The moment I realised self respect wasn’t just for me

I still remember the look on my wife’s face when I became seriously burnt out.

It was about 25 years ago now, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

She was worried. She wasn’t sure what to do.

And to be honest, neither did I.

Realising I’d become a source of stress for someone I loved was hard to take. It was the last thing I’d ever wanted.

But it wasn’t because of bad intent.

My goal was always to work hard and provide for my family. But in doing that, I found myself adapting and working in ways that really didn’t suit me.

At the time, I just assumed that’s what it took.

The catch was, I couldn’t do it for long.

Eventually, I simply didn’t have the energy to keep going.

Looking back, I learnt something really important.

I needed to learn how to care for myself.

I couldn’t outsource that to anybody else.

I had to stop and get really clear on what was right for me.

As a result, I made some big decisions.

Not because I wanted to change my life.

Because I wanted to be the husband I knew I could be.

I had to learn that self-respect wasn’t negotiable.

It wasn’t something extra I’d get to once everything else was sorted.

It was one of the most important things I could do for a relationship that meant the world to me.