If you’ve ever travelled on a flight you will be aware that at the beginning of every journey there is a safety announcement. The safety announcement always advises that in the event of a drop in cabin pressure you should put your own oxygen mask on before assisting anyone else.

Now obviously if you’re a kind and thoughtful person who has empathy for others, your natural instinct will be to help others before yourself.

But the flight announcement has a really important message that you should apply to your entire life… because the message is a reminder that you can’t be 100% helpful to anyone if you are not 100% okay yourself.

Think about this for a minute…

If you were madly, truly, deeply in love with someone, what lengths would you go to just to make them happy? Wouldn’t you treat them as being special and precious? Wouldn’t you ensure that they knew how much you care, respect and appreciate just how great they are? Wouldn’t you forgive them some faults and still love them when they were not at their best?

Of course you would, that’s what real love is… Loving someone when they are not perfect.

And if someone was madly, truly, deeply in love with you, wouldn’t you feel amazing to know that you were the person who incited such feelings? Wouldn’t you trust someone who could love you so much?

Well, here’s the great news…you do have that relationship in your life if you choose to accept it… because the greatest love affair you can ever have in your life should be the love affair you have for yourself.

When you know your worth and know how special you are and love your own unique quirks, other people gravitate naturally towards you. And, when the relationship you have with yourself is important, you cherish it and protect it and you find that you easily expect or even demand the same level of love and respect from the people who come into your life.

So, don’t wait for other people to save you, and don’t wait for other people to make you happy. Take charge, put on your oxygen mask, take a deep breath, and start to enjoy the most beautiful and important relationship of your life… The relationship you have… with you.

Carol Anne Lowe ©