E247 - Debbie R Weiss - Caregiver right out of high school, Serving Others and Neglecting Herself

EPISODE 247 - Debbie R Weiss - Caregiver right out of high school, Serving Others and Neglecting HerselfHello, I'm Debbie...For most of my life, my set of beliefs was fairly consistent with my upbringing and life experience. Certainly, all of us are shaped by the people, places, and circumstances of our lives. I was not one to ever question those beliefs. I just assumed they were correct and to be quite honest, I never really gave it any thought.My life changed forever the day after I graduated from high school when my Dad had a massive stroke. He survived and I was his primary caregiver for the next 30 years. This was the beginning of me taking care of everyone else at the expense of myself.I was and still am a "fixer" and a "problem solver". I have a strong desire to be the one to help, which is admirable (if I do say so myself ), however, I sacrificed my own well-being in the process.My belief was "it is what it is". It's not like I have a choice.My life has always been about doing everything for everyone else without giving much consideration to my own needs and wants. I would hear what other people were doing and often be jealous and think, "that must be nice, but I can't do that". Anyone who offered a suggestion, I always had a reason why "I can't do it". Other people can, but I can't.Until I turned 50 and realized that this is it. This is my one and only life and I don't want to look back years from now with regret for the things I haven't done.Maybe I can try something new.Maybe I can put myself first.Maybe I can take control of my future.Maybe I can live the life of my dreams. After all, other people do it, so why not me?I'm done with my excuses and ready to take back my life and I know exactly how I'm going to do it. https://www.debbierweiss.com/bloghttps://www.debbierweiss.com/Update: Debbie appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show to talk about her book!  Here is a YouTube link to her appearance.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKQYSNn3s0___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca