Change yourself first, before you try changing others

Being a frequent flier I have always been exposed to this message before takeoff, but never did I take notice of the real meaning behind it. That is until Jim Rohn came along and opened my eyes to it. The message in question here is when the stewardess explains that in an emergency the oxygen masks that drop out from above should be worn by the person first, before he/she tries to help others.

This happens to be one of the most valuable life lessons, i.e. Take care of yourself first, before you try to help others. William Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” Your greatest responsibility is towards yourself first. Once that is taken care of, you can start caring for others. As it’s said ‘If you want to lift somebody up, you have be on higher ground first’. But unfortunately, many people think that this viewpoint is of self-interest and narcissistic. They think that they have to sacrifice themselves for others. If that would have been true then why do you think Jesus Christ say, “Love you neighbor as you love yourself”. Underline the word ‘as’. If you don’t love yourself, you just cannot love others. Period.

Ask yourself this question. If you were 10 times wiser, 10 times healthier and 10 times richer, do you think you would be more valuable to your family, friends and society? Of course, yes! You can only do more, if you be more. You cannot feed the hungry if you yourself are hungry. That’s the way life works. Don’t go looking to correct others when you yourself are faulty. In Matthew 7,5 Jesus Christ mentions, “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye”. And how does one take care of himself first? Through personal-development. You have to increase your knowledge, read the books, apply the knowledge in your life and finally, teach others. That’s how you increase your value to the society.

So the next time you see an airline crew, remember this valuable life lesson – Take care of yourself first, and then others.

 Written by  John Bino

John Bino is an entrepreneur and success coach specializing in helping fellow entrepreneurs and the community at large to realize their true potential. His mission is to help people become more valuable to their family and the marketplace.