Respecting Yourself: From the Oxygen Mask Principle to Self-Redemption in the Search for True Passion

Sometimes we do work we don't enjoy because others make us do it, or because we think it's something we "should" do. We may often find ourselves in situations requiring difficult choices, ultimately heading in a direction that isn't truly our own. The inner peace we felt as children has been replaced by a sense of responsibility. With each step we take in life, we continue to believe that our own needs and thoughts are unimportant because we've completely lost communication with ourselves. Although we believe it's right to put others' needs above our own, we're not actually helping them. Eventually, we'll reach a point where we feel powerless. Not only have we accomplished nothing, but we've also buried ourselves in food or desperately dieted in an attempt to gain control.

Fortunately, we can realize that doing so isn't helping ourselves, nor is it truly helping others. It's like on an airplane, to prevent changes in cabin pressure, the flight attendants instruct us to make sure we're wearing our own oxygen masks before helping others put them on. If you apply this principle to your life, you might initially feel it's selfish. But we must respect ourselves before we can help others. If we don't nourish our own souls, we won't be able to nourish others. Therefore, disconnecting from ourselves is also disconnecting from others, and in a sense, disconnecting from God. Some people, to avoid loneliness, constantly jump from one unhealthy relationship to another.

However, given time to become independent, they can build the best connections in their lives. By learning to love ourselves, we can eventually attract the right person. And that person is likely someone who allows us to be our true selves. Ultimately, communication with ourselves leads to meaningful communication with others. Sometimes, we desperately search for answers "outside," buying diet plans one after another, endlessly searching for the reasons for our weight imbalances. But the answers are actually "inside," and they relate to self-awareness. For example, a woman begins her life as someone's daughter. Then she becomes a girlfriend, a wife, and a mother, and she might wonder who she truly is. Ultimately, a woman needs to understand not only her body but also the essence of her true self. This understanding transcends being a woman, transcends family expectations, and transcends the influence of hormones.

This process of self-discovery requires removing the erroneous parts of your cognition, looking back at people's beliefs about you, and realizing that they are not true. In the process of self-discovery, one should ask oneself several questions. The most important question is: "Who am I really?" This isn't asking for your name, address, or ID number, but asking who your true inner self is. What do you desire? Is this desire suppressed by a sense of responsibility? What were your childhood dreams? What do you want to do that makes you feel passionate? Try writing them down (don't worry about what others think). Is there a way to pursue this dream? Use your imagination to find that possibility.

It's never too late to do what you want to do. Many successful people reach the peak of their careers after the age of 50. Look at successful businesspeople; some of them are still working, even though they are well past the "retirement" age. Meditation is one of the tools people commonly use to help them communicate with their inner selves. Meditation requires no cost and no professional training. It's something you can do on your own, and it has many benefits, including helping you find answers to questions that are troubling you. Meditation can even be helpful for pregnant women. Daily meditation can be a valuable time for expectant mothers to clarify their thoughts and feelings. This can help them connect with their emotions and reduce potential stress. It can also reduce the need for emotional eating and prevent extra weight gain during pregnancy.