A Sudden Loss of Cabin Pressure

I've been thinking about cabin pressure lately -- the thing the airline attendant talks about during the pre-flight message.

"... and in the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will descend from the ceiling. If this happens, please refrain from freaking out. Simply grab the mask, and pull it over your face.

And if you have a small child traveling with you, you'll need to secure your own mask before assisting with theirs ... otherwise you'll pass out and your kid still won't have a mask ... and that's something we can all agree we'd rather avoid. Right?"

So even though I haven't actually been on a plane in quite some time ... cabin pressure has been on my mind a lot.

Do you think it's possible to lose 'cabin pressure' when you're not on a plane? Because I think maybe we already have.

In fact, I think life is a game where the cabin pressure is a little bit tricky. It's not the 'sudden loss' crystal-clear event that happens in the air ... but more of a 'slow leak' situation. You just find yourself coping with less and less ... until suddenly you're gasping from deprivation ... and you've got no clue how it happened.

And where the heck are the oxygen masks?

B.Y.O.O.M.

Apparently life is also B.Y.O.O.M: Bring Your Own Oxygen Mask.

Nothing comes popping down from the ceiling. Which is actually good, because in this metaphor oxygen represents what we value -- our own personal currency -- that precious, core stuff we need more than oxygen ... to survive and thrive.

And relying on someone else's definition of oxygen (or value) is what gets most of us in deprivation trouble in the first place. When you get your value from someone else, you've got to translate it (or exchange the currency) before you can use it, and something always gets lost in the exchange process.

We don't notice the slow leaks, because we're used to leaking value as part of the normal, everyday state of things.

I'll give you mine, if you give me yours

The other reason I've been thinking about cabin pressure ... is because you've got have your own mask on and working ... before you can help anyone else with theirs. Or in value terms ... you've got have your own value squared away ... before you can offer value to someone else.

This is key.

Relying on other people's esteem, looking outside ourselves for confirmation of our value, means we are routinely getting our oxygen from someone else's mask.

We think we're being generous, thinking of others first ... giving our value away ... hoping and praying and sometimes begging that the folks who take us up on our offer will give us something in exchange.

But we've missed a crucial point. In order to give something away ... you first need to have it. The more value you have ... the more you have to offer. So if we really want to be generous ... we need to make sure we have something to give.

But after years of slowly leaking ... making due with loose value translations ... most of us feel like we're running around on empty.

Here's the good part ...

You don't have to feel empty. You can fill your tank back up anytime you want, and it's actually pretty easy. You just need to know how.

See, unlike our metaphorical oxygen tank ... in the real world ... the more you breathe your oxygen ... the more oxygen you have to give. Or in terms of value ... the more value experiences you have, the more value you have to offer.

Running on empty? Make a date with yourself. Spend 30 minutes doing something you love to do. And you'll feel your tank start to fill back up.

You are a renewable resource ... when you actually renew yourself.

So don't wait for the blinking overhead light or a message from the captain letting you know that you've lost the cabin pressure. If you're over 35, have or had parents or kids, or worked for someone ... chances are your cabin pressure has taken a couple of knocks here and there. And it's high time for a tuneup. So make a value-date with yourself ... breathe deep ... and soak up the experience.

Not only do you deserve it. It's also the only way to have enough extra to share around.

© 2006. All rights reserved. Beth M. Lyons, www.kitchentablecoaching.com
In addition to wringing ezine essays out of the tiniest of notions, Beth Lyons is the creator of the Million Dollar Life™ and Techie Coaching programs, and co-founder of Kitchen Table Coaching™: where remarkable women gather to dream out loud. Kitchen Table Coaching offers mastermind coaching groups, individual, customized coaching programs, Barbara Sher Success Teams, Teleclass Workshops, Webinars, and the occasional live workshop. For more information go to www.KitchenTableCoaching.com. Feel free to pass this on to friends and associates - please just keep the entire issue intact.  Thanks!

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