The last time I was on an airplane I remember having an “a ha” moment while the flight attendant was running through the emergency procedures. If you haven’t been on an airplane before – if the plane were to crash, there are air masks that would fall from the ceiling in front of you for you to wear and get oxygen. According to the directions, you are supposed to put yours on first and then help your neighbor. I remember thinking “that’s a novel idea. Help yourself FIRST. Huh”.
Too often we compromise ourselves for whomever or whatever. Significant others, jobs, family, friends all take precedent – we help them with their “oxygen mask” first before putting on our own. All the while we are wondering why we are suffocating.
One of my favorite Shakespearean plays is “Hamlet”. And one of my favorite quotes from that play is Polonius’ farewell to his son Laertes: “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” This means:
- If you are true to yourself in all things, there is no way you can be false to anyone.
- You are the realest you when you are true to yourself first.
- You can be better to other people when you are best to yourself.
So a word of wisdom to you: Put on your oxygen mask first and then find out what the hell the rest of the world wants.
“Farewell, my blessing season on thee!”
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