When you board an aeroplane, the cabin crew always give a list of instructions to follow for safety
during the flight.
‘Use your seatbelt’. ‘Stow away your tray after use’. ‘In the event of an emergency, please put on
your oxygen mask first before you assist someone.
These rules hold true not just in a plane but in life. Many people are life givers who pour into others.
they light up a room and make people feel loved and seen. Service, nurturing and kindness have their very important place, our souls and spirits are watered as we pour life into others.
But what happens when your emotional tank is low? What if, like a river that once gave life to those
around it, there is an emotional famine, and your river bed has now run dry? How do you replenish
and reset?
We are not built to simply pour into others; we were meant to serve from a place of overflow.
Just like they said on the aeroplane: ‘Use your seat belt’; in other words, always be discerning and guard your heart and your assets from getting thrown out or stolen.
‘Stow away your tray’, when you go out of your way to help others, you have to pause and reset.
You cannot stay in service mode 24hours a day, 7 days a week. Like a table tray, you use it when
eating and then return it back to its place to prevent accidents.
If you do not take time to refill your emotional and spiritual tank when you’re pouring into others,
you risk the chance of running dry, burnout and being left with emotional bleeding in your soul.
Last but not least: ‘in the case of an emergency, put on your oxygen mask before you assist someone else’.
It is in human nature to be self-sacrificial in one way or the other, but unlike Jesus Christ who
was raised from the dead, you cannot return when your time is up and the world will be forced to
solve its problems without your help or input.
While you serve others, serve yourself. While you nurture those around you, make sure you are
growing right beside them.
Robin Williams was an award-winning actor who was once regarded as the greatest comedian of all
time. He was described as an amazing human being, friendly, present and consistent. He helped
Steven Spielberg overcame the darkness of depression and anxiety while filming the movie
Schindler’s list by simply calling him every night and cracking jokes until the darkness lifted and
Steven felt alright.
Robin Williams saw a gift in a poor girl from the wrong side of town called Jessica Chastain. He fully
sponsored her education at Juilliard School of the Arts. Jessica was told she was not good enough to take lead roles because of her looks, but Robin saw her fire and determination. Jessica went on to
win multiple Academy Awards and was among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in
the world by 2012, thanks to a man who saw what everyone else could not.
Robin Williams committed suicide and died in 2012. He was loving, generous, funny and kind, but
could not handle the news of a degenerative disease and killed himself before the disease could.
Robin stood by many in their hour of need, but had not built himself to withstand tough times.
‘Put your oxygen mask on first. ’ Learn how to encourage yourself. Develop grit, resilience and
staying power. Affirm yourself, practice self-encouragement.
It takes a lot of rain for river beds to be full, and heavy rains tend to be seasonal. As you uplift
others, it is essential to find and hold tightly to those who pour into you.
It’s important to keep your river flowing in the direction of others to avoid being stagnant, but it is
life preservation to seek positive sources that keep your emotional and spiritual tank full. Your
health, mind and well-being power you to bring goodness to the world, so take precious care of
these treasures, guard them jealously.
Take time to rest and recharge, the world needs you to do so, so you can keep showing up for those
you love.
