, there is a higher power than us i.e God, and He requires us to do good, work hard, and be of virtues, which makes life better for ourselves and those around us.

Those who decide to take the dangerous path of crime, and disobedience among others end up reaping the evil they planted.

An addage “Mtoto akililia wembe mpe” Kiswahili for “if a child cries for a razorblade, give it to him,” rings very accurate today. Many young people don’t want to be guided into a better life. They think they know better and no longer want to follow or use the wisdom of the elders. Unfortunately, their insolence will cause them great suffering and failure later in life.

My dear reader, my message today is a reminder that each one of us, has responsibility for self-care. Self-care is self-love. It is very important to take care of ourselves i.e our bodies, our health, and our mental well-being. It is not only for now so that we can be ok, but because it will help us be better in the future. For example, if you are a father or a mother, you want to be there on earth long enough for your children. It makes no one a hero to die from preventable causes. Yes, we should take care of ourselves.