Anyone who has traveled by airplane has heard this phrase during the pre-flight instructions, when the flight attendants explain the use of the emergency oxygen masks. When the masks fall, it’s a warning that there will be only a few seconds before everyone on board will lose consciousness. If you’re traveling with a young child or an elderly person, your natural reaction is to make sure he or she is safe first, before you help yourself. But if you think about it for a moment, you realize that if you ignore your own need for oxygen, there is a good chance you may be unable to help your loved one and, if that happens, you may put both yourself and your loved one in danger of serious injury or worse. The meaning of these instructions then becomes crystal clear: if you don’t take care of yourself first, you’ll be unable to care for your loved ones in their time of need. Read more...