This is a safety announcement

"This is a safety announcement. In the event that our cabin pressure changes, an oxygen mask will be released above your head from the overhead compartment. Please place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping children or other in need of assistance."

Sound familiar? You likely have heard this as an airline safety announcement but if you look at, it really applies to daily life.

These words contain a strong truth, a spiritual truth to it. You cannot help anyone if you've passed out from lack of oxygen.

But to live a no-regret life, you want to engage those around you, you want to spend time with your loved ones, you want to show them how much they mean to you.

True, but to do that efficiently, you need to help yourself first, you need to breath. I have been recently starting to take time to focus on myself and take time for myself and this has helped me more by being able to focus on my loved ones.

I had to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, relationally and physically (although the physical part still requires more effort) before I could move beyond myself and invest in others.

Even religious scripture asks us to love ourselves. The Bible states Love your God with all your heart, soul and mind. And love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

Love yourself, then love your neighbor and God with all your heart and mind and soul.

Let's get physical. How do we cultivate a healthy body concept? Do we need to go to the gym every day and exercise endlessly to look like the sculptured air brushed models? You can't be too fat, you can't be too thin, you can't be too pear shaped blah blah blah?

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I am the branch connected to the vine and as such I must first connect to God's oxygen mask so that I don't have to breathe society's lies about what a perfect body type is.

But we have to be healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle. After all, our body is a temple and the Holy Spirit lives in us.

If you as a branch stay connected to the vine then God will give you the strength and guidance to exercise, to stay on a diet suitable for you but that does not mean you have to go into extremes, either extreme of exercise and a strict diet regime or the total opposite of becoming a glutton and obese.

I need to start on exercise and this starts now with basic Pilates and walking with the dog.

Another part is emotional health, maintaining a balance of emotions. Maintaining a balance does not mean you suppress your emotions or hide your emotions. Denial of my emotions or suppression just made things worse.

So, I experienced my emotions but now I stay connected to the Universe and I do not let my emotions to control my thoughts, my immediate behavior or interactions with others.Letting our emotions control our actions mean that the branch is trying to be it's own vine.

The whole reason we put on the oxygen mask is so that we can help others in need. This is where relations come in. I have been guided by many teachers and guardians who have led me to this oath and these are the relationships and their experiences that I am truly grateful for.

How do you rate my health in the four main areas, let's say quantitatively 1 being low and 10 being high.

Spiritually - 8.0
Physically - 4.0
Emotionally - 6.0
Relationally - 7.0

So yes, even I need to have some improvements as it clearly can be seen. I have to work through some challenges to increase my physical activity as well as ensure that I do not let my emotions control my thoughts. It has been a journey but now I have fast-tracked my journey.

I hope that all areas will be as high as my spirituality by the end of the month, do ask me again. My goal is to increase everything to 10, I want to be the best branch and have a great connection to the vine in order to bear the highest quality of fruits.

I have set specific goals in each area on how to further improve too. So I hope you too will set some goals.

And remember, communicate and confess, do not be too hard on yourself but make the effort as if you had just 1 month to live, because it is then you will really start to think of this things and surrender yourself to be the branch.

Take care and be well.