Have you ever been on an airplane and heard the flight attendant announce the following? “Should there be a loss in cabin pressure oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Please place the mask over your nose and mouth first before helping your children or someone else.”
When we first heard that our reaction was, “That can’t be right! Parents just instinctively think about their kids first and themselves second. Wouldn’t it be more important to first get the mask on the kids?” But when you think through it, the airlines’ recommendation makes perfect sense. They figured out that if you as the parent aren’t getting enough oxygen, there’s no way you can help your kids. Put the mask on yourself first and your body will get the oxygen it needs. That way you can help not only your kids, but maybe others on the plane, too.
This is a terrific parable describing how parents sacrifice their own health for not only their kids, but for many other reasons as well. How about you? Do you skip daily exercise, healthy nutrition and stress relief because you think you’re doing more good by devoting every extra minute to your children, husband, church or some other worthy cause? The problem is that pretty soon you’ll run out of gas and you can’t help anyone else. If you aren’t taking care of yourself first, how can you take care of others?
As fitness experts we talk to oxygen-deprived people day after day. They’re overweight, sapped of energy, depressed or plagued with a variety of problems. Our advice to them? Put on your oxygen mask. Make a commitment to take care of yourself so you can be a blessing to others. Before long you’ll not only look better, but you’ll also feel better. And you’ll be better able to help the people that matter most in your life.
To read more about taking care of yourself, transforming your body and life get a copy of the Great Shape-Up Program today from America’s Healthiest Couple, Dan & Jennifer Polimino.
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