Including Myself

You know how some lines arrive and stay with you?

I came across one recently that settled deep:

What we give doesn’t always return, but what we give is always what we are.

That hits in the soft places, doesn’t it?

I know what I give. My time. My energy. My attention. My love. Freely. Consistently. Without hesitation.

It’s who I am. It’s who I’m proud to be.

But here’s what I’ve realized lately: somewhere along the way, I stopped including myself in that equation. I’ve been showing up for everyone and everything that asks something of me. Giving what’s needed. Holding space. Keeping things moving.

And in the process, I haven’t been protecting myself. I stopped checking in with me. Stopped giving myself the grace to not be okay. Stopped listening to the quiet voices in my body, my soul, my spirit—the ones that were asking me to rest.

I kept giving and pushing and assuming I’d be fine. Because I always am.

Until I’m not.

Maybe this is the shift I’m being asked to make now. Not to give less. Not to become someone who withholds. But to return some of what I give to myself. To pause long enough to notice what I need. To listen when something in me asks for space. To offer myself the same care, attention, and presence I give so freely to others.

Because if what I give is what I am, then including myself isn’t something I need to apologize for.

It’s something I’m learning to allow.

With permission + care,
Orly 🤍