I have a saying, "I learn something new everyday". Regardless how much you know, tomorrow you may always learn something new. Oddly enough, I learned, what I consider, a very important piece of advise in a most unusual place. Even more interesting is how so many people have heard it before, are hearing it as you read this and will eventually hear it again. Yet somehow, many probably don't even see this piece of advise so plainly obvious, that is told to them. Why? Because the advise I speak of is meant for a different purpose, but if applied correctly can be used as part of your everyday life.

Sometime in January, I received a call from my sister in Puerto Rico. Nothing unusual about it; we talk all the time. Except this time she had a surprise for me. All of a sudden I hear a voice on the phone I had not heard in years, my sister from Chicago (from my dad's side). I had not spoken to her in over 15 years, since my brother (from my dad's side as well) was killed in a motorcycle accident when I was around 14. There have been issues with my brother and sister from my dad's side from as far back as  can remember. Anyway's, it was nice to hear her voice and I was even happier that she had finally decided to let go of the past and try to be part of the family again. Since then I had not heard from her till recently when she decided to give me a call. We spoke for a good while about a lot of things. While my life has not been the best IU could have wished for, I can't complain considering how tough my sister had it. While I did not know her well, since we never had a chance to be a family, I did what I could to let her know that regardless of the past, that I was here for her. After hearing all of her problems, I told her that sometimes life is just that, life and you just have to deal with it. I learned that the hard way and because of that I decided to take some advise I had heard many years ago but only put into perspective recently. I told her the best advise I could give her is something she should be very familiar with and has probably heard a million times considering she works for an airline. On every flight, just before take-off, the flight attendant gives the basic airline safety instructions. But one thing in those instructions is some advise that can be applied to everyday life as well. During the air mask instructions that flight attendant says very clearly:

"Secure your mask before helping others"

Simply instructions right? But if you think about it, what does it mean? Simple, it means in order to help others you must help yourself first. I believe this is great advise that can be applied to everyday life. In order to help others you must help yourself first, makes perfect sense. My sister stood quite for a few seconds and then told me she thought that was a very interesting idea and that she would try to apply it to her daily life as well. She never figured that advice was right there in her face all these years. She was very thankful for the thoughts.

Just today she called me again. And to my surprise she called to say thank you for the advise. She had told her friends about it and even wrote a poem about it. I never thought something as simply as a few words of advise would have such an impact on anyone. She was very thankful for the words and it was already starting to make a difference in her life. I was a bit overwhelmed by this and felt for once I did something right.

So, to anyone interested in some advise from an unusual place, please listen. Help yourself first before you help others, even when it comes to children. They need us to be strong so that we can help them be strong, otherwise we may not be able to be there when they need us.

I may not be the person to be giving anyone advise. But you can't say this is not a good piece of advise from an unlikely source such as a flight attendant. Take it or leave it, it's up to you. Thank you.