The following article is courtesy of a friend and collegue of mine,
Martha Franke, 651-209-8691of
Creative Coaching, LLC. She is a Life Coach & Therapist, who does Holistic Counseling with a Life Coaches Touch!
She reminds us very eloquently to take care of ourselves.
Secure Your Own Mask. .
.Just before we drove away, ending a great week of sun,
sand, and reconnecting with family, my cousin's wife Nancy said "Remember to pay
close attention to the flight attendant's instructions regarding the oxygen
mask." My initial confusion (does Nancy think we'll need them?) cleared as I
recalled and later wrote down their words verbatim "Secure your own mask before
assisting others." If you try to help others first, you will pass out from your
lack of oxygen.
Now, as the school year has started up, I'm finding most of my waking
moments filled with activity - much of which is assisting others. Get the kids
off to school, work, fix dinner, help with homework, make the runs to pick
up/drop off the kids, attend sporting events & meetings, errands, cleaning,
feed the pets. . . . You know the drill as well as I do.
I do all of these things out of love for my family, for my work and the
people I help. They are an important reflection of what I value. Yet if I'm
getting to the end of the day feeling crabby because I've been "loving"
everything around me continually, I haven't secured my own mask before assisting
others.
So, how long has it been since you've taken a good deep breath of what is
your "oxygen?" How could you secure your mask as you enter into your day? How
do you show and live your love for yourself?
If you're finding yourself depleted by your day, consider and remember what
brings you energy and renewal. If you find yourself getting wound up and
agitated, what calms you and brings peace? Then make the space in your life to
have it in your day in whatever form you can have it - everyday!
I woke on Sunday morning, thinking about my hopes for me, my husband, and
our family and offered a heartfelt prayer to God for helping us to live the rich
life I envisioned (a home filled with love, warmth, laughter, and happiness).
If I'm serious about doing my part to live this envisioned family life, I
must secure my mask early on. Only through having it on, whether in the midst
of a crisis or in an average day, I can live from that place of love and warmth,
and I'm able to find the humor in our day. And only by also loving myself am I
able to find happiness.
