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You’re no good to them dead.
The importance of self-care in our relationships with others.
A great relationship with yourself is critical to be effective at forming long-lasting bonds with other people. I equate it to the oxygen mask on an airplane.
Picture yourself and someone important to you mid-flight, prepped for spring break after that hours-long layover in Minneapolis on your way to Miami, when the plane jolts and suddenly the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling. At this moment, you have a choice to make. Help yourself or help your sleeping compadre.
Your impulse might be, especially if traveling with a young one, to leap into action and preserve their life at the expense of your own. However, what you should do — and it’s not just my opinion, ask the FAA — is put your own mask on, then assist those around you.
You’re no good to them dead
There are two aspects of this metaphor that I think are worth unpacking.
First, if you are a decent human, your initial impulse will almost always be to help your fellow man, woman, or child before you help yourself — for good or for bad. That isn’t an issue per sé. In fact, those kinds of impulses make you just the kind of person I’m glad to share a planet with. However, when it comes to…
