Your Number 1 Job

 

Your first job, so clear and true,
Is taking care of you and you.
Not just in short-term, fleeting ways,
But thinking long—beyond today.

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Some may say, "But isn't this greed?
Shouldn’t we serve where others need?"
Yet those who give till they have none
Find joy and strength come all undone.

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The best of bonds, the strongest ties,
Are built when self is not denied.
For only those who stand up tall
Can lend a hand and never fall.

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To give too much, to place aside
Your needs for those who stand nearby,
May win you praise—but at what cost?
Neglecting self will get you lost.

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Yet when you thrive, you start to see
The joy in generosity.
Not forced by guilt or grand design,
But giving freely, by your mind.

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A love that lasts, a friendship true,
Will flourish when you’re whole, not blue.
For giving, when it comes from grace,
Leaves neither burdened in its place.

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So heed this truth, both old and new:
To care for them, start first with you.
For only those who burn so bright
Can cast for others guiding light.