Sometimes We Need Our Batteries Recharged

Have you ever been doing a presentation or working on a project and you get that message on your computer that the "battery power is low."  There you are, ready to move on, to get it all done, and your computer is out of gas.

Or you've just entered your car, ready to head home or out on a trip and the car won't start and a light comes on telling you the battery is gone.

It probably would help if we could get a similar light or message when our personal batteries are low. Because it's one thing to have to postpone finishing your work on your laptop for a while or call a tow truck, but it's far more serious when we have a personal meltdown that is harder to fix.

Why might we be out of power?  There are lots of reasons. Lack of sleep, overwork, too much stress, too busy, weak immune system, recent traumatic events, long-term illnesses and many others. The problem is we often keep pushing ahead thinking that we can make it. But often the decision not to stop leads to disastrous consequences like it does for the climber who pushes ahead on Everest when they know better.

So how do we avoid running out of electricity, so to speak?  Can we head off the problems at the pass?

Sure we can. First, stay in tune with yourself and your schedule.  Don't ignore times in your life or climb when things become harder than usual or there is greater pressure on you to perform. Periodically take inventory of what your week or month or even year looks like so you can see exactly where the extra challenges might come. I like to have a calendar that also shows the big picture not just what is on my phone each day or week.

Second, get rest and take care of yourself. Often when we're young (and most of us think we're young long after we really are) we think we can conquer the world and keep doing the same things and meeting the same expectations year after year. Let me tell you something - you can't!  And it's OK.  So that means you'll need more rest, more time to rejuvenate.

Third, let go of some things. You can't do it all and you do not have to. If you're climbing a mountain of illness or personal problems, you don't have to meet all the responsibilities you had before. You can't live your life to please others either. Give away some of  your tasks and let someone else have the opportunity to do them.

Sometimes batteries get drained because someone simply forgot to turn something off.  That happens and there is not much we can do about that. But if our batteries drain because we simply tried to do more than our emotional charge would hold then that's our fault. And the consequences aren't worth it. Recharge today.

Distraction Can Be Deadly

I was coming home from church today and drove my usual route through our condo complex headed to our place. However, about three buildings down from where we live I saw a beautiful (at least it had been) BMW automobile smashed into some support blocks near another unit. The blocks were scattered all over the street and the front end of the car was demolished. The car would need to be towed.

As I turned around to go find out what had happened, I saw a young girl inside next to the blown airbag. She was crying and holding her hands in her head. I asked her if she was alright and she seemed to be physically fine, but her emotions were a mess.

I asked her what had happened and she simply said, "I'm so sorry, I was texting."

We've all heard and  hopefully heeded the many warnings and public service announcements about texting and driving. I'm sure this young lady wishes she had listened better. But this blog isn't about texting. It's about being distracted.

Distractions take lots of forms but they are all potentially harmful. We can get distracted from the things that really matter in life and which truly count by a lot of things: getting more stuff, complaining about life, selfishness, living in the past, accomplishments, status . . . make your own list. It can be pretty long.

And when the least important things take precedence and we get distracted by them because we've given them greater importance than they deserve people get hurt. Our families suffer, our spouses suffer and we suffer.  We miss out on special moments that we could have enjoyed. We don't progress and overcome the challenges of life. And we spend countless amounts of time and energy on things that really don't amount to much in the end.

What's distracting you these days?  Who's paying the price as a result?  You can change things, you know. Start focusing on what really matters. Put down your phone while driving, yes. But put aside those things that you need to keep your eye on in life, too. Remember, distractions can be deadly.

Who Do You Have Around You During Your Challenges?

If you use the computer at all you have received a warning at some point that sounds a little like this: Make sure that all attachments you open are from a worthy or reliable source.  And there's good advice there because attachments in the cyberspace world can cause lots of damage to an otherwise fine computer, right?

Well, the same is true when it comes to relationships, especially during our times of struggle, when we're climbing through life on a very steep path. We need to be careful about those we attach ourselves to or we'll find that they take more from us than they give.

Who are those potentially dangerous, life-draining people?

The first may be a close relative. Now of course, we need family and great family members can be a wonderful encouragement and practical help through our illness, grieving or other life struggle. But often those closest to us can also be more of a burden than a help. The one who constantly wants to fix us or take care of us inappropriately or tell us what to do all the time. You must be willing to ask them to back off and see that they take up less and less of your time and thinking.

Another may be a fellow climber. The person who has been where you've been can be a tremendous help because they often understand what you've been through. However, sometimes they too think they are now an "expert" on your issues and they think they should become your mentor, colleague and confidante about all things related to your climb.

A third may be a so-called expert. Your doctor, pastor, priest, psychologist and the like all have the potential to offer significant expertise and care but they too can become your "god," the one you worship and follow no matter what they say.

You get the idea. Yes, we must glean as much as we can from people who can bring wisdom, insight and passion to us when we need it most. But we must also be careful to not let these and others end up causing more angst and stealing more energy from us through their inappropriate and unwise counsel and demands.  When it's all said and done, your best decisions will come from those you make with the counsel of God.

Remember, only reliable attachments should be opened!

On Your Life Journey Lock Your Doors!

A recent news story showed how many people at shopping malls leave their car doors unlocked while they shop. In addition, many of them have valuables, previous purchases and other expensive electronics clearly visible to anyone passing by.

Obviously many individuals and families get needlessly robbed of things that are important and in some cases difficult or at least expensive to replace.  IF they were only a little more careful they would rarely get taken advantage of.

Sometimes in life, we too can leave our emotional and personal doors unlocked only to have necessary energy, strength and other resources taken from us.

One way we are vulnerable is when we don't set appropriate boundaries. Boundaries are safeguards we set up with others that we control to keep them out of our world at unnecessary or inappropriate times. For example, a person is grieving the loss of a loved one and yet they let all their friends tell them how to handle their grief or where they should emotionally be at some point.

Or someone with cancer struggling with not having their usual energy still gives in to a friend or relative's demands that they meet their needs or acclimate to their schedule in some way. As a result our ability to function well is stolen from us because we've left ourselves open to others entering our car when we should have locked it.

Another way we let people rob us is when we offer them our personhood and let what they say, do or not do make us feel less valued. We allow them to take away from our value, our being made in God's image, through their comments about what we're doing or not doing right. We succumb to their negative evaluation by believing that what they say really determines who we are and it does not.

There are five things that are always true of us in God's eyes that are worth repeating: We are loved, we are forgiven, we matter, we have purpose and we are children of God.  Any person who has chosen to join God's family can count on those no matter what anyone else says.

So, are you during your personal journey leaving yourself open to emotional robberies by others?  If so, set some boundaries and remember who you really are in God's eyes. It will change how you climb and in general how you live.  And that's worth a lot.