I’m going to stay with the airplane theme from last week to share another powerful metaphor and help you discover if you are really taking care of yourself.

Before take off, the flight attendants run through a routine safety demonstration. One of the items they cover is what to do in the event of a loss of cabin pressure.

First they instruct us that an oxygen mask will drop from overhead. Then they proceed to tell us what to do and how to put it on. And the next part is crucial.

They tell us “if we are traveling with small children or with someone that needs assistance, to put our mask on first before helping to secure their mask”.

What? Isn’t that selfish? Shouldn’t we take care of them first?

While this example is blatantly obvious, our lives may include examples where we go out of our way for others before making sure that we’re okay. I find this to be common among women, perhaps due to maternal instincts. But it’s definitely not gender-specific. I have seen it occur with men too, myself included.

Stop and think about it for a minute. Are you too busy taking care of others and neglecting your own well-being?

Like caring for your family, your kids, your spouse, your friends, a pet, your business, your clients… and not exercising or eating right because of these other demands. I’m not trying to say that they’re not important; they’re extremely important. But if you’re too tired, too sick, too weak, or no longer here to take care of them because you’re dead, help me understand how that is helping anyone?

We need to learn how to say NO more often to things that don’t make sense, so we have time to say YES to the people and things in our lives that do mean something.

Don’t make excuses and please don’t play the martyr card. You are responsible to take care of your own health & wellness first – so you can have the strength, stamina, patience, clarity, and whatever else you need to help others with their “mask”.

Otherwise, you might find that you’re the one that’s waiting for someone else to put your mask on for you.

This may mean going to bed early so you can get up early. Making time for your workout. Or time to prepare your healthy meals. And carving out time for your own personal development.

If YOU don’t plan your OWN time, then it’s NOT going to get done. There are plenty of others who will gladly “take” your time to fulfill their own wants and needs. And that’s okay if you decide that’s what you want to do. But you better prioritize to make sure that your wants and needs are not neglected.

Make sense?

I don’t mean to seem insensitive here. Putting your mask on first is truly an unselfish act.

Let’s put this in perspective. Think of 3 people in your life that depend on you for something. That “something” essentially equates to your time. Now think about what you need to do to help them. Each person probably depends on you for something different. Is it predictable and scheduled, or random and unplanned?

Now think about how you deal with or react to these demands. Do you “drop everything” and respond? That may be necessary sometimes, but probably not all the time as may be the case. How else can you handle the situation and end up with the same result, or better?

My point here is to help you stop to think about it. There’s usually more than one way to get something done. And many times there is a better way, if you look for it.

So figure it out and make sure to put your mask on first so you can help the people in your life that truly need it.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.

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