--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do for myself exactly what I would do…" description: "\"I do for myself exactly what I would do for you - make a lovely cup of tea, or a hot bath, or go buy myself a fabulous pair of socks. I believe that yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/anne-lamott-188_action_i-do-for-myself-exactly-what-i-would-do_2507420.png" --- # I do for myself exactly what I would do for you - make a… ![“I do for myself exactly what I would do for you - make a lovely cup of tea, or a hot bath, or go buy myself a fabulous pair of socks. I believe that you take the action, and THEN the insight follows - I do loving things for me, stroke my own shoulder, put myself down for a short nap, and the…” quote by Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/anne-lamott-188_action_i-do-for-myself-exactly-what-i-would-do_2507420.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/anne-lamott-188_action_i-do-for-myself-exactly-what-i-would-do_2507420.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd6/anne-lamott-188_action_i-do-for-myself-exactly-what-i-would-do_2507420.png) > “I do for myself exactly what I would do for you - make a lovely cup of tea, or a hot bath, or go buy myself a fabulous pair of socks. I believe that you take the action, and THEN the insight follows - I do loving things for me, stroke my own shoulder, put myself down for a short nap, and the insight follows: that I am a wild precious woman, a human merely being, as e e cummings put it, deserving of respect, tenderness, protection, delight, and solidarity. And that is what Home looks like for me now.” [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑care actions precede self‑recognition; nurturing oneself creates space for insight and self‑respect. **In simple terms:** Caring for yourself unlocks self‑respect. Key Takeaway Practice daily self‑nurture. Themes self‑care self‑respect identity healing empowerment Mood calm hopeful reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - personal rituals - stress relief - self‑affirmation - building confidence Key Concepts self‑compassion mindfulness inner child Questions to Reflect On - How does a simple act change your self‑view? - What self‑care habit could you start today? A Different Perspective Self‑care alone may not resolve deeper trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Cup of tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cup-of-tea/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Fabulous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabulous/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Hot baths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hot-baths/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Solidarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solidarity/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) [Tenderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderness/) ## Related quotes > [You have to make mistakes to find out who you aren't. You take the action, and the insight follows: You don't think your way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-have-to-make-mistakes-to-find-out-who-you-aren-t-you-take-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Your security and love of life don't depend on the presence of another, but only on yourself, your chosen work, and your developing identity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/your-security-and-love-of-life-don-t-depend-on-the-presence-of/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Kindness reveals concern and respect for others. Tenderness brings happiness and inner peace to the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humaira/kindness-reveals-concern-and-respect-for-others-tenderness-brings/) [Humaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humaira/) > [“Nothing is so precious to a woman's heart as the glory and excellence of him she loves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/nothing-is-so-precious-to-a-woman-s-heart-as-the-glory-and-excellence/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [Nothing in life was as precious as this woman. It never would be. I’d found my happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/nothing-in-life-was-as-precious-as-this-woman-it-never-would-be-i-d/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [You can change the world with a hot bath, if you sink into it from a place of knowing that you are worth profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-can-change-the-world-with-a-hot-bath-if-you-sink-into-it-from-a/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All I ever wanted since I arrived here on Earth were the things that turned out to be within reach. The same things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-i-ever-wanted-since-i-arrived-here-on-earth-were-the-things-that/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Hangover cure: Rigorous sex, hydration, hot bath, then "go up for half an hour in an open aeroplane. (needless to say, with a non-hungover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/hangover-cure-rigorous-sex-hydration-hot-bath-then-go-up-for-half-an/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodie-smith/noble-deeds-and-hot-baths-are-the-best-cures-for-depression/) [Dodie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodie-smith/) > [“There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them. Whenever I’m sad I’m going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-must-be-quite-a-few-things-a-hot-bath-won-t-cure-but-i-don-t/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“First, a bath. I'm feeling soiled. Too much contact with cold reality, I think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-greenwood/first-a-bath-i-m-feeling-soiled-too-much-contact-with-cold-reality-i/) [Kerry Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-greenwood/) > [Big ideas come from the unconscious. This is true in art, in science, and in advertising. But your unconscious has to be well informed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/big-ideas-come-from-the-unconscious-this-is-true-in-art-in-science/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [An oil massage, a hot bath, a good night's sleep, soft smells and music and clothes with soft textures denote sensuality to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/an-oil-massage-a-hot-bath-a-good-night-s-sleep-soft-smells-and-music/) [Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/) > [Ninety percent of what's wrong with you could be cured with a hot bath, says God from the bowels of the subway. but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/ninety-percent-of-what-s-wrong-with-you-could-be-cured-with-a-hot/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What's closer to nature's heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/frightened-of-change-but-what-can-exist-without-it-what-s-closer-to/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by Anne Lamott > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It's funny where we look for salvation, and where we actually find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-funny-where-we-look-for-salvation-and-where-we-actually-find-it/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/publication-is-not-all-that-it-is-cracked-up-to-be-but-writing-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [And yet, I do believe there is ultimately meaning in the chaos, and also in the doldrums. What I resist is not the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-yet-i-do-believe-there-is-ultimately-meaning-in-the-chaos-and/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Raising a child, whether or not it is yours, is like Nautilus of the heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/raising-a-child-whether-or-not-it-is-yours-is-like-nautilus-of-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-heard-a-preacher-say-recently-that-hope-is-a-revolutionary-patience/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-criticism-hurts-me-i-m-so-in-the-wrong-business/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You will go through your life thinking there was a day in second grade that you must have missed, when the grown-ups came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-will-go-through-your-life-thinking-there-was-a-day-in-second/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You begin to string words together like beads to tell a story. You are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-begin-to-string-words-together-like-beads-to-tell-a-story-you-are/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You lose the known package of your nice organized self almost instantly here. Overeating is one way back, the way it is at funerals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-lose-the-known-package-of-your-nice-organized-self-almost/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) [Explore all 976 Anne Lamott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! 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