I don't have time for this right now!

Mother Teresa — you know, that once-unknown little nun who mobilized tens of thousands of people to care for the poorest of the poor, and trotted the globe bringing in millions of dollars and creating a legacy that has lasted far past her death?


She insisted that everyone associated with her Missionaries of Charity spend precious hours in spiritual practice every day, even when there was the pressing need of dying and starving people all around. --Copyblogger

It is interesting to me how we view selfishness.  Sometimes we let our health go to the wayside just because we don't want to be seen as selfish. It struck me yesterday when I read this story of Mother Teresa -- who is perhaps the most iconic soul of unselfishness -- that even when the world burning down around her, she still knew how important it was for people to take care of themselves.

Taking care of your health is not selfishness any more than putting on your oxygen mask in  an airplane emergency is selfish.  If you don't put yours on first, you are putting others at risk because you won't be there to help them. 

So what about your eating habits?  If you say you don't have the time it takes to invest in a lasting habit change, then what?  You can't teach your kids, your parents or your best friends healthy habits you don't have time for.  You are actually depriving the world of your example of a healthy relationship with food.  And isn't that what our world needs?  Someone out there needs to see YOU contentedly push your plate away when there is still delicious food on it (without a comment about your waistline, the fat content, or how you shouldn't have eaten that because it will take you weeks to work that off).  If you can do it, someone else may be inspired to try.  And that is how we all become healthier and happier.

So tell me -- do you think you have time for that?  Or is that just too selfish?