If you said no, congratulations! If you said yes, well, you can always change.

Now, first I want to say that it isn’t a bad thing to want to please. It’s actually quite admirable and kind. The thing is, when you begin to tip the scale and please others first before yourself, you are on a slippery slope to self-destruction, unhappiness and misery. Oh, and let’s not forget resentment and then anger!

Okay, so now that you know what happens when you don’t put your oxygen mask on yourself first (besides ending up being asphyxiated with smoke and then the person you were trying to help suffers the same fate) it’s time to look at caring for yourself first.

Oh, I know what you are thinking! You believe that taking care of yourself first is selfish. Wrong! Yet how can you truly and honestly have the energy to care for (read: help, aid, support, encourage) others, when you’re dragged out, irritable or stressed? You can’t. That’s it, end of argument. You don’t even have to think about it anymore.

I’m not advocating you tell everyone in your life: “Hey, listen up, you are all on your own, I’m no longer available to do things for you.” But I am suggesting that you take some time for yourself. You need to be yourself, do for yourself, and enjoy things you like to do and without feeling that someone else might be mad.

This goes for all of you – and you know who you are and your role. It goes for the care-givers in families and in the workplace. It goes for women and men.

By taking leave of yourself and your self-care and giving it all over to another, is not — and I’m going to repeat — is not going to make you a better person. To be a better person to another, you need to be a better person to yourself first.

Remember, you are the only YOU you have, and you are the only YOU your loved ones have, so what will it be? Will you honor yourself just like you honor others? I hope so. You are worthy of it and I’m willing to bet that your loved ones think so too!