Untamed

I used to love the saying “put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” Yep, it’s totally logical that you can’t help anyone else if you can’t breathe.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When my kids were little that’s how I managed my days. Try to stay a few breaths ahead of them. Just keep sucking that oxygen!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I just finished reading Glennon Doyle’s book “Untamed” and it’s been blowing my mind. Or more accurately it’s been carving new pathways into my brain.⠀Glennon seems to think that not only do we need more than just a few sips of oxygen, but that assisting others should not even be our main goal. And I am kind of loving this idea.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In the Glennon perspective, women often think what thrills and fulfills us will hurt other people. And girls are taught that the best way to love is to lose yourself in the service of others.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What if the WAY we assist other people is by being ourselves? By being totally alive. By being thrilled and fulfilled and letting all that Joy and Creativity and Energy spill out the top of us so that we can’t help but help others. Because we see how wild and precious they are. Because we see they are looking for what thrills and fulfills them too.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There are times when I can’t do this. When I’m tired or hurt or angry. Jealous or resentful or lonely.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And there are times when I can. Times when I feel deep in my bones that filling myself up is the one best thing I can do for the world.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀