Monday, May 18, 2009
Refueling the Tank
Don’t you feel like life should be more than just getting by, barely making it, or let’s face it…having nothing left for yourself at the end of the day? While penny-pinching during economically challenging times, we frequently let our cars run on fumes before we refill the tank. Unfortunately, we do that with our own lives as well.
It’s a new diaper for the toddler, lunch packed for your first-grader and husband, refilling the pets’ food bowls, folding laundry, emptying trash cans, and as you well know, the list goes on. Feeding everyone is a constant demand in itself. Doesn’t it seem like you’ve just finished breakfast and the kids are already asking for a snack? After lunchtime, you immediately start thinking about what you’ll make for dinner. Will it be steak and potatoes or Caesar salad with grilled chicken?
What about yourself in the midst of this whirlwind of demands? What do you love to do? Have you made time to bless yourself with a little bit of tender loving care? We all know that our cars run better if they’re full of gas, not just running on fumes, but we infrequently apply this truth to our own lives. When the car literally runs out of gas, it ceases to run. We don’t want to wait for that drastic result in our own lives.
You must take time out to refuel your own tank. Maybe it’s just an extra five minutes at the gym to stretch and meditate on the blessings of the day. Possibly it’s that haircut or facial you’ve been postponing for months. For me, it’s a Kelly's Spa certificate I’ve had sitting in my kitchen drawer for over three years now. It could be as simple as a ten minute phone call with that college roommate you’ve needed to touch base with or a quiet walk with your dog and your MP3 player.
If we don’t refill our tanks, we pay a high price. When we run on fumes, we’re still running, but we’re less effective and less joyful. Think of the woman you could be at completing life’s multitude of tasks if you made yourself more of a priority. Five minutes here or ten minutes there might seem irrelevant or insignificant, but in the long run, a changed mindset will help us to take advantage of the opportunities when they do arise.
For example, if you do find an extra fifteen minutes while the baby is sleeping, try to read one chapter of that novel that’s been collecting dust from three Christmases ago instead of folding the underwear. Who does that anyways? It’s also about making more effective choices, like twenty minutes practicing the guitar rather than two hours watching a movie you’ve already seen before.
By resting and spending your time more effectively, you’ll be able to use your God-given gifts and talents. How will your kids ever know of your evolving painting skills if you don’t take time to create that beautiful sunset you’ve been picturing in your head now for years?
As moms, we often focus on our family’s needs ahead of our own. Unfortunately, it is frequently at the expense of our own prosperity and development. It seems selfish NOT to take time out to refuel our own tanks because everyone else benefits as well when we do.
It’s a new diaper for the toddler, lunch packed for your first-grader and husband, refilling the pets’ food bowls, folding laundry, emptying trash cans, and as you well know, the list goes on. Feeding everyone is a constant demand in itself. Doesn’t it seem like you’ve just finished breakfast and the kids are already asking for a snack? After lunchtime, you immediately start thinking about what you’ll make for dinner. Will it be steak and potatoes or Caesar salad with grilled chicken?
What about yourself in the midst of this whirlwind of demands? What do you love to do? Have you made time to bless yourself with a little bit of tender loving care? We all know that our cars run better if they’re full of gas, not just running on fumes, but we infrequently apply this truth to our own lives. When the car literally runs out of gas, it ceases to run. We don’t want to wait for that drastic result in our own lives.
You must take time out to refuel your own tank. Maybe it’s just an extra five minutes at the gym to stretch and meditate on the blessings of the day. Possibly it’s that haircut or facial you’ve been postponing for months. For me, it’s a Kelly's Spa certificate I’ve had sitting in my kitchen drawer for over three years now. It could be as simple as a ten minute phone call with that college roommate you’ve needed to touch base with or a quiet walk with your dog and your MP3 player.
If we don’t refill our tanks, we pay a high price. When we run on fumes, we’re still running, but we’re less effective and less joyful. Think of the woman you could be at completing life’s multitude of tasks if you made yourself more of a priority. Five minutes here or ten minutes there might seem irrelevant or insignificant, but in the long run, a changed mindset will help us to take advantage of the opportunities when they do arise.
For example, if you do find an extra fifteen minutes while the baby is sleeping, try to read one chapter of that novel that’s been collecting dust from three Christmases ago instead of folding the underwear. Who does that anyways? It’s also about making more effective choices, like twenty minutes practicing the guitar rather than two hours watching a movie you’ve already seen before.
By resting and spending your time more effectively, you’ll be able to use your God-given gifts and talents. How will your kids ever know of your evolving painting skills if you don’t take time to create that beautiful sunset you’ve been picturing in your head now for years?
As moms, we often focus on our family’s needs ahead of our own. Unfortunately, it is frequently at the expense of our own prosperity and development. It seems selfish NOT to take time out to refuel our own tanks because everyone else benefits as well when we do.
