I had a class once with a girl who was training a service dog, and she was a minor celebrity in the sense that everyone knew her because she was That Girl Who Is Training A Service Dog.
Anyway, one day I was talking to her about it and she mentioned she was saving up (I think it was 1500? At least a grand) to take the dog to a special training seminar in a different town. I was surprised because I assumed that the training was her job and she would eventually be paid for it.
She was training the dog for herself.
I know we say a lot of stuff about self-care these days, but, like, THAT is self-care. It's not just avoiding triggers or relaxing after a hard day, it is actively making an investement in yourself and doing things to make your life better. I couldn't articulate it to her the time, but I still think it's amazing that she was putting so much time and effort into doing something that was ultimately just about making her daily life better.