I often advise people to take stock of their circumstances and then do something nice for themselves.  They almost always insist that they can't do that for a whole laundry list of reasons; that would be selfish and I'm not a selfish person, I have too much on my plate right now, I don't deserve it (yet), we're all struggling-it wouldn't be fair to anyone else if I took a break, etc...  All of these sound valid but none of them apply to what I'm talking about.

As children, many of us were accused of being or admonished not to be, selfish, self-centered, or egotistical.  The tone of voice that went along with those words told us that 'selfish' was a really disappointing way to be and we sure didn't want to be a source of disappointment to our parents.  In order to avoid being labeled as such, we learned to deny our desires and defer to the people around us first before reaching for what we wanted, whether it was the last chicken leg or a college education.  While I'm sure the emphasis they were trying to make was on teamwork and the good of the whole, the message we got was clear:  Your needs and desires are not as important as everyone else's.  Suck it up.  We did. Usually we continue to throughout our lives. 

Pretty soon, we get into the habit of putting those around us first, we learn to prioritize the needs of our family unit, we learn where we can comfortably operate within our own desires and how much 'self-serving' we can engage in before it's noticed.  We've effectively been taught that doing something to benefit only ourselves is something that should be hidden, something to 'get away with'.  We've also learned that the 'others' are more deserving and that our wants, desires, preferences, dreams, hopes, opinions are back burner material. 

Unfortunately, this can bleed over into more adult situations with some pretty nasty side effects. Some examples:

• Your smart and pretty (and deferential) daughter meets a boy with more experience who 'needs' her to express her feelings for him in a more adult manner, whether she's ready to or not.  
• You land what looks like a great job opportunity that pays well and is very challenging, but within a year you can't stand the pressure of doing the job of the three people they laid off since hiring you.  You hate your job and your life but you don't know how to ask for what you need and you're afraid that you'll be replaced if you do.  
• You start dating someone whom at first seems like a good match for you.  At some point in the relationship you realize that you are different people heading in completely opposite directions, but you don't end the relationship because you feel their 'direction' is more important than yours and you should stay and support them.  
• You love your mother dearly and somehow you wind up being the child she can depend on as she ages.  She suggests you move in with her and share expenses in exchange for helping her with things.  On paper it looks like a win/win situation, but you know that if you do it you'll never have the opportunity to meet a suitable mate and lead the kind of life you've always imagined.  You do it anyway because her need is greater, even if you both have other options. 
• You can never say no when someone asks you to help them move. 
• In acts of defiance you sneak chocolate (or alcohol, or cigarettes, or new clothes, or money from your employer) behind your husband's/kid's/parents'/boss' back because you feel you deserve it. 
• You have a passive-aggressive streak a mile wide when someone asks you to do something that you'd prefer not to, and go to great lengths to make it as big a blunder as possible so they'll never ask you again...but to your credit you didn't refuse.  

If you want to be engulfed by resentment and rage, continue to put yourself on the back burner and see what happens.  It will show itself to you in time, either through poor health, depression, addiction, passive-aggression, rage and fighting, or martyrdom, among other things.  Your children will experience it as feeling like a burden, a hassle, another in a list of your 'chores', and as guilt for all these things.  It will effect their self-esteem as well down the road, because they'll grow up and follow the pattern you're setting for them now. 

You can control the outcome of this one.  Do something sweet for yourself, just because.  Find a small way to take care of yourself every day.  I don't care what it is; make yourself a cup of tea before bed, take a bubble bath, journal(this is your life too, you know), light a candle, watch a chick flick (or a ballgame), meditate, steal some time away to read or listen to music you like, make an amazing meal that you like, write, draw or paint something, take a drive, plant some flowers, watch the sunset, spend an hour on the phone with your best friend, whatever does it for you.  It doesn't have to cost anything.  If you do have the resources, get a pedicure or a massage, take a class that interests you, learn to paint, go to a conference, take a weekend away with the girls or guys, or just a day off in the middle of the week all to yourself.  Always maintain your friendships, they are yours alone and so good for your soul.  They mirror your worth for you and remind you that you're lovable even when you don't feel like it.  With time and practice, you will learn to treat yourself better, which will teach others how to treat you.  It's a beautiful thing. 

I had to start out making myself do it.  Sometimes I would go to bed and realize I hadn't done my 'nice' thing for me yet and I would make myself get up and figure out something to do, even if it was only reading another page in my book.  That was my time to spend doing as I chose.  I marked them on a calendar too, until it became a habit.  If you're like me it won't be easy at first, but you'll learn to like yourself so much more because of it, and you won't be so resentful of the folks around you either.  It's very important to validate yourself and your wishes and desires.  If you don't, no one will. 

Most of us learned these habits from a parent or role model but it doesn't have to define our lives.  Stop the pattern, be kind to yourself, remember who you are and give your children a positive modeling experience, so they in turn can grow up happy and healthy.