Is it selfish to put yourself first?
Updated: Apr 1, 2022
The concept of putting you first may seem pretty taboo at first. But, given some logical thought, it truly is the best way to serve those around us and those we love.
The metaphor I typically use to stress the importance of putting oneself first is putting on the oxygen mask in an airplane.
Every time we get in a plane, the instructions prior to take off tell you: “put your mask on first before helping others.” I recall the first time I heard that, I thought I must have heard incorrectly. But, as we all know, those are the instructions and for good reason. When the masks are deployed, we only have about 30 to 75 seconds to put the mask on before hypoxia (your body doesn't have enough oxygen) sets in, causing significant disorientation and inability to think clearly. Once you are hypoxic, you become a liability. Check out this clip as they demonstrate the state of mind and ability to think in that situation.
At MODA, we incorporate the same methodology in our journey, putting ourselves first. Without conscious self-care, sustaining weight loss is futile. Hence, we have a handful of ways to keep this message of “our health first” in the forefront.
The MODA Mantra is how we open and close every weekly MODA Session:
“I Care About MY Health and MY Wellness
I Eat Real Food in Controlled Portions at Proper Intervals
I AM The Priority.”
The MODA Mantra serves as our framework (scope of work): caring for our health and wellness, a reminder of our daily dietary intentions and finishing off with prioritizing ourselves: I am the priority. Take in a short video clip of the MODA Mantra here.
We have the I AM the Priority flag that proudly hangs from the rafters at our Lakeshore location. It stands outs from the moment you first walk into our meeting room.
We have the I AM the Priority medallion that can be clipped to a key chain or kept in a pocket for an instant reminder at any point during the day. The premise of the MODA medallion is based on the 30 days of sobriety medallion that is acknowledged at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The medallion is in the form of a mini brick, to signify our journey is one day at a time in the same way a brick wall is built one laid brick at a time.
The fundamental premise of these nudging reminders is we can only care and support those in our lives if we are healthy. By prioritizing ourselves, we can pursue our life passions with vigour. All things considered, I would suggest self-care, self-love and self-worth is the best gift we can give ourselves and those we care for.
CONTACT TONY
416-829-5728
He lost 130 pounds in 2010-11 and has kept it off ever since.
Tony's Shift happened early 2010 inside the change room of a Big & Tall Clothing store. He lost 130 pounds in 16 months and has successfully maintained his weight since.
He detested the reflection he saw in the mirror to the point that he removed all full-length mirrors from his home. He cringed when he was referred to as a “big guy.” His obesity caused him to be treated as a second-class citizen. Reality began to set in. Gaining “just a few pounds” every year, until he started to fear for his future.
