Last week, I was a featured speaker at a Change Makers event, and something powerful happened.

One of the attendees, someone who, like so many of us, spends their days pouring into others—guiding, serving, and helping people live their best lives—got emotional at the end of my session. Tears. Not of sadness, but of recognition.

They said, “I realized I am never the one being cared for.”

And damn… it landed. Because it’s true for so many of us.

We’re the givers. The caregivers. The leaders. The ones holding the space, leading the teams, running the households, carrying the emotional labor, doing the thing.

But here’s the truth that so often gets buried under all that giving:
The giver always needs care—and almost never prioritizes it.

Here’s a hard truth: No one is going to prioritize you but you. This is work you have to choose for yourself and be intentional about. Not sometimes. Not after the next project. Not when there’s time. Always.

The Cost of Self-Abandonment

We love the “oxygen mask first” analogy, but most of us still forget to use it. We convince ourselves we’ll rest when things calm down, but guess what? They rarely do. Or, even worse, when we do have free time, we feel guilty about it and decide to make ourselves busy instead of leaning into rest and recalibration.

And the cost of constantly putting ourselves last? It’s not just exhaustion. It’s disconnection. From our joy. Our intuition. Our bodies. Our purpose.

You can’t pour from an empty cup because—newsflash—empty cups don’t pour.

You Can’t Sustain What You Don’t Nurture

You can’t keep doing this important, world-shifting work without prioritizing your own care.
Not if you want to stay grounded, inspired, and alive in your purpose.

And let’s be honest: this isn’t about bubble baths and spa days. (Although, if that’s your thing, go for it. I love a good magnesium flake bath.) This is about radical self-responsibility. It’s about listening when your body whispers instead of waiting until it screams.

It’s about remembering that your nervous system is part of your leadership strategy.
It’s about embodying the truth that rest isn’t a reward—it’s a requirement.

So, How Do You Do It?

Start by weaving care into the fabric of your everyday life—not as an afterthought, but as a non-negotiable part of your leadership.

1. Protect your energy like it’s sacred.
Because it is. Set boundaries that make space for your own restoration. Stop apologizing for saying no. Rest when you need to or when things are “slow,” rather than panicking because you’re not “busy enough.”

2. Ask for care as a form of courage.
Let someone hold you, nurture you, support you. Being witnessed in your humanity is not weakness—it’s leadership.

3. Reframe self-care as impact strategy.
You can’t lead anyone where you’re unwilling to go. When you model wholeness, you teach it.

BRAVE Leadership in Action

B – Boundaries: Say yes only where it feels aligned.
R – Reassessment & Reframing: Shift “self-care” from luxury to leadership necessity.
A – Action & Accountability: Commit to at least one daily act that fills you up first.
V – Vulnerability: Let others see your need for care; it gives them permission to honor theirs.
E – Expansion & Empowerment: Watch how your impact deepens when your energy is restored.

Here’s What I Told the Room

When you choose to care for yourself first, you’re not abandoning others; you’re equipping yourself to show up with the kind of presence that actually transforms lives.

The givers, the healers, the leaders—we are the ones who must go first.

Because when we choose ourselves, everyone around us benefits.

That’s not selfish. It’s sustainable.

And that’s the kind of change this world really needs.

The Invitation

If this message feels like it found you at exactly the right time, if you’ve been running on empty and you know it’s time to refill your cup—this is the work I do.

Whether it’s through a Subconscious Shift Session, my MindShift Mastery program, listening to subliminal audios, or joining me in Costa Rica for the Reclaim Your Peace Retreat, everything I create is designed to help you reconnect to yourself, your intuition, and your joy—so you can keep giving without burning out.

Because the energy exchange of care has to flow both ways.

Meanwhile, check this video below:

Reciprocal Care and Sustainable Leadership

Rest is not lazy—it’s leadership. Build balance, abundance mindset, and conscious leadership through rest and renewal. Check this out, Rest Isn’t Lazy—It’s Leadership

---

Need a reminder that you’re not alone on this journey?

Come hang out during my weekly “Ask Me Anything Office Hours” or join for my weekly live show. The work is deep, but the joy is real—and you’re invited to feel it with me.