--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Caring for our own hearts isn't…" description: "\"Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we begin to love.\" — John Eldredge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png" --- # Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we… ![“Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we begin to love.” quote by John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png) > “Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we begin to love.” [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Caring for oneself is not selfish; it is the foundation for loving others authentically. **In simple terms:** Self‑care enables true love. Key Takeaway Prioritize self‑care. Themes self‑care love authenticity growth Mood encouraging hopeful Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - daily meditation - exercise - setting boundaries - relationship building Key Concepts psychology spirituality well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What self‑care practice nurtures you? - How does caring for yourself affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can become self‑absorption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [Many seniors understand that Social Security is social insurance as opposed to a program where we put money aside for our own retirement. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/many-seniors-understand-that-social-security-is-social-insurance-as/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [Having a man (or woman) to love should enhance your life, not define it. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If you allow yourself to be healed. you will begin to love and dream again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-allow-yourself-to-be-healed-you-will-begin-to-love-and-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If tomorrow I found one more chance to begin, I'd love you all over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jackson/if-tomorrow-i-found-one-more-chance-to-begin-i-d-love-you-all-over/) [Alan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jackson/) > [You must know that I do not love and that I love you, because everything alive has its two sides; a word is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-must-know-that-i-do-not-love-and-that-i-love-you-because/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Do not demand love. Begin to love. You will be loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-rajagopalachari/do-not-demand-love-begin-to-love-you-will-be-loved/) [C. Rajagopalachari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-rajagopalachari/) > [Love is within us. It cannot be destroyed. It can be ignored. To the extent that we abandon love we will feel it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-holmes/love-is-within-us-it-cannot-be-destroyed-it-can-be-ignored-to-the/) [Ernest Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-holmes/) > [“Come, my darling, it is never too late to begin our love again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/come-my-darling-it-is-never-too-late-to-begin-our-love-again/) [Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/) > [“Maybe am too much on men, but sincerely, today’s man has literally grown indolent in love. 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Be that good news to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-want-you-to-find-the-poor-here-right-in-your-own-home-first-and/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [If those whom we begin to love could know us as we were before meeting them they could perceive what they have made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/if-those-whom-we-begin-to-love-could-know-us-as-we-were-before/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More by John Eldredge > [To find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/to-find-god-you-must-look-with-all-your-heart-to-remain-present-to/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [ “There is a satisfaction we don't want to come to until we come to it in God…\[Disappointments\] serve to remind us every day that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/there-is-a-satisfaction-we-don-t-want-to-come-to-until-we-come-to-it/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The early Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit 'the wild goose.' And the reason why is they knew that you cannot tame him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-early-celtic-christians-called-the-holy-spirit-the-wild-goose-and/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The real you is on the side of God against the false self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-real-you-is-on-the-side-of-god-against-the-false-self/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“The authors challenge that the marriage in which one cannot express disappointment has become an idol – The Thing that Cannot Be Questioned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-authors-challenge-that-the-marriage-in-which-one-cannot-express/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [A man's calling is written on his true heart, and he discovers it when he enters the frontier of his deep desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/a-man-s-calling-is-written-on-his-true-heart-and-he-discovers-it-when/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [In the end, it doesn’t matter how well we have performed or what we have accomplished—a life without heart is not worth living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/in-the-end-it-doesn-t-matter-how-well-we-have-performed-or-what-we/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [Whatever their age, most men have never received true fathering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/whatever-their-age-most-men-have-never-received-true-fathering/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [I'm married. I have three children. I have a mortgage to pay. The plumbing breaks and the yard needs trimming. However, what my wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-m-married-i-have-three-children-i-have-a-mortgage-to-pay-the/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“He is on a mission to rescue a people who are so utterly deceived most of them don’t even want to be rescued.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/he-is-on-a-mission-to-rescue-a-people-who-are-so-utterly-deceived/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“Something has gone wrong in us, very wrong indeed. So wrong that we have to be told that joy is found not in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/something-has-gone-wrong-in-us-very-wrong-indeed-so-wrong-that-we/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [“We don’t need accountability groups; we need fellow warriors, someone to fight alongside, someone to watch our back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-need-accountability-groups-we-need-fellow-warriors-someone/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [We don't see clearly because we don't see with the eyes of our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/we-don-t-see-clearly-because-we-don-t-see-with-the-eyes-of-our-heart/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-story-of-your-life-is-the-story-of-the-long-and-brutal-assault-on/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [I have a call to speak, to write, to do sort of deep-heart surgery in people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/i-have-a-call-to-speak-to-write-to-do-sort-of-deep-heart-surgery-in/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) [Explore all 233 John Eldredge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) ## More Caring quotes > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [A happy family needs a loving and caring father, and he who knows how to be a mother sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-happy-family-needs-a-loving-and-caring-father-and-he-who-knows-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Just remember that when nobody was there for you, I was. And when nobody else gave a damn, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-remember-that-when-nobody-was-there-for-you-i-was-and-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Hmmm! life zz about caring the life that u have as the rest of the things are of secondary value tc n ks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sardar-hyder-abbas/hmmm-life-zz-about-caring-the-life-that-u-have-as-the-rest-of-the/) [Sardar Hyder Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sardar-hyder-abbas/) > [You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved ,the rest is up to the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-all-you-can-do-is-be-someone-who-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/) [Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,651 Caring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we begin to love.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Eldredge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishness-it-s-how-we-begin-to-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caring" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishness-it-s-how-we-begin-to-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce6/john-eldredge-1487_caring_caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishn_2027519.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Caring for our own hearts isn't selfishness; it's how we begin to love.” — John Eldredge", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Eldredge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Caring for our own hearts isn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishness-it-s-how-we-begin-to-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/caring-for-our-own-hearts-isn-t-selfishness-it-s-how-we-begin-to-love/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```