Put Your Mask On First

Take the guilt out of focusing on yourself

Russell Rowe
3 min readOct 21, 2019
Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash

Where’s Your Focus?

Do you want to have an impact on the world around you and be a champion of positive change? Do you want to be your best self every day and contribute to society in meaningful ways? If the answer to those questions is yes, then don’t let other people or circumstances determine who you are becoming.

Focusing on your own needs can feel selfish when so many people are counting on you.

I see this posted in articles and on social media all the time. I hear it when I coach people. Many people feel guilty when they take time for themselves and others get bogged down with what other people need from them and can’t focus on their own needs.

They can’t seem to prioritize their personal development and they spend all of their energy on tasks that benefit someone else. There never seems to be anything left for giving themselves some attention.

Put Your Mask On First

I was on a flight a few months ago, and something caught my attention during the safety video that plays before takeoff. I normally tune out this message, as I’ve flown more times than I can count over the years, and the video…

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Russell Rowe

I’m passionate about helping people become better communicators.