How many times, as a woman, has someone given you the advice to “put yourself first”? We hear it often because, as women, we practice it so infrequently. It’s easy to put our families, our friends, our children, and our jobs before ourselves. Too many women spent their lives taking care of their own needs last and least.
Glamour recently published an article about a new phenomena in the wedding industry – couples spending six figure budgets on lavish luxury weddings….with no guests. Glamour calls it an “elaborate elopement.” And the comments on the article speak volumes. Most women simply cannot fathom spending a great deal of money on a wedding that didn’t involve family and friends. I say that these types of couples are actually practicing a very healthy way of setting boundaries and pursuing goals – selfish happiness. The kinds of couples who can have a $100K wedding with no guests are those who are willing to put themselves first and dismiss criticism of friends and family. My guess? They’re probably incredibly happy. They’re more wiling to take care of their needs and wants than most.
Selfishness has always come with a negative connotation, but I contend we should change our thoughts about so-called selfish people. What if we could look at someone who did something inherently selfish and say to them, “Good for you. Congratulations for taking care of yourself first!” Woudln’t that be an amazing feat?
What have you done recently that practices selfish happiness?
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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