Are you cheating on yourself?

By Dizzybee

Cheating is a word filled with so much bitterness that whenever it’s uttered, it evokes a sense of shame and guilt to most people. The good old dictionary describes the verb cheat as: “To mislead; fool; illusions that cheat the eye.”

We often berate others for their actions when they cheat on someone else, but have we ever stopped to pause for a thought on when we are cheating on ourselves?

Sold Soul

How often do we do ourselves a disservice by misleading and fooling ourselves? When you get into that relationship that you know deep in your heart is not right for you, don’t you think you’re cheating? I’ve heard countless reasons and excuses from so many of my friends on why they’re staying in a relationship that is not right for them — a cheating husband, an abusive partner, a financial arrangement in the guise of a meaningful partnership.

Little by little, they sell a bit of their soul out to become cynical, wounded beings with no capacity to pull themselves out of the dredges. When you start making excuses for the SOB who is tearing you apart, justifying their actions, you should know it’s time to get up and go. Stop lying and trying to convince yourself that this could work out; that situations will change without you making tough decisions.

It’s not just in the relationships we’re in — we cheat on ourselves all the time. Your health — are you taking the utmost care of yourself, or are you lapping up that huge tub of ice-cream and convincing yourself that ‘it’s the only one this week’.

Do you take the best care of yourself, or are you waiting to keel over from clogged arteries? When was the last time you took a walk in a park just to get some fresh air? We’re blessed to have great outdoor space, yet we stay holed up in our apartments week in, week out. Take some time to literally smell the roses.

Instinct

Only you know what is right for you: Your body and your heart will always tell you when something or someone is right or wrong for you. Learn to trust that gut instinct — it wasn’t given to us for no reason. Take time and do things that are right for you; you know what works for you.

Learn to be loyal to yourself first, and you’ll attract what is right for you.