Managing the gauges
This morning, on my way to work, a light on the dashboard came on. It’s a familiar light, that comes with an actual warning. (!) Tire Pressure Low. Although my first inclination is to calculate how long it can wait, I know that heeding this warning is important for both safety and fuel efficiency. Learning to pay attention to the warning lights and tend to things before they become urgent is a priority in this season of life.
My soul, doesn’t come with fancy lights and messages, but it does communicate. The tears that burn my eyes as someone asks me how I really am, have something to say. The fatigue that plagues my days, is communicating. The low-grade headache, the spinning thoughts, and the overstimulation in my body are shouting for attention. There are many symptoms in my body, my emotions, and my relationships that vie for my attention. Mine might be different from yours, but I’ll bet you have some too.
I have this idea about using imaginary gauges to track my energy and vitality throughout my journey. I think about the video games my kids played. They had gauges measuring life, health, fire power, or strength. As the kids moved through the game, interactions might increase or decrease the health, strength, or fire power of a character. They were always looking at the life gauge that indicated when the game had come to an end. Managing those gauges was the essence of playing the game.
Because I have made a commitment to living as whole and healthy as I possibly can, I’ve been thinking a lot about the characteristics of fullness and health in my life. What does health and wellness feel like and look like in my body, mind, heart, and spirit? How can I keep better tabs on my wellness in these areas?
I’ve begun to use this idea of gauges to measure these areas of my life. I jot down my impressions in my journal. On a scale between 0 (empty) and 5 (full)?
- Physical energy:Am I full of vitality, ready to take on the world?
- Emotional energy:Is my emotional tank full?
- Thought life:Are my thoughts supporting my life today or weighing me down? Am I hopeful and positive or negative and pessimistic about the future?
- Spiritual life:Am I finding satisfaction and wholeness in my relationship to God?
I am learning how to manage my gauges. I am trying to keep an eye on how I’m doing and adjust before I run too low. What are the actions I can take today to stop plug the holes and replenish my energy and vitality? It feels necessary to keep an eye on how life’s twists and turns, emergencies and dramas are impacting me day to day and week to week, but the real value in this new knowledge is that I can adjust refill and replenish.
Do you have a list of giving activities you can add to your days when you are feeling depleted? Maybe you could take a walk to fill your physical energy tank. You might call a friend and make some time to check in and fill your emotional tank. Some quiet time in my journal or an impromptu road trip can clear my head and get me back on track. Curling up with a good book, or a journal for some thoughtful reflection can help to refill the cup.
Paying attention to these areas of life gives us a chance to pull back and get some rest or lean in and get the time I need with soul friends. For me, the key is learning to take responsibility for my one life and committing to live it as healthy and whole as I possibly can.
What do your gauges have to tell you?
