Every day at the salon, I watch the women who work beside me and the ones who sit in my chair, in a bare-knuckle fight to manage their worlds. I know exactly how they feel. I’m just like them.

As a hair stylist, my professional life is all about giving. It’s a constant push of both physical and emotional output. At any given moment, I am actively translating my client’s wishes and wants into a hairstyle that they can effortlessly manage on their own. I am executing a delicate, un-take-backable snip with my scissors while navigating the curve of their left earlobe. And all the while, I am listening and laughing and lamenting with these wonderful women. I hear all about their intimate lives; their Mother-in-Law’s latest hi-jinx, their triumph at work, their favorite new recipe, their kid’s big achievement.

I love it. It can also be a lot.

In this way, however, I think that all women are the same. We’re constantly managing the output.

We’re deciding how much of ourselves to give the people who orbit our world; our partners, our kids, our bosses, our friends. And we love it. But it can also be a lot.

And while the output and the giving and the push and pull won’t ever change, we can. We can put ourselves first. We can embark on a loving relationship with our bodies. We can take time to breathe, to nourish our bodies with nutrients rather than chemicals. We can be protective of the time we spend alone. And - while this might sound crazy, and impossible, and even borderline selfish - we will have so much more to give everyone else around us. If only we’d dare to give to ourselves first.

That’s my vision; what I want for you. To give to yourself first. To manage your well being. To begin to live a life infused with joy and self-acceptance. It’s been a journey that I’ve been on for some time now, and it’s a good place to be. I hope you’ll come along for the ride with me.

I really think you’re gonna like it.