You First

The plane is on the runway in preparation for takeoff. The flight attendant is going through the routine emergency flight details. When it comes to the part about cabin pressure and oxygen loss – when the masks drop from the ceiling to each individual passenger – what does she tell the parents of young children to do? Probably not what most of us would naturally do. We are to put our masks on first, and only then, we are to place the masks on our young children.

That’s right. We're to put OUR mask on first, then secure our kids, SECOND.

Kind of goes against instinct, doesn't it?  Wouldn’t most of us immediately try to take care of our kids first!?

So why do they tell us that? Why should we serve ourselves first and others second?

That's the rub and the lesson!

Perhaps some of us are so busy trying to serve others we forget to serve ourselves and ultimately run out of the ability to offer quality service in the first place. 

Think about new parents trying endlessly to serve their kids…what about each other and what about themselves?  

Most everything starts from within and if we are struggling within, we’ll put out a lesser version of ourselves to others.  The car runs best when served from the inside out. Our bodies run best when served from the inside out.

Time to work on us. Time to build the body, mind, spirit and heart needed to serve with strength, intelligence, passion and compassion.