Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello, welcome back to another episode of Train for a Great Life. Today we're going to tackle something incredibly important for all the parents out there why prioritizing your own well-being is not selfish but essential. Okay, we're going to start with a quick story. Imagine you are on a transatlantic flight. It's going to be a long one, midway through meal service. About to start with a quick story, imagine you are on a transatlantic flight. It's going to be a long one, midway through meal service, about to start and you hear there's a big issue. The food was not packed onto the plane. They found one sandwich. There are dozens, hundreds of hungry passengers, hundreds of hungry passengers, the flight staff you can imagine frustration, complaints. So what do you do? Who gets the sandwich? There's one answer, without question it is the pilot. Why? Because the pilot is responsible for getting everybody to their destination safely. If the pilot can't perform, everybody is at risk. Okay, back to your life as a parent. You're the pilot of your family. You guide, nurture, protect, provide. You're an example at all times.

Speaker 1: 1:20

It can be a lot of pressure to think about, but this is what we've signed up for. You know, whether knowingly or not, yet too often parents put themselves last. They neglect their own health, their fitness and their happiness, the things that light them up their own hobbies, their fitness, their eating habits, their everything, their social circles. It might feel noble putting everything that you have into your kids, but there is a hidden cost. Okay, I've seen it countless times. We're 13 plus years into coaching people and running a gym. Parents enroll their kids in multiple activities hockey, gymnastics, music lessons, you name it. Sacrifice their own workout time, downtime or simply just time to breathe, running from one thing to another constantly. It might work for a while, but eventually the cracks start to show. You might become resentful, frustrated, feel like your own identity is slipping away. Perhaps those cracks don't necessarily show up on yourself. You put them onto your partner and you know then, now there's cracks in your, in your marriage. Um, maybe it's your health that takes a hit because you've neglected your fitness, sleep or nutrition.

Speaker 1: 2:35

Okay, fast forward a bit. Kids grow older, become more independent and eventually leave home, you know. Or or even the, the teenage years, where they they start to need you a little bit less. They want to, you know. Suddenly you're faced with these questions who am I now, and what happened to the things that I used to love.

Speaker 1: 2:56

This isn't about being selfish. It's about sustainability and about setting an example. When you prioritize your own well-being, you're teaching your kids to do the same. You're demonstrating that taking care of yourself is necessary, healthy and responsible. So I challenge you today to think differently. What if your child does one less activity but you gain back some essential time to recharge? Get your workouts in or simply rest, if that's what you need. You'll show up happier, healthier and more engaged in the time that you do have together. Remember, you are the pilot. You have a responsibility to yourself and your family to stay healthy, energized and fulfilled. Take care of yourself first. Eat the sandwich. Your family will thank you, maybe not outwardly. They're not going to walk up to you and say thank you for taking care of yourself first and not enrolling me in this one other thing that I wanted to do. That's not what it looks like. It is the long play. Don't forget it. Eat the sandwich. See you in the gym.