For years, my husband has told me that I need to have an agent. When someone asks me to do something, I would say “You have to call my agent” and the agent would say—you guessed it—a resounding “No!” Obviously, he thinks that I am incapable of saying that word myself. And, in truth, he is right.

That inability to say no leads to weeks like the one I have just had. I spent one night at home and every other night in hotel rooms, and not the same room or geography two nights in a row. Most of these journeys involved professional commitments and one involved a personal commitment, all of them clear evidence of me trying to be all things to all people.

I joked with someone about needing that agent as I gave three presentations in two days, one of which was a keynote address. And, perhaps ironically, the topic of my keynote was self-care and the need we all have to take the time, and devote the energy, to putting ourselves first. I am not preaching narcissism here but rather the importance or refueling and replenishing ourselves as we give and give and do not always receive.

Self-care involves understanding ourselves and taking the time to think about what matters—not to others as much as to ourselves. As I thought about that today, during yet another long day of travel, I realized that my desire to do it all and be it all and say yes to everything is my self-care. The chance to stand in front of an audience charges my batteries, the connection with colleagues energizes me and the chance to be with family, especially family I don’t see all the time, nurtures me.

So, no, I won’t be hiring that agent anytime soon—or ever. Instead, I will rejoice in the chaos of my life, I will relish the craziness of back to back commitments. I will manage my overfull plate by understanding that my plate can always get bigger. And I will rejoice in all of the opportunities to fill my full heart.